Run into the ground, and clearly forgotten and neglected for some time, this ’51 Chevy Coupe has certainly seen better days. With no information provided other than a copy and paste excerpt from Wikipedia, this heavily weathered American iron is offered for an opening bid price of $500.00. Check it out here on ebay out of Longton, Kansas.
Under all of that weathered metal is a 216 cubic inch inline 6 that is still with the car after who knows how long. No clues as to its condition, or even the last time this car may have run, or been driven. The engine appears complete, as if this car was simply driven to its current resting spot one day.
Inside there are spider webs and loads of dirt and dust. The seller added another interior photo, and shows that the interior isn’t as rough you may expect, and the floors while wearing surface rust, do not appear to have any holes. If I had to guess though, you are one “Yabba Dabba Doo” from knocking the driver side floor board out.
Although appearing as a derelict field find, there does not appear to be much rot on the body based off of the photos. The rear wheel arch has some rot, and the trunk area has some rot just above the rear bumper. A restoration wouldn’t make sense for this old Chevy as the car isn’t valuable enough to get any money out of it. Many aren’t exactly in love with the hot rod or rat rod idea, but if someone wanted to make this rusty lump of metal a car again in some form or fashion, by all means do it. Put it back on the road again even if it appears as something far from original. Could you do something with this old forgotten Chevrolet?
This car might get saved if bought by a young teen
lusting for old iron,as they may have the time and money to make a nice driver out of it.Other than that,it looks like a good parts car.
The frame is probably rusted through from laying so low in that spot for decades,
These cars are very simple to keep going,and would be great for someone new to the hobby.I hope that it will bring enjoyment to who ever buys it!
the question I have what sort of nasty spiders, and snakes and scorpions do they have where this stovebolt sits or killer bees? worth thinking about when snooping around cars that have sit this long! and dumping money in this thing is like burning it! go find one that runs and drives at least!
I would like to put it back on the road.
This car is destined for a parts dismantler…then forgotten once again…
This looks like an easily restorable project. While it would never be a good investment to restore then flip (very few will make you money contrary to what you see at BJ’s), it would be a great car to restore and enjoy. Slow, plodding and maybe a little noisy but reliable to a fault. It’s complete and that’s half the battle. Body-off restoration, just do it.
I agree with you whole heartedly Geomech. As I pointed out a few days ago the reason Resto’s go into the stratosphere is people are unwilling to learn the skills and build up their tool boxes, I know this takes time but it can be done. I find that there is nothing more statisfiing then using your brain to accomplish somthing with your hands. It can be therapeutic if your doing the work on your own terms ie hobby. The one thing that bugs me about all this are the people that don’t want let a car go but also don’t want to take the measures to properly preserve it either. So they store it outside and let it go to $h!t until it’s to far gone to save. Secondly what ever happened to restoring a car because it was your dream car or your long term cool car. As you said Geomech most of these old cars are a losing propositions and if that is a problem then perhaps your in the wrong hobbie. Oh there’s that word ( HOBBY) which is something you like to do not something that is going to make you money. JMHO.
Hi Mark. Well said, for sure. I think everyone interested in restoring a car should enroll in a course that shows them the rudiments of restoration and also helps them make out a list of things to be done and the order in WHICH they should be done. I took a course at the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskawin, Alberta, about 8 years ago and it was time very well spent. Just learning how to make the list was amazing. So many bad habits fixed by that alone. I remember being told not to tear the car down immediately but to clean it up, remove the interior and do the rough-out bodywork be-FORE you strip it down. We were allowed to beat on a ’54 Studebaker (which has since been restored) with a huge cave-in in the rear fender. Did you know that a dent is a lot easier to hammer out if you start at the end and work your way back to the beginning? Anyways, a course like that is a real confidence-builder.
Good to know Geomechs I live in Calgary and I’ve been to Renalds many times, as a kid we would stop in there when it was still owned by the Renalds family it was a little buy and sell place on the west side of highway 2 out back there was a field full of early steel wheeled stream and gas tractors as well as cars. When old man Renalds died the Alberta government bought the whole thing out and built the Renalds museum. I don’t remember much about old Renalds but my dad being a mechanic also, seemed to enjoy lengthy conversations with him while my brother and I played on the old steam tractors in the field out behind the main building. I was fascinated by that old equipment. If your ever up this way again be sure to take in pieoneer acres. It is a working museum with some big steam tractors gas tractors a working steam powered blacksmith shop a building full of vintage farm trucks one of the first electrically lite houses on the prairies with lights being run by battaries and charged by a windmill. A freind of mine was involved out there but is currently running and fixing the steam locomotives at heritage park right here in the city of Calgary this is also a working museum set up to be a turn of the last century town it to has an extensive collection of cars donated almost all by one collector. Thanks for the tip I my have to look into the Renalds course.
I grew up around these things. While I always thought the 235 was quite a bit better engine with full pressure oiling by 1954 (?) I guess the 216 had nearly as much power. Yes it had babbit rods, but any young guy back in the day knew you just pulled the pan and took some shims out of the caps to tighten up the bearings.
The power is enough that one could drive it as a daily driver if you were happy driving 55mph. Pretty hard to kill. Lord knows, we tried.
This really does not look to be so bad. From the back story, do we really believe it was sitting in vegetation or mud for 20 years? Kansas is pretty dry. Semi arid.
And as mentioned it has some nice options. I have never seen such an air cleaner on a Chevy. Buick, Cadillacs, high end cars used a silenced air cleaner.Perhaps an option.I seriously doubt the frame is rusted badly. But If you gotta change it, I bet there are some out there looking for bodies.
Excellent choice for a low key part resto. Or rolling resto.
Mark, I’ve actually been to Irricana, for the annual show. It will be on my calendar every year from now on. And a visit to Heritage Park/Gasoline Alley in Calgary is also a great place to stop. Alberta has got some great museums and private collections.
Looks pretty good sitting in the grass, I’d just leave it right where it is.
Geo/Mark S: Yup. This is not a Pebble Beach candidate. If it really has decent floor pans, then the stout frame should be OK. Rat Rod haters? This is a perfect candidate to pressure wash, get driveable (put a different GM 6 into ?), throw on some JC Whitney seat covers, paint the wheels and add baby moons and have fun. Is that a Rat? YES / NO Depends on your point of view. But it could be a cheap and fun ride at the Rod run/show and I guarantee it will get more attention than a $75,000 fiberglass ’32 roadster. OBTW: I think it’s a 2 door sedan and not a coupe. It’s interesting. Totally original engine compartment, Dealer installed bumper guards. COOL! :-) Terry J
Yup Terry/ Ron Y none of my business, but it doesn’t make it smart. I don’t know if your that guy if you are I did not mean to offend you. The down side is cars like this in restorable condition are slowly getting scarcer and scarcer. But I guess so are the guys that want them. JMHO.
I have a 52 sedan, barn find after 30 years. Very little cost (tires really) to get mine rolling. Mechanical resto is my plan. Body shows age, but otherwise vehicle is unmolested.
Hi Tim. Nice find! Hope you have a lot of fun with that. It looks a lot better than the car in the link (attached? hopefully?). I’ve got a ’49 Styleline Deluxe that’s also a barnfind. I’ve shown the photo of it many times in the past so refrained from posting it here.
https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.clintondailynews.com%2Fsites%2Fclintondailynews.com%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fslideshow%2Fpublic%2Ffield%2Fimage%2Ffoss%2520car%2520recovery%25202-gerald.jpg%3Fitok%3Dyhne8soi&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.clintondailynews.com%2Fbodies-found-foss-lake&docid=b4rOKQrSoH0KDM&tbnid=fojKOUr-hy54YM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiOhLyvwvDWAhUI8WMKHQMpA00QMwicASgsMCw..i&w=618&h=300&bih=974&biw=1920&q=foss%20lake&ved=0ahUKEwiOhLyvwvDWAhUI8WMKHQMpA00QMwicASgsMCw&iact=mrc&uact=8
Sometimes people don’t want to sell a car for various reasons or because they have a good reason in their mind not to, and whatever that reason, its their business and not ours, if they want the car to sit right where its at, fine, someone one day will end up with it, if its too far gone when that time comes, too bad, don’t judge people for not selling, you may not understand the reason even if they told you……….and for that matter they don’t have to give you a reason .
Hi Ron. You’ve got a very good point there. At a local auto wreckers you’ll find a ’72 GMC Jimmy parked out front the way it was driven and parked 30+ years ago. It was in mint condition with only 32K miles on it. Unfortunately the elements are slowing reclaiming it. The last time I saw it, there was a willow growing around the left front wheel. The truck isn’t for sale and probably won’t be as long as the owner’s father is alive. His son drove it up to the place one morning, the same as most mornings, and died suddenly later that day. I’ve heard lots of stories about what happened to him but the bottom line is that he was gone and his father never got over it, and can’t bear to go near that Jimmy. It’s too bad that he doesn’t let it go to someone who cares and will restore it (partially as a memorial to the owner) and drive it.
Carry on Wayward Son. It may be at The Point of No Return. Leave it to be Dust in The Wind
It got more than the pric worth of difficult to get accessories on it. Windshield washer, oil filter,reverse lights and factory accessory over ride bar. Sold the same windshield washer unit at Hersey for 350 last week
It’s got more than the cost of the car in difficult to get accessories on it. Windshield washer unit, over ride bars, oil filter,a pair reverse lights, clock and radio. Sold a washer unit with a chipped jar at Hersey last week for 350.
So you said…
This could be a candidate for an ICON derelict.
This rough ‘51 brings back memories of one I purchased back in 1969 when I worked track maintainence at Riverside International Raceway.
The car was owned by a lady employed by the Raceway, and I would see it driven to work daily by her and it was maintained in pristine condition.
Jack Bridwell the head of security at the Raceway told me it was for sale, and I was able to buy it that day. That beautiful green Chevy had the six cylinder, automatic and ran whisper quiet. I take a look at photo’s of green ‘51 Chevys to see if “Rosemary’s Chevy” is still out there. (I hope it did not end up like the feature car)