karim.marouf@cancom.com wrote:
> My dad and I are considering buying a TC together.
> How can you check the condition of the wood, esp. in areas
> that aren't accesible.
About the best you can do is poke an icepick or awl under the lower sills and
see if they are soft - if you can poke in more than about 1/16 inch, you have
a problem. If the sills look OK, you may be out of trouble on the rest if it.
The only other area that wood shows is at the bulkhead under the hood.
> What areas commonly rust?
Same general areas, but has the car been is a high rain location at any time
opr driven in salt trated roads (east coast)? In CA we don't concern ourselves
with rust too much unless it's a CA beach car. The salt air can wreak havoc.
> The car supposedly still has its factory paint. If I don't
> see any obvious signs that it's been resprayed (like overspray
> or other colors showing underneath), are there subtle things
> to look for?
You can usually tell a paint job with overspray was not original. If the owner
will let you sand off a tiny area, such as under a running board, you will
either see another coat of paint or primer.
> Were the bottoms of the fenders and the engine
> compartment painted body color?
Do you mean the underside of the fenders? They were all body color as well as
the bulkhead under the hood on later cars. I have heard where the early 45-46
TCs bulkhead had a different color, but I can't recall what it was.
> We really want a very original car, so please give me some
> advice in this area, such as part and serial numbers and how to
> tell if it has any replacement fenders or other body panels.
A totally unrestored, running, good condition , original TC is extremely rare,
and can cost much more than an older restoration. You should pick up a copy of
Hemmings Motor News and look under M-cars. There are usually 6 or 8 TCs
offered in which you can guage the market asking price.
> What is a decent, original TC worth--one that needs only minor work?
> What are top-condition cars going for? I see them advertised at just under
> 20K; are they actually selling for that?
This is the great question - anything is worth what someone will pay! :-) I
have seen the range of $7K for non-running but good body condition, up to well
beyond $25K for a concours car with many aftermarket accessories. In fact, I
have one of those that you can buy! :-)
The main points to observe (assuming a running car) in addition to the usual
road test issues, brakes, clutch slippage, gearbox jumping out of gear on
deceleration, overheating, is the completeness of the car. If it has all
correct instruments (and working), top bows and side curtains, decent seats
not beat up, and chrome in reasonable condition, then a high price is worth
paying as it is NOT cheap to restore these items!
Hope this helps, and I'm sure you will get other inputs on this topic.
Bill Harkins
Fallbrook, CA
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