getting ready to purchase 54 bel air need advice

hi every one just want to say this site is great i just recently joined but i have always enjoyed reading all the stuff here. now i need some advice about a 54 bel air i want to purchase, the thing in question is the original powerglide tranny dosent go in reverse does drive foward tho. the owner says that all i need to do is adjust the reverse band and it will go in reverse. he says it not a very expensive job but im just not sure. i would like to know what im getting myself into with this tranny problem and if it is possibly a simple fix as he says. the car is in california and i am in las vegas so would like to know how bad is it before i go out there and decide to buy it. thanks guys

 

Not very likely. Pull the dipstick, check for burnt and dirty brown fluid. If unusually clean, it likely was changed to attempt a fix. Get an estimate on rebuilding it, subtract from asking price, & make your offer. Then put a 3 speed in it.

 

thanks, thats some really good advice to take with me when i go check it out. Now if only i new where in vegas i could find a good tranny shop that knows about these trannys, if anyone knows of one in vegas give me a recomendation on it and i will check them out. Question, what would a rebuild cost on it just so i have a number to throw at the guy when making a deal. thanks

 

I'm always leery when a seller says something like "inexpensive fix" or "easy repair". If it was that damn "easy" or "inexpensive" why don't they go ahead and fix it? Surely it would make the car more valuable and easier to market. More often than not, it winds up not being that "inexpensive" and not that "easy". 302GMC has given you some good advice.......Don.