RE: IML: 1960 2 door for sale cheap!

["Dick Benjamin" <dickb@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm sure this is not news to a lot in the old car hobby, but the meaning of
certain words is totally different back in the rust belt (basically east of
the Rockies, in my opinion, but don't argue with me, please).  I grew up on
the east coast, and spent quite a bit of time in Missouri and Illinois, so I
know a bit about this.

When someone from the rust belt says his car has "NO RUST!" he means that
there are no visible holes in the body that you can see on first inspection.
He does not mean what someone from the southwest means when he says no rust
(namely, that means that there is no rust - anywhere, and never was).   The
rust belt car may have been previously "repaired" (and you can only imagine
what that involved - I've seen newspaper stuffed into holes, then plastered
over with bondo, then painted nicely, good looking until you hit the first
bad pothole).   The rust may be only in the floor boards, or only on the
frame rails up over the rear wheels etc.  I once worked on a convertible
from Florida that was a "Guaranteed no rust car" which calved off a large
chunk of bondo from behind the rear wheel as I drove it up my driveway, and
upon inspection turned out to be just about ready to shed the whole last 3
feet of the car - the frame was rusted down to almost nothing left over the
rear axle kickup. You could grab the rear bumper and by lifting and pushing
down, you could see the gap between the trunk lid and the rear body panel
open and close from the frame flexing!

I bought a 1954 Packard out of Madison Wisconsin that looked really good in
pictures - original owner, low mileage (69K), no rust showing, original
paint, no body damage showing - no sign of any problems, until I loaded it
on my trailer to bring it home.  The front seat fell partly through the
floor onto the deck of my trailer.  By the time I got it home to California,
the frame had broken right in the middle of the car - I had to take it off
the trailer with my forklift.   I harvested the engine/trans and factory AC
unit, and took the rest to the crusher - nothing savable!

I have a friend who owns a wrecking yard in Missouri, and I've spent quite a
bit of time back there helping him sort and inventory what he has - most of
the cars in his yard are from the 80 and 90s now, and they are almost all in
there because of serious structural rust.  Wrecks are only maybe 10% of his
stock.  Most of the pickup trucks are broken in half just behind the cab.
The cars from the older years (he has stuff going back into the 30s) is
generally more sturdy, but even those are beyond anyone putting back on the
road again - ever!

So the bottom line is, don't buy a car based on what the seller says -
demand either a personal inspection, or get many, many detailed pictures of
every aspect of the car, including under the carpets, the chassis, and
especially the structural parts.  If a car is claimed to be a "southwestern
car", demand proof covering the car's whole life before you accept that
statement.

Dick Benjamin

-----Original Message-----
From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kenyon Wills
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 10:33 PM
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: IML: 1960 2 door for sale cheap!

The GREAT car that I bought from Iowa was so rotted
out that it made me cry.  Seller meant well and sold
against his wishes due to wife pressure, but the thing
was rotten 6 different ways.  Guy said it was GREAT
and that he was certain that it was a resto candidate
for certain.

I feel otherwise.

You can't fix what isn't there.  Stuff that's rotted
is effectively not there.  Caveat Emptor.  My 1960
Iowa car is now my parts car, with the swivel seat
frames and complete engine core being the highlights. 
I had to buy a shell locally (thanks Henry!) to get
away from the rot.

-K



--- HavADope@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Actually if you click on the picture you can see all
> the typical rust  spots. 
> The front of the hood, the bottom of the front
> fenders and the bottom of  the 
> doors. Most likely the rear fender wells. Take it
> from me- It's a  
> handfull....
> Been There-started to do it and changed my
> mind-ended up buy a good shell  
> from Kenyon. 
> Thanks Kenyon!!!:-)
> Marc
> 1960 4drht
>  
>  
>  
> 
> Beware of cars from Iowa, they salt the roads and
> the cars are  usually 
> pretty rusty!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>  
> Dennis 
> 68 Omaha Orange FB 360
> 67 Imperial Titanic 4 door  sedan
> 64 Dodge 880 land yacht w 413
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From:  _stephen dilley_
> (mailto:stephendilley@xxxxxxx)  
> To: _mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (mailto:mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)   
> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 11:41  AM
> Subject: RE: IML: 1960 2 door for sale  cheap!
> 
> 
> that is one very cheap 1960 !!! although interior is
> unknown  ? or if she 
> runs ok ?
> still a bargain car ... should be had quick before 
> a devil grabs it !
> 
> 
> best wishes, steve.
> 
> 
> 
>  
> ____________________________________
> From: _canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (mailto:canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxx) 
> To:  _mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> (mailto:mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) 
> Subject:  Re: IML: 1960 2 door for sale cheap!
> Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2006 09:11:50  -0500
> 
> I was looking for something else and came across a 
> 1960 Imperial 2 door for 
> sale in Iowa for $1995.00 !!...looks like a nice 
> base car!..If I had the 
> funds available ad the time I would definetely  look
> into this one, but 
> unfortunately my plate is very full right now and 
> my bank account is very empty! ;-) So 
> I figured I would mention it to the  group in case
> someone else is looking 
> for a good project, before some  crazy demoderby nut
> gets his hands on it and 
> destroys another good  restorable Imp..especially a
> rare 2 door!........the site 
> I found it on is  coyoteclassics.com , just scroll
> through the pages and 
> you'll see it, it's  a flat black one...
> 
> 
>  
> ____________________________________
> Be one of the first to try _Windows Live Mail._ 
>
(http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=5d21c51a-b161-4314-9b0e-49
11fb2b2e6d)
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 


Kenyon Wills
 
 






















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