1969 Buick Riviera GS: Craigslist Capture

As a habitual craigslist browser for old cars, when I see a car for sale in the vicinity of the local CL, I can usually spot it. Around Pittsburgh, this is the only rusty, faded 1969 Buick for sale at the moment, so when I was 100 miles from home and spotted it, I knew it was the same one I'd seen online. 

Out of curiosity, I thought I'd stop and see how my impression from the ad matched the car in person. 

Here's the copy from the ad:
Running Restorable 1969 Riviera GS. Mainly body work. 430 big block, 4 barrel carb.New location,price $2750.  
Sounds fair enough. The pictures on CL show the car with the passenger window down, an anti-theft on the steering wheel, and some faded paint/rust spots. 

In person, it's not too dissimilar, but there are some things that make it clear why it hasn't yet sold. Most good deals on craigslist are sold the same day, and this car has been hanging around for more than a month. 
In my eyes, this is a far superior vehicle than a standard muscle car - with this you get more comfort and frankly, a better-looking vehicle. I love the wild front end with those cross-eyed headlights hidden away. In this bronze, with perhaps a grey or light silver roof, this car would be stunning.

The headlights don't seem to close, nor does the passenger window, the paint is shot, rocker molding is missing, the radio is missing, the seats are stained,  the back bumper needs to be rechromed, the vinyl top is long gone, and most concerning, the panel between the back window and the trunk lid seems to be displaced, hinting at rust underneath, which would be awkward to repair. Lower body rust is minimal for the rust belt, but the holes will not shrink on their own. 

I would lean more toward buying this one and spending a weekend fixing the window, cleaning, polishing, tuning up and otherwise making the car more presentable, then driving it for a while before tearing it apart for a full de-rusting and paint job. If you'd like some 60s style on a budget and are handy in the garage, this is a good vehicle for you.
What do you think, worth the repair costs, or better to pay more for a better example? 

1976 Oldsmobile 98: Daily driver

It's funny that, when we moved to this country from the UK in the early 90s, I saw 1970s cars around town all the time. I didn't notice them become fewer and fewer in number until I realized that the big square Caprices and Crown Victorias were also vanishing. In fact, most rear-wheel-drive cars are now hard to spot, and it's a rare occurrence to see a 1980s car still on the road, at least up here in the rust belt.  
I therefore had mixed feelings when I first saw the car in this post. It's a 1976 Oldsmobile 98, and the owner has decided to use it as a daily driver. There are a few things to note. 

1. The owner works down the street from me so I see the car at least a few times a week. I have watched the car go downhill just over the last few months.
2. Things are being damaged and no repairs seem to be attempted.

While it's nice to see an older, larger car on the road, it's a shame that someone has clearly picked up a good condition 37 year old car cheap somewhere in order to use it so carelessly.

The 1976 Oldsmobile may not be your cup of tea - it's a big boat, but it has nice details, like the flared fenders, polygonal quarter windows and the cathedral taillights. All 1976 98s had the 455 engine, and like most 70s cars, it was anemic and slow, but at roughly 190 hp, still enough to get this big sedan up to speed at the sedate pace expected by the occupants. The days of giving granny 400 horses in her big Olds were over, but this is still a fine example of the last year of the truly full-sized cars. 

The following year, the car dropped a foot and 1/2 a ton, but also all the character. Here is a car not ashamed to be large and comfortable. The curves around the wheels and the pillarless roof (when all the windows are down, there is no center pillar) reek of 60s flair, still hanging on in the car-design conservative 70s.  The next year, the Olds 98, along with other GM cars across the line, became more boxy, less flamboyant, and less interesting. If I had to drive across the country today, I'd choose this car in an instant. If you've never driven a 1970s full-sized American car, I urge you to do so. In these fast paced times, it's like taking a Xanax, and I mean that in a positive way. Comfort, smoothness and luxury are the keys, and it is the most relaxing drive. There is no feel from the steering, you can rest with just a fingertip on the wheel, the brakes are soft enough that the weight of a politicians honesty would begin to slow the car down, and the suspension is softer than a whore's bed.

This example looks mostly sound. It's a former PA car now living in OH, so the inspections have expired, but like many people living near the PA/OH line, this person has taken advantage of the fact that PA requires strict annual inspections, while OH doesn't care what moves along the road as long as it has a light somewhere on it. This was clearly well-enough taken care of in order to last this long and remain this solid. 

Judging by the tears in the front pillow-top upholstery, some of the foam may remain on your person after enjoying a smooth ride in this 98, but its a small price to pay. Interestingly (or not), the 98 sedan shared the same underpinnings as the Buick Electra, Chevy Impala, Cadillac DeVille and Pontiac Bonneville, as did the coupes of each model. When I say underpinnings, I mean chassis, firewall, layout, glass, dash parts, and misc other items. Clearly each looked distinctive and had different mechanicals. 

This car was very clean in August 2012. Since then, the driver's door has stopped closing properly, the rear bumper has been bent and that damaged the two plastic surrounds of the taillights, the rust on the drivers door has gone from a tiny bubble to a bigger spot, the hood has been buckled near the hinge, and the rocker molding on the passenger side was damaged then went missing. 

Looks ok from here, just missing the skirts.

At least some attempts have been made to resist the rust

The front section of this molding was damaged, then vanished.

Still such a friendly front end

I'm sorry to say that after 37 years, the damaged parts are being attacked ferociously by the aggressive salting of the winter roads.  This Olds has a limited life left, unless action is taken soon.

1953 Packard Caribbeans: Out in the Cold

Imagine my surprise when, on the way to a lunch meeting, I couldn't help but see the faceless front of a turquoise Packard peeping out from behind a closed service station.While I like the 1951 to '54 models, I didn't think too much of it, but when I was next driving past, I decided to stop and take a closer look. I expected a sedan, but once I saw it was a convertible, I was more intrigued. 

I looked briefly, took a number on the front of the building and made a call a few days later. The owner confirmed that not only was it a 1953 Packard convertible, there were two, and they were both Caribbeans. (I had totally missed the one without the front clip.) Here in Youngstown, Ohio, just 15 miles away from the Packard Museum in nearby Warren, Ohio, are two of the most sought-after post-war Packards. Two remaining from 750 built in 1953, and although one looks like it is more of a parts car, anything is restorable.

It was sleeting when I took the pictures, and the cars are behind a fence, so these are the best pictures I can get for the time being. 

Spotters guide: The 53 and 54 look very similar, especially with no grille/front chrome, but the 1953, the first year for the Caribbean, has fully open rear wheels, while the 1954 has half enclosed ones.

I must say that I am very surprised that, although the green/turquoise car looks like a restoration project, I can't see using another Caribbean as a parts car. It looks as though someone has done that. It can't be doing either of them any good to be out in the Ohio elements - even a cheap tarpaulin would have been helpful. Perhaps these cars will yet be rescued.
Interested in more to do with Packards? Try the website mentioned above here.