Bill,
You don't go into much detail on the condition of the 4 door '59, but it
seems to me you are on the horns of two many dilemmas as it is to
satisfactorily acquire the 'new' 59, either for parts or storage. Also,
giving up the Nissan, which is probably still very reliable, does not make
sense, as, strangley, it now may begin to gain value, particularly if it is
in god shape. I am stunned at how much I am getting for my old 85 VW
Cabiolet. Who knew it was an investment?
It may be that what you really need is a good rental unit to store and work
on your cars. Your neighbours, eveidently, agree. That way your existing
'59 will be inside from the elements and you can work on it undisturbed.
No, it is not as handy as your own back yard, but your own space seems to be
disputed territory.
Old car economics is not sustainable from an audit perspective. It is
almost invariably a losing proposition. I do not know how much the swivel
seat is going to set you back or the logistics involved in installing it.
Your best bet may be to get a professional upholsterer to install it for
you, assuming the replacement will neeed to be recovered to match your car.
These are the folks who are entirely familiar with the removal and
installtion of seats, by the nature of their trade. My own told me they
foresee no problems with the benchs in my '58 and strenuously advised me
against doing the work myself. It would cost MORE to reinstall it if they
did not perform the removal in the first place.
Very few people have the capacity to have a show car and a go car at the
same time. Acquiing the 'new' 59 is not going to propel your existing
project much further. You will have double the storage headache. You may
be interested to know there is a 1959 coupe in a scrap yard in San Antonio.
The yard owners claim to be selling it on consignment for its true owners
ans also state it is complete, with many of the major chrome pieces being in
safe storage. They say they cannot negotiate on the price which was $4,000
for the whole thing when last I saw it, which was several years ago. There
are some picture of it on my site. The windows are open and the car was in
such a delapidated state then, I knew the situation was ridiculous. As
their were so few parts in common with my 58 4 door hardtop, any further
conversation was pointless. They may be more open to sense now.
HUGH
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