Which classic car?

I'm on the hunt for classic. My criteria are simple. It has to be able seat 4 adults in relative comfort (key word is relative). Come with a factory manual transmission or be easily swapped. Have a decent aftermarket and support group. I prefer pre 70's. The older the better. My budget is $15k max. Currently I'm favoring the 59-61 Chevy impala/biscayne/bel air. Or any of the shoe box bodies by either ford or chevy. I'm a Chevy guy at heart but love cars in general. Only exclusions are the bronco, k5, scout, and willys.

Thanks Zack

Rover P5

Rover V8 goodness.

Wallens and I were having a similar chat recently. You are not alone. My mind veers towards a sleeper bank robbery escape vehicle with hopped up suspension like the Chevy from the movie Dirty Larry Crazy Mary. A Ford Galaxie moonshine runner would work as well. As for relative comfort, that depends on how big your relatives are. Yuk--Yuk--Yuk

Chevy II wagon.

Valiants and Darts are readily available, have good interior room for the exterior size, and came with several engine and transmission options. There is racing heritage and aftermarket engine/transmission/suspension/brake upgrade availability.

I like the '63-'66 "Narrow Body" style. Here's my '64 Valiant:

Rick Ehrenberg's "Green Brick" One Lap veteran '69 Valiant

I always liked the looks of a '60 Chevy.

I'd be looking to "forgotten" makes where $15K will get you a cherry, like Hudson, Studebaker, and whatnot.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I always liked the looks of a '60 Chevy.

Weirdest looking 1960 Chevy I ever saw.

What body style do you want? For 1959/1960 Chevys there's a big price difference, you can probably find a nice four door sedan for cheap but a convertible or two door hardtop will cost you. 1961 was a totally different body style.

Golly, There are so many Yank Tanks to choose from.

If it were for myself I would look for a 60 Starliner

The 64 Barracuda is on my bucket list

63 Falcon sprints are dreamy

I think you'll want to narrow it down a bit as to what you'd really want. From your criteria, even a Model T would fit. It has a manual trans, seats 4 and has a huge support group. Are you interested in pre-WWII stuff (gangsta hot rod), 50's styling, muscle car?

Does this picture appear to be "relatively comfortable"?

If yes...

Klayfish wrote: I think you'll want to narrow it down a bit as to what you'd really want. From your criteria, even a Model T would fit. It has a manual trans, seats 4 and has a huge support group. Are you interested in pre-WWII stuff (gangsta hot rod), 50's styling, muscle car?

This seems to be my biggest problem. Really why I've emplored the GRM brain trust. I love a ford 2 door sedan, and would kill for a 55 Chevy. But good (not great) examples easily eclipse my budget. I'm drawn toward the late 50 early 60 bc it's the perfect blend of classic and muscle car styling. A 61 impala with the very subtle fender "wings" is ideal. I'm not looking for a numbers matching car or collectible. I want a driver, and dont mind building from a solid roller.

The galaxy or star liner is def an option. Even through the Torino fastback 72 or older. Falcon sprint is sweet, so is the Chevy 2. I'd take both in a wagon too. I might need to take the golf bag variety approach. A vehicle for every situation. Keep the suggestions coming. Any other Europeans worth looking into? Volvo 122 or other 2xx?

I feel your pain. I've been all over the map, like a lot of people here. You'll get tons of suggestions here. Maybe narrow down to your top 5 or even top 10? I'm sure the GRM braintrust can give you details about the specific cars you narrow down to.

You could get a decent driver early Mustang for that price. They certainly have endless aftermarket support. Or how about a late 50's car not as "popular" but has been updated with modern parts, i.e. a restomod?

John, I had one of those Jags...though mine was far from the Jag purist show car. Engine was a hopped up 302 with a C4(?) tranny behind it. That drew enough angry stares from Jag lovers, let alone it's paint job... It was a wild ride!

thunderzy wrote: Any other Europeans worth looking into? Volvo 122 or other 2xx?

a 122 (Amazon) and its cousin, the P1800, are surprisingly useable vehicles. Very simple to work on as well.

If I had $15,000 to drop on something of that vintage that I wanted to carry 4 adults in comfort, cruise at freeway speeds, and have more than a modicum of style I know what my answer would be:

As a bonus, it has standard power steering and brakes.

I'm working with a tighter budget, and I have found that the 63-64 Rambler Classic and Ambassador models are well-styled machines. I'm fond of any of the body types, but I'd love to have a hardtop coupe. As a bonus, they're pretty cheap - about $4k-7k for the best examples.

And $15k should buy you one of the nicest Volvo 122s available should you go that route. They were available in coupe, sedan, wagon varieties. See Volvo 144 and 145 models if you prefer boxy to round.

thunderzy wrote: Any other Europeans worth looking into? Volvo 122 or other 2xx?

Jag MKX. Jag MKII (I am not sure how that would fit in the price range to be honest). Rover P5 or P6 if you can find them. Triumph Dolomite. MG Magnette. Also there are a number of Mercedes sedans you could find in that price range. Also there are Rolls and Bentleys available in that price range but maintaining on is a little painful on the wallet (to say the least).

Hmmmmm Chevy... pre 70... 4 adults... 4 speed

late 60s/70 Nova SS. Fun... likely not too costly to use and play with. LS powered maybe with a 6 speed and you get mpg and whp

In reply to bastomatic:

That Rambler wagon just got me feeling all funny......

Since I just talked about my '66 Pontiac in another thread that made me think about them in this thread. They've got it all: comfort, style, power, room for 4 adults and all their hookers .. err .. stuff in the trunk.

and they're available with a manual but if you get an auto one a manual swap is pretty damn simple.

I think they're just dripping with 60's style from the stacked headlights to the chrome to the high greenhouse.

They're available in sedan, coupe, convertible, and wagon to suit every occasion. They have tons of power - the 389 4-barrel made about 325hp (gross) and achieved about 12-13mpg with the TH400 transmission. Everything about the drivetrain is bulletproof and parts are widely available.

They ride on coil springs on all four corners so the ride is plush but controlled. Most of them come with 4-wheel drum brakes but they're really big drums. I believe that front disks were available but I have no idea how common those are. If you're really luck you might find one with the 8-lug finned drums but that does limit your wheel choices. To one.

Whether or not you fall in love, you can't go wrong with one of these. They're pretty sweet and you definitely don't see one every day.

dculberson wrote: Since I just talked about my '66 Pontiac in another thread that made me think about them in this thread. They've got it all: comfort, style, power, room for 4 adults and all their hookers .. err .. *stuff* in the trunk.

Are you saying that the adults and their hooke...stuff...all went into the trunk? You really were a wild man before getting married, huh? Now that's havin' junk in the trunk....on so many levels.

Hell yeah, they do have an 8-body trunk. The most I carried was 1 though.

Actually married life has calmed me down a lot, which is good. We once squeezed 13 people into my Pontiac to go to the club. It was fun but probably not something I would try to recreate nowadays. Getting older is not all bad.

dculberson wrote: Since I just talked about my '66 Pontiac in another thread that made me think about them in this thread. They've got it all:

My kind of guy. I've always been a full size Pontiac fan, I have a '61 Bonneville now but have owned various other models over the years including a '65 Grand Prix.

You can still find 1960s Pontiacs for reasonable prices as long as you aren't going for the high performance versions; in particular it's a buyer's market for four door cars, and they still have plenty of style.

tuna55 wrote: a 122 (Amazon) and its cousin, the P1800, are surprisingly useable vehicles. Very simple to work on as well.

The rear seat in an 1800 is not even suitable for children unless one of the people up front is REALLY short.

A 122, on the other hand, does have a usable back seat, even in a 2-door. All were manuals. Parts are easily available. Community is a bit hit or miss depending on where you live, but you can usually find a few other enthusiasts near by.