My best friend's girlfriend's cousin has this 54 chevy sedan sitting in the drive, complete, needs some minor parts+ a good detail job + paint. The engine is really clean for being so old, but I despise the belt with "made in korea" printed on it! The body is super solid.

Anyways, it's in great shape.... stovebolt six, 3 on the tree. How much should I offer the guy? They're not as sought after as the 5*6*7s, its only a 6, plus it has 4 doors and needs a lot of cosmetic work.

And, should I get it? I make six bucks an hour, and my dad 'gave' me his 74 javelin (360, 4sp)that needs a lot more work (read: rust). I'm thinking of saying that it's something to cruise around in and satisfy my urge for something I can go to cruise night in and not be a spectator.

I'm also considering buying a "fixer upper" to provide some funding for the 54. It's a 1980s cutlass supreme that needs a windshield, front fender, and mirror. It's in the junkyard right now. Unsure about mechanical condition, it looks mint minus whats wrong with it. Some kid threw a brick at it from a bridge, and they junked it. No rust.
-matt

I'd say DEFINITLY go for it if it still runs and can pass inspection. That way you can drive it on cruise nights and work on it whenever you have time to make it look nicer. 53-54's are in my opinion nicer than the 56-57's (yeah, the '55 beats them all) and I think 4-doors are cool. Think about that big back seat I might get a '53 with all the body work done and if I get it I'll give him 1.8k and the car has no engine.
Do you have some pics of it?

Make it a rat rod dude


Mike

it's too nice to rat it, I was thinking a decent budget restoration. Interior is perfect, roof liner is faded to ugly brown, but other than that it's perfect. Oh yea, missing clutch pedal rubber pad. Passenger side vent window is cracked. Steering wheel center is awol. Even has all 4 hubcaps and good chrome.

I am also thinking, that if I do get it, maybe soup it up (read: soup up the six, im not going to swap a v8 in it, dont argue the point, just say "ok kid, you're nuts")
-matt

Why dont you just fix the javlin, at least get started on it.

If it runs and drives good I'd start out at 3.5k. Those stovebolt sixes are tough engines, and just keep on running forever.




Mike

Don't go over there telling this guy you'll do this and that with the car...he may not sell it to you because he dosn't like what your going to do with it......You need to get it running and drivable...get rid of that Korean belt and look at those tires for dry rot.


Tazz


Rat Rods Rule!

if he asks, I'll say "factory restored"...

I might fix up that six a bit for performance if I do go for it, but nothing beyond typical mild stuff.

The Javelin seems to have a lot of underbody rust, I really want something to cruise around in relatively soon, and then concentrate on doing the Javelin once, and doing it right.

Old Chevy- cool cruisemobile with a big back seat
AMC Javelin- tire durability tester

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I belive it is a 210 sedan, judging by trim. It is sitting outside exposed If I don't save it soon, it will only rot to nothing and fade and stuff, and that would be bad. I'm thinking of $1500, the people don't seem to know dirt about cars.

At $6 an hour you would be biting off more than you can chew. The Javelin will be worth way more than a '54 four door Chevy sedan will ever be.

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i have a 56 chevy 4 door and chicks love it .

i agree rat rod all the way. flat black dropped 2" all the way around.white walls red rims. i will post pics of mine tomorrow http://hotrodders.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3178 i have only had it about two months now have done all the work my self paint body work engine trans all of it. this is my first American car. i was into hotrodding Honda's.forgive me every things so different thats why i ask alot of goofy questions

I'd be tempted to say go for it, but at $6 an hour you will struggle with rebuilding both cars (I wouldn't even think about a third). As if I haven't been making enough noise about my own car, it's a '54 Bel Air 4dr with the 235 straight six and powerglide but It's getting torn apart right down to the last nut and bolt and undergoing some severe cosmetic surgery to become a 2dr retractable hardtop. I'm putting a lot of time into it (more time than money at this point) and hope to have a show worthy car at the end of it that looks like the factory made it that way. I don't intend to sell it at all, but I hope that if that day comes it will fetch more than it would as a stock 4dr sedan.

A 4dr sedan will always be bottom of the pile in terms of desirability and value although they are becoming more popular and make a good budget 50's custom. Personally I think the '54 4dr (moreso even than the '53) looks great, far better than a 55-57 4dr and if you go for the black suede look it will help hide the thick pillar and extra door gaps and end up looking very clean indeed, especially with some of the chrome removed and maybe shaved door handles. Drop it at least 2" all the way around, maybe cut the springs in front so you have a nice rake, wide whitewalls, maybe some skirts if you can find or make them

If you do get it, post some pictures, I would love to see it.

Rich

Chevelle -- working on both cars with a very limited budget will be a problem, but I'm sure you realize that. Sounds like you need to seriously evaluate both cars. If the Javelin really needs a lot of rust repair, it might be best to let it sit for a while if there is good storage for it. Sounds like the Chevy is at least driveable with just a little work. If you're counting on one of these cars for wheels now, the Chevy might be the ticket. Just do a little along, working on the serious safety related issues first. After that I always work on the interior/creature comforts, then mechanicals (assuming it is a decent runner to begin with), then exterior last. Nothing like getting a great paint job then finding a drivetrain/suspension problem that's a show stopper! And I prefer to ride on decent seats, have decent tunes, etc. before I sink a lot of money into exterior appearance. I can stand some scratching and fading, and a few dents, but it's gotta be SAFE first, run good second, then be somewhat comfortable to ride in before I worry much about it looking really good on the outside! Who cares what others think, it's MY car and I'm inside driving more than outside looking at it!

This is my opinion so please don't take this wrong. If you need a driver I would be looking at a mid 80's to early 90's fwd GM full size car ( LeSabre, Delta 88, 98 etc.) these cars can be had for less than $ 1000. I know they are good for 150,000 + miles, parts are readily available new and salvage yard. Plus they are good for 25+ mpg, and are much safer, have a/c, pw, pl, tilt, cruise, decent stereo and seat belts.
The only way I would buy a 54 is if it was a 2dr.
I would do some serious evaluation on the Javelin, will it be worth the time and effort to restore. Just because it is free doesn't mean it is worth your time and money.

I have a 2000 Grand Am sSEv6 for a daily driver.
The Jav I feel would be more work and money than I have, but I'd like something to cruise around less than 5 years from now. It's stored in my grandma's pole barn.
The 210 sedan (4door) appears ready to roll, albeit not real quick (stovebolt six is only 115hp but hey it's different than everyone's honduh at the beach), and needs paint and some minor parts and a good cleaning. It's stored in my best friend's girlfriend's cousin's driveway uncovered. Hasn't been driven in a while, her cousin is in the military.

Offer 1500. Buy it. Clean it top to bottom. Get a shop vac and get in all the nooks and crannys. Put decent tires on it. Most likely fix brakes (check all brake lines). Drive it . Drive it nice and easy like a grandma. Sounds like a great weekend cruiser. You don't need it perfect to be cool. You will be amazed at how many people wave and smile at an old, clean, stock looking vehicle. I would in time fix all small little things like glovebox light etc etc. Again, just buy it,clean it and drive it.