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

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.

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

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

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.

Mafioso Style: 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood, $2250

This 1971 Cadillac Fleetwood, with 85,000 miles and lots of work completed, is a stereotypical Mafia car, but would be good for other things besides filming mob movies. Everything about this car states that it is a classic American luxury car, and would be a surefire attention-getter at car shows or a great daily driver car for those who can afford to keep up with this car's gluttonous appetite for petrol. Some work is still needed, but the car is gorgeous and seemingly usable as it sits now.

Find it here, in Spokane, Washington:

       http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1522967005.html                         

Classic Bus: 1940s Flxible, $1200

For all you bus enthusiasts and lovers of king-sized oddball vehicles, here's a great project. This 1944 Flxible (not a typo, the name was spelled this way so that the word "flexible" could be trademarked) interstate-style bus is said to be close to running condition, has a partially-completed or -remodeled motorhome conversion inside with all seats removed, has an overhead-valve straight eight engine with manual transmission and is priced at $1200. This bus will be quite a chore to move, and will certainly present problems with everything from finding parts to storing, but will be a great project for the right person.

Find it here, in Washington State:

                                           http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1512984417.html                                           

Vintage Truck Friday Night @ StreetShots

Tonight is our inaugural Vintage Truck Friday Night here at StreetShots, and we have some choice restorable classic haulers here for our first round of VTFN. 

Here is a 1947 Ford 2 1/2-ton C.O.E. (cab over engine) flatbed truck. It runs and drives, has a 1953 Mercury flathead V8 (the last and best-developed of the breed), has a working Eaton 2-speed rear axle, and has great potential as a project. More and more truck enthusiasts are turning to heavy-duty models such as this since the 1/2- and 3/4-ton pickups are becoming scarcer and more expensive. Unfortunately, these cabovers are also being street-rodded, and are unattractively cartoonish for the most part. A restored C.O.E. would attract a lot of attention at the car shows, and I see a nicely resto-modded 1956 Ford C.O.E. around Eugene during the summer months that could easily pass for a stocker. While I like this style of cabover, I'm holding out for a nice 1947-53 Chevrolet or GMC and more disposable income for my turn to restore a C.O.E.

Find this project, located in Republic, Washington and priced at a very reasonable $2,000, here:

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1527673968.html 

As far as old trucks go, most people prefer Chevrolets, Fords or Dodges, with others favoring GMC, Willys, International, Diamond T, Reo or Studebaker. But one will have to look long and hard for someone who knows about and likes Hudson trucks. This 1937 Hudson Terraplane, with its art-deco styling and striking curves, has no bed, rear fenders, headlight lenses or title, but all those issues can be rectified, some more easily than others. No mention is made of mechanical condition, but it's logical to expect that the engine and other mechanicals need a complete overhaul and restoration. An original-style bed might be hard to find for this truck, but a flatbed, stake-bed or wooden box bed would also look great. This project is priced at a reasonable $1500, is located in Colville, Washington, and can be found here:

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1505897283.html

I'm a sucker for a nicely and authentically restored Model A Ford, as well as for a nice vintage truck, be it a beater that's been thrashed around a farm or ranch since it was new or a perfectly restored museum piece. This 1929 Model AA Ford long-wheelbase flatbed is one of my favorite body styles on all As, and would be an excellent project. An extra engine is included, and the truck is purported to be solid and straight. The flatbed with "headache rack" may even be salvageable with new wood and a fresh coat of paint. The asking price of $1750 firm is more than reasonable, and the truck is located in Dayton, Washington. No word on whether the trailer is included, but odds are that the trailer isn't even for sale. This would be an excellent project for a father, grandfather, uncle or family friend to teach restoration and appreciation of classic cars to a child with, and Model As are both easy to work on and easy to find parts for, thus making them a great first antique car or truck project.

Find this truck here: 

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1539514789.html

Carport Find: 1986 Pontiac Fiero 2M6

Front view. This car appears to have either been wrecked at one time or pieced together from two or more Fieros.

(Found via Craigslist, I didn't think to ask to photograph the interior)

The cockpit. This car has clearly been disassembled, and like the rest of the car, has seen better days.

Rear view. This car was very dirty and had random items piled on it, and the owner was nice enough to remove the items so that I could take a nicer picture of his car. He also found something resembling a disassembled turkey baster, that he had apparently misplaced, under the junk piled on the Fiero's rear deck, and was happy to have found it. I'm glad he found it, especially while helping another petrolhead.

From the side. This is a very sad-looking car, and it is now something of a collector's item, as are all Fieros. The 2M6 is pretty rare in comparison to the SE and GT, which more people opted for over this V6-powered model and the 2M4, which was powered by a Chevette-based 4-cylinder engine. Most 2M4s and 2M6s have been scrapped, parted out or turned into replicas of high-dollar sports cars such as the Ferrari Testarossa, 308 and 355, Porsche Carrera GT and Lamborghini Diablo, Murcielago and Countach.

I happened upon this car whilst walking around my neighborhood taking pictures, and I recognized the car from this Craigslist ad, http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/1532053206.html. The owner of the car had just walked out of his house with his dog, which he was taking for a walk. I asked the owner if I could take pictures of the car for this website, and he said yes. He also cleared a sizable quantity of junk off of the car's rear deck so that I could take a better picture, and I remarked that he was one of the most inviting of all the people whose cars I've photographed.

This car will be going to the junkyard if the owner can't get rid of it by February, so if you want a Fiero to fix up (you will need an engine, transaxle and all cooling and fuel components, since they're no longer with the car), a donor for a kit-car project or  a parts car for other Fieros, act fast! It's only $400.