Art & Inspiration Interesting inexpensive Craigslist cars

That Valiant wagon seems like a bargain, looks nice.

 

@Squablow I agree, IF the lowering was done reasonably well.
Front is easy, torsion bars, but that messes with a arm angle. The front wheel doesn't look heavily cambered. Rear could be blocks.

 

The Valiant reminds me of our family's '62 red Valiant stationwagon I drove from '65 into '69. Reliable as hell. Took it airborne at 85 mph down a ditch and back up over a barbed wire fence trying to escape a guy chasing us after my best friend threw an egg out at a pickup truck going the other way. It went into his vent window. He turned around and chased us about 7 miles. We got into some slow traffic in rolling hills, tried to pass on one of those hills only to confront a '62 Comet coming at us head on. I ditched it into a corn field. By the time all the swerving and braking cars on the highway recovered, we were hidden among the corn stalks. Our pursuer was far enough back in the dip of the previous hill that when he came up to where we ran off the road, we were nowhere to be seen. Three of us should have died that day in 1968. My two passengers are now long deceased.
Another thing: You can fit an 8-foot Boy's Life pram in the back with the tailgate open and go on fishing trips all over southwest Missouri streams. Great memories.

 

The A body mopars were a common first car for many my age. Cheap, easy to find parts for, stone ax reliable and for the most part, very easy and simple to work on. Almost all of that still holds true.

The Novas were more popular and cost more, The Falcons and Comets were a bit tougher since the M-word guys competed for some of the same stuff, before repops became a thing.

Had many adventures in those, some great fun, some 'how did we survive that' stuff.

 

34 & 35 Pierce-Arrow cars. Crescent IA

$2500
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1234037758050823/?

 

$6,500
Super duper solid.
"Inexpensive" over the long run, I think.



https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1805752840038769/?ref=search

 

51 Dodge truck. Omaha
Luv that dash…
$2500
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/636360119496677/?

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ZRnvYz3mW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

@Rickybop I thought the T was a bit rough for the price. Not calling you out at all.
Went to look for others, since pricing is a current hot topic.

https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=48718
FS: 26 Touring Car
Post by 130nav » Tue Jun 24, 2025 1:09 pm
This car is an older restoration, and then it sat for a decade or so. I brought it out of storage in 2021 and got it running. The paint is in rough shape, but the panels are straight, and it should make a great restoration. It runs, but the engine needs to be refreshed. Everything is there. Currently has a water pump, and another is included. Fresh gas tank and valve, a spare is included. Pick up in Columbus, Ohio. $4000 OBO

another
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49039
FS: 1927 Model T Roadster
Post by MHSprecher » Sun Jul 20, 2025 12:38 pm
1927 Model T roadster for sale. Runs great. New battery. Driver quality car, good top and interior, alternator clear MD title $7,000. Located in Silver Spring, MD

 

Those Pierce-Arrow cars would be an amazing platform for rebodying into some kind of Auburn style boat-tail or just as an open roadster with a golf club door, and being the V12 engines were also used in Seagrave fire engines, shouldn't be all that hard to find. A huge project (in more ways than one), but incredible potential.

 

Or build a Pierce Arrow pickup.

 

Did you see the Franklin (converted) PU on Carter Auto Restyling?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdBEDQ_7PsQ
24 minutes, 36 seconds in.

 

No argument here, either. Just discussion.
Your examples are good ones. All somewhat comparably priced when you consider everything. Nothing rough about the one I showed except for the finish. Not a speck of rust and no dents. Rebuilt engine, not that I would use it, but it can be sold along with everything else except the body. Also, location is so important. Anything out of state is going to cost $1,000 maybe $2,000 to bring home. The roadster I posted is about 50 miles from me. I know of one other 100% solid 1927 roadster body in my area. Body only, $4,000. We're so "rust-belt" here it's ridiculous and a good solid body is hard to find. Especially a roadster. I love a traditional hot rod Ford roadster as much as anybody. If I wasn't so far into my Mopar endeavor, I'd likely go get that one.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/16j7cEy8gP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

I'd drive it as is; (assuming it does run), and it's a 2 door! I hazard a guess Packard made 95% of their cars in that era as 4 doors

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/16s17DaVNM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1D1t5w3166/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Riviera is sold

 

About 50 miles away from me. Some might not call it cheap, but for $6,000, there's an awful lot of solid car there. Video of it running.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...icks&referral_story_type=top_picks&__tn__=!:D

 

Price at $1800 now.

 

Are the back seat covers the nylon replacements? My brother and I used to slide back & forth on those to build up a static charge and shock the crap out of each other. I made the mistake of shocking my dad's ear ONCE.

 

I thought this was a decent deal

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CSEFyDdY9/

 

Looks nice, but no fake book here.

 

Not here either. But I can click the link and see and see the ad.
They are asking $13k

 

1930 model A $3000
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1968272057241761/

 

Running, driving car

 

Running, driving car

View attachment 6482054 View attachment 6482055

 

This one is marked as SOLD, 22 hours after being listed!

 

That's probably the best deal going right now! You couldn't build it for that unless you had a good, REAL good stash of parts...