My other project is a 1956 Bel Air. I went with a friend to look at this car he saw on Craigslist. It had been setting in a garage since 1977. It was an original 265 Powerglide California car in non-running condition He passed on it as he was looking for a turn key car, not a project. The add disappeared and in the back of my mind I kept thinking I should have bought it as it was such a nice original car.
Three months later the ad popped up again on Craigslist. This time I acted and the car was mine. Everything with fluid in it needed attention. Both the radiator and water pump leaked. The brakes were all stuck and the treadle-vac master cylinder was missing some critical parts. The carburetor was stuck and the fuel tank was a nasty mess. Oh yea, the tires were out of round from setting so long. The original interior was still in the car but it was in very bad shape. The seat foam had hardened up and when I sat on it made a crunch sound and ended up as a yellow powder on the floor.
The good news was the car had never been disassembled or even messed with. The body was rust free. Not one wire in the car had ever been cut. When I started it up it had good oil pressure and the generator was charging. The windshield wipers, heater, and all the lights worked. After I replaced the tires, fixed the brakes, repaired the radiator, and replaced the fuel pump and tank it drove well.
So the plan was to restore it back to original. Then I came across a nice big block 454 and started thinking it would be much more fun to drive with a big block, power steering, air conditioning, disc brakes, and a TKX 5 speed transmission. So that's where I'm at now.
