Re: First ever restore/repair 51 touring sedan help

Posted by Fred Puhn On 2009/11/2 13:37:59

I have been messing with old cars for decades and have made lots of mistakes on projects like yours. here is my experience:
1. Always inspect the car in person before buying it. If it has rust walk away unless you like wasting money.
2. My experience is that the cheapest way to own an old car is to buy the best one you can afford. The most expensive way is to buy the cheapest one you can find.
3. My own recent experience with my 1950 Packard is a real example. See my profile (Fred Puhn 1950 2301 Touring Sedan)for the sad details. I was scammed while trying to follow advice #2 because I violated advice #1 above.
4. The most expensive part of a restoration is fixing rust. Most of the damage is hidden. Unless it is a very valuable car (say $50,000 or more)it will not be feasible to fix extensive rust and come out ahead. Walk away and save money by paying more for a rust-free car. On one of my cars I paid $20,000 for it and then spent $70,000 fixing rust! Most of the rust was hidden from view. Luckily the car is worth more than that, but a 50s Packard is not in that economic class.
5. When a car sits for a long time the following things need attention, with priority in the following order;
5.1 Anything with fluid (fuel, water, brake fluid, oil)in it needs fluid changing, cleaning, and probably repair.
5.2 Anything made of rubber (belts, hoses, gaskets, seals, tires) will need inspection and probably replacing.
5.3 The electrical system will need sorting out due to bad corroded connections and possibly bad insulation
5.6 The engine may be stuck, damaged, corroded, sludged up, or otherwise bad. Test everything first before driving it.
5.7 Everything needing lubrication needs lubrication.
5.8 If the car needs paint, interior, and chrome plan on spending at least $10,000 for a cheap job and more for quality.

Best of luck on your new project.