Chance to buy a 1957 Ford 2 Door Wagon - Revised

[George Smolinski]

Regained control of my senses after looking at it in the daylight and with a good flashlight. Car is in rust colored primer, so maybe that’s why you all went nuts when I posted. You thought it was all rust. Truth is there’s not much area that doesn’t have some surface rust, but it looks like the majority of the car has enough bad surface rust that it couldn’t be sanded smooth. The whole body would have to be patched in places or at the very least, skimmed with putty. Even the gutters at the roofline have bad surface rust. Don’t know if it runs. Don’t care since I passed on it.

The location and logistics don’t make sense for me to buy it either. I’d have to ship it and shipping would cost more than what it’s worth. If it was local for me, ran and drove, and I could get it for $500-1000, I’d buy it, have a little fun with it and flip it. I think a buyer could make out on it even if you had to part it out. It looks very complete and the interior from the front seat back contains boxes of NOS parts for it.

For any of you who replied with non-wisea— comments, thanks and I would gladly share location and contact info. For the wisea—es, you’ll have to find someone else to share your vast knowledge with, and your comments.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

 

 😄 You go George! 

 

  Ben

[Paul from PA]

You know it when you see it. Usually doesn't take long when you put eyes on it. It's a yes or no pretty quickly. Thanks for sharing.

[60FlatTop]

3 hours ago, George Smolinski said:

have a little fun with it

Be careful with that comment. I know a couple of guys who say "just got it for fun" frequently. You know those old car charts that say what a statement really means, Just having fun usually means I shouldn't have done it and I am petrified with fear I am going to lose my money".  Not intending to think it is you but I recognize the saying. I guess one would call it a minimizing smoke screen.

 

It is really is hard to tell but I hope you don't consider my comment among the wise-ass ones. They are honestly shared things I do, sometimes with a little ironic humor to help them stick. Your description of what you found is pretty much what I saw in the pictures.

 

My advice is as  participant, not speculation. I can tell you a great story about buying this.

I sold it.

 

[Paul from PA]

I know they made Corvette conversion wagons, Jaquar's?

[bryankazmer]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Be careful with that comment. I know a couple of guys who say "just got it for fun" frequently. You know those old car charts that say what a statement really means, Just having fun usually means I shouldn't have done it and I am petrified with fear I am going to lose my money".  Not intending to think it is you but I recognize the saying. I guess one would call it a minimizing smoke screen.

 

It is really is hard to tell but I hope you don't consider my comment among the wise-ass ones. They are honestly shared things I do, sometimes with a little ironic humor to help them stick. Your description of what you found is pretty much what I saw in the pictures.

 

My advice is as  participant, not speculation. I can tell you a great story about buying this.

I sold it.

 

Shades of Harold and Maude

[George Smolinski]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

I hope you don't consider my comment among the wise-ass ones

No I don’t. You offered opinion/advice. Thanks.

[46 woodie]

The only thing missing from the Jaguar is the sign, "Not for sale, I'm gonna restore it some day"!

[ericmac]

8 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Be careful with that comment. I know a couple of guys who say "just got it for fun" frequently. You know those old car charts that say what a statement really means, Just having fun usually means I shouldn't have done it and I am petrified with fear I am going to lose my money".  Not intending to think it is you but I recognize the saying. I guess one would call it a minimizing smoke screen.

 

It is really is hard to tell but I hope you don't consider my comment among the wise-ass ones. They are honestly shared things I do, sometimes with a little ironic humor to help them stick. Your description of what you found is pretty much what I saw in the pictures.

 

My advice is as  participant, not speculation. I can tell you a great story about buying this.

I sold it.

 

I think we would ALL like to hear that story!

[Paul Dobbin]

We all make mistakes buying old cars, some we recover from, others cost us money.   Buying one to "flip" is especially

dangerous.

As A Early Ford V8 guy, here is a bad buy story.   About 45 years ago I found a 1941 Ford Tudor, that was a good 40 footer. 

Straight body panels, white wall tires and it ran.   Started right up and moved under it's own power.   Needed a lot of TLC.   

I had always thought the 1941 Ford was the ugliest pre-WWII Ford, but I had a set of fender skirts that would fit it, so I

offered $400 for it and bought it.   I thought I could drive it home, it was only 15 miles.   That's when I learned about early

Ford's being famous for the coil or condensers getting hot and shutting off the spark.   I got about 4 miles and is shut off. 

Had to get towed home.  

I fixed the lack of spark, installed my skirts a learned what a load I now owned.   The body skin was perfect, but all the door

posts were rusted off at the floor.   I cleaned it up and sold it to a guy for $900.     You think I learned a lesson?    NO!

9 years later the same guy called me and said he had to move and needed to sell the 41 Ford ASAP.   I told him I was not

interested until he offered it for half the price he paid for it 9 years earlier.   I bought it an he delivered it.   Two years later

after no real fun working on it, I sold it again for $900 and never saw that ugly thing again.  (Should have kept the skirts)]

Flips don't always work the way you hope the will.

[JamesR]

On 1/26/2024 at 9:45 AM, 60FlatTop said:

I can tell you a great story about buying this.

I sold it.

 

Cool! Is that the before or after pic, '60? 😃

[60FlatTop]

My son is 41 years old now. This is a picture I used to display on my desk with a little sign, "This is my job, this is me".

 

I paid $400 for it at the time and we drove it for a few years. It was a 430 and well maintained. A clean Florida 1972 Caprice 400 came my way so I put it up for sale. It was in my front yard at $800. Our local shop teacher came by, was interested , and wanted to dicker with the price. I told him I had new tires on the Buick but needed a pair for the Chevy. I would put some good used ones on and drop the price $150. He left saying he would think about it. He came back about an hour later with the full $800, cash in hand. That was the beginning of my policy of never to lower a price out of charity, always take something from the deal in exchange. Surprising how well that has worked.

A few years later It was in his yard for $600 after his wife and daughter finished with it. I really wanted to buy that car again, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay more the second time than I had the first. It sure was a good car.

Even if it was a long walk to the bucket when you washed it.