Although I have located numerous parts I need for my project, I've found that dealing with people online can be a challenge. It seems that some sellers on eBay set arbitrary restrictions on where they will ship, based on some qualifiers which exist solely in their own minds, as opposed to anything resembling reality.
That said, and before I taint anyone's views on the merits of eBay, I will say that my initial purchase, the P1800 itself, was quite a good experience, and did indeed happen on eBay. I'd have to say that the greatest find out of that experience was not the car itself, but the dedication the seller put in to ensuring the car was going to a good home, would receive proper care, and that I knew what I was getting in to. He practiced full disclosure of all issues the car might have, gave me tips for maintenance, sources for parts and supplies, and provided all documentation for the upgrades he put in to it. Furthermore, he communicated frequently, and helped me work with the shipping company and work through the issues in transferring title of the car.
Thanks Rich!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Grille and sun visor clips
After being convinced by a mechanic that my rust issues were nowhere near as bad as I thought, and that it would be easier to let them take care of it for me, I relented and agreed to wait until I put the car in the shop. So tonight I took care of two minor issues that have been bugging me.
First, the sun visor clips that hold the visors against the ceiling were missing and broken. $20 on ebay gave me a brand new set of reproduction parts. That was a simple screw in job, since the original screws were still there.
First, the sun visor clips that hold the visors against the ceiling were missing and broken. $20 on ebay gave me a brand new set of reproduction parts. That was a simple screw in job, since the original screws were still there.
Next came the fun part--the grille. Now, my previous pictures did not show the grille very well, and it was in deplorable condition. To illustrate, here's what it looked like before:
Sadly, my new grille did not just slip right in. It took about an hour of slow and careful grinding with a rotary grinder, but I removed the parts of the clips that caused the interference, and it slipped right on.
This one still is not perfect, and at some point I'll likely take it off, sand blast it, and paint it. But for now...it's an improvement.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Quick Update
I've contacted a number of restoration shops, inquiring as to the possibility of having the entire car stripped down, media blasted, and repainted. That sort of work is not something I have the equipment or the ability to do myself, so I feel no shame in farming out the work to someone else. Only the work that I'm asking for is apparently better left to non-restoration shops... With quotes approaching $70,000, I was nearing despair...that is, until a repair shop I'd lived near for many years suddenly popped in to my mind.
After describing what I wanted done, they estimated they could get it done (and more) for less than ten thousand. They've asked me to bring the car in this week so they can give me a more accurate estimate, and so they can undoubtedly pitch some ideas at me which would double the cost. I'm thinking Friday.
The only other thing I've done so far is sealed the paint cracks using a paint stick, and replaced the missing and broken sun visor brackets. I've also begun stripping some of the upholstery so as to make painting easier. On Wednesday I'll probably go ahead and tackle the rust in the rear wheel well. The less the body shop has to deal with, the fewer man house I'll have to pay for. Besides, I should probably use these new power tools I bought.
After describing what I wanted done, they estimated they could get it done (and more) for less than ten thousand. They've asked me to bring the car in this week so they can give me a more accurate estimate, and so they can undoubtedly pitch some ideas at me which would double the cost. I'm thinking Friday.
The only other thing I've done so far is sealed the paint cracks using a paint stick, and replaced the missing and broken sun visor brackets. I've also begun stripping some of the upholstery so as to make painting easier. On Wednesday I'll probably go ahead and tackle the rust in the rear wheel well. The less the body shop has to deal with, the fewer man house I'll have to pay for. Besides, I should probably use these new power tools I bought.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
My Journey Begins
Well eBay convinced me that my dream of classic car ownership was not too far off after all. In fact, it was so near at hand that after only a few months of searching, I came across this beauty out of Atlanta, GA.
After only a few hours of hesitation, I hit "Buy it Now" and apparently pissed off a number of other bidders who began emailing the seller offering thousands more than I paid.
Purchase complete, I now had to figure out how to get it to me in Viera, FL. Turns out, there's a service affiliated with eBay called uShip. I posted my needs on the site and immediately received requests to ship my car. Sadly, most of the people with the most reasonable prices were completely uncommunicative once I expressed initial interest. Finally, a man identifying himself as Captain Rambo offered me a more expensive option, but he was willing to move fast, and he maintained constant communication. Twenty-four hours after agreeing to the contract, my car was in my garage.
Now, not all is perfect, despite the beauty radiating from that picture. Overall, the car is in excellent condition. There are some dings in the paint, the trim strips are dented, likely from years of other car doors being carelessly opened in parking lots, there are two cracks in the paint, totaling about 18 inches, and there are some minor rust issues in the passenger side wheel well which *might* have penetrated the metal. Hard to say right now, but the paint has some bubbles on the outside, right where the rust is on the inside. On the mechanical side of things, the car runs rather well with only two exceptions. First, it does not reliably shift in to second. About thirty percent of the time, it hangs in neutral. Second, at idle, the car should be running 900rpm, but maintains only 450 to 500. This is slow enough, that occasionally, the car will die.
Inside the cab, there's some work to be done as well. The leather of the front seats is toast, and is being held together with hope and seat covers. The upholstery is functional, although I'd like to replace it. The interior paneling needs a lot of work. There are places where it is held together by black duct tape and some screws that are definitely not original. After that, the instrument panel is so dim that it cannot be seen at night, so for safety's sake, I need to figure something out there. Last of the major issues is that the sound system in the car currently consists of a cardboard cutout with an image of a radio on it, plastered to the dash, and screw holes in the doors where speakers go.
My current plan is to preserve the car first, then begin the mechanical and interior restoration.
A couple other angles on the car:
After only a few hours of hesitation, I hit "Buy it Now" and apparently pissed off a number of other bidders who began emailing the seller offering thousands more than I paid.
Purchase complete, I now had to figure out how to get it to me in Viera, FL. Turns out, there's a service affiliated with eBay called uShip. I posted my needs on the site and immediately received requests to ship my car. Sadly, most of the people with the most reasonable prices were completely uncommunicative once I expressed initial interest. Finally, a man identifying himself as Captain Rambo offered me a more expensive option, but he was willing to move fast, and he maintained constant communication. Twenty-four hours after agreeing to the contract, my car was in my garage.
Now, not all is perfect, despite the beauty radiating from that picture. Overall, the car is in excellent condition. There are some dings in the paint, the trim strips are dented, likely from years of other car doors being carelessly opened in parking lots, there are two cracks in the paint, totaling about 18 inches, and there are some minor rust issues in the passenger side wheel well which *might* have penetrated the metal. Hard to say right now, but the paint has some bubbles on the outside, right where the rust is on the inside. On the mechanical side of things, the car runs rather well with only two exceptions. First, it does not reliably shift in to second. About thirty percent of the time, it hangs in neutral. Second, at idle, the car should be running 900rpm, but maintains only 450 to 500. This is slow enough, that occasionally, the car will die.
Inside the cab, there's some work to be done as well. The leather of the front seats is toast, and is being held together with hope and seat covers. The upholstery is functional, although I'd like to replace it. The interior paneling needs a lot of work. There are places where it is held together by black duct tape and some screws that are definitely not original. After that, the instrument panel is so dim that it cannot be seen at night, so for safety's sake, I need to figure something out there. Last of the major issues is that the sound system in the car currently consists of a cardboard cutout with an image of a radio on it, plastered to the dash, and screw holes in the doors where speakers go.
My current plan is to preserve the car first, then begin the mechanical and interior restoration.
A couple other angles on the car:
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