I found one of these that seems like a smoking deal. I am going to look at it this weekend and I want to know what to look for i.e. common rust , motor, tranny ... It is all original with strait six and ? tranny. I am mainly looking for more info and common problems. It is also missing the glass in the driver side doors, where can I get replacements? Any and all info will be great, thanks.
Look for rust in the rockers, quarters inside of the trunk lid, in the trunk by the latch, around the rear leaf spring mounts and of course any flat spot on the floor. The door glass is flat and can be cut at any glass place for little moolah.
Thanks, do you have a guess on cost for the glass? I talked to the guy again today and he said very minimal rust but upholtery is shot and the latch for the trunk isn't working. I think I can get it for $1500 here are some pics, what do you think?
Glass is around $40 to $50... thats it..... Id say that if you could get it cheaper do it.... between $1000 to $1200 would be a deal to me. Good luck.
that's a '53 the 230 c.i. flathead six is great engine if cared for properly. VERY frequent oil changes. There are several trans choices that year, the best of which is the three speed manual with overdrive. Looks like fun!
Maybe it's just me but that seems overpriced for a 4 door. Living in San Diego can't you find another sweet ride that is a 2 door. I don't mind 4 doors and am currently working on one but if I lived in SoCal I would look for something better to start. Even here in Wisconsin I have seen 4 door early 50's Mopars for $750-$1200 that are running driving cars. If you can get him down to $1000 then probably not a bad deal but no way at $1500 and up. Just my two cents.
offer them $700 bucks if the paperwork matches, market is pretty soft and there is tons of stuff to be had cheap these days.
Yeah, $2100 is too high unless there is absolutely no rust to deal with and if the engine/trans is spot on. .
that's a $1200 car. my buddy fixed this one up for under $750 and it ran and drove, i bought it for like $1000 when he needed cash.
The black on is a 53 plymouth and the green one looks like a 51 Dodge. I have a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook (see my photos). I just had the front W/S and it cost me $2600 CDN. Limited availablability of green glas from private vendors. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=791934&stc=1&d=1256226644
Hopefully I will be getting some pictures of the interior and engine and I will post them up for you guys to critique. Thanks for all the help, I would have probably offered him to much.
Ok so I talked with him about it some more and he bought it from a junk yard couple years ago and fixed a few things and drove it around on the weekends. He says the title states it is a 51' but you guys say it is a 53' body style (I believe you over him). I am pretty sure I can get it for about $1000 but I am a little skeptical about the title, it is a salvage title. I am not trying to turn around and make money on it I just want a fun around town cruiser to take to the local shows and rod runs. What do you think?
Thousand clams sounds good, but Im with you on the title. Thats a little sketchy. How does it run/shift??? Have you driven it??
I am driving it tomorrow, If it drives and shifts smooth still a good deal even with a weird title. Like I said I am not trying to fix it and re-sell I am just looking for something for me to dink around with and cruise.
if thats the pic of the car its not a 51 its a 53/54. check vin on the motor somthings not right here,
So is the vin on the motor the only vin it has or is there a vin on the body that I can check with the title.
Just make damn sure that your dmv will be ok with the title before you hand over a dime. If the title doesn't match the car then what?? .
contact your insurance agent BEFORE purchase. On an old car like that, a salvage title shouldn't be an issue, but make sure first! check real careful for rust. Run it for at least a few miles. Once around the block won't tell you everything ytou need to know. Make sure you are serious, don't just joy-ride it.
cant remember if my 51' or 54' had a vin tag. gm cars did. salvage title on something that old won't matter. throw caution to the wind! in this economy i'm sure no one is beating his door down to buy it. find somebody you know to go and look it over with you. those cars are easy to take compression test on and that will tell you lots about that motor. see if he is willing to split the cost of your mechanic to check it out. the more eyes that look at it now might save you some grief later. don't approach the purchase like your first time getting layed or your gonna be dissapointed!
Anyone on the vin# which one is going to be on the title the engine vin or is ther a vin on the body?
With the flat 6 engine, that is basically an "around town" car. You won`t be getting on the open highway much with that drivetrain. I am guessing 65 mph tops and that`s pushing it hard. $1000 seems "OK", but no more than that. 1950`s Mopars seem to be the cheapest old cars out there. I`ve seen pretty nice 2 door models for under $4000. I bought this really nice `58 Coronet 4 dr for $2000 a few months ago.
Not sure about the early 50`s cars, but my 1958 Dodge has a VIN tag on the driver`s door pillar, by the door hinges. I "think" it is an 8 digit VIN. Mine starts with "L", followed by 7 numbers ( I think )
If it's driveable, $1000 seems like a good deal to me. You can put some seat covers on it and glass in it cheap and use it as-is, I can't see you losing out on that one unless the title thing comes back to bite you since the car is not a '51. The early 50's Mopars don't seem to have much of a following, so don't expect any aftermarket support or a ton of info floating around, but it does seem like a real cheap way to get into the hobby, plenty of guys spent more than that on just a set of rims.
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