1959 and 1960 Ford Thunderbirds were some of the most beautiful, sturdy, well made and trouble free cars ever made by any manufacturer.  The FE block motor was smooth and whisper quiet. I own 5 of these cars in convertible and I also have every year of Thunderbird from 1955 to 1966 in convertible.  59 and 60 are my favorite because of their reliability. They also ride beautifully and handle turns very well compared to autos made in the same time period. These Thunderbirds were like little tanks because of their weight. ... View more

My dad who if were alive today would be a 125 years old always spoke of a Wills St. Claire. He remembered a dealership in downtown Brooklyn , NY where they were sold.  Dad always boasted what unbelievable and fast cars they were. I was never able to get much information on the mark. A few weeks ago Jay Leno's Garage featured a fully restored 1922 Wills St. Claire. The vehicle had a four cam overhead valve V-8 with a cooling system that ran a remarkable 180 degrees despite any weather condition. The Wills was faster than 99% of the cars on the road in 1922.  Check out the video at Leno's Garage and then ask how is it not on the list? By the way why isn't the Duesenberg Model J supercharged engine not on the list? ... View more

I worked in foundry in Brooklyn 40 years ago. We cast aluminum, brass and bronze. The microwave oven was developed during WW2 to quickly dry the sand cores. The old timers told me that's where they got the idea to heat their lunches.  The temperature in the foundry by the blast furnace was over 130 degrees. I remember there was a glass roof that opened up to release the heat. We were given a periodic beer ration because we perspired so profusely. It was probably the only place on earth you were allowed to drink on the job. The City of New York eventually shut down the place because of the EPA.  ... View more

The 1966-1970 Chargers were such good looking cars it is hard to believe they are Mopars. The fuel fill requires special mention. ... View more

In the 1970's I worked in a garage on the upper Eastside of Manhattan. In the garage parking section upstairs was a 1942 Desoto convertible in like new condition. About 15 years ago i started to wonder where is that car today?  It was midnight blue, black top and a beige interior. It was beautiful with a lot of trim.  Of course I was 20 years old and at the time it was just another old car to me.  You get older and wiser. I can't believe how rare that car must be. In the 50 years that have past I have never seen or even heard of another 1942 Desoto convertible. ... View more

I always loved the 1957-1958 Chrysler giant speedometers. 1964-1966 Thunderbird speedometers aren't too shabby either. ... View more

There is nothing like being told to buy a car there are no parts for. I know. I bought a 6.0 2006 Chevy SSR.  Shortly after I purchased it GM announced it was discontinued. I had visions of the June 1966 announcement by Studebaker it was out of the car business. I have somewhat of a chance because the first time I put my SSR up on the lift much to my surprise its a glorified 2 wheel drive Trailblazer. There are no body parts for the car.  When the vehicle was 2 years old the top stopped working. The car was still under warranty. Not only the dealer I bought it from but no dealer could fix it. Fortunately, I'm a mechanic for 30 years. It took weeks to get a top electrical diagram. It had a shorted wire in the trunk light. Without this signal the top won't operate. Pontiac Solace. Good luck.  ... View more

That BMW is a parts car! ... View more

I bought alot of cars off of ebay and every one was good. You must speak to the person. When someone says the car is "mint" I'm not interested. That word is passed around like water. A few years I  bought a 1951 Studebaker convertible off ebay.  I spoke to the owner. He said the car was nice and was his father. He told me there were a few stitches missing on one of the seats and a small 1/2" scratch but then he said a few years ago his father put a rebuilt motor in. I asked who did the motor. He didn't know but would look through the papers. The owner called back and said Cathcart in Connecticut. The car was in New Jersey by the way. Cathcart was the number expert on Champion sixes so I knew the moter was great. I knew Bill Cathcart so I called him up to inquire about the car. Bill knew the car and said it was beautiful.  You have to speak to the owner and feel them out and get as much information as possible. If a car is restored who did it? Call that guy.  ... View more

I have tips 1. Be patient. The right car will come along. I'll spend years looking for the right car. I don't know how many 1958 Packard Hawks I looked at until I found a gem in Texas at a bargain price. 2. I view a car like this. A vehicle is made up of 3 areas. Body, mechanical and interior. Two of three have to be real good. Two out of three bad will take you to the cleaners and three out three will break your wallet 3. When buying an old car color is very important. You don't want black. Pastels and bright colors or two toning make the car more attractive for resale. 4. Check how the doors close. If the doors close nice and easy the chassis isn't sagged. I looked at plenty of cars where the doors were almost  hitting the quarter or the other door. 5. Check the upper control arms for the number of shims there are. If it has none the chassis is sagged. If too many the car isn't sitting correctly. 6. Body style is very important. You want a convertible if offered. Then a two door hardtop. A two door with posts is acceptable. Four door cars are not the way to go unless its a rare model. Like a 1958 Cadillac 60 Special or 1957 Cadillac Seville. The price of a starter is the same for a 1963 Impala Super Sport 327 as it is for a 1963 Biscayne 6 cylinder. You'll make money on the Super Sport starter if you had to sell it.  7. Always buy the top model if you can. An Impala instead of a Biscayne.  8. Buy a car with as many options as possible. The more loaded the better. Power everything is the way to go. The bigger engine. Air conditioning.  I once got an extra $2000 for a 1964 Thunderbird convertible because it had an optional factory AM/FM radio.   9. Don't buy a car because your father had one. Chances are dad wasn't driving SS396 Chevelle. I had a customer who did a ground up on a 1941 Packard 120 4 door. I tried to talk him out of it but he said his dad had that exact car. The owner had into the car 3 times what it was worth. If I want to feel sentimental I'll look at a family album. It doesn't cost me anything. 10. Try to find a cheap parts car. They come in very handy. Old cars is no longer a hobby. It is an industry and the guys with parts charge accordingly. My friend's 1963 Avanti needed a voltage regulator. There were none to had. We finally found one in Canada for $285 . I was able to put a Lark regulator for $40 in by switching a few wires and running some new ones. PARTS ARE DRYING UP. See what is available for the car you pick BEFORE you buy it.  11.Research what you are looking for. I collect a lot of Thunderbirds and here is a perfect example.  In 1962 Ford offered the Thunderbird convertible with a dealer installed Roadster option. Documentation is very fuzzy. The VIN didn't change. You see 1962 Sport Roadsters all over the place for sale.  In 1963  Ford gave the same model a specific body style code for the option. Maybe I see 2 of these cars sold all year. What this means to me the 1962 Roadsters are mostly clones and can't be verified one way or another. Be careful. Generally speaking Ford products and Studebakers have 3 data plates with all the information on the car. Most old cars the vin is meaningless.  ... View more

One alignment measurement is that is hard to measure and can't be really adjusted is the angle of inclination. It is built into the geometry of the spindle itself. This angle of inclination allows the vehicle to turn. You must remember the angle of the wheel on the turn is different front right to left.  When a spindle is slightly bent the car will chop or squeal on turns. When aligning the vehicle you are compensating for wrong caster, camber or toe. They can all be in specification but still will not handle well on a turn and sometimes it feels like you are losing control. ... View more

A friend mine has a perfect 1960 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible in Red and White. It has every option including swivel seats, cruise and a/c. The interior is breath taking with all the pushbuttons , great color scheme and neon globe instrument cluster. The car is so ugly its beautiful.  ... View more

I agree. Del Ray???? Looks like taxi cab. ... View more

I have a 1958 Packard Hawk. It has a nice interior but the single color interior could have been multi colored.  No matter what body color you picked the interior was tan. My color is back with a gold roof. The roof color enhances the interior. ... View more

My 1955 Caribbean with its tri color green and white interior matching the outside paint scheme is gorgeous.  My 1956 Golden Hawk also has a beautiful tri color interior in a pink, white and mauve color. With the outside pink and white. The dash board was light years ahead of everyone with full gauges and tachometer. If you really want to talk about the most beautiful interior ever made its the 1966 Thunderbird 3 window coupe with the overhead control panel, chrome dash and console. Did I mention the rear wrap around seat. It was like a space ship.  ... View more