Looks like a challange, but it'll be fun getting it up the hill. Id use a chopper, but they arn't cheap. Best of luck.
Well it is a 2 door hardtop, every piece of the body is reproduced. Here's a good thread to read, http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53152
May 95 when it showed up in my yard.. an I thought mine was bad but it's paid for itself, being my daily for the past 15 yrs! The squished dash is a flag, and would definitely detour me! But what do I know..
but it's paid for itself, being my daily for the past 15 yrs! The squished dash is a flag, and would definitely detour me! But what do I know..[/QUOTE] I don't know why the dash shows up looking like that in the pictures. It looks nothing like that in person. The dash is actually salvagable when seen in person.
I don't know why the dash shows up looking like that in the pictures. It looks nothing like that in person. The dash is actually salvagable when seen in person.[/QUOTE] Looking at the picture again, the steering column 'is' still centered in the dashes provisions. Optical illusion or the camera wacking things out( prolly the camera)
Its a ravine car! Really at best (again the pix make it appear worse) a base for a stock-car for the street.
Well, you're going to need to be brave. Does it need to be dragged straight up and out? Or can you drag it a longer distance over a shallower angle? If so, you could get some 4x4 jacks, and build some axles to lift it onto. Wheels make things much easier. Big off-road tyres are even better
I see 10 years on a body table for that car. Only way you'd ever get the cowl straight again is with some serious pulls. If even then. Seriously, we just got one in that has like no frame or floors - rotted and gone from the front cowl all the way to the rear axle - one quarter is bent from hanging up on something - and it's still straighter and better than that car. And it's a piece of shit, about all it's good for is to tin that stock car chassis in the other picture.
Absolute worst scenario, you get it out and it's toast. 1. You have the pictures and the adventure. 2. You'll have some parts for sale. 3. You helped clean up the landscape. 4. Scrap will probably pay for what it costs to get out of there. 5. Maybe there is a towing company in need of a new sign - car on a pole, building etc.
I could get it out . If you have enough cable a snatchblock hooked maybe ten feet in a tree and hooked to a four weel drive PK or farm tractor will drag it up. Without the drive train it will weigh about 2000 pounds. You could get two of those electric winches from harbor frieght and work it up. I have a Beebe bros hand winch that would move it. I have a very large come a long that could pull it. If it was clear enough a trailer could be lowered down to it on a cable. then with two handy man jacks two guys could jack up both sides evenly and another person winch it on the trailer. Pictures of winch & snatch block. OldWolf
I don't see one square inch of that car in the photos that wasn't damaged going down the cliff or before it gave up it's engine and got shoved over the cliff. And what isn't torn up now will probably get torn up dragging it back up the hill. I'd pass on that one.
Did you ever bother running the VIN (assuming its still there) to make sure its clean and not stolen or something?
I'm a strange guy when it comes to thing's like this, IF it's as solid rust wise as you say, and i had the chance, AND the means to get it i would. Not for nothing but the front seat alone, IF not all bent to hell, is worth 400+ all day. 57 2 door front seats are a one year only seat and guy's who have to have the original one will pay if they don't have it. A buddy (a fellow HAMBer) and i pulled a rusted hulk of a 35 Ford pu cab out of the woods a few years back. A hell of a lot worse than that, but MUCH easier to obtain.. I've done nothing with it yet, but it was free and i'll do something with it eventually. Worst case, you spend the time and have 57 parts to sell, and one hell of a story to share. As long as you can do it safely and at a relatively low cost, i say go for it. Best of luck. Tony
In two of the three pics, the dash does look straight. The other pic looks like it might be a double exposure of some sort??? By the way.....I'd check into bringing it up. Try to clear away as many obstacles as possible, first. Just look what efforts are put into saving 32 Fords......And this is a 57 Chevy.
Knowing from experience, if the car frame or bumper starts gouging into the hillside, it'll start acting as if it weigh's 25,000 lbs. Big, big winch. Wrecker idea is good. Or a caterpillar/tractor. It would be a fun adventure though! If I was closer I'd help you.
If I was closer to up there I would lend a hand. In the mean time, you might read my buddy Hot Rod Ron's thread, The El Portal coupe, as it has lots of info about a pretty hairy rescue from a desert canyon.
IIRC 4 door sedan roof skin is the same as a 2 dr sedan/2 dr hardtop. would be an easy fix IMO instead of trying to straighten that one. What is with all of the negative posts saying "leave it there, its junk". this is the HAMB! we are hot rodders and we can fix anything. Look on the bright side, even if you dent it a few times getting it out, you probably won't notice.
Just be sure to video tape the recovery. If something goes way wrong you will have a you tube sensation, or maybe get on one of those disaster tv shows.
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