Projects The car you just had to have and you ended up disliking it

1965 Buick Skylark convertible. Triple black with red pin striping along the fender crown and red welting on the bucket seats. 3 years old, called out my name as I drove by the dealership and I had to have it.

Garage kept, beautiful car. That's the good part.

The top leaked where it met the windshield and after 6 weeks or so, it got a faint mildew smell. The top flapped at high speeds - not a lot, but it bugged the hell outta me. The windows never really sealed tight - always a wind whistle.

The body rattled like a bag of tin cans because of the rough-assed old dirt roads I grew up on.

It was a little v-8, but had a powerglide type tranny and could barely squawk the tires, let alone pull a hole shot.

It all ended one night after finishing the afternoon shift at GMC Truck & Bus. Coming down Wide Track Drive, a big old Caddy with a Big Ol Boy driving it, hauled its drunken arse up outta Gulf gas station that sat in a steep swale, and careened right in front of me. So my Buick T-boned the Caddy. Driver got out with a long blade, waving it around, cops showed up, arrested him, had my car towed. Ins gave me money, I threw a used front-end on it and only drove it a couple hunnert miles until some kid said he loved the car - too bad he can't afford to buy it.

And I said "well today is your lucky day".

Buh-bye Buick!

 

Ever since high school I've wanted a sbc powered 30's ride. Isn't that what we all wanted back then?
As an adult I ran across an incomplete coupe and traded for it. I finished it out just like what I wanted back in the 60's ... A mean looking little bastard with slicks and a black interior.
Fifty years is a long time. It was deafening, cramped, brutal on my kidneys and my neck was sore from squatting inside to see out the window of that heavily channeled bugger.
I may have put 50 miles on it before I sold it.

 

Oh i have loved all my old cars,but i got a wife that fits into that category............ was made in 56 i guess that makes it ok

Why Gary? I'm think very seriously about getting a chopped 32 2dr sedan. To small? don't mean to hi-jack thread

 

Bruce, it was cramped and you are a lot larger then I am. The Vicky as with a 32 tudor there is no trunk which is a PITA removing everything your taking with you chairs, tools, cooler and suitcases from the back seat. You could never take anyone with you. I was never happy with the TCI chassis. The car just was not a good riding car, way too choppy. Lots of brake problems and rear end bottoming. Can't tell you how many times I adjusted the coil overs. TCI should have C notched the frame. I was also not particularly happy with the Downs body I could never get drivers door to look right. I also didn't care for the funky fiberglass smell when in the sun. You'd have to leave Carlos at home.

Gary

 

I was afraid of that.Kind of thought it but i guess i'll rethink the sedan now

 

For true. Much depends upon how big/small you are. What sort of numbnuts wouldn't drive one a few miles before buying it? Too many of us, it seems. Most of the vehicles I've hated were those I just didn't fit into after an hour on the road, or those I wanted to park and walk away from after an hour on the highway. For instance

wouldn't drive one home if it was a gift.

Mint '65 Corvette coupe 327" 350hp without AC and with factory side exhaust. An hour on the freeway on an Alabama August Sunday and you'd think about trading it straight across for a Honda with AC.

Chevy S10 with SBC and headers swap. Would smoke 'em at a touch of the throttle, but banging my head against the back of the cab at the same time, no leg room, hotter inside than any wood stove you ever backed up to. Rear wheels would literally come off the pavement on a hard downhill stop.

'52 MG with SBC swap - a customer's idea; I built the engine and got it running. The owner was then jailed for PWID, so I got it on a mechanic's lein. I should have pushed it off a cliff. Damn thing was terminally dangerous to drive; with slicks on the rear, a burnout would lift the right front tire a foot and then it would turn hard left. This was before disc brakes were easy and common, so it wouldn't stop at all. In traffic, the headers would set the wooden floor on fire. But when I listed it for sale, you wouldn't believe the flakes who claimed to be serious buyers. You wouldn't want them coming to your house, much less letting them test drive it. A nightmare car in every which way.

Following not being able to fit in or make miles without extreme pain, making expensive noises, but sometimes one breakdown is too many. Throwing more money at a turd won't make it less of a turd. The first twenty years of vehicle ownership sometimes comes with expensive lessons:

1965 BSA Lightning - when it ran, it was the quickest/fastest bike around, which was only for short periods, then expensive noises.

"Full-race flathead" which would overheat backing out of the garage.

Studebaker Flight Hawk - beautiful car which never should have been sold with a weenie Champion flathead 6-cyl; bog slow and not especially good mileage even.

"Full-race Hilborn-injected nailhead which wouldn't start, wouldn't idle, and wasn't really fast either.

"Rare factory 425hp 396 Corvette" which would outrun anything, but just as likely to drop a valve any time it was taken to redline.

427" Cobra - right up there with T-buckets as the most uncomfortable ride ever. Same upside, however, light weight makes them a rocketship. Just remember, the Challenger was also a rocket ship.

jack vines

 

Yup, a '61 Metropolitan..........

 

I also had one of those 55 Glasstops. I only kept it a year or so because it was like driving around inside a greenhouse. It didn't have the original roof curtain and I never could find one so down the road it went.

 

I'd kill for a 55 glasstop. I guess I'll never learn.

 

I bought a 56 Willy's 4x4 pickup from my friends Dad for 500.00 when I was 17-18. It had sat a while, did not run, glass broken out, parked because of a busted front leaf spring. It was going to be my daily driver. How neat, an old four wheel drive pickup in snow country with a snappy flathead 6. Spent a summer fixing it up, getting it running...and the first drive I realized how small and cramped they were, and how ridiculously slow on the road. Put about 20 miles on it before it went down the road.

About 6 years ago a 38 ford Deluxe tudor sedan was listed for sale about an hour from my house. Called the guy- it were his Dad's and his dad passed. Said it ran and drove but needed TLC, had hydraulic brakes and some new parts included. It was 8500.00. I wanted a driver and it sounded like the one. Went and checked it out, nice older paint car, black. Started up and seemed to run good. Backed it out of the garage. Looked it over, had to think about the money end (he would not budge). Next day called him and told him I had to have it. Went and loading it on the trailer I saw some body work under the tool tray I had not noticed. No biggy, pretty common. Well, getting it home I found all the other rot I somehow missed including the kickup on the frame, along with a wiring mess and the brakes were very sketchy. I only owned it a day and already lost enthusiasm to work on it. Drove it out on the road and it had no power- engine was tired.
Luckily, a friend and his buddy stopped by a couple days later, buddy liked the car, I told him what I was in it and that I'd sell it for that, and he said he'd take it. So got a free lesson that time. He still has the car and has made it a nice "street rod"

 

Haha! Try climbing into a Model A pickup!

 

Two Studebakers............ In the 70's I got a nice '53 coupe with a 327 and PG. Horrible brakes, horrible steering, you sat a half mile from the dashboard, and the damned engine sometimes decided not to start - anywhere, anytime, didn't matter, cold or warm or hot, it would just crank and crank til the battery quit. It had spark and fuel, it just didn't want to run. I had it painted a beautiful Cordovan brown metallic and sold it.
I always wanted a '49-'50 Stude pickup. The Pisano Bros ran one at Lions in the old days and I used to see Carman Pisano's Pontiac powered '49 running the streets every once in a while. Had to have one. So when I found a clean one for $1000 I grabbed it. It sat for a while with it's running but seldom driven smoking flathead six while I formulated a plan. I put a Gibbon torsion bar front end on it, a Plymouth 8 3/4" rear end and a thumpin' 454 BBC/TH400 combo. It steered like the steering wheel wasn't attached to anything. I fought it for a while and got it to drive "OK". It was fast but a huge, awkward driving disappointment overall. (did I mention it was CalTrans safety yellow - ugh) I de-tuned it a little and sold it to a buddy. Used the money to help pay off my mortgage.

 

Thanks for the laugh, Chip! Good thing you live out in AZ, and not here where trees and grass grows. ;-)

 

This has never happened to me. I like what I like , buy with no expectations except that I will love whatever adventures it will bring and as old as I am have never got tired of anything. Life is good !

 

Falcon George. I was pretty sure you were a man till you said you don't like pickups. Every man has to have a pickup !........

 

Funny you should say that..... You should hang out with me somewhere where it's forested and "lush". I'm used to being able to see a minimum of about 50 miles out, so I get in a forest and I get super claustrophobic real quick.

 

Luckily my story doesn't involve actually purchasing the car because it would be a very expensive lesson. I currently have a regular 57 Chevy 210 Wagon, but I really wanted a Nomad. Preferably a 56, but I would have took any year. I wanted one so bad I was considering selling my wagon and my 56 Belair 2 door sedan project. Even then I would have only had enough to get a rough project. Then this last summer I had the opportunity to work on a customers '57 Nomad. After working on it and test driving it I decided that I really didn't want one. The roofline is lower and my head rubbed the headliner, my eyeline included the top of the windshield, the rear seat is pretty much useless, and the tailgate is leaned so far forward the rear cargo area isn't worth much either. I guess I am just happy in my regular old poor man's wagon.

 

I pretty much can't own anything that I worked on. I am confident that my work is good, and my customers have liked it (or I fixed it so they did), but all I ever do is notice everything that I could have done better.

I am currently cutting out the first floor that I built for my Falcon, and doing it over. My therapist says that I need to see a therapist.

 

Thanks Jack Vines ....you are one funny guy .....damn near spit my coffee across the keyboard .

 

Which one Bruce?,As I recall there were several! HRP

 

Never met a motor car I didn't like...

 

My little brother LOVES them, has never owned anything else. Honestly, I cant stand the #$%@ing things! I am still trying to talk him around!

 

Oh well, I still like you but now I can't admit it in public

 

H.R.P. yes there were.LOL.My drinking sure did go up during that project .I don't think this one will be that bad, but I will still carry a fire extinguisher with me. .LOL.Bruce.

 

Falcongeorge....I'm thinkin' you've just never rode in the right pickup....living in the Northwest, ya' need a winch, whip antenna, big lug bias tires, and a hefty 4 speed....possibly a early 64'-65' Ford 4x4....it's all about tradition man!!!...heck even west-coast trucking mirrors are a necessity for proper good looks!

 

So ya, I told the story of the '55 Sunliner. That was beyond my control. But I really did step into a deep regret one other time.

See, about 15 years ago, I was dating this heart breakingly adorable creature, named Renee. At 5' even, with just a perfect, tiny bit of chub in exactly the right places, this little gal looked for all the world like an almond eyed Nattalie Wood.... Yup, spectacular! One problem though. We were in our late thirties, and she was in the final stages of "baby crazy". Like four or five months in and any angle could be used by her to introduce the possibilities of making a child... Don't get me wrong, I love practicing, but NO CHILDREN has always been my rule. Dogs however, are a go!

About the time I started seeing her, I lucked into a chance purchase of a VERY clean '48 Chevy 2 door sedan, all original. Two tone black and grey, original paint, and the six volt clock still happily ticked in the glove box door.... That kinda car.

I took the Chevy home, dropped it a bit, put some bigs and littles on it, shined it up, converted it to 12 volts, and added a second Rochester on a Fenton manifold. Renee was so excited to ride in something shiny! So our first big date arrived in the "new" car, a quick ride up Central for some ice cream. She loved it! But, on the ride home, a quick conversation made my blood run cold... She spun around in the passenger seat, looked into the back and said "This car has a back seat!". I very smoothly suggested we find a quiet place to pull off and test it out for it's true purpose.... "Oh, goodness no!" she replied, "I though it might mean you were ready to fill it with baby seats!". An awkward silence filled the car at that moment, as I realized just WHY I had always owned coupes, roadsters, and pick ups.

So, that would be regrets enough for this situation under most circumstances. But those here that know me, know that if anything, I can pile on personal misery with the very best of them! No, this was going to take a much larger and far grander misstep to make it just enough. I had to prove I was just stupid enough to do what I did next!

See, weeks earlier, a good buddy of mine had expressed interest in buying the sedan from me, and went so far as to suggest a possible trade for something he had that I had always wanted....A '59 El Camino! I had gone as far as to drive up to his place to look at it, and other than a lightly whacked left quarter, pronounced it a nice, rust free car from Las Vegas. I called the next day, and made the trade. By 5:00, the '48 was headed to his home, and the '59 was in my back yard. By 5:05, Renee was on my back stoop screaming that "somebody stole the pretty car, and left this crappy pickup in your yard". I assured her it was by design, and she'd dig this one soon. In other words, I lied! I got home and was excited as Hell with my new purchase, and danced around it with glee pointing out all it's fine points to a slightly pouting, adorable Nattalie Wood look-a-like.

The next night, I was out working, and decided to pull the seat out to investigate just how deep this tar undercoating on the floor really was, and whether it had been done well, and could possibly be used in the future. After removing all of the seat bolts, and heaving as hard as I could, the seat just wouldn't budge.... What the hell? Renee walked out just in time to see me in my pissed off, Hulk like state, give one more mighty heave and pull not only the seat, but the entire floor pan, inner rockers, and even one of the body mounts from their rusted resting places! Fuck...

Ya, the "clean, rust free floor" I had felt as I ran my hands under the floors and rockers when I looked at the car, turned out to be quite a feat of artistry involving roof flashing, road signs, license plates, and several gallons of roofing tar troweled on extra thick to hide it all... It was rusty as a cob. Stripping more showed tons of rust holes in the rockers, doors, fenders, and quarters all neatly filled with screen and bondo'd over. Double fuck.

The next year included buying and installing every commercial patch panel available from the door handles down, making those that weren't. I basically built the lower half of a '59 El Camino from bits and pieces... Suck city. Grumbling the whole way I actually missed my farty 2 door sedan...

But, it was basically done from the belt line down, and even somewhat straight. About this time, Renee agreed to ride over to the West Coast Customs Paso Robles show with me in the Plymouth, and was immediately taken with a car that had a flaked roof, with those "moon and stars" confetti things that women throw into greeting cards buried in the clear. She begged me all the way home to do that to the roof on the '59, and to let her toss the confetti when "WE" did it! The Camino was back in!

The very next day, I started prepping the roof. First step of course, pull all the trim, right? Guess what? The roof came off with the trim! DONE!!! FINISHED!!! NOT GOING ANY DAMNED FURTHER!!! I called the louver customer that had been bugging me to sell it to him, and he was there the following afternoon...

Still break out in shivers and shakes, and actual hives when I see a '59 Camino.... Almost all regret based.

 

Chip,

Great write up! .......

Ray

 

An off-topic Cobra replica. I traded a really nice mustang fastback for it - and regretted it after the first day. The car was built really well and fit/finish was immaculate. It was hot, got about 8mpg (with a 10 gallon tank), and had so much torque that it would break free in every gear - even with just a touch of throttle. The power and torque were really a lot of fun. The part that got me is that it was a fiberglass replica. I felt like the douches you see trying to pull off the rich look with a big fake Rolex. It also smelled like a boat.

On the plus side I sold it for a good price and bought a '40 Ford truck with the proceeds -

 

Now, if we were talking about X wives or girlfriends...