50 Sportabout on next "Fast and Loud"

[alsancle]

This car was on ebay last month or the month before.   There is a bone stock rust free originally from New Mexicot 51 that was for sale in Missouri last winter.  Seller was a nice guy and had owned the car for 20 years, the guy before him for 20.  He wanted 17,500 and it was taking him some time to sell it.

[alsancle]

The ACD factory and museum is in Auburn, Indiana about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne. I have been there many times and it is well worth the trip

 

The museum is there and what is left of some of the Auburn factory buildings.  Duesenberg was built in Indy & Cord in Connersville.   The "ACD" factory is actually in Broken Arrow OK and has been there since about 1961 when Glenn Pray bought the company.

[moparbenny]

 

I'm going to do a cosmetic restoration and drive the hell out of it. New paint back to the original  blue-gray, new upholstery. Replace and re-chrome bright work. On the show they said "now it runs perfect"  NOT. Car sat for 10 years . I had to do all the things to get it road able again, Did put wide whites on her. The car originally came out of Prattsville NY and belonged to a Michael Marsh. His daughter took it to Saint Petersburg after his death 10 years ago.

 

 GOOD MAN! Just wish my '51 Sportabout was in that shape.

[GlennCraven]

The museum is there and what is left of some of the Auburn factory buildings.  Duesenberg was built in Indy & Cord in Connersville.   The "ACD" factory is actually in Broken Arrow OK and has been there since about 1961 when Glenn Pray bought the company.

 

 

Can't believe I didn't know this before now. That's about 75 miles from me. I should visit!

They have a website. With cars for sale, including a couple of original Cords and Auburns, not just the late-models from the 1960s or 1970s.

 

And apparently they were, or are about to be, on an episode of "American Pickers."

 

[fstfish66]

bob...hope you post soem pics of the vert after your finished,,IMO  i thought it looked good in that  blue color,,,the killer deal was the price they say they  paid for it,, 4500.00 ,still a cool car ,,made me think about another project,,,

 

the  green  linc,,IMO  is b**t ugly and he over paid big time for it 15.500,,,he was in a heated battle for the car before it a 40 zephyr,and was bidding against the same guy that won the bid on the 40 which was also  b**t ugly,,,the 40  zephyr is no where neart what the 37 is,,

[GlennCraven]

Watching a marathon of "Fast N' Loud" because there's nothing else on. So many comments I COULD make. Not all of them negative. (Like, the one thing I really thought was cool about a '59 Rambler wagon hatchet-job was the seats being reupholstered with old residential drapes of about the same vintage.)

 

There was just a wonderfully ironic moment in he current episode, though.

 

Richard, the Head Monkey, has brought in an industrial artist who builds furniture and creates art from salvaged items and materials. The guy is being asked to come up with a decorating plan for the entire new office space at Gas Monkey.

 

Saying he can't afford expensive redecorating, Richard says: "He just takes junk and repurposes it. ... How much can that cost?"

[Don Coatney]

Using drapes same as Scarlet O'Hare in "Gone With The Wind". Frankly darling, I dont give a Dahm

[GlennCraven]

Here's that Rambler.

 

I don't need one that low. I don't like the wheels. I'd want the rust in the underside -- noticed even by a little kid -- to be patched because it seems that's just asking for further rot and potential damage to other components.

 

I do like the patina and the seats, although in this picture they look dirty. ... Maybe that's known as "interior patina."

 

 

[fstfish66]

hum,,some how  i missed the  eposode with the  rambler wagon,,, 

[alsancle]

I watched a couple of episodes on Thanksgiving while I was cleaning the family room in prep for the get together.   It is a typical "reality" show which means the entire thing is scripted and staged.  That said,  I thought it was interesting.   The guy is definitely a used car salesman but he seems to have some charm.

[Young Ed]

I caught part of one yesterday at the inlaws. They bought a pretty decent 61 falcon that was all original and low mileage. I think they overpaid and passed it on to the new guy.  

[GlennCraven]

I agree they overpaid on that Falcon, but they got somebody to likewise overpay and they made a buck.

 

As noted by alsancle, the Boss Monkey is a good salesman.

 

I like the lead mechanic, Aaron Kauffman, from a knowledge and attitude perspective. I do think he's a little quick to just subframe something and turn it into a rod.

 

The black 1960 Bel Air hardtop they did during this marathon was a good example; it was a really nice, all-original, one-owner car. Next thing you know, it's on all new running gear, bagged, running a crate engine. Yes, they sold it for a profit, and probably for more than if they had just brought it up to show condition and left it stock with what was probably a 283. (Though I don't recall them saying it was just a 283.)

 

But you can make a bagged and slammed street rod with a crate engine and $1,600 of obnoxious rims out of any 1960 Chevy two-door and have the same sort of end product. It's a shame such a clean survivor becomes an overly modern, cookie-cutter rod. ... I'm sure they'd suggest it's actually very unique, but it isn't. It's a formulaic production they do over and over again; only the body lines change depending on what clean starting point the Boss bought this episode.

[lemondana]

  They sure need a good lesson on the proper way to break in a new cam or a new engine, after several failed attempts.  I bet the engine builder they use, is wondering why they are so stupid and can't get it right. 

[DutchEdwin]

Filming episode.

Hi Bob,

I saw the episode on discovery yesterday. I realy like your '55 custom royal.

Let us know what you've done to it and do place some pic's here of the 1950 Dodge Wayfarer Sportabout Convertible.

[knuckleharley]

 

The black 1960 Bel Air hardtop they did during this marathon was a good example; it was a really nice, all-original, one-owner car. Next thing you know, it's on all new running gear, bagged, running a crate engine. Yes, they sold it for a profit, and probably for more than if they had just brought it up to show condition and left it stock with what was probably a 283. (Though I don't recall them saying it was just a 283.)

 

I agree. I would MUCH rather have and drive that car with the original running gear and other parts that the trendy ride they turned it into,but I'm old and have pretty much always liked original over restored or hotrodded.

 

For all we know,Richard and Aaron like originals,too. They make their living by providing "as seen on teebee really,really cool and trendy cars that will make YOU look really,really cool and trendy driving them,and all you have to do is supply a bag of cash!"

 

I'm guessing their typical customer is more of a "we want to buy a car or truck that will make us look like cool,cutting-edge gearheads when we drive them once a month." than actual car guys,

 

There is another program called "Counts Cars" that has a elderly (70's) couple show up with a bag of money every once in a while and buy themselves a new personality. We are talking 60 grand + in cash and they have several cars. The last one I saw them buy was a 27 T roadster with a 3 carb 348 in it. This was a seriously nice (in MY opinion) clean traditional roadster when the Count bought it and pimped it up a little to attract the "I bought a tv car" buyer. I liked it in the medium blue with the white rolled and pleated interior that what they turned it into,but that's just me. I have no idea why this old couple bought it. I  bet they have a hard time even getting in and out of it,and I doubt they ever drive it.

 

There is another show with a famous guy whose name I can't remember buys and builds cars to take to one of the big auctions to sell. Big guy with a bad complexion. Can't remember his name. Anyhow,his cars always sell for more than 50 grand,and there are people bidding against one another to own the most recent one being auctioned that collect cars he builds. One bidder said he already owned 4 or 5 of this guy's custom cars.

 

Tv show cars and tv show car buyers are their own little sub-culture.