11th Oct 2021, 17:36
I saw a 63 Chevrolet Wagon 409 4 speed for sale at Hershey Fall Nationals. This past weekend.
12th Oct 2021, 00:39
Like you, I'm always more impressed seeing the rare models at car shows. Living in the deep south of the US there's plenty of year round shows and events with a little bit of everything.
Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes do nothing for me as you see them all the time. I walk right by them.
See me checking out a Biscayne, Grand Prix, Riviera, Gran Torino and Cougar. Even Cadillac up to the mid 80s.
12th Oct 2021, 20:25
And I'm sure the commenter who complimented the review is pleased to know that.
13th Oct 2021, 15:14
I'm in the same boat. I own a four door 1955 Mercury Monterey. Whenever I go to a car show it's the same cars over and over. But it's RARE that I ever see one of my cars there.
As far as ease of maintenance, I've had mine for 20 years. It's been surprisingly reliable, but if something goes wrong I can fix it in maybe an hour. And even though it's 60 years old, Ford - like GM - used the same drivetrains forever and so I can easily walk into a parts store and get what I need and usually for dirt-cheap. As in the water pump I replaced a number of years ago was $18.
13th Oct 2021, 20:27
It’s certainly worth looking if it’s a 2 door convertible 4 speed with console. Even with a 283 or 327. Even 2 door SS coupe 4 speeds. I sold the ones I had for 3-4 times what I invested. Had a great deal of fun the years I had literally “free cars” even covered the car insurance. I will take those cars any day of the week. I own 1-2 classics at a time today. But... nice ride but poor handling. They are not sports cars even with the dual quad 409. Straight boulevard cruising.
19th Oct 2021, 15:41
Why poo-poo someone else's ride just because its not a 2 door? I feel there is such a lack of originality when it comes to the classic car community: EVERYONE wants a 2 door 57 Belair, a Camero or Mustang or some other 2 door version of mostly the same models. I quit going to car shows because I can only see so many 57 Belairs before it's boring. Four door cars are about the only real affordable option anymore. The 2 door version of my Mercury would cost me $25-$30,000. But the four door version? Less than $5,000 all day long. And at the end of the day it gets just as many, if not MORE thumbs-up from people just because in reality it's less common to see one of these. If the OP likes and enjoys his car then that's all that matters. Besides - this kind of car in Germany is super rare and would turn heads regardless.
19th Oct 2021, 17:56
You don’t, but many others in the car hobby do not agree. Buying a 4 door just for enjoyment great. My first car I bought and sold was a $140 71 Capri. No one wanted it, but I saw a sunroof there. Sold it for $400. Over time kept some longer, some sold and stepped up. With small children I couldn’t justify buying a 30k dream car, but kept a separate savings account for cars. Not job income for bills. I am in car clubs. I asked guys this question. Typically you hear “Do you think I just ran out and bought a 80k car?“. It took others and time. There are collector brokerage companies that will sell and ship. My one friend sold a late 40s 4 door sedan to Holland. They took their fee and he got the money wired. Not trying to brag, but my collector cars came from this. I still have not touched my retirement. Lot of us started with small investments and stepped up. Still all the fun as a 4 door. Knowing you can step out entirely and always sell. It is great when you see a $3500 car go to $10k with time. I remember that thrill well. Then the 10k goes to 35k. Still keeping that car hobby saving account only. Winter etc comes along you can buy. Sell Spring through early Fall in areas where seasons are. It can be like buying homes; an appreciating asset. I go in my garage and love looking at the “free” cars as much as you do looking at your 4 door likely free too.
19th Oct 2021, 19:42
Probably because the person who praises 2 doors are in it for the money instead of the enjoyment. Most classics that I like such as Grand Prix, Riviera and Monte Carlo only came in 2 door coupe. But yet, I have a soft spot for luxury land yachts from the 70s including Cadillac and Lincoln. Also you may be selling yourself short on what your Mercury could be worth. For example a near mint 76 Cadillac Fleetwood pillared 4 hard top (like in the movie Hoffa) is going to sell for more than $5k.
23rd Oct 2021, 21:49
No I am not in it for money. But… why not love and enjoy while seeing cars appreciate? Sure some do not care about numbers matching, finding the same car again but with more factory options. My cars are all factory air conditioned. If you are wise you can move up. I’ve also never asked a wife to help pay for a car. She picks her own. It’s never been a selfish thing. Taking career income for a expensive limited usage hobby hasn’t happened. Keep a separate account for your car hobby. Don’t hide it but keep it separate.
12th Nov 2021, 17:30
Here's a quick update from the '64 Bel Air owner: Rustholes on the body have been welded shut; the front and rear brakes have been renewed and now work like a charm; the differential case no longer leaks; the new radiator has been installed; a new water pump has been installed after a bit of fiddling because it didn't fit properly at first.
The focus is now on sealing the engine and the transmission. All necessary gaskets are on hand so there shouldn't be any major problems.
In the meantime, I've deciphered the cowl tag. My Bel Air - or at least all the parts that it is composed of - were produced on January 17th, 1964, at GM's Tarrytown, NY plant before being shipped to Antwerp as a CKD kit.
According to the tag, the car was originally a two-tone job with a white roof and a beige body. GM's export models like mine, however, were painted in locally available colors, which in case of continental Europe meant Opel colors.
One of the previous owners had the car repainted in light blue; the roof is still white. I know it's not the original combo, but it looks pretty good plus I've always been a sucker for blue so I'll keep it, at least for the time being. A white/blue two-tone job was available in '64 both in the US and Europe even though the blue color matches Chevy's light blue truck color rather than the car colors of that year. I'm not sure what color blue was offered by Opel in '64.
I've had the steel wheels repainted in the same blue to match the lower body, which looks great in combination with the vintage '64 Chevy dog dish hubcaps I found on Ebay. The full wheel covers I bought the car with are from a '73 Malibu. Nice-looking but out of place. Too 1970s. I'll sell them.
The interior was originally in a color GM called "Fawn", some kind of beige. It is now black, which is also non-original but I'll keep that, too. Beige or fawn or whatever you want to call it is such a boring color, in my opinion.
There is one problem I see on the horizon: The previous owner who swapped the Rochester single-barrel for a Holley carb doctored the original throttle linkage to fit the new unit. That means I'll either have to bring the linkage back to its original condition or find an OEM replacement, which doesn't seem easy to come by as my preliminary research shows. We'll see.
Needless to say, I firmly stand by my decision to buy this plain four-door sedan even though V8-engined two-doors are considered more desirable. I agree with one of the previous commenters who said that he doesn't go to car shows any longer because he can see only so many '57 Bel Airs et al. While I wish every classic car owner a lot of happiness with his/her ride of choice, I do think that the lineups at car shows these days have gotten a bit monotonous.
Let's save the four-doors because like the man said: Variety is the spice of life.
9th Oct 2021, 16:15
You're quite right about Plain Jane models like my Bel Air that would have been discarded after extensive parts salvage just a few years ago. I'm awfully glad this didn't happen to mine because I like the cheaper trim lines like Biscayne or Bel Air (Custom or Custom 500 if you're a Ford lover) for two reasons:
- They sport less chrome, which is usually beneficial to the car's looks; chrome is an optical distraction, IMHO.
- Their rarity today - in spite of their ubiquitousness back in the day - makes them more appealing to me. You get to see quite a few Impalas/SSs at car shows and maybe an occasional Biscayne two-door with a 409 and four-speed manual (genuine or not), but cars like my Bel Air are always conspicuously absent.
By the way, my Chevy has no power steering/brakes/windows and seat - lots of things that can't break down.
As for the Six, it's a feast to work on. Everything is so easily accessible, which cuts downtime for service and repairs. Small wonder taxicab companies and even some law enforcement agencies preferred them over V8s. I'll find out later what fuel economy is like, the main reason for choosing a Six in those days.