You guys are in a higher class than me. My wife drove a convertible '64 push button, /6 when she was 18. Part of my trickery to get her to marry me was my promise to put her little rump in another '64 convertible so she could relive her glory days. I worked on these tinker toy cars with four fuses running the whole electrical system back 45, 50 years ago. What's the big deal?
I found a potential car in Colorado and hired a "car inspector" to look at it. The guy was a life long hot rod junkie and his son was following suit. We talked about how I wanted a three season driver for my wife. This guy was like talking to my doctor. Very focused and thorough. The inspector recommended I keep looking. Found the next potential car in Michigan. Hired another inspector to look at this one, thinking of how great the last inspector was. This inspector didn't know his butt from third base. Didn't work the convertible top, look under the floor mats, drive it, etc. All for $350! The owner said he bought the car from the original owner to flip. I asked, "Why the new paint job? Do you have pictures of before the new paint? He says, "It is what it is. The paint looks good."
Next car up is a pretty face in Rhode Island. Owned by a dentist that kept the car in heated storage with other classics. Time to downsize... I hired another "inspector". This guy drove the car in a flat parking lot for $400. I'm pretty sure he never looked at a car over ten years old. Said everything was good. I found my wife's toy! Put it on a car carrier and had it delivered to our front door. The transmission had no syncros left, the clutch was so saturated in oil, it wouldn't climb a small grade from a stop, and one exhaust valve was totally fried! The heater core leaked, and when i turned on the wipers, all the heater knobs danced up and down in rhythm with the wipers. And I'm thinking, "**** - I thought I was going to lube the door hinges, change the oil and hand the keys to the little woman!"
Talk about a vertical learning curve. This is not the 1960s car I worked on as a kid. I took a wire off the distributor and the wire stuck straight out like a coat hanger. The battery was showing 13 volts but there are 8.5 volts at the headlights. The heater cable sheath had come unfastened from the knobs. And rust!? Wait a second, I bought a pretty face! Front seat foot wells, air tub under the front windshield, attach points for the convertible hydraulic cylinders. I'm a woodworker, I can't weld...
I rebuilt the whole drivetrain and suspension, including putting $1,500 in parts into the 4 spd transmission. Rewired the engine compartment, and bartered with a buddy to do the rust restoration with his welder. If it wasn't for this forum, I would have been toast! Learning all the tricks to working on this antique was a life saver. Like cleaning out the carbon filled oil galleys in the /6 rocker arms, the dodge truck starter swap out, rebuilding the dash instruments and headlamp switch, painting the inside of the brake and turn signal sockets and on and on. AND finding a new turn signal switch amongst many other needed parts.
I know more now than I did then!! Until the convertible top needs replacing and that damn new rear main seal finishes soaking the clutch, all I have to do is maintain the tune and oil those door hinges.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I remember asking my nephew who did two body off restorations of Olds 442s if I should pursue this idea. He said if you like tinkering go for it, but don't count your receipts or expect to get your money back - that will ruin your fun.
I don't know what I have in it, but I'm still having a blast reaping the benefits every time my honey gets that little grin when she grabs second gear and hits that exhaust note at 3,000.
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