BA.
10-09-2008, 08:15 PM
I've been waiting on my Camaro to get done at the paint/body shop for so long that I developed an urge to buy something else in the mean-time. I've noticed a few guys on the board doing the same thing this past year or so.
So, I hit the 'trader' sites and set up Ebay to email me with hits for 1948 - 1972 convertibles less than $10,000.
After a month of some ok cars with high-ish prices, I finally came across a 1966 Impala that was ugly and cheap! After a discussion with the owner, it seemed to be mostly cosmetic stuff, all things I figured I can handle.
So, I placed my Ebay Bid, won the car and set out to drag a couple of friends 9 hrs to the East and haul back the tri-color fixer-upper.
Then, between the down payment and going to get the new purchase, I hear from a friend that his friend knows a guy who's holding a car for an old guy trying to sell a 1966 Impala Convertible.
At first I disregarded it. Then they said the magic words: It's only 10 miles away and it's been sitting for 22 years!!!
Obviously I HAVE to go see it even if it's just for the experience of seeing an original oldie.
So, 2 days go by and the guy holding the car CALLS ME! Now that's different! I get directions and head over late at night where I find the car owner and his friend holding the car waiting for me.
I also learned that the current owner has had the car since 1968 and was an ex-GM manager. The only 2 previous owners were GM Executives. So, he's owned it for 40 years and it's been fully garaged for the past 22 years.
The gold/white convertible Impala is in a large steel building that doubles as a work shop. Seems the guy holding the car does repairs and was doing the work to screen people and sell the car for the owner who didn't want to be bothered with it all. (older guy)
The car owner had hoped to have it "resurrected" to drive it again but when presented with the estimates, the owner decided against it.
It was a SOLID 20-30 minutes before I could check out the car because I was going through some kind of CAR INTERVIEW/BACKGOUND CHECK by the owner! It was straight out of the twilight zone! Detailed questions about my cars, my job, how many cars I've owned and 'restored', my plans for the Impala, etc.
Absolutely freaky!! The owner even took NOTES on 3x5 INDEX CARDS fer cryin' out loud! :seizure:
I check the car out real well but I take my friends friends word that it did start for them. He's been really forthcoming with details. (who wants to circulate all that old-assed oil anyway?)
After a 30 minute look-over, I ask the owner what he needs for the car and he gives me a really high number. I counter with a more reasonable number, and one I know is higher than any he's gotten from the previous 2-3 visitors in recent months.
We have a $1500 impasse and exchange numbers and part ways in good faith.
I never did make the call back....I held out,...and then about 4 weeks later the call comes in! "Are you still interested?" I'm less enthusiastic at that point since by then I had my Ebay Impala and was already buying parts and fixing it up but I said "Yes" because it's just such a RARE opportunity to find such a car.
The owner and I get into deep price discussions and I had to come off another $250 over my previous offer. (I drive a hard bargain! lol)
So, back at the homestead, with two Impalas in the garage, my focus shifts from the Ebay car to the Gold one this past week. So far so good. A few mysterious things and minor suprises pop up.. Mostly normal stuff for a 42 year old car that's sat for 22 years. (water pump bad, a fuel leak that was disguised as a carburetor, uncooperative and intermittent Vert top hydraulics, a whine from tranny or P/S pump, no tail lights)
Where the Ebay car had a cornucopia of wierd crap in it's keyless, locked trunk, the Gold Imp had a simple *5* full-size spare tires mounted on standard 14" rims, a pair of snow slip-ons for your shoes and some road flares. Five tires and STILL room for a duffle bag and small suit-case! See the pics for the Ebay car's junk in the trunk.
The Ebay car had sat for 25 years and after the normal oil/plug freshen-up, she runs really well like an old sewing machine. It has some electrical issues and is exactly as I had expected. Just needs some body work, a nice flat-black or black paint job and the trim put back on. (and wheels/tires)
So over the past week I've changed the Gold cars oil, plugs, water pump, fixed the carburetor, added 3.5 qts of tranny fluid, topped off the P/S and P/B fluids and swapped one tire with the other Ebay Impala.
She smoked quite a bit the first few times I fired her up but the Gold one has now made a few trips around the housing area here......top down of course, and the smoke has stopped. :) There were some flat spots on the tires but they're working their way out.
The 275 horse 327 let me know that it needs more octane than I had in it so I have taken care of that. (and of course added some lead additive for the valves)
The Ebay one actually runs smoother right now but a slippy clutch and broken torque arm mount have kept it to only making trips back and forth in the driveway.
With some luck, I hope to take the gold one to a weekend cruise in before the year is out. hey, it's Ohio, it could snow next week!
Plenty o' pics in the link here:
http://www.media-swap.com/Cars/1966_Impalas
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4449a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4451a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4457a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4065a-1.jpg
So, I hit the 'trader' sites and set up Ebay to email me with hits for 1948 - 1972 convertibles less than $10,000.
After a month of some ok cars with high-ish prices, I finally came across a 1966 Impala that was ugly and cheap! After a discussion with the owner, it seemed to be mostly cosmetic stuff, all things I figured I can handle.
So, I placed my Ebay Bid, won the car and set out to drag a couple of friends 9 hrs to the East and haul back the tri-color fixer-upper.
Then, between the down payment and going to get the new purchase, I hear from a friend that his friend knows a guy who's holding a car for an old guy trying to sell a 1966 Impala Convertible.
At first I disregarded it. Then they said the magic words: It's only 10 miles away and it's been sitting for 22 years!!!
Obviously I HAVE to go see it even if it's just for the experience of seeing an original oldie.
So, 2 days go by and the guy holding the car CALLS ME! Now that's different! I get directions and head over late at night where I find the car owner and his friend holding the car waiting for me.
I also learned that the current owner has had the car since 1968 and was an ex-GM manager. The only 2 previous owners were GM Executives. So, he's owned it for 40 years and it's been fully garaged for the past 22 years.
The gold/white convertible Impala is in a large steel building that doubles as a work shop. Seems the guy holding the car does repairs and was doing the work to screen people and sell the car for the owner who didn't want to be bothered with it all. (older guy)
The car owner had hoped to have it "resurrected" to drive it again but when presented with the estimates, the owner decided against it.
It was a SOLID 20-30 minutes before I could check out the car because I was going through some kind of CAR INTERVIEW/BACKGOUND CHECK by the owner! It was straight out of the twilight zone! Detailed questions about my cars, my job, how many cars I've owned and 'restored', my plans for the Impala, etc.
Absolutely freaky!! The owner even took NOTES on 3x5 INDEX CARDS fer cryin' out loud! :seizure:
I check the car out real well but I take my friends friends word that it did start for them. He's been really forthcoming with details. (who wants to circulate all that old-assed oil anyway?)
After a 30 minute look-over, I ask the owner what he needs for the car and he gives me a really high number. I counter with a more reasonable number, and one I know is higher than any he's gotten from the previous 2-3 visitors in recent months.
We have a $1500 impasse and exchange numbers and part ways in good faith.
I never did make the call back....I held out,...and then about 4 weeks later the call comes in! "Are you still interested?" I'm less enthusiastic at that point since by then I had my Ebay Impala and was already buying parts and fixing it up but I said "Yes" because it's just such a RARE opportunity to find such a car.
The owner and I get into deep price discussions and I had to come off another $250 over my previous offer. (I drive a hard bargain! lol)
So, back at the homestead, with two Impalas in the garage, my focus shifts from the Ebay car to the Gold one this past week. So far so good. A few mysterious things and minor suprises pop up.. Mostly normal stuff for a 42 year old car that's sat for 22 years. (water pump bad, a fuel leak that was disguised as a carburetor, uncooperative and intermittent Vert top hydraulics, a whine from tranny or P/S pump, no tail lights)
Where the Ebay car had a cornucopia of wierd crap in it's keyless, locked trunk, the Gold Imp had a simple *5* full-size spare tires mounted on standard 14" rims, a pair of snow slip-ons for your shoes and some road flares. Five tires and STILL room for a duffle bag and small suit-case! See the pics for the Ebay car's junk in the trunk.
The Ebay car had sat for 25 years and after the normal oil/plug freshen-up, she runs really well like an old sewing machine. It has some electrical issues and is exactly as I had expected. Just needs some body work, a nice flat-black or black paint job and the trim put back on. (and wheels/tires)
So over the past week I've changed the Gold cars oil, plugs, water pump, fixed the carburetor, added 3.5 qts of tranny fluid, topped off the P/S and P/B fluids and swapped one tire with the other Ebay Impala.
She smoked quite a bit the first few times I fired her up but the Gold one has now made a few trips around the housing area here......top down of course, and the smoke has stopped. :) There were some flat spots on the tires but they're working their way out.
The 275 horse 327 let me know that it needs more octane than I had in it so I have taken care of that. (and of course added some lead additive for the valves)
The Ebay one actually runs smoother right now but a slippy clutch and broken torque arm mount have kept it to only making trips back and forth in the driveway.
With some luck, I hope to take the gold one to a weekend cruise in before the year is out. hey, it's Ohio, it could snow next week!
Plenty o' pics in the link here:
http://www.media-swap.com/Cars/1966_Impalas
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4449a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4451a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4457a-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCF4065a-1.jpg