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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
  
Location: Finger Lakes NY | went and lookat this this wagon today had to make sure it was real!!lol
its rough but i think its worth it can anyone figure out why im so excited about this one?
Edited by fast59desoto 2008-08-19 5:44 PM
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 57wagon.JPG (260KB - 145 downloads)
57wagon2.JPG (203KB - 137 downloads)
57wagon3.JPG (254KB - 142 downloads)
57wagon4.JPG (232KB - 146 downloads)
57wagon5.JPG (262KB - 151 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 3575
 
Location: Netherlands | Cool wagon!
I don't think this one is 'over the hill' already.
But I think this one will require a lot of dedication to get fixed up again though. Are you up for it?
You'll get my utmost respect if you drag this baby home and get it running and driving again!
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | A D500 STATIONWAGON...and a 2-dr Suburban, to 'boot', in a nice color combination!!!!
Does it still have its engine in it? You must have looked, Jeff. Are its P/T plate and stainless steel door jamb VIN still present?
2-dr wagons are easier to restore (fewer parts, like, no third seat and no back doors) than are the other wagons,
and parts ARE available, altho the headliner material will be tough to find.
BTW, the front lower bumpers are from a Custom Royal or a Custom Sierra wagon; not correct for
the Coro/Sub models.
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 6:05 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | haha neil your the winner
couldnt get the doors open but i did find a gem under the hood
frame is toast im still dealing with the owner on this one but i am in the market for a rustfree or close to rust free 2dr wagon body and frame
Edited by fast59desoto 2008-08-19 6:15 PM
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57wagon6.JPG (140KB - 146 downloads)
57wagon7.JPG (253KB - 149 downloads)
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | That's the OEM motor, all right!
Looks like it's intact, too, with its steel fuel line, but no in-line fuel filter--no big deal.
Looks like manual brakes, slso no big deal, and, a cheaper resto-item, too. Looks like P/steering; good!
You'll need a parts car, for sure; but THIS is the basis for a rare automobile res-erection!
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | the odd thing is the plastic is still on the seats the headliner isnt too awful bad but i so cant wait for the price lol
anyone know of a more solid 2drwagon parts car?? its missing the distributor but the lights work! lol |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Jeff, it looks like the carb's brass tag still exits, too.
This car has a lot of the nice small-stuff, like, that intact fuel line, the radiator top tank drain-line, and the carb tag, and
the spark plug wire covers.
I don't see much/any pitting on that D500 emblem, either.
I dunno what the seller is asking for it, but he should be thrilled to get as much as $2k for it,
as-is, where-is.
Your engine compartment shot doesn't quite show the P/T plate location, but, looking at the pic,
the P/T plate should be in good condition. Try to get a pencil rubbing, or close up pic of it,
the next time you visit the car.
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 6:38 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | no all the potmetal was pretty nice it needs a good cleaning but it was decent any idea how many were made ? i think i can get it for less than that
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | Bitchin wagon!!
I've never seen any 2dr wagon with any "oem" performance package. Has to be incredibly rare.
And Jeff... there is no such thing as a rust-free 2dr wagon parts car.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | well theres gotta be one with less rust that this one lol
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | As a matter of fact.....there was a total 7,163 2-dr Suburbans made, in 1957, out of a total production of 287,578 (2.5%)
and none of them were exported.
About 6.3% of all 1957's were D500's, and very few of them were 2-dr wagons; I know of one other 57 2-dr wagon D500
(altho 'this' car might be 'that' other-car, because that other-car was/is reportedly in #5 condition , too).
This car may well have a very attractive blue, or green interior.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | do you know what state the other car was in?
heres a couple shots of inside
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57wagon8.JPG (265KB - 139 downloads)
57wagon9.JPG (135KB - 151 downloads)
57wagon10.JPG (209KB - 142 downloads)
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Eh, looks like it's got the fairly-common gold/black interior.
HEH; can't see if it's got a clock....the headliner (called "Endless Loop", for obvious reasons) looks GOOD, if dirty.
That's also the First Generation (of three) speedometer housing, that goes to 130 mph. In the Service Manual, in several
photos, you will see 'this' speedo, with the "130" actually printed-out on the speedo face, so, the "130" ALMOST
got put into production.
The BRAKE pedal also looks to be in remarkably good condition, for manual brakes.
Non-padded dash, with an all-black steering wheel, and T/Flite, of course.
And, yeah: that 'other' car was reportedly in (up-state?--is there any OTHER part of NY, but NYC, and "Up-State??)
NY, but, I'm thinking that that other-car might already have been crushed or dismantled.
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 7:03 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | so worth pickin up even with the extensive rust? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | If this car has the OEM engine, intact/complete, a P/T plate, a VIN, and all the un-obtanium stuff, like headliner and
quarter glass and trim--like the very-long quarter panel stainless 'spears', then:
YES!
..if the price is right, cause, yer gonna need a parts car (or, at least, be part Swedish!)
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 7:16 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | whats a p/t plate?
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | GOD, the antenna even looks to be intact, and STRAIGHT.
The P/T plate (Paint and Trim Data plate), on the upper passenger's side of the firewall
will declare and confirm the car's build and trim (and D500 status) information.
After you buy it, we'll discuss the B-Sheet(s) and IBM card copies.....
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 7:12 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | sweet thats what i thought
where was the other wagon located ?
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | I can PM you with what I know of/about that other car, but, the more that I think about it, the more convinced I am that it
is no longer among the un-dead, let-alone, the living!!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | sounds good to me
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Actually, the most difficult part/piece to find, for this car's restoration, will be the correct rubber floor mat-coverings.
This car was not available with carpeting, and nobody is re-popping correct floor mats.
Another difficult thing to find/get might be correct-looking Masonite panels for the back of the rear seat, and for the rear
area, and for the liftgate.
The inner areas, over the wheel-wells, had fluted sheet vinyl, which SMS should be able to provide.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | heres the rear floor neil
 (d500wagon floor.JPG)
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d500wagon floor.JPG (153KB - 141 downloads)
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | That car is in remarkably good condition , interior-wise.
That carpeting looks like 1956 material-----THEORETICALLY , it might be left-over material, as I see that the back seat
still wears its OEM "Silver Strata" upholstery!!!
But, it is supposed to have had (black) rubber floor coverings (underneath this carpeting?)
Looks like the interior had had plastic seat covers be put onto it.
And, I forgot to mention this, initially, but the car is apparently NOT of very-early production
(and that's a GOOD thing; quality-wise) because it wears the post-NOV Crowns across the
front of its eyebrow moldings, instead of the low, flush-fitting joint-connections----just
like the early PLY's had lower valance panels with the large-openings in it.
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 7:43 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 636
| Go for it. I don't think you need a "wagon" frame . . . aren't they all the same?
Sparky |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Jeff needs the entire body and roof, for a wagon.
The two large AZ w.y.'s Desert Valley & Hidden Valley have had several wagons, which were basically straight/complete
but without any trim.
Jeff's got all the trim; if he can score this car for-cheap, he should shop ALL the national yards, including Big M's, here,
and cut his best deal on a complete wagon body/chassis (which should include such niceties as a gas tank and tailgate).
Jeff will be THOUSANDS of dollars-ahead, by buying and shipping a complete bare-assembly to him, from some dry-yard,
somewhere.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | hey neil
that other is this one!!! i told him about it he does have a 2dr wagon but its about the same shape
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Complete wiring looms are also available, from Greg Leggatt, of Napanee, Ontario.
I wonder what condition the rear axle and leaf springs are 'in' ??? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | So, are there TWO D500 wagons, or only this one, and another non-D ? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | it looks ok ahead of it the kickup was rotted out not sure on the leaf springs but i have a set of 57desoto firesweep ones from texas
other ones a non d i emailed u the link
Edited by fast59desoto 2008-08-19 8:16 PM
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Getting way-ahead of ourselves, here, but, for anyone else who has a car with painted upper door trim: what I did
was have those moldings be POWDER-COATED; probably the smartest thing I ever did, without anyone else's advice!
Those parts/pieces get a lot of wear and tear; powder coating (a new technology, in the early 80's) is bullet-proof
(literally).
Another trick I developed was to take very small sheetmetal screws to hold Gary Goers' cats-whisker window weatherstrips
to those moldings; the factory, somehow, used a STAPLER-gun to attach those moldings---try doing THAT, nowadays.
Two alternatives are to pop-rivet the weatherstrips (requiring drilling them out, to remove) or to maxi-glue them to the
moldings. I prefer the ease-of-installation-and-removal of the small screws, to the rivets or gluing procedures.
AND, if you keep your car long enough, like, for over 10 years, the cats-whisker weatherstrips will wear out
and/or get tired, so that they will need to be replaced, or, maybe, you just need to get the subject body
panel repainted, for some reason; you will have to replace those weatherstrips, at some time.
ANOTHER thing, to powder-coat, nowadays, is the OEM non-painted front suspension components.
Presently, there is a bare-metal shade, of powder-coat; WISH that that color was available in
the 80's !!!
Sandblasting and clear-paint-coating doesn't work too well, on suspension pieces.
Bare frames, and axle housings,too, get powder-coated, today.
The other protocol, to a maintenance free undercarriage, is to install aluminized exhaust pipes;
they ain't pretty-boys, like stainless steel pipes are, but aluminized pipes DO look like OEM steel
and they don't ever rust, and they are relatively easy to work with, and any good local muff-shop
can install them for you.
Edited by d500neil 2008-08-19 8:37 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 708
Location: Fredrikstad, Norway. (Europe) | Eh.... just wondered if there is any usable parts on that '60 Dodge (Dart ?) 4 door sedan sitting beside it ?
Einar. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | pm sent |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 461
Location: Brooklyn NY | That WAS a nice car, and would be a very ambitious resto project. If you can do it, more power to ya!! It's a shame the owner left it out to go to rust. Make sure you get a tetanus shot before work begins ;} ...............Ralph from Brooklyn |
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Veteran
Posts: 221
Location: Perry, OK | Very Cool! If you find a source for headliner material let me know. It looks similar to whats in the 60 2 door I am working on. I haven't been able to find that stuff anywhere!!!! |
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Location: Parts Unknown | MoparBrew - 2008-09-01 6:05 AM
That WAS a nice car, and would be a very ambitious resto project. If you can do it, more power to ya!! It's a shame the owner left it out to go to rust. Make sure you get a tetanus shot before work begins ;} ...............Ralph from Brooklyn
***************************
What could be more motivating than a really weird options combo car like a D-500 wagon ? And in turquoise !
Our D-500 wagon never got left in the woods, but it did live an outdoor life in the very wet Pacific Northwest and spent 10 years in the backyard of the original owner's home before his son rescued the car. I will have plenty of welding and fab work in the floor and lower body, even though it was never let go as bad as this poor D-500 "compost bin". Still, keep a good photo log of the car as it comes together and it makes the rebirth all that more remarkable. As I see it, once a person guts the car and starts the cutting-welding process, whether it is small holes in the floors or large, if the floors gotta go, what difference does the hole sizes make ? This car is very saveable, even if a better body could be found elsewhere and the entire car rebodied. I would snap this baby up without a second's thought.
The D-500 option was rather inexpensive to add to any Dodge. Dodge stands in the unique position of offering the full monty go-fast goodies on any and all cars they made. This makes them uniquely interesting when you come across one of these oddball crosses. It really speaks volumes about a very special buyer and/or need - which to me delivers a very interesting message about the thinking of some people in the 50's. I bought our car from the original owner's son. He was home on leave from the Army when his Mother asked him to drive her to Deadwood to pick up their new, special ordered car. When they got there, an unknowing salesman had sold their car to another person and it was gone ! When the smoke cleared, a very upset buyer demanded an exact replacement, and PRONTO !
Mom wanted a 56 Dodge wagon. Mom wanted the magenta and cream paint. Dad got his two-cents in by checking the D-500 box and ponying up the additional $110 !
Maybe Dad felt a little henpecked in the whole process, but by-golly, he was gonna get a Hemi and all the rest of the package and get those crossed flags fore and aft !
I wonder what the story was behind this 57 ?  |
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Expert
Posts: 1480
Location: Australia | hey, im trying to find the rubber floor coverings for the front floors of my '61 sub... the back floor rubber is in good order, just need it for the front... but cant find it anywhere, so if anyone does find some please let me know... cheers adriana |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Are you looking for a one-piece front floor mat or 2 seperate floor mats, Adriana?
There's a member here ("CustomRoyal"?) that's reproducing 2 piece Forward Look rubber mats if that's what you need.....
Edited by 1955Coronado 2008-09-01 12:54 AM
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Adriana, on the evilpay auctions that I have seen, where they talk about having correct rubber floor mats, I believe
that those mats are after-market items, without the OEM designs(if you will)/imprints on them.
I would suggest that you consider buying one or more of them, just to be able to get them installed in your car,
while keeping an ever vigilant eye 'out' for someone who may be selling the OEM stuff.
Interestingly, out in the desert SoWest, we will have all kinds of rust-free sheetmetal, but NO soft-items. The Eastern areas
being wet and humid, will have 'no' decent sheetmetal, but can have decent rubber items.
The problem with back east is, the nice trunk mats, and floor mats, etc, got discarded along with the crappy sheetmetal;
no one thought about saving and preserving those items.
You can see examples of some (vintage 1957) floor mats and their distinct design-patterns, over on the Fender Tag Decoding board, under the thread 1957 Dodge Decoding (or, something like-that).
I don't know what ca.-1961 OEM rubber floor mats looked like.
Edited by d500neil 2008-09-02 8:50 PM
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Todd: try contacting the large western recycling yards, like Hidden Valley, Desert Valley, Moores, Fremans and who-else;
I know that I've seen decent 1957 Dodge masonite headliner in several stationwagons at H.V. & D.V.
I know you've got a '60, but call-around; you might be able to scrounge-up enough material to create a decent headliner;
That's what we had to do, to find OEM upholstery (swatches/remnants) , before SMS & OAI were founded.
Piece-by-piece treasure hunting.
Edited by d500neil 2008-09-02 8:55 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | has anyone seen a decent body for this? still negotiating a price but still looking for parts as well
jeff
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Whatever you do Jeff, don't let this one go - the parts will come eventually. Don't give up just because everything isn't ready made and available on the spot..... |
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Location: Parts Unknown | fast59desoto - 2008-09-03 7:04 PM
has anyone seen a decent body for this? still negotiating a price but still looking for parts as well
jeff
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This 57 is a lot like our 56. Looks to be mostly all there and all the critical parts are present. I have located a dozen better bodies since we have had this car and anticipate either coming onto a real nice, solid hulk out here in the desert or just doing rust repair as needed, depending on which comes easiest. The key here is that I am in no hurry and that the "critical mass" has been saved and simply awaits the stars and moon to align for work to begin - translated: the DeSoto comes first. This will allow time to assemble all the right stuff and do it right. In the mean time, I plan to drop the tank and do some pinhole repairs and just get it running nice for grocery runs and other "teaser" sortees into the wild blue yonder. While this 57 may not be easily made into a rough runner, the approach of securing the car as a critical mass and THEN patiently putting the package together before starting the restoration would at least get the car in safe harbor and you could then ascertain what parts and work need to be done at your leisure. This is a whoopin' rare car, and ultra-cool too. I would snap it up and park it in a dark corner and THEN go looking for a donor hulk. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9709
Location: So. Cal | I would be very surprised if you can get it that cheap. Here on the west coast, that motor alone will run you around $2.5K. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Jeff, have you telephoned (toll-free numbers) any of the big western parts-yards to check on cost and availabilities
of their wagons?
Except for the front clip, they're the same body structure, so you might end up using a PLY body.
Be sure to inquire about the status of the available headliner material, too.
You probably could take a 4-dr wagon, weld-in its rear outer door panels, as necessary, and then weld-in your car's
unique side glass structures into the quarter panels, because finding a primo 2-dr wagon might be difficult.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY |
im still going to get this but will probably sell it ive found another 59 desoto project car and im out of room so this one will go ill offer it to fwdlkrs before i put it on epay
anyone interested pm or email me with an offer
jeff
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Any news?
Have you snagged this grocery getting hemi D-500 yet, Jeff? |
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Expert
Posts: 1480
Location: Australia | ummm, 1955 coronado, im not sure what i need.... i will have a captain cook and see what the story is... i just know there aint no coverings left in the front [they disinegrated] but there is in the back, so dont know if theres a join somewhere under the front seat or whether it was a one piece.... actually i re-read your comment and i think we have our wires crossed, i need the rubber floor covering [not mats to go on top of carpet]... am i making any sense???? adriana |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Ah - gotcha, Adriana. My mistake.
If I were you though, I'd do away with the rubber altogether and throw carpet & insulation in there - rubber floor covering is pure hell for catching moisture & rusting your floors to swiss cheese. |
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Expert
Posts: 1480
Location: Australia | i like the rubber floor coverings  adriana |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
Location: Finger Lakes NY | well a freind of mine is buying this as a mulitwinter project
heres a pic of it up off the ground for first time since 66 get some better pics in a bit
 (wagon up 2.jpg)
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wagon up 2.jpg (33KB - 114 downloads)
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what do you think guys should i get it !?!
