Ot-Cheapest car you ever own and ran

[JIPJOBXX]

I have had about 100 cars or so and quit a few of them have been bought for a 100 dollars or so but the best car I ever both for cheap was a 1956 Pontiac Chieftain! What a boat and what deal! 35 dollars and it ran like a top! The only thing wrong with it was is that it had a squeaky lifter and I fix that problem by drilling a hole in the valve cover and spraying WD-40 on that area. It would last about a week and then I would pop the hood and respray the lifter. Here is a picture of that old beauty and that gal well that my wife going to work in it.

[greg g]

Bought a 64 Fairlane 500 with 27K in 72 for 500 bucks. We drove it for 2 years putting about 40 K on it. I was going into for basic training with the reserves and my wife didn't drive a standard, so as not to leave her stuck with a car she couldn't use we looked for something reasonalbe to replace it. We found a 66 Mustang 2 + 2 with about 30K on it.

The dealer wanted 1200 bucks for the Mustang, so we made a deal, then he asked if we had a trade in. We said well if you can work it out well trade int he Fairlane. He took the car for a spin and came back in and told us he'd take 650 off the deal for the trade.

So we grabed the mustang for 550 and went on our way. So that Fairlane paid for itself after 2 years and 40 000 miles of driving. We kept the Mustang for about 5 years and then sold it for 500 bucks. So those two were our best deals of all the cars we have owned.

[Norm's Coupe]

I bought a 66 Ford wagon about 1975, from a neighbor who was moving to Florida, to haul stuff around in instead of using my new car. Only paid $100 for it. Kept it until about 1979. During that time I had to replace one wheel cylinder, patch the gas tank and buy one used tire for it. Used it for hauling firewood, hauling girl scouts to and from their camp sites, and hauling supplies to do a little remodeling around the house. Use to lend it to the girl scout leader to haul the girls around in too. They even gave the old wagon a name. "Old George". Don't ask me why they called it that, I never bothered to ask. Then a good friend opened a small printing shop. Lent it to him to use for picking up his supplies, and delivering some of his orders. Taught my first wife how to drive in that car too. Then she drove it to work for about a year before I sold it. Don't know how many miles we put on that old wagon, but was quite a few. When I sold it I put an ad in the paper asking $150. Sold it the same day the ad came out for $125 to a painter who wanted it to haul his paint and ladders around in. So........this had to be the cheapest car I ever owned.

Ooops, you be the judge. I also bought a 64 Fairlane for $5.00 back in 1971. Didn't do anything to it, except clean the engine out with some engine cleaner. Drove it about 12,000 miles then sold it for $50.

[JIPJOBXX]

Boy those were some good deals! Most people get a deal but really never make any money on them.

I had a 1958 Nash Rambler that had the front seat make into a bed! I bought it for 35 dollars again and it was a great transportation rig but I was concerned that my future father in law might not like the idea of his daughter going out in the sex mobile! No not really but it was a neat old car and really did make into a sleeper when wanting such an item.

[BobT-47P15]

Back in the early 1960s I bought a 1947 Plymouth club coupe from the local Chevy

dealer for $35. Had been used the last several years by an area farmer to haul stuff

around his farm....had some hay and other crud in it.

Cleaned it up, used whitewall paint to give it a set of wide whites, drove it around town.

Then, when my parents moved to another town about 65 miles away, drove it up there.

My younger sister drove it to high school for a year in that town. Then, it actually

made it back to my home town when the parents moved back.

I kept the car, it sat around in Springfield, MO at my father-in-law's

John Deere dealership for a few years, then towed it to Joplin after

we moved here. Finally had another engine put into it, but due to some

problem with the distributor, never got it running again. Finally sold it

locally for some amount I don't recall.....maybe $100 or so. That was in

the 1970s.

- - - - - - - - - -

Even Better Deal:D

While in college, I was walking to class one day and noticed a homemade

"for sale" sign in a light green 52 Dodge fastback sitting at the curb.

Knocked on the door of the house, an elderly lady answered, said indeed

was for sale, asking price $20. I said "are you sure"? She said "yes".

Next question - "does it run?". "Yes, runs fine". OK, it's a deal.

The next day or so we went to the license bureau and she paid the

title transfer fee.

There were some scrapes on the sides where she had gotten too close

to the garage door opening and the paint was dull. Cleaned and shined

it much as I could, made my own seat covers from some complimentary

green fabric.....basically wrapped them around the seat and sewed them

on. Didn't look too bad actually. Drove the car for several months, then

sold it for $75.

Ahh, the good old days.

[JIPJOBXX]

This is so much fun checking out what other guys have gotten for next to nothing.

I think you guys will like this story also! Back in the mid 70's I had a 64 Grand Prix Pontiac with a bad right axle. I noticed in the paper one day that they were having an car auction down at one of our local impound lots and had the same year car that I had. So my friend and I went down to this auction and low and behold we were the only people who were there! Now to top this the owners son was running the auction and he ran it just like it was a full house! But of course it was just me and my buddy. So when he started the auction out, he started high say around 100 dollars. Well we looked around and said 15 dollars and low and behold not a minute latter we had a 64 Pontiac and the next minute we spied a 1950 Ford and bid on that for 15 dollars and towed away both cars for 30 dollars. Fast forward a few weeks and a little bit of car repair and I had a beautiful 64 Grand Prix Pontiac for next to nothing. I went back to the auction yard where I had bought this Pontiac and of course the owner was there and he was a little irate with his son for not stopping the auction but that was in the past and I remember him saying that situation would never happen again.

[spartanbilly]

In my Junior year of high school I purchased a '54 Pontiac Chieftan for $50.00.

It needed nothing and ran great but it was horrible on gas with the straight eight and manual 3 speed. Being mechanically ignorant at seventeen years of age I didn't realize you needed to grease these things once in a while. It would moan and howl when I would turn a corner (very difficultly) A Mechanic put it up on the rack and greased the kingpins and that fixed that. That was in Bolivar, MO in 1975.

Three years later I bought a '53 Buick Super two door hardtop real cheap. It had the Dynaflow transmission and it made the strangest whirring sounds on hard acceleration. Stan Kenton (Big band leader) recorded a song in the early 50's called "Dynaflow". That was a good car, never gave me any trouble other than the front shocks which were built into the upper control arms and they would seize on me and leaving the car sitting up high in the front.

[1just4don]

My first car I got to drive to school was the family buggy hand me down ,A 51 Plymouth Cranbrook. A front tire was so out of line it squealed going down the highway. dad said that was my problem,keep putting on tires with bumper jack and tire iron change method and nary a air compressor to blow them up with,,,just a hand pump.

As time went by and more hunting was done by all my friends and myself,,a two door doesnt work so well. So I found a 50 Plymouth 4 door in a grove for 25 bucks. scooped out 8 inches of dirt and leaves and hooked a chain on it and drug it around till it started. Drove that a couple years,found out why it was parked. going down a gravel road the frame would flex badly because it was cracked,,,but never was allowed to fix it since alignment wasnt even considered either.

About my senior year a local older guy had this 50 Dodge more door and seemed like the perfect 'hunting' car. He just wanted to 'give' it away to a good home. It was heavy enough to ride smooth on rough fields and drove like a dream . The fluid drive was awesome. the front visor was a great handle for riding on top. where we didnt go with this car was easier to say than where we did. used it almost every day and night. Boy what a ride!!

NOW I have my grandpa's bought brand new '50' Dodge 2 door in a storage garage and I want it OUT and running,,,but alas I have NO garage to work on it in,,it needs a motor overhaul and reinstall. I have NEVER driven it,I bought it that way from a relative. I thought I would have it done by now,let alone never started YET!! Its a shame to have a car like this for 30 years sitting in a dusty garage,,,it NEEDS driven!! People that see it marvel at its condition,,no bashed fenders,no bashed glass(except something fell on windsheild now and broke it. I doubt the car has too many miles either. Grandpa didnt go far,the local guy that had it later didnt,he drove it from his house to his bar,he owned. and my cousin that drove it last didnt drive it barely. Now if only I could find a decent running fluid drive motor to slip in and drive into the sunset. THEN grandpa would be proud(think he passed away in about 1968)

Edited October 15, 2009 by 1just4don

[Norm's Coupe]

Jon,

Looks like you started an interesting thread here. But.......it's too bad we can no longer get the prices we paid way back when.

[claybill]

in college my dad bught me my first car..1940 ford convertible.. red one!

for $100. bucks.....after a year i didnt like the convertible in winter so i sold it , and bought a 47 ford sedan for $95 bucks...(dad was pissed.!)

(dad sold fords back then and watched out for the best ones traded in.)

THE best car i ever owned was a 55 mercury hardtop..it was perfect.! turq and white leather..wow!..$ 1000.00 and i traded it off in a few years for a 58 chev impala!!! (dad was pissed again.)

bill

[Plymouthy Adams]

I got a kid like you...but again that is for another time and another soapbox..lol

[Young Ed]

Boy did I miss the boat on this. For one thing I've only had 3 daily drivers cars. 89 buick century 95 century and my 94 dakota. Paid 2k for the 89 sold it for 1650. Put that towards the 5K for the 95. Sold the 95 for 4500 and bought the dakota for 5K. Been driving the dakota since 2000. Paid 500 and 2400 for the 2 old cars. Paid I think 600 for the 55 dodge and got the 51 ply for free.

[martybose]

I bought a 40 horse VW beetle for $100, put $30 worth of retreads on it, and drove it for 2 years. Had an oldtime VW mechanic who told me that the heads were cracked, but just ignore them and drive it! Sold it for $100 again.

Marty

[Rollie���]

I used to buy Dodge Darts really cheap and used them as daily drivers. Now it's Eagle Summits because of the times and MPG. Beyond the great mpg these these domestic built Mitsubishi's are serious pos's, I need my head examined.

[blueskies]

Bought a 1980 VW Rabbit Diesel for $800 as a college commuter. 49 miles to the gallon. I could drive it for a month on $10 bucks. Bought it with 90,000 on the clock, sold it for $1400 with 200,000 on it.

Pete

[Olddaddy]

My first legal, licensed vehicle was a 60 model VW transporter, paid $100 and towed it home. When we got it started I discovered it had a stripped spark plug hole and sounded like a machine gun going down the road. I drove it all through school for near nothing and traded it for an Austin Healey 100/6.

[55 Fargo]

1977 bought a 1963 Pontiac 6 cyl 3 on the tree, 4 door, in actually dectn mechanical condition for $75, drove it for about 2 months but got sick of it sold it for $100.

A Childhood Friends older brother bought about a 1960 Ford, for $25 in around 1971, he drove that car from Winnipeg To Florida, about 2200 miles, and he drove it half-way back, when he ran out of money for gas and oil, so he ditched the car, and thumbed his way back to Canada.....Fred

[JerseyHarold]

Around 1978 I bought a '71 Pinto from a friend's brother for $25. A local garage told him it needed both an engine and transmission, so it was offered to me for what the junkyard would pay. It turned out to need a 3" piece of vacuum hose that connected the carb to the transmission modulator.

We used it for 2 years then sold it for $600. It was one clean little car.

[daddyo23]

First car was a '56 Buick Special. Black with a white top. Had a gas with that car 'till the power steering pump went out. I could still drive it but it took abit to turn it. Paid $75 for it, had it about 1 year and drove the snot out of it. Sold it to a guy for $150. Probably the last time I bought low and sold high:o.

[rlovette]

Dad bought the '41 P-11 for $100 out of a North Carolina junkyard in 1970. He also bought a '50 Imperial for $200 from a preacher. It needed pistons--and the suspension was shot. So, he bought a '50 New Yorker for $11....and swapped front end parts.