Taking a break

Hello readers, we are taking a temporary break from publishing new material here.

But don't worry, we will be back, with great pictures and car ads!


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Crimson and Clover: 1947 Ford Truck Restoration Project, $2500

After an accidental one-week absence, Vintage Truck Friday Night has returned. Today, we have a 1947 Ford truck with a color scheme reminding the author of a popular oldies song.

This 1947 Ford pickup project's mixture of red, green and red-oxide primer paint colors got that good old song Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells going in my head, so that title became the heading of this post.

The truck is in better than average condition for a well-used 63-year-old truck, and appears complete with the exception of the gearshift knob, original bumpers and taillights, the tailgate and passenger's-side inside door handle, all of which are readily available in reproduction form. Oddly, all four hubcaps are still present despite the shift knob and inside door handle being gone, considering that they could easily have been stolen or destroyed in its long existence. There appears to be little rust, although Bond-O and riveted sheetmetal patch panels may be issues here. The styling of these trucks is very nice, and this appears to be an easy project. The flathead V8 is still present, but no word on whether it runs. The transmission is said to be a 5-speed, but is probably a 3-speed or a 4-speed and erroneously called a 5-speed due to that configuration's ubiquity in sporting and economy cars today and/or the owner not knowing the gear configuration. One thing's for sure about the transmission, it's definitely a manual. The period-correct aftermarket turn signals add safety while keeping the truck's appearance close to how it might have looked when new. The price of $2500, the simple nature of early V8 (1932-48) Ford engineering, and the large variety of reproduction parts make this an attractive proposition for restoration, especially for a novice or someone looking for a straightforward project.

Find this project here in Chewelah, Washington:

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1559350874.html

French Exotic Duet: Two 1979 Matra-Simca Bagheeras

To all you fans of obscure European sports cars, here's something to get your heart racing, particularly if French cars are more to your taste than German, Italian, Swedish or British ones. In Madison, Wisconsin, someone is selling two 1979 Matra-Simca Bagheeras, which are unusual in many ways, such as having three-abreast seating, being named for the panther in Rudyard Kipling's classic novel The Jungle Book, and being rare grey-market imports as opposed to the slightly more common full Euro-spec Bagheeras imported on an individual basis by enthusiasts. (However, I must say that no Bagheera is 'common', anywhere.) 

While the second car is not pictured, the blue one featured here is said to have very little rust in the monocoque-style steel understructure (the body panels are made of polyester plastic and thus don't rust), has a very good interior and a clear Wisconsin title. Molds for the special US-spec bumpers are included, along with 8 finished units. However, it is not said how many are front or rear. The black car is said to have nearly enough parts to complete the blue car, or could be brought back to life by a dedicated enthusiast, but there are no carburetors or intake manifolds for either car.

The seller also includes free technical and parts assistance from a North American Matra Registry member and Bagheera owner, and makes mentions of an "M550 factory code" and the importer Geo. (George?) Goodrich of Santa Clara, California, neither of which I could find any information on via a Google search. If any readers know about the "M550 code" and/or Mr. Goodrich, please leave a comment. 

Find these cars here:

http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/1550141932.html

More Street Shots: From Decomposing Hippie Busses to a Fiat 1100

1940s Reo school bus, converted to motorhome. This bus appears to have been there for many years, and is slowly returning to the earth.

Close-up of Reo bus' front end. Notice that the bonnet has fallen off and the engine has been overtaken by blackberry vines.

Late 60s Chevrolet school bus, also returning to the earth. This bus has evidently been sitting in the same spot since the early 90s, and a pole thicket has grown up around it.

Front of Chevrolet school bus. For the record, I did not trespass onto the property, I just used my camera's zoom lens to take a closer look at the bus.

1961 Volvo 122S Amazon, front view. The originality of this vehicle is impressive, and it would be very well worth restoring.

Volvo Amazon 122S, side view. Notice the PV544-style hubcaps, which are original.

Inside of Volvo Amazon. Restoration is definitely in order, but everything looks good. Notice that the radio opening has not been cut out to install a modern sound system.

Rear view of Volvo Amazon.

Circa-1959 Fiat 1100. This was once a very nice-looking little car, but has suffered gross neglect and even a gunshot to the windshield.

Not a Gordini: 1964 Renault R8 Project Car, $1200

I admire the honesty of this car's seller in stating that it is not a Gordini, hence the title of this post.  This 1964 Renault R8, while somewhat dinged up and disheveled, appears to be a good restoration project, has good glass and appears very complete and original with the exception of the steering wheel and roof rack. I like the styling of this car and the subsequent R10 better than the Dauphine which preceded them, but not as much as I like the quirky and overtly French appearance of the 4CV. The seller states that s/he will only sell to a Renault enthusiast, which will hopefully rule out the scrap-metal dealers, parts pullers, car hoarders and 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar racers. 

Another especially appealing (or unattractive, depending on one's point of view) feature of the Renault R8 is how the designers of the instrument panel made it bear an uncanny resemblance to the front of a bookcase stereo receiver dating to the Reagan administration when it is actually the speedometer and gauges of a car built when DeGaulle was president of France and the car was imported to the US and sold new during the Johnson administration, well before rectangular black plastic stereo equipment reached ubiquity. 

The asking price of $1200 is quite reasonable considering that one can find the less desirable Dauphine in similar or worse condition than this car for more money on eBay more often than one can find any kind of R8 there at any price.

 Find this car here, in Corvallis, Oregon: 

http://corvallis.craigslist.org/cto/1551477306.html

Rare Vintage RV: 1959 Bigfoot Motorhome on 1959 Ford F250, $2,500

Although this site is technically not an RV website, I sometimes find it hard to resist posting something unusual, such as the 1960 Bedford Dormobile or 1944 Flxible bus that I posted previously. 

This 1959 Bigfoot Class-C motorhome (then known as a chassis-mount camper), based on a Ford F250 cab and chassis, needs tires, brakes and paint but runs well, and appears to have all of its original appliances and fixtures, with what I can see of the interior in excellent condition. This motorhome has a 292 V8 and 4-speed manual transmission, and is available in Dayton, Oregon for $2,500 or trade for a 1958-59 Ford or Edsel car. 

Vintage RVs are an increasingly popular collector item, and are getting harder to find, especially with the interior as good as in this one and as original as this is. 

Find this motorhome here:

http://eugene.craigslist.org/rvs/1520475749.html

One-Off Sports-Racer Project: Triumph TR2-based "Gibbens Special", $2500

While nothing is said regarding this car's history or provenance, or even what kind of supercharger the engine has, this one-off open sports-racer, based on a Triumph TR2 chassis and mechanicals is an intriguing project. So intriguing, that I felt compelled to post all four pictures of the car. The styling is a pleasant mix of Lotus Super Seven, 1932 Ford and MGTD, and the body appears to be in good condition. However, nothing is said about condition of the body, mechanicals or chassis, and there would be a long list of things needed to return this to the road or racetrack, but at the price of $2500 for what may be a genuine 1950s or 60s special race car or would at least be a great change of pace from a stock Triumph or a Lotus Super Seven-style sports-racer, this seems like a great deal.

Find the car here, in "G Valley" (Grass Valley?), California:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/1546463378.html

Unusual Project: Heavily Modified 1976 Lotus Esprit Chassis with McLaren M6GT Replica Body, $10,200

This 1976 Lotus Esprit chassis was converted to take a McLaren M6GT kit car body made by Marauder (although the pictures seem to say Manta Montage more than Marauder to me), and has had many suspension, brake, chassis and engine upgrades performed by professionals. Quite a bit of work still needs to be performed, but this could be a very nice car and much better than the other M6GT replicas out there, many of which are Volkswagen-based and can't back up their appearance with the kind of performance suggested by the body.

Find a detailed photo gallery of the car here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31392838@N04/sets/72157608499289035

And for the link to the car for sale, here it is. Find this Lotus/McLaren in Carnation, Washington here:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/ctd/1544954015.html

British Stovebolt: Chevrolet "Stovebolt Six"-engined 1954 Bentley, $14,500

This 1954 Bentley R-Type sedan is different from most others in its engine/transmission type. Instead of the Rolls-Royce/Bentley inline six and modified, General Motors-licensed Hydra-Matic transmission  or 4-speed manual gearbox that came with these when new, there is a 1950s-era Chevrolet "stovebolt" six-cylinder engine and Powerglide two-speed automatic. Not what you'd expect when you lift the bonnet on this!

As far as condition goes, what I can see of the interior looks good for a 56-year-old car but could use a good cleaning, the body is said to have very little rust, but no mentions of dents, Earl Scheib-type paint jobs or Bond-O are made. The engine was said by the previous owner to be "tired", and s/he also stated that the transmission leaked fluid. The engine conversion was done "years and years ago" (the seller's words, not mine) in California, and it was used as a wedding limousine at one time. The car is right-hand-drive and appears to be quite original apart from the engine and transmission, and the seller mentions a good-quality Bentley engine and transmission somewhere in Ohio that is not included with the car and must be purchased separately. If restoring this car to original condition is desired, transmission linkage and mounts for the engine and transmission will need to be sourced, and those parts are mostly located in the UK.

Find this project here, in Skagit County, Washington:

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/cto/1548474478.html

Pint-Size Utility Vehicle: 1958 Crofton Bug, $3500

  The Crofton Bug was the final series-production version of the moderately successful Crosley car and truck lineup, which was originated in 1939 by radio, TV and appliance magnate Powel Crosley, Jr. The Crosley range started with two-cylinder light cars and a couple of delivery wagons with similar styling, underpinnings and mechanicals, that managed to pull off the daunting task of being both cute and ugly at the same time. 

After World War II ended, Crosley introduced an all-new line of light cars, this time with more conventional styling, a four-cylinder overhead-cam engine and a cute quarter-ton pickup truck available with two styles of cargo bed. Unfortunately, the postwar Crosley range was beleaguered by competitors from the UK and Continental Europe, such as the Austin A40, Fiat Topolino, British Ford Anglia and Prefect, and of course, the Volkswagen Beetle, all of which were more practical and (comparatively) better equipped, not to mention more reliable thanks to the fact that none of them had an engine block made of welded sheet metal that developed unrepairable pinholes within a very short time.

Even with the addition of a conventional cast-iron engine block and crankcase and a sports car available with or without doors to take on the sports-car market leader of the day, the MGTD, the Crosley was seen as little more than an oddity to most people, who went on to buy either conventional American cars or the European small sedans and sports cars that were highly popular in the days before people bought Hyundais, Kias, Scions and Daewoos as low-priced new cars. Crosley's last new product before bowing out of the car business was the 1950 Farm-O-Road, which was essentially a miniature Jeep with the Crosley iron-block engine and a full line of accessories suited to everything from the duties of farmers, ranchers and golf-course greenskeepers to tops, rear seats and side curtains intended to turn the Farm-O-Road into something similar to a car.

This Crofton Bug is essentially a Crosley Farm-O-Road in every way but its name and dealer network, is complete except for stock wheels and belly pan, and is very restorable. Crofton Bugs were produced from the mid-1950s to early-1960s, and are quite sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. Even with the 1990s-era wheels and ugly maroon paint, this Crofton makes the junkyard-like area in which the pictures were taken look better by de-emphasizing the Plymouth Acclaim and Ford Escort wagon rusting in the background.

Find it here, in Salem, Oregon:

http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/1515441379.html 

West Eugene Street Sweep: Everything from a Pierce-Arrow to a Volkswagen Beetle

VW Bus high-top camper. Note the extremely rare original "sport" hubcaps.

1964-65? Ford Falcon and Ranchero. Both are in very rough condition.

Falcon and Ranchero, again. Notice extensive body damage on Ranchero.

 Very well-preserved Ford Pinto, likely a 1970 or '71 model judging from license-plate letter combination, hubcaps and slim bumpers.

Front view of above Pinto. You don't often see any kind of Pinto, especially not one in this good of condition.

1967 Dodge Dart. Very nicely restored.

1935 Pierce-Arrow. Never in my life would I have thought I'd find one of these in this state of neglect, on a gravel street, 75 years after it was made. The car next to it is a 1939 Buick touring sedan with added-on portholes.

Circa-1952 Cadillac sedan and 1966 Buick Riviera in the same carport as the Pierce-Arrow and 1939 Buick.

1935 Pierce-Arrow, viewed from the front. This must have been someone's pride and joy that they poured many hours and dollars into restoring, only to let it deteriorate in an exposed carport.

Look closely at this picture, and you will see a 1970s Jaguar XJ6-C inside the carport.

Derelict 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle Sun Bug edition.

1972 or '73 Fiat 124 Spider. The elderly owner of this car was gracious enough to let me into his carport, take pictures and even sit behind the wheel.

Fiat 124 Spider interior. You can see that some restoration is needed, but it's not to the point of needing to be gutted and completely redone. A good cleaning, new seat covers and new carpet would do this car a lot of good. The dashboard and console are in unusually good condition and are very original.

Front of Fiat 124 Spider. The grille badge is not correct (where there would be a circular red badge with "FIAT" written in the center and a gold laurel wreath encircling it, there is instead a badge from the vinyl top of a mid-70s Mercury Cougar.

Very nice Ford Mustang II hot rod.

 Equally nice Colonnade-body Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

Early 1980s Toyota Celica coupe, in nicer condition than most others.

Dodge Route-Van camper conversion, circa 1955, and Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport, circa 1978.

1959 Chevrolet El Camino, in need of restoration.

Morris Minor 1000, circa 1959. This would be an excellent project car.

Ford Galaxie 500 coupe, late 1960s vintage.

Datsun 620 pickup, converted to utility trailer. Normally, just the bed is used to make a trailer, but here we have most of the cab as well.

Oldsmobile Cutlass hot rod, circa 1969.