My First Vintage Automobile

[zaika]

EVERYONE!!!! thank you all so much for your advice and tips...i hope to get more.
i did manage to browse around, and i was surprised by how many *affordable* beauties were up for auction on eBay. i mean...not six months ago i was thinking about putting up 9K for a 1999 Subaru Forrester. but since i don't drive everyday, why not spend the 9K on a real car.
initially i was thinking of buying a body and building from the ground up...but why when i could just buy a running car that needs some TLC??
it's been really hard to look when i can't really buy right now. it's seriously, physically painful. but, having suggestions from you all will at least help me make a good decision when the time comes.
twitch...you're car is BEAUTIFUL. i wouldn't mind something like that m'self.

 

[Twitch]

There ya go Zaika! Find a car that is as complete and as much restored/rebuilt as possible. We mention this because if you buy something that needs a lot of work it is expensive these days. For example chrome alone that is real bad might run $3000 for every piece, $2-2500 for an interior and $3000 for decent paint.

Imoldfashioned- believe it or not my Packard lived most of its live near you in Jamaica Plain! It has some rust which needs attending to but it was inside a lot.

This particular car lived most of its life in a cool, dark garage under the original owners’ house in Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston Massachusetts. It was used very little until the man passed away and the car sat. Then a person refinishing the house's floors saw it in 1990 and eventually purchased it. He put it into good driving shape again but had another Packard which he liked more so the car sat some more.

When it was advertised for sale a restorer of classic cars bought it in 2001 and got it into good shape again and fixed a few minor faults but kept it original. He drove it very little also and in late 2004 sold it to the fellow who, without registering a new title, immediately sold it to me.

This car has 77,000 original miles on the odometer. The interior is all original except for the front seating area. The body has been repainted once.

 

[Atomic Glee]

I got my classic by going the "doesn't need restoration" route. She's never been restored, just very well taken care of in a rust-free environment her whole life. All I've done since I've had her is replace the carpets, restore the steel wheels and get new hubcaps, and do some engine work. She's otherwise original.

 

[zaika]

I got my classic by going the "doesn't need restoration" route. She's never been restored, just very well taken care of in a rust-free environment her whole life. All I've done since I've had her is replace the carpets, restore the steel wheels and get new hubcaps, and do some engine work. She's otherwise original.

gorgeous car atomic glee!! what kind is it? i'm bad at identifying cars...

twitch-yeah...it jsut doesn't make sense to go ground up...especially if rebuilding cars isn't something i know anything about or interested in learning. it WOULD be nice, however, to be present when my dad tunes up my future car...so i would at least know what's under the hood.

 

[Dracca]

As Edward said...pick something more common and it will save you a lot of time, frustration and money. For example, redoing a 67 Mustang (as they are everywhere and have a lot of specialty stores that deal in the part, etc. not to mention a lot of ford parts of that general time frame are interchangeable from other fords) will be a lot easier project that say a more rare car like a 62 Buick Skylark (baby Buick)...as not a lot are around and less were made to begin with and other Buick parts won't fit in it often. Perhaps you are looking for something older, just giving out a random example. Other than that I would say pick what you like the best I suppose, if you are going to spend years on it, and a lot of money and patience, you want the final product to be what you like the best. So get a car that YOU like.

Also if you have not, join a local car club for that type of car (Buick Club of America local chapter if a Buick, Ford and/or Mustang Club for a Mustang, etc.). There you will meet a lot of people with a huge wealth of knowledge in that specific type of car and also be involved in a network of people who can advise you on where to go for parts, what professional to use if it is something that you can not do yourself, etc.

*edit to add* Before you go all out on a really, really old car, drive one first. Some of those 1930's and early 1940's car in general take a lot of physical strength just to turn and such, I am not kidding. Not saying that you are weak, just saying you may want to try it first, I mean you do want something you can drive once in a while once you get it finished.

 

[Atomic Glee]

gorgeous car atomic glee!! what kind is it? i'm bad at identifying cars...

Thanks! It's a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.