Originally Posted by barry12345

Twenty to twenty five years for me. Spare car for employees to use at sellars auto salvage in Tuscalloosa Alabama.

Talking about womens cars. Just offered an older womens 1999 Buick lesabre with 70k kilometers or about 40k miles. It is in really nice shape and 2,500.00. Not sure if I should bite or not. Has the 3.8 engine and leather upholstery. She got too old to drive and mentally deteriorated as well. Her son is disposing of it. I have no ideal of how many miles they run before becoming problematic..

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

While not a 57 Chevy (and I've got a good story about one of those), my Mother's older brother had a car he bought new and kept.

I can remember the car , since, oh, well since I can remember. I remember riding in it in the fifties.

The car was purchased in July, 1955 and was an occasional car, secondary to the company car my Uncle had. It was actually titled in my Aunt's name, and she didn't use it frequently, living in a neighborhood that enabled them to walk to church, school, and stores.

By 1968, the car was getting old, and was replaced, but my Uncle liked the car and didn't sell it, rather stored it at the company.

For many years, whenever I came into town, I would be allowed to borrow it. My Uncle knew the car would return in better condition than it left...

In 1979, we used the car as our wedding car.

As the years wore on, I ended up with a standard greeting when seeing my Uncle: "You ready to sell the old Ford?" to which he would respond with: "I'm not done using it.".

Eventually, he became bedridden, but still would not entertain selling the car. A few years ago, he passed away and car became part of his estate.

I had always hoped maybe I'd get the car in the will, but no such luck.
In speaking with my cousins, I knew the car had been appraised and that the value was much more than I could afford, even if the car was offered to me. I expressed an interest and some dismay at the high price attached to the car.

A year or so later, after I had pretty much figured it wasn't meant to be, one of my cousins called me. He and I are close, and he asked me if I wanted the Ford. Of course I told him YES! His next question was how much could I afford to pay for the car. I demurred, not really wanting to state a figure so below the appraisal. He responded with a price that made my jaw drop. Well, of course I can afford that! My cousin felt that his Dad would want me to have to have the Ford, and that it was the right place for it to go. I later found out that he had bought it from the estate at appraised value and sold it to me. What a guy!

So, in 2010, I became only the second owner of a 49,000 mile 1955 Ford Sunliner convertible in white over red tutone and a black top. Wide whitewalls and white and red interior. Gads, sometimes I still cannot believe that car is in my shop.

Jim

Originally Posted by sloride

If that was a two door ragtop with those records, what would that be worth maybe fifty grand?

Originally Posted by Air&Road

Outstanding Jim!

I have a soft spot for 55/56 fords. What engine trans combination does it have?

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

While not a 57 Chevy (and I've got a good story about one of those), my Mother's older brother had a car he bought new and kept.

I can remember the car , since, oh, well since I can remember. I remember riding in it in the fifties.

The car was purchased in July, 1955 and was an occasional car, secondary to the company car my Uncle had. It was actually titled in my Aunt's name, and she didn't use it frequently, living in a neighborhood that enabled them to walk to church, school, and stores.

By 1968, the car was getting old, and was replaced, but my Uncle liked the car and didn't sell it, rather stored it at the company.

For many years, whenever I came into town, I would be allowed to borrow it. My Uncle knew the car would return in better condition than it left...

In 1979, we used the car as our wedding car.

As the years wore on, I ended up with a standard greeting when seeing my Uncle: "You ready to sell the old Ford?" to which he would respond with: "I'm not done using it.".

Eventually, he became bedridden, but still would not entertain selling the car. A few years ago, he passed away and car became part of his estate.

I had always hoped maybe I'd get the car in the will, but no such luck.
In speaking with my cousins, I knew the car had been appraised and that the value was much more than I could afford, even if the car was offered to me. I expressed an interest and some dismay at the high price attached to the car.

A year or so later, after I had pretty much figured it wasn't meant to be, one of my cousins called me. He and I are close, and he asked me if I wanted the Ford. Of course I told him YES! His next question was how much could I afford to pay for the car. I demurred, not really wanting to state a figure so below the appraisal. He responded with a price that made my jaw drop. Well, of course I can afford that! My cousin felt that his Dad would want me to have to have the Ford, and that it was the right place for it to go. I later found out that he had bought it from the estate at appraised value and sold it to me. What a guy!

So, in 2010, I became only the second owner of a 49,000 mile 1955 Ford Sunliner convertible in white over red tutone and a black top. Wide whitewalls and white and red interior. Gads, sometimes I still cannot believe that car is in my shop.

Jim

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

While not a 57 Chevy (and I've got a good story about one of those), my Mother's older brother had a car he bought new and kept.

I can remember the car , since, oh, well since I can remember. I remember riding in it in the fifties.

The car was purchased in July, 1955 and was an occasional car, secondary to the company car my Uncle had. It was actually titled in my Aunt's name, and she didn't use it frequently, living in a neighborhood that enabled them to walk to church, school, and stores.

By 1968, the car was getting old, and was replaced, but my Uncle liked the car and didn't sell it, rather stored it at the company.

For many years, whenever I came into town, I would be allowed to borrow it. My Uncle knew the car would return in better condition than it left...

In 1979, we used the car as our wedding car.

As the years wore on, I ended up with a standard greeting when seeing my Uncle: "You ready to sell the old Ford?" to which he would respond with: "I'm not done using it.".

Eventually, he became bedridden, but still would not entertain selling the car. A few years ago, he passed away and car became part of his estate.

I had always hoped maybe I'd get the car in the will, but no such luck.
In speaking with my cousins, I knew the car had been appraised and that the value was much more than I could afford, even if the car was offered to me. I expressed an interest and some dismay at the high price attached to the car.

A year or so later, after I had pretty much figured it wasn't meant to be, one of my cousins called me. He and I are close, and he asked me if I wanted the Ford. Of course I told him YES! His next question was how much could I afford to pay for the car. I demurred, not really wanting to state a figure so below the appraisal. He responded with a price that made my jaw drop. Well, of course I can afford that! My cousin felt that his Dad would want me to have to have the Ford, and that it was the right place for it to go. I later found out that he had bought it from the estate at appraised value and sold it to me. What a guy!

So, in 2010, I became only the second owner of a 49,000 mile 1955 Ford Sunliner convertible in white over red tutone and a black top. Wide whitewalls and white and red interior. Gads, sometimes I still cannot believe that car is in my shop.

Jim

Originally Posted by Air&Road

I expect that's worth 50 k as a four door hardtop. A convertible with that pedigree would be worth a hundred.

Originally Posted by Air&Road

1,000 mile oil changes in the fifties and sixties sometimes wasn't often enough. Her 57 has a road draft tube rather than a PCV valve. This means that unless you are on an extended road trip, there are LOTS of vapors and acids to do nasty things in the crankcase.

With 105,000 miles over 56 years, probably the only highway miles it saw were the two trips she described. In town driving and a road draft tube, along with the oils of the fifties and sixties are not a combination that would make for long engine life. Without the 1,000 mile oil changes, she would be telling about her engine change or overhaul along with the other stories about the car.

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

Believe it or not, oil filters were optional. My 54 Chevy stepside does not have any oil filter, and has the road draft tube. Oil changes every 1k miles were standard operating procedure back then.

Jim