Re: 1940 110 convertible possible purchase

Posted by West Peterson On 2012/2/15 9:00:56

My comment on the convertible top was based on the first photo. It does not look like it fits on the driver's side where it meets the windshield and side window. Can you pour water through that gap? Or is it just not latched down properly.

The dashboard/steering column are the wrong color and look awful. You'll be driving the car... do you really want to look at that the whole time? If it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it.

Wiring can look like a plate of spaghetti under the dash, but it should be neat and sorted. Not a mess, such as you have shown with the picture. Under the hood, the wires leading to the horns are bare.

Yes, the springs will looked arched with wheels hanging down while up on a lift.

In almost all cases, buying a well-sorted-out car is much cheaper in the long run. If you really want a good opinion, though, you need to reveal the asking prices of both cars, and we'd need to see photos of the "perfect" car. This yellow car could be "sorted out," perhaps inexpensively, if you're planning on doing the work yourself. $14,000 doesn't get you very far if you're having the work done professionally, and after that money is spent, it still wouldn't be nearly as nice as the properly restored car. I'm estimating that replating the grille and shutters will run you $1,500 by itself, plus labor to remove/install. Once you have the front clip removed, you're going to do a bunch of other things, because it just wouldn't make sense not to. With a car that wasn't restored properly in the first place, it's a slippery slope to keep from "upgrading things while-you're-at it".

If you reveal the asking price, we could probably advise you one way or another as far as pulling the trigger, but this car should be bought for under $20,000 (closer to $15,000), and used "as is" for the most part. Based on the short cuts we see (physically and seeing the quality of the "wiring job"), I'd be very leery that it was sorted out properly mechanically.

If the other car really is a show car and ready to take home prizes, as well as being mechanically sound, $35-40,000 is about top dollar.... and the cost to get it to that condition was probably $70,000+ if it was a good solid car to begin with.

Good luck. I hope this is of help, and allows you to make a decision with your eyes open. You were smart to ask. Too many people take the plunge, then start asking the questions they don't want the answers to.