60FlatTop Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 14 hours ago, John348 said: It is possible to finance the car and maybe the financial impact might not be that bad. There are all kinds of loans for collector car out there, I am sure at high interest rate, but a few hundred a month might be easier on the savings and gets you in the game. I never did it myself. I have never spent a lot of money on my old cars. $10,000 would be a fine average budget upper end. I have pretty much adapted to that with every decade of my life. In the 1990s I belonged the the antique Oldsmobile Club. I remember an article in the club magazine about a member in Pennsylvania who had three nice cars. Each one had been purchased with backing from his friendly banker. The first was a test and the rest just just fell into place naturally. All running and ready to go. The concept impressed me 30 years ago and still does today. I was looking at a very nice 1951 Packard 250 red convert a few years ago at $25000 and considered a $15 an hour job 3 days a week would do just fine and drive the car to the job. Compare that to time and money in a restoration. 3 years and paid off. I'm still farting around with a paint job I started 10 years ago. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 23 hours ago, Matt Harwood said: What, exactly, are you guys up to that makes you think anyone would want to spy on you? Mojo said it best. Elvis IS everywhere. There may be space Elvises watching us but Elvis was a car guy so we oughta be safe!😄 And this big flashy Ninety Eight would have been his kind of car. RIP Mojo Nixon, the high priest of psychobilly voodoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
76 Caddy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 I have Champaigne tastes on a Cheerwine budget, but I do it anyway. This last one ('71 Impala) is more in line with my budget than any of the Cadillacs I have (or had). I have been blessed in that I was able to buy the cars I wanted in good condition for amounts I could live with (or without). Tim 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Today's humor. I saw a Tesla in the middle of the road with a tow truck in front of the car with a jump box connected under the front hood/bonnet, a police car behind with the lights on only maybe 100 yards from a Tesla charging station. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 23 hours ago, rocketraider said: Mojo said it best. Elvis IS everywhere. I made it to 2:28. And I have the Elvis channel on my Sirius XM right next to the Willie Nelson channel. The reason I watched so long is that I got distracted. I was thinking they make clay bowls and macrame in rehab, why not videos, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 If you purchase the car I would like to have a ride! My father bought a new 1964 98 4 dr hardtop. In 1966 he bought a 1966 Cadillac and sold the 98 to my grandfather who owned it untill 1980 with I believe only 36,000 miles. I was able to drive it many times (to give it some exercise) since my grand father drove it about 4 miles a week to town and to church. I absolutly loved how the car drove and rode. By 1980 my grandfather was having some issues with such a large car, and being in western PA rust on the frame was becoming an issue. In 1975-76 I worked for a local Oldsmobile dealer. We ordered a new rear bumper since the corners were prone to rust out. I missed the scrap deadline by 1 week. (When the Olds Parts depot would start scrapping obsolete parts.) Over the next few years we tried to find a western junk yard bumper. No luck. Also the larger diameter 14" tires were getting problematic to source. I would love to know if the car was still around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy64 Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 Update on the 1964 Oldsmobile. It was not in very good condition. back half of the water pump was broke and repaired with liquid steel. Antifreez was leaking. The new carburetor was just a cleaned up old one. Leaking fuel. Engine leaking oil on most if not all of the gaskets. Tires had no date code. (Date codes started in 2000) Started checking electrical and finding things not working. I don't mind fixing things, but this was said to be ready to drive out of the facility. I wouldn't trust the reliability to drive it. I had to pass. My search goes on. Thanks for the input from everyone. Your forum has helped educate me on searching and inspecting old cars. My search goes on. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48Super Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Seeing the car in person was the best possible thing you could have done. Now you know exactly the true condition of the car and you can eliminate it from your consideration with no regrets. Judging from the list of defects you described, it sounds like you know what to look for and this experience will help you when you inspect other cars. Hopefully, you'll find a car that you like in the condition you desire. Don't be disappointed that this car didn't work out, be glad you dodged the bullet. Keep looking and good luck. The right car for you is out there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy64 Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 Thanks 48Super The description of the car was not correct with the condition. No regrets for not purchasing. Moving forward to the next one. Hopefully soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 (edited) 4 hours ago, jimmy64 said: .Tires had no date code. (Date codes started in 2000 Tire date coding started in late 1960’s as mandated by US DOT. Initially the manufacturing dates were indicated by last three digits (for example “… 239” = 27th week of 1969 or 1979 or 1989 or 1999) at the end of series of letters and number usually only on one side of the tire, starting with “DOT …”. In 2000 the coding was changed to four digits “… 4507” = 45th week of 2007 or “… 1719” = 17th week of 2019, etc. Edited February 19 by TTR (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 You have to look at 100 of them to catch that good one. The comment about a large old man who couldn't bend over implied a lot of the things you found. The majority of the cars out there are like that. For a 98 that seemed a pretty plain Jane car. My unwritten thought was that it needed a red ball on the antenna so you could spot it at the mall. Good luck with that Miata. I have never met an unhappy owner. Enjoy ir until the right other car comes along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy64 Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 TTR maybe the date codes were on the inside of the tires. I didn't know of this. Thanks for the education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 4 hours ago, jimmy64 said: TTR maybe the date codes were on the inside of the tires. I didn't know of this. Thanks for the education. Jimmy64,check out the 64 Buick in the for sale section of this forum. Not sure if your only wanting a Olds,but Chris always seems to have great cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 There's been several interesting Buicks down in the for sale not mine Forum but I haven't seen any recently. Which one are we talking about? A regular poster in Buickland has I think a 71 B sedan for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KVP Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Jimmy 64, There'a white 1963 Olds 98 convertible for sale at Garage Kept Motors in Grand Rapids, MI. Photos available on their website. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy64 Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 Thanks Keith I have looked at that one. My issue is it doesn't have the factory air. This would be a lot of work to install the original and hard to find good parts. My main criteria is convertible with factory air. This gives me a lot of options in the 1957 to 1965 range with all manufacturers. I am still looking taking my time and enjoying the search. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee H Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 On 2/15/2024 at 8:00 PM, John348 said: It is possible to finance the car and maybe the financial impact might not be that bad. There are all kinds of loans for collector car out there, I am sure at high interest rate, but a few hundred a month might be easier on the savings and gets you in the game. I never did it myself. Consider yourself reported to Dave Ramsey. Don't let it happen again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 3 hours ago, Lee H said: Consider yourself reported to Dave Ramsey. Don't let it happen again. I have heard Dave Ramsey talk about cars. If you need information relevant to the 1985 cheap used car market he's your guy. He would be broke or walking if he took his own advice. I enjoyed listening to him when he was on our local AM station. But when he gave car advice I had to pull to the side of the road until I wiped the tears out of my eyes. He speaks eternal concepts with details of yesteryear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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