History How about a "original" survivor thread?

Thanks for the survivor thread. And the ok to post a granny car.
I read all y'alls build threads and have respect. Someday.

Our 64 Special.

Owned be spinster sisters in Palm Beach.
Donated to Wheaton College.
Bought by an elderly couple we lived next to.
Sold to my HS-age kids (knowing I'd keep it running).
A very careful engine rebuild after that damned plastic coated timing gear stripped.


Looking for pics of my 50 GMC, it was more impressive, similar story.

 

"I'd rather look at these survivors than a field full of restored cars."
Model T1, my thoughts exactly.

 

Mine was...until I bought it. Original is for sqaures maaan, this is the HAMB dammit.

 

Yeah...me too.....right?

Isn't ANY old car that hasn't been crushed a "survivor"?



Eye of the Tiger.....

 

.
I really like unrestored cars and one of the survivors I have is a 1959 Imperial LeBaron Southampton. One of 622 built.

In 1976 the car was covered in blankets and packed away in a garage when its owner passed away. He was the second owner having purchased it just months before from the original owner, an elderly retired doctor. Not long after purchasing the car the second owner died suddenly and his wife had the car moved to the garage and covered. Her son told me that the car had meant so much to his father that his mother would never sell it, keeping the thermostat set and checking on the car from time to time over the years. Three years ago I responded to a classified ad about the car but was not sure what to expect. The son was advertising the car and was very concerned about where the car would be going and what kind of home it would get. His mother had died and he and his brother had decided to let the car go.

Not too long after, we peeled back all the covers and pulled the car out of the garage. It had four flat tires but three out of four wheels were turning free.

Below are photos from shortly before the car was placed in the garage in 1976 (photo negatives are reversed).

Below that are photos of the car as it looked when we opened the garage in 2010.

Below that are pictures I took of the car recently. It has just over 59,000 original miles and is completely unrestored. Fuel system, brakes and hoses, plugs, wires, tires, battery and some polishing and detailing and the car has come back to life. The original dashboard, emblems and interior as well as the original paint and most of the details are remarkably well preserved. The original LeBaron wheel covers, with their gold anodized center gear, are as close to perfect as you can get. After some cleaning, mechanical attention and TLC the car is back in service and I drive at regularly as I do all my cars. I still stay in touch with the son and his brother and they are very nice people.


1976:








2010:










2013:






















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Wow, that Imperial is stunning!

 

Behold...my 41 Pontiac as bought out of a pole barn in Iowa.

 

Lincoln and Caddy couldn't hold a candle to the Imperial from those years.

 

1939 dodge d11 business coupe

 

1939

 

Stunning car!

 

I'd definitely consider survivor Hot Rods and survivor original cars to be in different categories. Both should have mostly original paint, trim, engine, etc.


...and I'll add a couple more OT vehicles to this thread.

One that I shouldn't have sold. A great running and driving car. --
'67 Ford Galaxie. True grandma car w/ 48k miles. Original paint, interior, engine, etc.




Another example --
'68 Chevy C20 pickup that I sold last fall. 24k original miles. Original paint, interior, engine, etc... heck, the tires were really old bias plies, too!





Malcolm

 

found this 1963 starchief in Iowa 2006 42000miles famyly ownd car first owner had a pontiac dealership.ac cruse controll org drove like a dream sold it 2 years later.
red 63 70000miles drove like a dream Rollie sold it to me 2003
62 starcheif 7200 miles diged it out a field in south dakota with my friend Rollie from minesota
engine frozen cange it and drove 3 years sold it to buy new fun stuff

 

Here is my survivor... I know it is OT, but cool. Found on Craigslist with only 48,000 on it, bought it from family of the original owner. I did paint the color matching wheels black though.
Best part, it is a stick shift.

 

*sigh* I'm in love....

 

The only survivor aspect of my old deuce sedan is the body, paint,running boards and top insert,,the rest of it is a hot rod! HRP

 

Here are two. Original paint, interiors, engine trans etc. The six banger is now my hot rod. The V8 car was sold to a person who was going to restore it?!

 

Here's one of my 55's. One for each of my twins. 69K on the ticker.

 

I inherited this one this last October ( 2012 ). It had been in my uncles's family room for the last 40 years down in Birmingham AL. 38,681 original miles. In this picture I had washed it in the local touch-less car wash and cleaned the windshield with Windex........otherwise it was just as it came from the basement family room.




BTW.......the tires were put on the car by my Dad in 1981.....bias ply....they held air perfectly.......not bad for tires that old.......with only 900 miles since 1981

 

Bought this 53 Dodge panel last year close to the campus of Notre dame. It was a survivor from a florist shop and had 26K original miles, original paint, motor, interior. Only thing not original were the tires had been replaced. I named the truck Herman because it reminded me of Herman Munster with a huge front forehead. I didnt really like the truck at the time but my oldest son fell in love with it. So he bought it and still drives it just about everyday in his Graphics Designer business in Columbus, Ohio

 

Found this heavily optioned '53 Studebaker Commander Starlite coupe, 232 V8, overdrive, dealer installed continental kit, by inquiring at an older used car lot in San Angelo, TX. Now has 29,xxx miles and is all original except I rechromed the rear bumper due to a dent. It was in a rent house garage under several blankets and the garage door was sealed from dust with plastic and bricks at the bottom. Car originally had skirts but were lost when old owners passed away; I found NOS skirts in the box from Studebaker.
Given the choice I would never put a connie on one of these but this has been on there since 1953 so I just can't change history. Yep, they are still out there.

 

Some very nice cars. No doubt about it, there is value in an original car that has survived several decades.

 

My rpu is only 30 yrs survivor ,big deal, but the other 2 are all original.

 

Trust me, I'm not trying to bust anybody's balls here but isn't there already a "survivor" thread?

 

I think the other thread is meant to be more of a Hot Rod Survivor thread, while this one seems to be directed at original cars...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=444177&highlight=survivor+thread

 

That may be the one.

 

Not a Mopar fan but to this, I say "Wow"

 

Both of these are survivors. The 49 Ford Coupe has since been sold and the 39 2Dr. Sedan is still with me.

 

Heres a pic of me and my Chevelle circa 72. The car was parked and put away in the late 70's hope to find the time to dig it out soon.

 

BuzzNut..............Sure wish you had some Pictures of the Crysler!

Maybe Later Huh?
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