The best HAMB friendly road-ready rides for $5000

Inspired by the Top Gear series of "best for $5000," (best domestic 4X4, best sports car etc." I thought I would through out the idea here.

The theoretical scenario is a guy gets into the scene and realizes he needs his own ride. He has about $5000 to get into a car, but he wants a driver, not a project. A lot of you guys build awesome rides for much less, but this theoretical guy needs a ready to go ride.

Lets omit the steal-of-a-deal anecdotes because they are not even close to typical.
Lets focus on cars actually for sale, now or in recent history, especially right here on the HAMB. Only fully operational and road ready HAMB friendly vehicles.

So what does he get if he wants a Hot Rod? Lead Sled? Kustom? prewar/postwar? drag racer? everything else?

I have some cars in mind, but what do you think?

 

Thee are nice cars out there......look at my Imperial for $3000!

 

I'll jump in, I think the tri-five stuff is available for that kind of money in daily driver shape. But I mean Buicks ,Maybe some studes,olds and pontiac.I don't get around the Mercs and Fords but that might be an option. Also 49 -52 Chevy cars ,Pickups from 48 to early 55.Any of the odd brands ,the stuff that parts are not instantly available for. These prices will depend a lot in what part of the country you are in.
The older chevies, 40's, are priced pretty good but in stock condition I wouldn't consider them good daylies.( 6 volt, babbit rods ,enclosed drivelines.)
I recently sold a good driving 59 Edsel with aftermarket tires and wheels but stock otherwise for $3250. I thought it sold well.

Around here I think a lot of cars can be bought for less than $5000 but a lot of rodders would not be satisfied with them.Just my opinion I am probably wrong.

 

If we are saying '64 and older, I'm voting for a 62-64 Impala. I see decent ones for that money, and they would be reasonable straightforward to keep on the road from a repair standpoint.

Personally, I'd rock a '64 Lemans/GTO/Tempest. I'd hate to see what the Chicago road salt would do to the body though.

 

got this for 2 g`s and all I had to due was register it....

 

Still some older pickup trucks around for cheap, you can build them for not much money if you have skill, friends, and are good at scrounging.

 

I would gladly sell my 54 2 dr Chevy for 5K. All new mechanicals, wiring done in 2002. Needs paint. I bought off Zeke on the HAMB in almost running condition and did all the upgrades with an engine rebuild. Interior ok, new carpet. Old faded 70s paint job. Thats the type of car you can get. At least how I did it.

 

Mmmmboy, if this one had a working spotlight it could be a double for the one Molly chased Charley Varrick all over the screen with!
He caught Charley at the end, though... then the light in the trunk went on.

Look out, Molly!

 

I like that Imp!

 

hmmm...this thread could turn into "marketplace II" for some folks looking for double exposure

 

Is that your bicyle in the avatar? If so, I want it. I like those old stingrays. That one is sharp.

 

I think Falcons would fit this category - usually a cheap buy in with the 6, lots of stuff available for them and good looking to boot! Hey, even the early ChevyII/Nova could work in that price bracket.

Steve

 

Actually Roadfarmer's car came to mind.

What I've seen that's decent looking and roadworthy for $5k?

T-Birds... Squarebirds if ya get lucky and want more of a rolling project, but 61-3s pop up in presentable condition on occasion, the Flair Birds (64-66) are still out there if ya look.

Seen quite a few decent looking 52+ Ford sedans sell for that kinda scratch.

I paid $6k for my 60 Lincoln and it really just needs brake hydraulics and a massive tune up, they're rare but 56-60 Lincolns are cheap, and a 4 door can be had in roadworthy condition for about $5k if you get lucky.

Lots of early 60s 2 and 4 door sedans.

Saw a nice 61/2 Buick 4D HT on the bay a month ago for a $3800 BIN.

Depends how picky you are on body styles...

 

might be had: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2547233766.html

 

i would go with a 39-46 chevy/gmc truck or 57 chevy if you can found one

 

there is a ton of drivers for under $5000, just eliminate the obvious 1928-1936 fords, 40 fords, 49-51 mercs, 55-57 chevy cars, ect

it would be easier to list what you most likely can't get instead of listing what you could get.

 

Squirrel hit it right again!

Get an older pickup! (a 'hot rod' you can use!)
When I was an apprentice, (1957) a neighbor brought his '51 Ford F-1 pickup in with a blown trans. (1st & reverse) The 'old man' said, "Son? Here's a 'hot rod' for you to work on...Fix this transmission."
The F-1 was freshly painted Goldenrod yellow, (nice enamel job) with a slight rake.
(Dago axle, big-n-littles, whitewalls; had '48 Ford small caps on it)
As I took the driveline down, noticing the fresh dual exhaust I knew this was the thing I needed to get. Some day I would have one.

Pickups are almost like rods...if they're 'older'.
My pal Larry had a Chevy (Advanced Design) 5-window, it was dropped, painted, hopped up, dual exhaust, Studebaker gauges, Corvette steering wheel...tuck and roll...
He was running around with the bed off, ready for maroon paint.
Trucks are simple. They take any engine. Interiors can be scrounged from nicer cars, and it can all be done while you drive.
It would shock you to know how much (er, how little!) I had in my '55 F100 when I got it running with fresh 350 SBC and P/G at first... I NEEDED A TRUCK! And got one!

 

Mid 60s fullsize cruisers are good buys. I bought my '68 Merc for $1800 running and driving. Completely done and Bellflowered out, I'll have less than 5K in it.

 

Panel or pickup or wagon...functional and fun hot rods. Use them and abuse them

 

Truth is you are not going to find a everyday driver in safe shape for $5,000.00 listed - You are going to find it by word of mouth most likely - I am talking a HAMB friendly ride now!

 

I found (with some help) a single wheel one ton 57 chevy last year for $500. They are out there still.

 

Something wrong with that 29. It's not a 29 cab. Could be a bag of worms, or more likely a car turned pick-up.

 

Hell....Do a search on C-list and you will find a lot of nice drivers for that kind of money.

 

My old 41 Ford tudor sedan is for sale right now here locally. It's a little higher (5900.00) but still it's a decent old Ford with a rebuilt flathead, WWW's, dropepd axle, new brakes, wiring, ect. I sold it for quite a bit more a couple years ago...guess no one wants it now!

 

This is a great question. A friend of mine was searching around for a HAMB friendly driver while his other car gets finished, and it seems like there's a lot of great deals on projects out there, and some really nice finished stuff if you can afford it, but the road-ready drivers, the ones that are legitimately daily-driveable but in the affordable range, seem to be few and far between.

Even the ones that claim "runs and drives" usually need something, new tires, exhaust, brakes reworked, ect to be really road worthy and safe to drive.

The pickup mentioned above with the '35 wires is a steal if its driveable, would be a blast for the money. This '57 Chevy seemed like a good deal to me when I saw it too, and you can convert to 2 door sedan later if you get sick of it or want to build it up nice.

http://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/2549881529.html

 

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/2542069696.html

 

Friend of mine pickup this 51 with a saftey for 5. Solid car to with flatty and overdrive.

 

A lot of great responses. many cars I did not think of. My first thoughts were the early 60's 4 drs, especially Falcons and Corvairs and ramblers. I am surprised at the 57 Chevy 4 dr. it looks really good in the pictures for the price.


edit: To answer the question earlier, yes that is my 68 Schwinn Sting Ray in my avatar. I built it around 2000 when I was 15. Copper plated frame, chrome plated everything else. It currently hangs from the ceiling in our shop office.

 

I see shoeboxes from time to time around 5k that are listed as drivers. 50's chevy pickups can be found for good prices in good driving shape also.

 

pics? Lol