Parting out old GOOD cars just for the engine

[Guest Shaffer]

The is the 60 Buicks smaller relative. Someone had bought this nice, original 60 Impala, (top of the line Chevrolet for 1960)with factory A/C, just for the engine. I am glad to see that someone realized that the car was too good to part out. <BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1804426978" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1804426978</A>

[rocketraider]

Tony, you have hit on one of my sore spots!<BR>It has always bothered me that someone would desecrate a nice old car for drivetrain, front clip, options etc just because it's a four door and not worth much in their estimation. And I can't tell you how many nice Toronados, Starfires and Ninety Eights I've seen abandoned, relieved of their big-blocks so someone could have it for their Cutlass.<P>Friend and I had a serious row over this when he bought a loaded, running 65 Caprice Sport Sedan to get parts for his totalled 65 Impala Sport Coupe- which was so far gone it should have been crushed anyway, there's a time to realise all the love in the world can't save something. The Caprice was in as good shape as the E-Bay Sixty appears to be, with low miles and a perfect interior. I could not get him to leave the Caprice alone and give it a light restoration. "It's a four door. I ain't drivin' no four door." So a car that should have gone to the junkyard is now restored, and a beautiful, rare Chevy is stripped of its glory, slowly settling into the ground- just because it had four doors. <P>I make sure my 76 Ninety Eight Regency 4-door sedan is parked next to his Chevy at cruise nights, and with its hardtop lines and fancy Super Stock IV Polycast wheels, danged if it doesn't get more attention than the Chevy. Justice served...<P>Glenn Williamson<BR>the Rocketraider

[BuickNut]

Its kinda funny - the cars that always seem passed over, eventually become the hot collectors. Wagons used to be stripped for their big blocks, turbo 400's, and 12 bolt rear ends......NOW they're becoming collectors items. Sorry to say, there's not a whole lot of them around that are intact. Talk about goofy ! I like the popular cars too - but, no disrespect for the muscle car owners as I own 1 myself - I couldn't swing a dead cat at the Woodward Dream Cruise these past years without hitting a '66 GTO or its clone ! Its nice to see something different once in a while too !

[Guest]

Frankly I've never seen the reason for 2 doors. You have to throw the girlfriend over the back of the seat and 9 times out of 10, she smashes the dome light and ruins the ambiance. I'd rateher get out and hold the door open for her.

[Centurion]

You've hit on one of my pet peeves as well! I get frustrated about the herd mentality that afflicts our hobby. I've generally been a 2-door guy, but, when I bought my '59 Buick three years ago, I opted for the 4-door style because I liked it better. Yes, I have endured the comments from people who think that a 4-door car is not worth putting money into. Why should I care about that, since my purpose in buying the car was to enjoy it rather than to re-sell it? Last fall, I took my unrestored and far from perfect '59 4-door to a local car show with over 650 cars. There were scores of Mustangs, Camaros, and '57 Chevy's, but I had the only '59 Buick 4-door. (For that matter, it was the only '59 Buick of any description.) My day was made when the Corvette owner parked next to me informed me that visitors to the show seemed really excited to see my Buick. One young man even told me that my car was his favorite of the entire show. My '59 4-door may not meet the popular definition of "collectible", but I have no regrets!<P>Rocketraider, I too hate to see the fine 98's, Electra 225's, Wildcats, Centurions and Delta 88's that meet an untimely demise for the sake of someone's Cutlass or Skylark. Attending a local collector car auction a few years back was a true eye opener; a clapped out '67 Nova 2-door hardtop drew bids in the $11,000 range, while a magnificent '67 Eldorado was barely bid to $3,500. There's something wrong with this picture!

[Guest]

I find classic four door cars interesting because I often wonder what a family car was like back in the day. But I have to admit, they don't make very good modifieds or customs.