Is she too far gone

I did some trading for the 61 falcon wagon that has been sitting in a back yard for 40 + years. Do you think she is worth trying to bring back to life, or am I being too optimistic?

 

Nothing's to far gone if you have time and money to put in her.. i got two cars that are prob to far gone for some people but if you want it bad enough start working on it!

 

not to ar gone for me

 

it is never too late. just depends on how bad you want to fix it up

 

flip it

 

Out here that car would be considered a real solid builder...

 

Well, being that it's yours now, it's a little late to ask that question. Jump into it and see how it goes.

 

I'm pretty sure i've brought back worse...most of what i start with is scrap in other people's eyes. The 32 in my avatar is a PERFECT example. It was missing the WHOLE lower 6" all the way around..Bought it from a guy who said it was too far gone to bring back.

However, it's hard to tell just how bad the underside is. And being a unibody it could be a make or break deal for saving it depending on your skill level, and interest in that particular car.
That being said, IF you have the skills to do fabrication/metal work AND just love a certain style of car, anything can be saved........with the right amount of time and money, and more time and more money.

Just my observation, thoughts and experience.

Tony

 

that's totally savable.

 

When does a car become a "rust bucket", " project car", "parts car", "pos", "junk","shit", only you can make the call.

 

It is definitely a "doable car" The question is whether you have the time and/or money and/or skills to bring it to the state of completion you desire!
If it is what you want-then hop in and have fun. Just be honest with yourself.

 

I would turn it into a sedan delivery. The rust in Colorado isn't nearly as bad as it is on the east coast.

 

The tailgate and front fenders are replaceable so that isn't a real issue except the money to buy good ones and the time to change them out. The rear quarters are and issue but cutting off bad quarters and welding on good ones isn't that big a deal.
What might be a big deal is the structure underneath the car. when you get under it what do you see and when you pull the floor mats out what do you see?

 

You could just ship it kansas, it would look right at home with 65 sedan!

 

4 door wagon...maybe, but a 2 door is definately worth keeping.

 

Build it those 2 door wagons are really nice, pretty rare too.

 

Give her some love and she will be fine.

 

Hell, my panel truck I have been working on for years is still more far gone than that. FIX IT!

 

It all depends on your skill level. I say if you can run a welder then do it up. Its just sheet metal.

 

Geez, thats rust-free for Wisconsin.

 

Thanks for all the replies! It seems a shame to part her out after sitting complete all the way down to the hub caps for all those years. Check out this perfectly preserved Pepsi can I found in the car.

 

" Do you think she is worth trying to bring back to life, or am I being too optimistic?"
Dude; with all due respect, you have a project that is drive-able in a weeks worth of time. You've been around since 2007. You've seen projects far worse than this one become objects of pride. Of course you can do it. Just take your time, spend your money wisely and use your head. What, a 6 cylinder, three on the tree? How hard can it be ? (ok, check for floor rot)


Don't panic, you'll be fine.


Dale
Cleveland OH

 

I've seen guys on this forum take a rusted out body they found in the weeds, drag it home with a hippo, bang it with a hammer until all the rust fell off, gather up the rust into a bucket, throw out any steel that was left, and build a show car from that rust they knocked off it. Apparently, nothing is ever really too far gone. Go for it!

 

"I've seen guys on this forum take a rusted out body they found in the weeds, drag it home with a hippo"
Yes, he said Hippo.

I loved that one. Classic.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442552&highlight=hippo

 

What ever happened to that carcass? That would have to be the most inspirational thread to anyone who has ever questioned whether or not a car was able to be saved, or whether it was even worth the effort. Not to mention, if you read through the whole thread and NOT piss yourself a little you're not human...

 

Let us know how crusty the structural stuff is.

 

It looks very saveable to an experienced collector that wants a particular hard to find body. For me it's is this car too much work. If you really want a Falcon SW it could be a diamond in the rough The question for me would... be do I really want to spend all the money and effort to complete the job. It's very easy for the magnitude of the job to overwhelm a novice.

We tend to daydream about the finished product and how cool it would be to drive it to a show and skip over the nasty part lying on your back with rust particles falling in your eyes. The end job is worth it to some. Is this car worth it to you?

Sure it's saveable but not for me.

 

i say DO IT!

 

The unibody frame rails are in surprisingly good shape. The passenger floor board feels very crusty under the floor mat. The front fenders can be pounded out. Really, the only questionable part is the left rear quarter. I think I’m just going to start with one corner and work my way around until it's done. I have a 302, 9", and a c4 that would really like their new home to be in this stylin grocery getter. Thank you all for the words of encouragement. I always wanted a car that was worth talking about on HAMB. I will post pics as I go.

 

two door falcon wagon? never too far gone, great surf ride, enjoy!