Okay,I have an old two door late '40s car that I'd love to get started on and make road worthy,but unfortunately this vehicle's rust issues have made the project a non-starter.This thing has serious rot in the floor pans,trunk,and other areas.I don't think the RMS Titanic has this much rust,so needless to say it would be an expensive fix. Yes,it's that bad. While perusing Craigslist tonight I found a disassembled two door model (pictures show some parts have been blasted and primered) with solid floor boards and trunk and -- AND -- a four door model is included as a parts car as part of the deal. Both share the same engine and were supposedly running when they were parked so that's a plus too obviously. Here's the catch -- The vehicles are located 1400 friggin' miles away. Question: What would you guys do? He wants just a few grand for both cars which I think is a great deal. One can never have enough practice on a donor car or parts,particularly chrome parts and such,etc. Right now I'm like a kid experiencing puberty whose new teacher resembles Adriana Lima. Some of you MUST know how that feels. I feel I can touch that car. Shoot! Again,what would you guys do in a similar situation? Thanks.
Personally I'd pass on the distant car and find something closer to home. Is this "late 40s" car a particular make/model you really desire, or are you open to other makes? With the economy in the toilet a lot of great projects are popping up for sale quite affordably.
1400 miles. That's a 2800 mile round trip you'd probably have to do yourself, or hire out. 10 MPG at $4.00 or so a gallon. So over $1100 for fuel, and over 48 hours driving time at 60 MPH - add in at least a night or two in a hotel, even if you sleep a couple in your truck to save some cash. And that assumes no breakdowns, no traffic tickets, etc. Then there's the vehicle to haul with. Do you own a one-ton truck? Can you come up with a trailer that will carry two cars and all the loose pieces? If not, have to rent one, for at least a week. That won't be cheap. Usually that's 5th wheel hitch territory. So if you add $1500-$2500 to the price is it still a good deal? You don't mention the make of car - is it one they repop floors for? Price out the pans and a 110V wire feed welder.... Now if I had no car at all, I wouldn't hesitate to go 800 or 1000 miles to pick up a solid project of something I really wanted. But in southern California it can't be that hard or that long of a drive to find a good solid car. Chances are what you have now would be considered a great project up here in New York, too, unless it was parked in the ocean up to the middle of the doors or something.
Rust is cheap to fix, just stip some old tin off the nearest '82 regal, hammer it to shape with a ball pean and rock and get a 110v wire feed to weld it in place... cheap and easy...
Thank you all for your responses and advice.Much appreciated! El Scotto: It's a two door '49 Packard,and yes,that's what I'd prefer. I like being different and Packards have always fascinated me ever since as a kid I first saw an old man who lived several blocks away from me driving by in an early '50s model.The thing I remember about that car is that I could never hear its engine.That big straight 8 ran smooth. I'm stuck on Packards,particularly this two door "fastback" model. Rusty: I send the guy my phone and email address so we'll see what happens. The ad just went up yesterday,so who knows if he's had any local offers.The Packard I have cost me $1500,and another $1500 to ship here from Indiana,so even if I spent four to six grand,I'd still feel I made out given the condition they are both in. Yes,repop floors and rockers for these models are still produced,but I would have to have a shop do the work being I don't know welding. Given my druthers,I'd look for a cheap flight,hop on up there,look the car over to see if it's legit,give him a check for the two door,and then have a transport company eventually ship it down.He wants three grand for both,but I'll offer him,say,two grand for just the two door model if he reassembles it -- what I like about it also is that it is all set for paint as the glass has been removed.I'd like the donor car,but it wouldn't be worth it to ship it down here.Three cars in my back yard is pushing it. Chopped: So far,it's been hard to find one that's solid.Got my eyes on another two door model also at the moment,but the owner says he has rust issues too.He's about a third the distance so I could drive there in eight hours.I'm waiting for pictures of his to see if his is worst than mine.If not,I'll make him an offer.I'm going to ask for three days off from work,which wouldn't take place until the week of the 10th,but he can always sell it between now and then.It's a crap shoot for sure. Patrick: I'll try to look for some. Shaggy: Were you kidding? I always thought that the bed of a truck box would make a strong and suitable replacement for a trunk pan given their thickness,but what do I know? Dirt t: Yes,floor pans are still made for it. I have a shop all lined up for the work should I need it and none of these cars work out.The owner of the shop is in his early 90s and he use to work for a local Packard dealer until he opened his own car body shop in 1955. ...Get this,he refuses to use bondo;it's still lead for this young man.
THAT'S Rusty?????? Boy, hike your ass up to Chicago area. I'll show you what rusty IS!!!! Quit your bitchin' and buy some 18 ga steel and a nipper. Cosmo
For the money of those far away cars, you could get some nice metal working tools. That rust is fixable.
I had to Google Adriana Lima.............you should Google East Cost rust. Fix the Packard, save the road trip money. . Bob
X2.... Sheese.... The midwest cars are just rust and door handles! Be thankful for what you have! That car is not bad.... Titanic rust my ass!
I live in Connecticut land of salt and rust.If I had one that looked as good as yours to start with I'd jumping with joy. Fix her up!!
Thanks,Guys.I guess it's all relative.I was born and raised in southern California where cars are supposedly coveted more because of the drier elements.To me,that's rust but if you're saying I have it good,then you've given me hope.Thanks.
I'm really not into Post WWII cars, but something tells me a Two Door Packard Fastback is a rare car. Bob
Jeff: Of the cars I've owned,only one drew oohs and aahs;my '70 Mach-1.Every other car just blended in with scenery. I want a head turner again.
Time to learn some fabrication skills. Thats really not a hard or bad fix on that car. It will just take some time.
Rust? Hahahahahahahahaha, ha! hahahaha..........hahahahaha!! OOOhh!! Haaaaaaaa!! You call bad rust? Thats not rust!! For the cost of retrieving the one car you mention, you could repair that and have money left for other work. Doc.
Put it in perspective. Youre going to buy not one but two other cars that are across the country and drag them back to your house in order to avoid patching up the ridiculously small amount of rust on that Packard. Wouldn't you be miles ahead just to replace some of the metal on the car you already have, or pay someone else to do it?
I was going to say bail out and find a good car to start with. Then I saw the pics. Fix the buggar and go. That is a seriously cool automobile. Suck it up fix the rust. You do love the car, don't you?
In WI, that's what we call "minimal rust." I've fixed worse. Don't think I've seen much around here that's better. Suck it up, start cuttin', & learn to weld.
You might start here (link below) to find the parts you'll need. I just read a thread on preventing rust on the East Coast and reminissed about growing up there and how brutal that area is on sheet metal. I've also experienced rust out myself. So...I'll jump on the "that ain't so bad" bandwagon, hell you can hardly see daylight through most of your rust! Good luck though; that would be kind of a cool bathtub if you fix it up. https://www.google.com/search?q=rep...F-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADRA_enUS377
Rust?...ha...that's San Diego rust....come up to Oregon...I'll show ya some rust. You don't need to buy another car, you need to purchase some initiative.
That rust will fix up for less than the $3500 it's going to cost you to even just bring back one of those other two cars. Bringing one instead of two is going to be the same fuel, the same time, the only place it would be cheaper is if you have to rent a trailer you can get a regular one somewhere. And if I had that car I'd probably drive it just the way it is for the time being, especially if I lived somewhere warm. You want rust, look at what happened to one of my poor old Pontiacs. The frame is broken in three places just from trying to move it, the rear bumper is hanging off; the fenders and doors are all shot with holes in them; the floors are so bad a large animal got inside and shit all over the seats and I haven't even dared go near it since moving it because of the stink. That is a rotted parts car.
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