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Charles Kee collection auction Brothers, OR Jump to page : 1 2 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
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jboymechanic |
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Expert Posts: 2202 Location: Muskego, WI | May 8th and 9th, a large collection of cars in Eastern Oregon are being auctioned. There are many Mopars including several forward looks. Some of the vehicles are mis-labeld, but I did see some nice FL vehicles. See the link to the auction details and a link to the google maps satellite view of the property. http://murphyauction.com/Auction/Details/578 https://www.google.com/maps?t=h&ll=43.822332,-120.606344&spn=0.00938... | ||
vedette |
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Expert Posts: 3070 Location: Scotland | It's a shame but in modern day America most of these cars are only considered suitable for Demo Derbying. | ||
mikes2nd |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 5033 | eh sorry I agree with most... 61-62 thru 66-67 were some of the ugliest chrysler cars... then they had 3-4 good years and went right back to fugly for a decade or two... | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | While '61/2s were very controversial cars, many if not most Mopar fans consider '65-66 to be some of the best and cleanest styled models they ever had. And a lot of folks here love the 61-62s for their uniqueness. The 63-4s were pretty good looking cars also, and in very high demand for B bodies. Edited by firedome 2014-04-10 10:36 AM | ||
ronbo97 |
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Expert Posts: 4071 Location: Connecticut | Getting back on topic, it'll be interesting to see what the late 50s stuff goes for. 59 Dodge 2drHT, 57 Plymouth Belvedere with wing tips. I hope they publish the auction results. Ron | ||
NWFinFan |
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Regular Posts: 90 Location: Banks, Oregon | The rumor going around here in Oregon is that a while back before Mr. Kee died, a group of Swedish guys came in with a boatload of money and bought most of the 'choice' cars. (300 letter cars, converts, desirable two door hardtops etc...) Anyone on here able to confirm that? That being said, I'm still planning on going because I have weird tastes in cars. I like the off stuff like the four door sedan FL cars, plucked chicken Chryslers and C bodies. Heck, the four hour drive will be worth it just to watch the show, and see all those neat cars in one place! | ||
58wedge |
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Veteran Posts: 133 | Yes that rumor is true ,,i`m one of the guity guys ,,spent a lot of time w chuck, and the glaceing of the cake is picked ,some he wanted to keep ,then another day he sold it anyway, and if he didn`t like you,, he sold you nothing,, so you had to play w his ruels ,he told me once he sold around 100cars to Sweden ,dont know if that`s correct?.. there is still alot there i hope it wont be cruched,..Arne | ||
The Chrysler Kid |
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Expert Posts: 1384 Location: Ocala, Florida | That belvedere 4 door hardtop with the bumper wings has gotta be a good buy.. | ||
Mope R. Geezer |
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Expert Posts: 2105 Location: Idaho - where men are men and spuds are spuds | My brother (carjock) and I went there about fifteen years ago. Seems like he bought about a half dozen cars from Chuck. It was an interesting trip into the netherlands of Oregon. If memory serves me correctly, Chuck had a section of land there. It was filled with literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of cars of all makes and models. He had them laid out in separate areas, i.e., Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. Some of the nicer stuff was put in a couple of large barns. But the interesting thing - if you were passing by on nearby roads, the cars were not visible, because they were positioned down in gullys. | ||
finnedandthefuryous |
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Veteran Posts: 184 Location: Cape Cod, Ma | Any of you guys who have been out there recently have any idea on the general condition of the Forwardlook cars rust wise? They look pretty clean from the top/pictures I see currently on the website, didn't know if their appearance was deceiving. Wondering if these were typical field cars that are mostly rotted underneath from sitting on ground. Thanks | ||
Mope R. Geezer |
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Expert Posts: 2105 Location: Idaho - where men are men and spuds are spuds | Seems like Chuck boasted about the soil content there being high in pumice or volcanic ash which inhibited rust - - - - and there were no rattlers! It's in the high desert area of NE Oregon. | ||
finnedandthefuryous |
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Veteran Posts: 184 Location: Cape Cod, Ma | Interesting. Thanks for the info, I wish I could make it out there and take a look at these cars myself but its unfortunately just not possible. | ||
Windsor59 |
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Expert Posts: 2596 Location: Upplands Väsby, Sweden | I think I recognize the large barn in the background. For about 10-13 years ago it was a big story in the Swedish car magazine Power Magazine from this place. Orogon highlands. There was some Swedish guys who were there and bought lots of forward look cars. If I'm not mistaken it was the Busk and Friberg with buddies who were there. The guy who owned all the cars had collected for many years to make a museum but was refused by the municipality. I could be wrong on these cars place. Edited by Windsor59 2014-04-14 1:19 PM | ||
rogerh |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 455 Location: seattle, Wa. | I never heard the museum idea...I think he just wanted the cars. Chuck was a different sort of guy...I would guess he had dementia/Alzheimers...he was a paranoid guy, and I give kudos to the Swedish army that got him to sell a bunch of the best of the cars to them. I visited his collection and was given the third degree, even though I told him I was coming to have a look/buy. The cars as I saw them were all with windows and doors closed, many with cardboard propped on the dashboards to slow sun damage. Brothers, OR gets some snow, but mostly it's dry and barren. The one structure I recall could have housed a blimp, it was so big. This is where he kept the "good stuff". | ||
bad58fury |
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Veteran Posts: 101 Location: Oregon | As far as the museum idea is concerned, I can confirm this was his intention. I first met Chuck in 1984. He purchased a 57 Belvedere 4 dr (It may the yellow one with red stripe, but I always thought mine was a 4HT) and a 1958 Chrysler Saratoga from me. Over the years I talked to Chuck about getting the yellow one back, last time about 10 years ago. I never made it over even though it is only three hours from me. In my conversations through the years Chuck mentioned several times about the Swedish group that kept coming over and buying cars. They cleaned out the desirable performance cars and most of the 2HT late fifties cars. My guess is whats left has been looked over, but there is still a lot of good iron out there. A few 440s and 383s that have not been run in decades and so on. One good thing is this desert area is kind to these cars and they do last a lot longer outside than closer to the Oregon Coast. My aunt and uncle are big car enthusiasts and live just down the road (in country measurement) from his place. They knew him well, but he did get pretty sick beginning seven or eight years ago. It is a passing of an interesting era. I always thought if he would have sold half of his cars twenty years ago he could have built the museum he always talked about. On the other hand, I know he loved roaming the country and searching these old cars out and bringing them home. Like I said, interesting life story. | ||
rogerh |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 455 Location: seattle, Wa. | Thanks for that post. Interesting insight. Definitely the end of an era. Now that Fremans is gone, I am unaware of any other grand collections of Mopars this far west. There is a small, private collection near Rochester, WA, and Wildcat, the salvage yard in Sandy, OR. | ||
rogerh |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 455 Location: seattle, Wa. | Thanks for that post. Interesting insight. Definitely the end of an era. Now that Fremans is gone, I am unaware of any other grand collections of Mopars this far west. There is a small, private collection near Rochester, WA, and Wildcat, the salvage yard in Sandy, OR. | ||
rogerh |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 455 Location: seattle, Wa. | Thanks for that post. Interesting insight. Definitely the end of an era. Now that Fremans is gone, I am unaware of any other grand collections of Mopars this far west. There is just a small, private collection near Rochester, WA. (not selling, Afaik) , and Wildcat, the salvage yard in Sandy, OR. Edited by rogerh 2014-05-01 10:09 PM | ||
mopar56 |
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Regular Posts: 75 Location: Sarpsborg, Norway | I am one of them that visited Chuck several times and bought cars from him in mid-2000. believe me, it was a challenge to deal with him. Paranoia and Alzheimer are not a good combination, but he was a very kind man with a good heart. To bad the Alzheimer changed his behavior. I stayed with him up to a week at the time when visiting on the ranch in Brothers, and I wish I had known him earlier before he got sick. I think he preferred to sell to us because we never low-balled him or where dickering on his pricing. We simply asked about a price and got an answer. if it where to high or seemed unreasonable we just continued to another car. The last number I heard was that more than 90 cars went to Scandinavia. Many of them are now restored to show condition, and a lot of them just needed minor work before they could be enjoyed again. A friend and I inventoried the whole collection and had pictures of almost all the cars. Everything where put on two CD's and where distributed among mopar friends here in Scandinavia. I can confirm the plans with a museum. This is also why some of his cars where priced to high. He had bought a bad convertible or a 2dht. and then maybe two good 4d sedans as parts cars. Then he would only sell all three in a package deal with a quit high price tag. He also had huge amounts of spare parts, but where very reluctant to sell much of it. All the restored or really good cars where stored by his house in Redmond at that time. Even Brothers see some snow in the winter it's extremely dry. We woke up one morning with two inches of snow on the ground, by noon all snow where gone and the ground where not even moist. On some of the cars the sun have burned away all paint down to bare metal. It's still shiny steel with no signs of surface rust. The only rust you will find are if there is a rubber mat that traps the moisture, the rest is all good. Some of the good cars that he had stored inside his barn where actually more damaged from storage since the dirt floor where damp inside the building. Chuck took great pride in all of his cars (about 440 Mopars with a few other brands in between) He kept all the tires aired up, and if a tire dry rotted he went to town and got a used one that kept air. All cars where kept closed up and motors sealed. The good cars had card board or aluminum foil inside the windows to keep the sun away. It would have been fun to followed him to the Portland swap meet when he bought all the good Mopars he could find. He wore out a Ford F-350 and a tandem car trailer just to haul his cars. The new car trailer he had so reinforced with extra braces and heavy gauge steel deck I think it was overloaded even before you put a car on it. It was just like walking on a ship deck RIP Chuck, you will be missed among your Scandinavian friends! Stig Molteberg | ||
Windsor59 |
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Expert Posts: 2596 Location: Upplands Väsby, Sweden | Nice story Stig, abouth "visited Chuck..." I heard from Arne Nilsson, he was there allso. Hope you can show us some pics when the fl collection was complite? I wish i was there before you.... | ||
ronbo97 |
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Expert Posts: 4071 Location: Connecticut | Nice story, Stig. It would be great to see some of the photos you have on CD. Perhaps you could upload them to Flickr or Picasa ? Ron | ||
Adventurer 60 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 827 Location: tailFinland | Windsor59 - 2014-04-14 1:17 PM I think I recognize the large barn in the background. For about 10-13 years ago it was a big story in the Swedish car magazine Power Magazine from this place. Orogon highlands. There was some Swedish guys who were there and bought lots of forward look cars. If I'm not mistaken it was the Busk and Friberg with buddies who were there. The guy who owned all the cars had collected for many years to make a museum but was refused by the municipality. I could be wrong on these cars place. Thats what i heard too from the friend of mine who is in 300F's. He said that they bought 3-4 F's and a G from the one place. Later on I read an article from Power magazine. I think these guys are members of this forum. If they like to tell a story???? | ||
58wedge |
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Veteran Posts: 133 | I think stig nail it pretty much, first time we towed out cars w a chain and motorhome and we have pictures ,think stig is better w that , me and bengt made Swedish pancaces for chuck ,and then he wanted the truckstopp up on the road to make them like we did ,he sure was a caractar,hard to deal with at the end,, will he rip ...Arne | ||
mopar56 |
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Regular Posts: 75 Location: Sarpsborg, Norway | Ha, ha That poor RV got a real work out on that trip Arne Going off road at Chucks place acting like a tow truck. If anybody wonder how many 235/75-15 that will fit in the shower of an RV, the correct answer is 9. But those FL we pulled out where not Chucks where they? Wasn't those bought from his friend in WA? If I remember correctly you where the first of us to buy a car from him, the 55 Chrysler Windsor Convertible right? Driving around with 5 guys and three bumpers tied to the back of the RV and all compartments filled up with parts from two 56 Imperials we parted out along the way. Pretty crazy trip As I recall there where never a letter car when we got there. I know a well respected salvage yard operator have a D he got from Chuck, There where so many people coming to buy at that time. One guy bought anything with a 2x4 barrel carbs on it. I think he where from WA. I have the CD's here somewhere and will try to upload some. I had a computer crash and the pictures from our first trip to Chuck are lost there. Do you have copies Arne? | ||
58wedge |
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Veteran Posts: 133 | Stig ,Just paper-copys from that first trip.you remember we had a dolly behind the RV w alot of junk on also.Arne | ||
mopar56 |
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Regular Posts: 75 Location: Sarpsborg, Norway | Not junk Arne, we only buy treasures | ||
58wedge |
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Veteran Posts: 133 | true so true | ||
xdmn |
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Location: Oakdale, CA | Anyone have any info on what happened with this auction? Results? | ||
d500dodge59 |
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Veteran Posts: 245 | 59 dodge coup and 59 desoto 4dht went to sweden | ||
big m |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 7810 Location: Williams California | I went there for the sale, bought a 4-door HT '57 Belvedere, also '57 Chrysler sedan. Prices on most cars were reasonable, but not great bargains. The weather was terrible, about 45 degrees and rain all day, so the sale was held inside the barn with pictures of the lots projected on a large screen for bidding. ---John | ||
mstrug |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 6519 Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | PM sent John! | ||
Chrys 68 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 673 Location: Malung, SWEDEN | Here are some pictures from the auction. I have heard that it was a bit boring attitude among some Americans who did not like the cars purchased by the Swedes. (O) (O) | ||
mikes2nd |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 5033 | I live 15 minutes from summit racing... car show/cruise area is crazy... I think people are like "those europeans stealing US made cars!"... I am like well then pay up or sell out But it does remove from the pool of cars you could possibly own in the future! Think of the kids! If all those cars go off to europe/aus our kids wont have the opportunity to buy them? Honestly its supply and demand... if you want them, start bidding. Its a world market nowdays... I see supply gone nowdays... which means prices are going to escalate... Edited by mikes2nd 2014-05-12 1:46 PM | ||
mopar56 |
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Regular Posts: 75 Location: Sarpsborg, Norway | Looking at the 59 Dodge I think this is the car that Chuck wanted to keep for his family. But he had so many different plans for each car so hard to keep track. I remember we went to his house in Redmond to look at a 66 Coronet Convertible he kept there. A good looking car that where almost ready for the road. This was a car he wanted to sell off. When we got there and untarped the car and looked it over and decided this was a OK car to buy he suddenly discovered a rusthole in the rocker on the car next to the Coronet. He was so upset about that so he couldn't sell the Coronet. He needed that car to drive while he got the other fixed. I think there where at least 20 cars in nice drivable condition at the house he could used instead... But this is how he was the last years. He changed his mind over and over again. And to be honest I never saw him in another car than his Ford Truck. Good to see the cars and parts are saved from the crusher. That is the most important, not what country the buyer are coming from. | ||
Chrys 68 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 673 Location: Malung, SWEDEN | It does not remove from the pool of cars you could possibly own in the future! No problem if someone wants to buy back cars, it's exactly the same distance back to the U.S. again! Suspect the excess of collector cars is big in a few years. | ||
NWFinFan |
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Regular Posts: 90 Location: Banks, Oregon | big m - 2014-05-13 9:21 AM I went there for the sale, bought a 4-door HT '57 Belvedere, also '57 Chrysler sedan. Prices on most cars were reasonable, but not great bargains. The weather was terrible, about 45 degrees and rain all day, so the sale was held inside the barn with pictures of the lots projected on a large screen for bidding. ---John Ah dang....you beat me out for the 57 Chrysler! LOL I ended up saving the 56 Windsor that has a 55 front clip on it from getting crushed....so I figure I did my part. Now I just got to get it home! By the way, I wish I would have known you were there, I would have said hi. | ||
rogerh |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 455 Location: seattle, Wa. | Big M, did all the cars sell, or has the crusher been called? Edited by rogerh 2014-05-12 9:20 PM | ||
NWFinFan |
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Regular Posts: 90 Location: Banks, Oregon | I'm not big m, but I know of at least one salvage company that was there. The owner of that company said they would be rolling the portable crusher in today. | ||
Darryl T |
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Extreme Veteran Posts: 433 Location: McCleary WA | rogerh - 2014-05-01 7:07 PM There is a small, private collection near Rochester, WA, I'm less than 20 miles from Rochester WA - can you identify who/where this collection might be? I know of a guy in that area with several buildings full of cars like Bantams, but no FL. | ||
VAN HELSING |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 982 Location: Upper Hunter NSW Australia | mikes2nd - 2014-05-13 5:45 AM Think of the kids! If all those cars go off to europe/aus our kids wont have the opportunity to buy them? .............. Better to see them head off to Europe/Aus and SAVED/PARTED rather than in the hands of the post auction crusher there hovering like vultures hunting for scraps............ .............. | ||
Mike McCandless |
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Expert Posts: 1886 | People get upset over outsiders buying the cars because it has driven the costs of these cars to crazy levels. Anyone selling a forwardlook loves outside buyers. Anyone who will never restore a forwardlook loves outside buyers because they get to see great restorations done. Anyone that has a desire to own one, doesn't like outside buyers. It's simple business dynamics. | ||
Chrys 68 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 673 Location: Malung, SWEDEN | Disagree Mike. What drives the price up is the high restoration costs and that the interesting models are made in such small series. Hemmings notes that the cars in this auction went for bargain basement prices. Where were all American Mopar enthusiasts? http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/05/13/unrestored-high-deser... | ||
mikes2nd |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 5033 | there werent many coupes and mostly C bodies... The bones had been picked... by those d@mn foriegners! JK! | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | It's the stock of really good solid unrestored FL cars that's rapidly getting very thin for those without the big bucks to do a complete restoration. Restoration costs are out of sight, and the reaction to that by '50s car fans limited by finances, an increasingly large cohort that will only keep growing in this country for a very long time to come, is the recent trend to get cars mechanically right and back on the road as drivers, without the costs of doing perfect cosmetics. For many there is no alternative, and cars with good enough bodies to do that are getting very hard to find. The '59 Dodge coupe and '59 DeS 4 dr Sportsman would be excellent examples of the kind of cars to do that with. Edited by firedome 2014-05-13 11:07 AM | ||
big m |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 7810 Location: Williams California | rogerh - 2014-05-12 6:13 PM Big M, did all the cars sell, or has the crusher been called? There was a bidder from a salvage company there, that was bidding on all the cars that received only minimal bids. There was a lot of just plain junk on the back 40 as well, so no great loss there. ---John | ||
big m |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 7810 Location: Williams California | NWFinFan - 2014-05-12 4:27 PM big m - 2014-05-13 9:21 AM I went there for the sale, bought a 4-door HT '57 Belvedere, also '57 Chrysler sedan. Prices on most cars were reasonable, but not great bargains. The weather was terrible, about 45 degrees and rain all day, so the sale was held inside the barn with pictures of the lots projected on a large screen for bidding. ---John Ah dang....you beat me out for the 57 Chrysler! LOL I ended up saving the 56 Windsor that has a 55 front clip on it from getting crushed....so I figure I did my part. Now I just got to get it home! By the way, I wish I would have known you were there, I would have said hi. Yes, it would have been nice to meet you as well. I was the tall guy with the long grey beard in the older model Dodge dually 1-ton. Glad you saved the Windsor! ---John | ||
58wedge |
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Veteran Posts: 133 | The cars can be seen again, come over in summer to a big car-show in Sweden ,you will meet cars and people and for sure get new friends ,if that to much you can look in your own country summer of 2013 there were around 80 + american classic cars shipped over from Sweden,Norway,Denmark Driving Lincoln highway Started from ..N-Y ,``DRIVING ``, 50+ old cars over to L-A.. Next Year they are planing for route 66 ,open to apply for the cruise for everyone, ,so the cars are far avaw from disapered for you Yankees, , and if you like some of them ,do like you tell us .Make me an offer i cant refuse ..Arne (and then you get a serious restored car as a bonus) wonder if i get slapped for this?? | ||
Chrys 68 |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 673 Location: Malung, SWEDEN | Probably, you will be punished ... | ||
Windsor59 |
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Expert Posts: 2596 Location: Upplands Väsby, Sweden | One view from above posts. I myself have seen many fine and serious Forward Look renovations on the final years of the United States. As has been shown here on the forum. Like here in Sweden are better and worse renovations. Edited by Windsor59 2014-05-15 9:54 AM | ||
firedome |
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Expert Posts: 3155 Location: NY & VT | Restoration here in the US can be as good as anywhere in the world. Go see the cars at Al Prueitt in Glen Rock PA, they win awards at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island on a regular basis on cars like Duesenbergs and Pierce Arrows, but they will work on any kind of car to any extent desired. They had a Corvair last time I was there. Some pics of 300F and '59 Buick they did under "photos" at: http://www.alprueittandsons.com/ There are quite a large number of firms here capable of that quality of work... for a price. The issue is the $40,000+ or more it takes to properly restore a #3 or #4 car, 90% of car nuts can't afford it, nor can they afford an already well restored car, so the alternative is to find an affordable solid car to start with and just drive it with the 'patina" intact, and bring it back slowly over time as budget permits. Once that #3 car has been bought and completely restored it is unaffordable to most at that point, wherever it may be. Edited by firedome 2014-05-15 11:01 AM | ||
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