Hey all, this may get kinda long winded but here goes. I've been into cars in general since i was a kid, but have always leaned towards muscle cars or speed. The oldest car i've owned was a 65 Mercury. The last year or so i've found i'm bored with that stuff. I haven't had a toy for a couple years now due to finances but, i've come to the conclusion that i can't go another summer without a toy of some sort or i may lose my mind, so i answered an add for a 64 Plymouth Belvedere 4 door sedan, /6, 3 speed on the floor. I offered to trade my daily driver 97 Nissan for it. I'd use it daily as well as a cruiser. My biggest question is, what can i do to make this thing cool? I know some of you will say it's kinda cool already, but i wanna give it some personality without crossing "traditions" if you get my meaning. Something era correct. It's in primer now and i'll leave it that way for awhile. Would scallops be too far off base? Maybe lower it and wheels? What would you guys consider "correct" for this era car? Please educate this lost car guy. Here is the only pics i have of the car until tomorrow.
I'd stick a plastic Virgin Mary with a magnet on the bottom on the dash and drive it. if I got real ambitious I'd get a RAT FINK sticker for the back window.
D-R-O-P IT. Almost everything looks better a little closer to the ground. Maybe some different hubcaps or some steel wheels and caps. Lots of very cool 63-64 Impalas four door sedans out there- I'd look to some of those for inspiration. I'm sure you'd have a lot better time finding examples of those than MoPars. Jay
I don't know, it looks pretty killer as a D/D right now... If it was me I would just drive it for a while (or even a long while!) getting the ch***is good and reliable while all the time moving toward a mild small V-8 for motivation. Since it is a D/D, I would shoot for lots of "day projects" that will get you ready for the future bigger ones. In the time this takes you will get a feel for what you want the car to look like.
It's a daily driver, clean it up, and drive it. The cool factor in these cars is simply that they exist and driven daily. Leave the hotrod action to the 2doors and station wagons, you don't need stickers in the windows, fancy wheels, big fat tires or flat black paint and scallops or anything but stock stuff, enjoyment without h***le.
My DD is a '65 Belvedere 4-door. I think that they are pretty cool already, but throwing some lawn chairs in the trunk next to the cooler helps mine a lot. I lowered it, too, and we drive the **** out of it. I always thought that four doors were parts cars, but me and the kids are getting attached to it. You just don't see old "family" cars like you used to. Also, with the ****py paint and no radio, I can leave it unattended anywhere.
OK, i'm gonna go with the majority. If/when we close the deal i will simply drive it. Maybe lower it because i'm partial to the look. I'll keep you all posted on the deal. Thanks for the opinions. Tim
I would try to find a donor car and make this one into a 2 door sedan. Here's a tech I did years ago. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78120 I'd keep the /6-stick drivetrain, but I'd try to find the dog dish style hubcaps and run redline tires. I personally wouldn't lower it any.
That's frickin AWESOME!! It's a bit out of reach for my current situation however. I'm currently rebuilding after my business failed and have been without a toy for a couple years. I just need something this summer as sort of "therapy" if you will. I've tried other hobbies, but the only real joy in my life seems to revolve around old cars. Eventually when i'm back on my feet i wanna do a 50-51 Ford 2 door sedan. It WILL happen, just may be awhile. Thanks again for the opinions/advice. It's much appreciated. Tim
I'd go for more of a restored family car look, mount a trailer hitch on it and buy a teardrop. There are plenty of slant 6 go-fast goodies out there to get you down the road faster. I think that a 4 door family car that looks like it came out of a time capsule looks pretty freakin' cool, especially with period correct cooler and lawn chairs down at the lake. Save your big pennies for another car to make into a custom or go fast in. But that's just me.
cruise it for now, but stay on craigslist regularly and build a stealth motor for it. eventually, build it into a quick sleeper. (I.E.- shoot for mid 13's). in the mean time, track down some fun goodies...15 inch wheels with enough width to put a decent tire on, some dogbowls, and mabey tret Yourself to a floorshift conversion. If You're gonna drive a quatroporte, make it stand out enough that it is *****in as a 4 door. plenty of dead dodges out there with ready and willing transplants.
I would go with a more period look. Install some J.C. Whitney type doodads on it, like the venetian blinds on the rear window, seat protectors, skirts, curb feelers, bumper guards/protectors and some skinny whites. Make it look like it was somebodys family cruiser from back in the day. Find some vintage waterslide decals for the windows from the Grand Canyon or Disneyland and stick the on the back window! Just make it a fun cruiser!
Man i wish these people would get back to me again. I never thought i'd be so anxious or excited about a 4 door 6 cylinder car.
Let's see...4 Dodge Lancers, skirts, 2"blocks in back, split manifold with dual smittys, narrow whitewalls, and ride captain ride.
I would go with gloss black steel rims with chrome trim rings and either chrome lug nuts or spider caps. Tires should be whitewalls but not too wide, maybe 1 1/2 inch. Maybe as finances allow paint the roof with a nice white metalflake and then later do the body in a turquoise metallic (factory color). Simple mods like a chrome tailpipe extension and some cheap JC Whitney seat covers can go a long way to make this car kool. If you want to lower the front end it is quite easy to just use a wrench on th torsion bars - no cutting or spring replacement needed. Don't forget the right side rims have right hand thread lugnuts and left side has lefthand thread. Most of all have a great time and get ready for the gas station "My dad used to have one of those" conversations. Go Mopar!!!
with 50 tons of rust and ablown motor it would still be better than a 97 nissan. thats agiven... keep the slant 6 , drive it , enjoy it. great car............
I think you misread the initial post. I'm trading the Nissan for the 64. At least i'm trying to. Sure wish they'd return my email. We've exchanged a couple, now i'm just awaiting their final answer.
DD 4 doors are good fun. I had a old survivor '50 Ford 4 dr a few years ago. Stuck a fishing pole in the rear window and an old set of clamp on boat racks on the roof and presto old "fishing car" look. The guy I sold it to deleted the fishing pole , Tied an old wood ladder on the rack and old "painters car" look. Looks like a winning deal your getting there.
If you can drive an old car every day, that's a great thing! Step 1 is to change all fluids, belts, hoses, and Brake hoses. Not "fun" hot rod stuff to spend $ on right away but things that can leave you walking and really pissed! Heater hoses can ruin your day! Been there... How about a dual master cylinder? A real safety item. Does that car have torsion bars? Lowering is easy if it does, on the front anyways. / 6's will go forever. I would think hard about leaving that thing alone. Maybe a chrome valve cover and a header? I hope it works out for you!
shave the back door handles cheap and easy gives it the two door look. Leave inside handles so you can open the doors or you could put popers on it. lower little drive the piss out of it. Cool car
Well, after saying they were interested and wanted pictures of my car and i sent them they suddenly don't want to trade. Oh well.
How much do they want for it? I got mine for a G, tuned it up, rebuilt the carb, fixed the speedo, adjusted the bands, and made long black stripes on the new road by my house. It might be worth just pullin' the trigger and selling the Nissan later. Besides, you can cripple it once and a while and drive the late model.
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