Always loved the “bullet bird” body style. Had one for a few years and it never really clicked with me. I think maybe it was the steering wheel in my lap, even with the seat all the way back (a smaller lap probably would have helped…).
there's was a few at the viva las vegas.... they seem to be coming out more and more...same with the 60's cads...
To me, the issue with changing the steering wheel was the sharp angle of the spokes, and that the gearshift lever and turn signal lever followed suit…
So this is another... runs and drives perfect car... cold starting is a mofo... first thing I think... choke is not working...sure enough.... it's froze solid...had to soak awhile to get it to move....got it working and it stars right up now...
The interior on this one is gonna break the bank...maybe just fix the bad spots?? used car lot style....lol
looks like the perfect needs nothing front end needs all new parts...every thing is shot... toed out about an inch.... strut bushings and control arm bushings are gone..
also,... learned something new today...this bird is unibody...no frame...and while under it on the rack... bottom is perfect... not a speck of rust... all the weep holes in the rockers are perfect...gonna be a nice find for someone 50 yrs from now... hell it's 65 already...cool.. win some loose some..
man i miss the old days...the days when you got a car like this and spent the day at the bone yard collecting parts...come home with door panels and nice chrome bumpers and little trim pieces...usually you could find a car with nice bumpers that was stacked ontop another car so easy to get off...
update, car is on the rack getting the frontend rebuilt...the driver side shock was un attached and just dangling in the tower... the rears were complete blown out... the new shocks that came with the car were the wrong ones... the date code on the rear tires was 15 years old... so had to get 4 new tires...funny though, even with everything wrong... the car rode and drove nice, other than the occasional clunk... guess it cause it so heavy??? and then there's the shaking like a dog shitting razor blades when you press the brake at a stop light.... yep... power booster is shot..and who would think that it's probley the most expensive brake booster you can buy... gotta love the birds though...gonna be a nice one someday...
so got every thing done front end and brake booster.... she rides smooth , and quiet, put new dual exhaust on it too....runs like a mouse in slippers...steering wheel is the next on the list
I came very close to buying a '62 right as covid hit in 2020. We were essentially in lock down. It was white, red interior, bothhad been redone. It had a bad upper control arm and a cracked exhaust manifold. The price was $12k at the time.
drove the love bird to So-Cal speed Shop in vegas today...wanted to look at steering wheels and adaptors.... guess I need to pull the wheel to see what I got first.... but I tell you on the way home the wheel really didn't seem worth the cost and effort to change....so maybe just leave it alone
never was a fan of little dogs and didn't want to clean up after big dogs, but I tell you they do grow on you...wife does all the taking care off them... they seem to be hi Maintenace, but she does that also...we take them on rv trips, and being little makes it easy..
as far as the big bird... it's got that big cad ride....treat to drive with the suspension dialed in,,, smooth....
The Jalopy Journal
