Cheap Craigslist Projects Roundup: December 2013
Its been a while since I've done one of these, and since there's just a few days left in good 'ol 2013 I wanted to get one out this week. This is my way of sharing some OK project cars for not a lot of dough. I hope someone, or someone you know, may help put these cars and trucks back on the road because I'm broke and can't afford to. Winter isn't a good time to sell a car, but its certainly a good time to look at cars for sale. With a seasonal brew and a sleepy hound dog at my side, I present the final Cheap Craigslist Projects Roundup of 2013.
Disclaimer: I don't know any of the following sellers, and I don't have any vested interest in them. I'm only sharing information and trying to keep old stuff out of the scrapyard. Don't sue me or anything.
This sunburned post-war beauty needs a lot of TLC, and it really wouldn't be worth much once restored. It also is a four door sedan without a lot of power and pretty vanilla styling by today's standards. Now that I've talked you out of doing anything, it still remains a rare example of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser's vision of a fresh new mode of transportation. Launched to a car-starved public in 1947 alongside the Frazer, Kaisers were known for low-slung stance, good handling, reliable mechanicals and interior roominess. A friend once described a honeymoon trip from Massachussetts to Alaska in a similar brand new 1947 Frazer as being one of the most enjoyable journeys he & his wife ever took without a hint of trouble. This was in 1947 when the northern roads weren't so great! Kaiser clashed with his partner Frazer and he split in 1948. Kaiser eventually got out of the American automobile business and concentrated on Jeeps and cars in South America, but that's another story.
Kaiser-Frazer sold 90,000 sedans in 1948 and this is likely one of just a handful you'll come across today. They can be seen as one of the first US cars to completely debut with a new design after WWII, not simply a warmed-over pre-war model The good news? Most of the trim was treated kindly by the Texas sun and it doesn't look like its missing too much. Still, you have to know what you're getting and really want a Kaiser to do this one justice. Someone out there might.
Click HERE for the Kaiser's full listing.
If you thought Dennis Weaver in the movie Duel was cool, then clearly this Valiant is for you. Also, please seek help because Dennis Weaver was a total wuss in that movie. These Mopar A-bodies have a lot going for them, like the fact that they're a car and they're never expensive. Some part of me has a soft spot for them since they outlasted most of the other Mopars of that era, but nobody seems to care about them today. The 225 slant six makes enough grunt to get you to and from and will last for eons if taken care of. The only thing this lemony car looks like it needs is a bath and some shift linkage work, which isn't much to ask for a car that will still run after the apocalypse comes...if you can find enough gas to siphon. It just got weird. Sorry.
Click HERE for the Valiant listing.
Stuntman Mike drove a Chevy Nova with a small block in it. Okay, it was a two door model, and had some 'modifications', but this '68 four door sedan would also work for those looking to defy the laws of physics on a daily basis. In all honesty, this poor car looks like it should be parked at the curb next to a Chicago slum in the mid 1970's. Instead, its survived into the age of the iPhone 5 and Justin Bieber. Something tells me that this will also outlast the latter. With a thrifty 307 and...a 307...this hasn't much to offer the project hunter. But it is a Nova and it does take the same suspension and chassis parts. Can you imagine an 11 to 1 warmed-over Corvette 327 and Powerglide in this? Lakewood ladder bars and a set of trick shocks? Sleeper thy name is Nova sedan...coming to a stoplight (or regulation drag strip) near you. If I had this car, I'd make it a sleeper and paint it up like a Plane Jane Commonwealth Edison company car in drab beige. That's just me.
Click HERE for more rusty Nova pictures.
You want to be cool? Buy an early 60's Chevy Impala hardtop and fix it up. Nuff said. This one probably has your typical Wisconsin cheese floors, but they make so much reproduction stuff for these that its not a huge deal anymore. It still costs real Cheddar though.
Click HERE for more on the Impala.
Look at this baby! This new-for-39 Dodge was dubbed the "Luxury Liner", a name that just captures everything about the late 1930's. Taking a ride in a Dodge was like taking an extravagant vacation on a cruise ship...you rocked back and forth and side to side until you got sick. All joking aside, these late 30's Mopars have never commanded the type of coin that Fords of that era have and I can't see why. These have just as much style as their Dearborn brethren. For Dodge, it wasn't all about luxury appointments. Their cars of this vintage were equipped with speedometers with glass jewels that illuminated green up to 30 miles per hour, and gradually turns amber and red if you bury the needle far enough. Safety was also a selling point in 1939.
This model in Missouri appears to be a complete project that was never started by the owner, even after 30 years of ownership. That's good for the next person because this car comes with a 30 year collection of used and NOS parts to get this Mopar back on the road. A '39 Ford Deluxe would sell for 3 times this amount in worse condition with the extra parts...so use that to your advantage and get yourself a comfy & safe pre-war classic.
Click HERE for more on the Dodge you need to bring home.
Disclaimer: I don't know any of the following sellers, and I don't have any vested interest in them. I'm only sharing information and trying to keep old stuff out of the scrapyard. Don't sue me or anything.
1948 Kaiser Custom (Eddy, Texas, $1000)
This sunburned post-war beauty needs a lot of TLC, and it really wouldn't be worth much once restored. It also is a four door sedan without a lot of power and pretty vanilla styling by today's standards. Now that I've talked you out of doing anything, it still remains a rare example of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser's vision of a fresh new mode of transportation. Launched to a car-starved public in 1947 alongside the Frazer, Kaisers were known for low-slung stance, good handling, reliable mechanicals and interior roominess. A friend once described a honeymoon trip from Massachussetts to Alaska in a similar brand new 1947 Frazer as being one of the most enjoyable journeys he & his wife ever took without a hint of trouble. This was in 1947 when the northern roads weren't so great! Kaiser clashed with his partner Frazer and he split in 1948. Kaiser eventually got out of the American automobile business and concentrated on Jeeps and cars in South America, but that's another story.
Kaiser-Frazer sold 90,000 sedans in 1948 and this is likely one of just a handful you'll come across today. They can be seen as one of the first US cars to completely debut with a new design after WWII, not simply a warmed-over pre-war model The good news? Most of the trim was treated kindly by the Texas sun and it doesn't look like its missing too much. Still, you have to know what you're getting and really want a Kaiser to do this one justice. Someone out there might.
Click HERE for the Kaiser's full listing.
1972 Plymouth Valiant (Mishawaka, Indiana $1000)
If you thought Dennis Weaver in the movie Duel was cool, then clearly this Valiant is for you. Also, please seek help because Dennis Weaver was a total wuss in that movie. These Mopar A-bodies have a lot going for them, like the fact that they're a car and they're never expensive. Some part of me has a soft spot for them since they outlasted most of the other Mopars of that era, but nobody seems to care about them today. The 225 slant six makes enough grunt to get you to and from and will last for eons if taken care of. The only thing this lemony car looks like it needs is a bath and some shift linkage work, which isn't much to ask for a car that will still run after the apocalypse comes...if you can find enough gas to siphon. It just got weird. Sorry.
Click HERE for the Valiant listing.
1968 Chevy II (Chicago, Illinois $800)
Stuntman Mike drove a Chevy Nova with a small block in it. Okay, it was a two door model, and had some 'modifications', but this '68 four door sedan would also work for those looking to defy the laws of physics on a daily basis. In all honesty, this poor car looks like it should be parked at the curb next to a Chicago slum in the mid 1970's. Instead, its survived into the age of the iPhone 5 and Justin Bieber. Something tells me that this will also outlast the latter. With a thrifty 307 and...a 307...this hasn't much to offer the project hunter. But it is a Nova and it does take the same suspension and chassis parts. Can you imagine an 11 to 1 warmed-over Corvette 327 and Powerglide in this? Lakewood ladder bars and a set of trick shocks? Sleeper thy name is Nova sedan...coming to a stoplight (or regulation drag strip) near you. If I had this car, I'd make it a sleeper and paint it up like a Plane Jane Commonwealth Edison company car in drab beige. That's just me.
Click HERE for more rusty Nova pictures.
1963 Chevy Impala Sport Coupe (Union Grove, Wisconsin, $1200)
You want to be cool? Buy an early 60's Chevy Impala hardtop and fix it up. Nuff said. This one probably has your typical Wisconsin cheese floors, but they make so much reproduction stuff for these that its not a huge deal anymore. It still costs real Cheddar though.
Click HERE for more on the Impala.
1939 Dodge D11 Luxury Liner (Kansas City, Missouri, $1150)
Look at this baby! This new-for-39 Dodge was dubbed the "Luxury Liner", a name that just captures everything about the late 1930's. Taking a ride in a Dodge was like taking an extravagant vacation on a cruise ship...you rocked back and forth and side to side until you got sick. All joking aside, these late 30's Mopars have never commanded the type of coin that Fords of that era have and I can't see why. These have just as much style as their Dearborn brethren. For Dodge, it wasn't all about luxury appointments. Their cars of this vintage were equipped with speedometers with glass jewels that illuminated green up to 30 miles per hour, and gradually turns amber and red if you bury the needle far enough. Safety was also a selling point in 1939.
This model in Missouri appears to be a complete project that was never started by the owner, even after 30 years of ownership. That's good for the next person because this car comes with a 30 year collection of used and NOS parts to get this Mopar back on the road. A '39 Ford Deluxe would sell for 3 times this amount in worse condition with the extra parts...so use that to your advantage and get yourself a comfy & safe pre-war classic.
Click HERE for more on the Dodge you need to bring home.
-D
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for your feedback on Throwin' Wrenches.