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Expert 5K+
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Location: Perth Australia | Just spotted this on ebay
looks nice. I guess the reserve would be at $20000.00 because he says he wants a $2000.00 Deposit.
My guess is based on over here a 10% deposit is the norm
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chrysler-Saratoga-2-dr-Walt-Disney-H...
Mick |
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Location: The Mile High City | Ah, the Holes Saratoga is back! This is a really neat car. I like the clean side trim matched with the spring special trunk trim - it is very attractive.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 475
Location: Las Vegas, NV | Awesome looking car. It's been on ebay several times. At one point when I was still looking for my FL car I considered bidding on it. Something made me think it wasn't such a good idea though. I think somebody had asked the seller a question about the car and I didn't like the answer or something like that. I really don't remember what the issue was exactly, but it made me steer clear. If the reserve is 20,000 I wouldn't have won it anyway. |
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Posts: 239
Location: Stanga, Gotland Sweden | Neat car, and nice model. I´m a little suspicious when I see a poor paintjob, see the dooropenings for example. overspray on weatherstrips and windlace. Make me wonder how rest of the paint looks.
I saw it for sale on another site for $19995 so that´s probebly what it takes to reach the reserve
//Roger |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 475
Location: Las Vegas, NV | I've been wondering about this ever since I started using ebay. What is the theory behind choosing to sell using a reserve? Why do people sell that way instead of just making their minimum acceptable amount the starting bid? |
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Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | spider89119 - 2011-01-19 10:45 PM
I've been wondering about this ever since I started using ebay. What is the theory behind choosing to sell using a reserve? Why do people sell that way instead of just making their minimum acceptable amount the starting bid?
I guess they do that to see what "the market" is willing to pay for their item.
For instance, if your reserve is set at 25k$ and the highest bid at the end of the auction is 23k$, you might settle and offer the car at that price, because you realize by the market's reaction that your reserve was too optimistic. But if you put the starting bid at 25k$, the guy who was willing to spend 23k$ just might never bid (not knowing what the reserve is, and you might lose a sale.
There might be other reasons (ebay fees or else?), but I always thought that was the main reason for the "reserve" auctions. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7207
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | This would be a good driver as is, and is a worthy candidate for a restoration at a fairly reasonable cost, due to the virtually rust free body. The interesting history also has to be worth something, since Sigorney Weaver drove it in the movie.
Edited by imopar380 2011-01-19 11:26 PM
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Location: Parts Unknown | I'd like to put my wife in this car. I think she'd look real good going down the
road in this one. 
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | Well, I bought this one....the reserve was less than $20K though not by tons. It fit what I wanted very closely and I figured it might be years before another one surfaced.
As for the door jambs being oversprayed...well, that's just how things were done back then. The paint is over 20 years old, apparently.
Here's my question....one poster mentioned the Spring Special trim - what does that mean besides the trunk bars? I actually don't like them but I'd like to know more about what the 'SS ' means.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378
Location: hampton mn | GregCon - 2011-02-10 10:51 PM
Well, I bought this one....the reserve was less than $20K though not by tons. It fit what I wanted very closely and I figured it might be years before another one surfaced.
As for the door jambs being oversprayed...well, that's just how things were done back then. The paint is over 20 years old, apparently.
Here's my question....one poster mentioned the Spring Special trim - what does that mean besides the trunk bars? I actually don't like them but I'd like to know more about what the 'SS ' means.
I think you got a great buy on this car. You could not restore one to this condition for close. Nice car. |
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Expert
Posts: 1530
Location: ZH, Switzerland | It's a Spring Special for sure. The mouldings on the trunk lid are part of the Spring Special package I guess. Look at Christians black 1958 Chrysler New Yorker he posted in the member rides section: the same mouldings on the trunk lid of his black beauty.
I don't think the painter did a good job. The door perimeter weatherstrips are colored as well. The owner safed the money to replace it.
About the engine: It looks like a Spitfire. Is this the original engine? And is the P/S pump at another location than attached to the generator?
Happy bidding!
Dieter |
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Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | Congratulations on your purchase! That is certainly a really cool car with a great story to boot.
I love the simple moulding treatment on the side and the all white colour: it really makes the pure lines of this car stand out! A real beauty! |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7207
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | I've seen the movie with my kids several times - and always wondered about this car - now I know |
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Location: The Mile High City | Congratulations, GregCon - what a great car. My (limited) understanding of the Spring Special package on the Chryslers was that they had the horizontal bars on the trunk, rocker mouldings, and some new exterior paint options. 1958 was such a lousy sales year that the Chrysler Corporation issued mid-year spruce-em-up trim packages for most of the fleet.Chrysler's Spring Special was the most subdued, De Soto a bit more, Dodge a bunch. Plymouth had its own car (Silver Special).
If Chrysler and De Soto were anything like Dodge, the factory could put the trim on or the dealer could. On Dodge, at least, the result was a very confusing miss-mash of trim, at least when the dealers installed it. I think the factory put everything on - the dealers used discretion!
As far as the history of your car goes - I think it was even more interesting before the movie! The first time I saw it, there was a story about the original owner: a hotel doorman in Los Angeles? That car is a rare beauty!
Edited by Lancer Mike 2011-02-11 3:20 PM
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Expert
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Location: Houston | Thanks everyone. The car is still in LA awaiting transport, so I don't have my paws on it yet. Yes, it is the original 354 Spitfire which in 4 barrel form was a one year only engine, and I believe only in the Saratoga.
To my tastes, the trim on this car is just about right. I am not wild about the bars on the trunk but I can live with them. Otherwise I really like the level of trim. I also like the original AutoPilot. I am a big highway driver and I can hardly stand to go 150 miles with my foot on the gas pedal anymore!
I've wanted a 57-58 ever since I was a teenager and saw the famous Clif Inman 57. I don't plan to chop mine but I think I'll enjoy it just the same.
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Location: The Mile High City | I think the trim on this one really makes the car! Most of 'em came with that "color sweep" - for lack of a better term - with the extra stainless piece that came up through the little rear fender emblem. Those are not quite as clean as this. Also, the horizontal bars on the back give it just the right dash of pizzaz. The color is perfect for the trim set. Lots of curb appeal on this one! 
The rocker mouldings? I could take 'em or leave 'em.
Edited by Lancer Mike 2011-02-11 9:26 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | Another dilemma I will face soon is what to do about the wheels and tires. It will need new rubber, but I hate to buy 14" tires. But if I go to 15's, the hubcaps no longer fit.
I could buy some wire wheels but I loathe cleaning wheels and wire wheels look like they would not be simple to clean.
Also, are dual rear view mirrors common on these vehicles?
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1107
Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area) | On the 14 inch tires, check out Sermey's "Make-Up for the Car's piece in the Body glass trim interior trim part of the Forum, He used 15" trim rings and mated his 14 hub caps to them for a neat look that allowed him to use 15 inch wheels and tires.
I will find the link for you in a min... here it is: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=23691&... it is on page 2 of the 3 page postings.
Hope this helps you out...
Edited by 1959 Belvedere Conv 2011-02-11 10:42 PM
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Location: The Mile High City | GregCon - 2011-02-11 8:05 PM
Also, are dual rear view mirrors common on these vehicles?
The dual post dual mirrors are quite common on the Imperials, Chryslers, and De Sotos - probably standard. |
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Expert
Posts: 1530
Location: ZH, Switzerland | At my Chrysli are the same dual post rear mirrors mounted. Only on the LH side. In my thread I put a question about these mirrors the get out when they were common. I got the answer from MOPAR-TO-YA how to find it at eBay. These mirrors were available from the early to the mid 60ies. What I do not know is if they were standard or an factory option or dealer mounted as in the mid 50ies. In the 50ies the outside mirrors were in the accessory catalog - as far as I got out.
Big congratulation to your good buy. I like your car.
Happy Motoring all the time!
Dieter |
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Las Vegas, NV | GregCon - 2011-02-11 7:05 PM
Another dilemma I will face soon is what to do about the wheels and tires. It will need new rubber, but I hate to buy 14" tires. But if I go to 15's, the hubcaps no longer fit.
I could buy some wire wheels but I loathe cleaning wheels and wire wheels look like they would not be simple to clean.
Also, are dual rear view mirrors common on these vehicles?
I love those hubcaps. I think they look a lot cooler than wire wheels. If it were me, I would look for some 14" tires that have a large diameter. |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Kingston Springs , TN | GregCon - 2011-02-11 3:35 PM
Thanks everyone. The car is still in LA awaiting transport, so I don't have my paws on it yet. Yes, it is the original 354 Spitfire which in 4 barrel form was a one year only engine, and I believe only in the Saratoga.
Great buy Greg! BTW 57 Saratogas also came with the 4 barrel 354; (my Saratoga has it's original 4 barrel Spitfire). The 57 Windsor came with the 2 barrel 354.
Mike
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Expert
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Location: Houston | Thanks Mike, and every one else.
I just read on wikipedia that the 354-4 was 310HP in '58 so I assumed it was only that year. But wikipedia has been wrong before!
The Spitfire was an overhead valve V8 engine built by Chrysler from 1955 to 1958. It was a simpler, lighter, and less expensive "polyspheric" engine based on the hemispherical FirePower V8. It replaced Chrysler's flathead inline six in the division's lower-priced cars.
These new engines used the existing Chrysler hemi blocks and crankshaft parts, but completely different heads, pushrods, intake and exhaust manifolds, pistons, etc. with only a single rocker shaft in each head. They were called polyspheric or “poly” motors (meaning “more than one sphere”), since the combustion chambers were now partially shaped like two separate shallow concave domes: the intake and exhaust valve seats and surrounding reliefs.
In the Chrysler literature, the poly engines were also called single rocker shaft (“SRS”), while the hemi engines were called dual rocker shaft (“DRS”).
Polyspheric variants of the Chrysler 331 and 354 hemi motors were developed, as well as a new 301" motor with an even smaller bore at 3.625" and the same stroke as the others at 3.625". Introduced for 1955 in the low-priced Chrysler Saratoga and Windsor models and continuing through 1958, they were called “Spitfire” motors in the Chrysler literature. The 1958 Saratoga 354 4 bbl. (“58S”) was the most powerful at 310 hp.
All Chrysler Spitfire engines were low deck; no poly version of the 1957-58 raised deck 392 hemi engine was produced. |
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Expert
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Location: Plymouth Spaceport | GregCon - 2011-02-11 10:05 PM
Another dilemma I will face soon is what to do about the wheels and tires. It will need new rubber, but I hate to buy 14" tires. But if I go to 15's, the hubcaps no longer fit.
I could buy some wire wheels but I loathe cleaning wheels and wire wheels look like they would not be simple to clean.
Also, are dual rear view mirrors common on these vehicles?
Just curious,but why do you hate 14" tires?
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Expert
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Location: Houston | Well...after the usual fun and games of dealing with transport, the Chrysler arrived today. After a fast washing, here are my initial comments:
1) Trim not as nice as I had hoped....though several pieces which looked to be heavily scratched with some sort of abrasive pad turned out to just have an old layer of wax on them. Pretty nice underneath.
2) The previous owner apparently had no access to Windex or any any other sort of cleaner. The seats were just filthy. I'll bet they hadn't been cleaned since Sigourney Weaver's bottom had been on them.
3) The car had been neglected for some time and will need all the usual maintenance items.
4) Ancient Firestone G-78 bias ply's gotta go before I drive it anywhere.
5) Good candidate for restoration someday but will look decent for a while still.
6) 10 on the sex appeal scale. This car sits low and long. At 7:20AM this morning during the 20 minutes it took to unload the car next to a Home Depot, two guys drove by, did a double take, and took time to cruise by for a long look. Next to my Ford F-250, the top of the roof is level with the top of the truck bed.
This car is the classic case of a good vehicle getting owned by the worst kind of owner - the type who is not a Mopar guy but likes all old cars 'because they're cool', and does absolutely nothing to it other than keeping it running enough to drive.
I'm also considering cutting the roof off it since it has the appalling 2 door roofline and replacing it with a 4 door roof (see thread in Member's Rides).
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Member
Posts: 24
| GregCon - 2011-02-20 9:22 PM
Well...after the usual fun and games of dealing with transport, the Chrysler arrived today. After a fast washing, here are my initial comments:
1) Trim not as nice as I had hoped....though several pieces which looked to be heavily scratched with some sort of abrasive pad turned out to just have an old layer of wax on them. Pretty nice underneath.
2) The previous owner apparently had no access to Windex or any any other sort of cleaner. The seats were just filthy. I'll bet they hadn't been cleaned since Sigourney Weaver's bottom had been on them.
3) The car had been neglected for some time and will need all the usual maintenance items.
4) Ancient Firestone G-78 bias ply's gotta go before I drive it anywhere.
5) Good candidate for restoration someday but will look decent for a while still.
6) 10 on the sex appeal scale. This car sits low and long. At 7:20AM this morning during the 20 minutes it took to unload the car next to a Home Depot, two guys drove by, did a double take, and took time to cruise by for a long look. Next to my Ford F-250, the top of the roof is level with the top of the truck bed.
This car is the classic case of a good vehicle getting owned by the worst kind of owner - the type who is not a Mopar guy but likes all old cars 'because they're cool', and does absolutely nothing to it other than keeping it running enough to drive.
I'm also considering cutting the roof off it since it has the appalling 2 door roofline and replacing it with a 4 door roof (see thread in Member's Rides).
Please tell me you are kidding about the roof.........
Edited by dhunter93 2011-02-20 11:49 PM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7207
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | Greg, you have a dream set of garages there. envy! What state do you live in? |
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | Yeah, I 'm just kidding about the roof.
Thanks Ian, I live near Houston. I saved for over decade, keeping my cars and stuff scattered all around, until I could build the garage. I just wish I had made it larger!
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 769
Location: Oley, PA | Nice car! I've been watching that one for a while. I'm glad that one of "us" got it. It's a beauty! I'm sure you'll give it the treatment that it deserves.
Personally, I think the 14" wheels and tires look "right" on these cars, but that's just my opinion. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7207
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | Greg P. - 2011-02-21 9:33 AM
Nice car! I've been watching that one for a while. I'm glad that one of "us" got it. It's a beauty! I'm sure you'll give it the treatment that it deserves.
Personally, I think the 14" wheels and tires look "right" on these cars, but that's just my opinion.
The 14" wheels look good if you can get a decent size set of tires on them - the originals could have been 850 or 900 X 14, which is about the same diameter as a P235-75R15 radial in 15", which I have on my own car. No one makes a 14" radial in that size other than COKER .... not sure about bias. The biggest standard 14" tires manufacturers produce now are way too small ( P205 or 215-75R14) |
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1958 Chrysler 2 Dr. HT.
