Since I started writing for Barn Finds I have made a concerted effort to avoid the “p” word, but the seller uses that word when describing this car in their advertisement, so I guess that I can no longer avoid it. This 1953 Chevrolet is for sale here on eBay. It is located in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and is for sale with a clear title. It is available with a BIN of $3,500 with the option to make an offer.
I can’t avoid it any longer, so here goes. The seller describes this car as having unbeatable patina. I must admit that if patina is what you like, then the seller is probably right, although it’s never a look that I’ve been hugely attracted to myself. The seller claims that the body is solid, with minimal rust in the floors, and that the spare tire holder is solid. All of the glass is present and intact. I do detect a few small areas of rot in the lower corners of the doors, but there is nothing obvious there that will require major work. There is also a little bit evident below the tailgate, but the tailgate itself appears to be solid. The lens for the left hand tail-light is broken, and the rear bumper will need to be replaced.
There’s a bit to be done inside this old Chevy. The seats and door cards will need to be re-trimmed and the headliner will need replacing, but the dash appears to be complete and in quite decent condition. I really like the look of the dash on this as it appears to be both functional and elegant.
There are no shots of the engine for a very good reason….there isn’t one. The seller claims that the engine was removed from this wagon in the early 1960s to be installed in another car. He states that at that time the Chevy only had a genuine 5,000 miles on the clock, although that claim is probably irrelevant today due to the lack of the original engine and the overall physical condition of the car. The seller’s plans revolved around fitting this body onto a newer chassis with the usual upgrades to engine, transmission, steering and brakes to create a unique daily driver. I think that the idea has some merit to it.
To my mind I don’t see any point comparing the price of this Chevy to similar examples that are currently on the market. To my mind the seller is on the right track with his idea of dropping this body onto a later model station wagon chassis. I think that there is the opportunity to build a really user-friendly daily driver by pursuing this plan of action. To me the only question would be whether to preserve the finish of the wagon as is, or whether to give the whole thing a good freshen-up. That would all come down to personal preference.
I dont care for the patina vibe, but I think this is a cool old wagon worthy of an LS swap, disc brakes, and A/C!
Some might say that there is a fine line between patina and rust but this car is way, way over that line on the rust side.
For the record, patina is what happens when a car or other old thing has been lovingly cared for over the course of many years to the point where, in the case of a car, the outer coats of paint have been polished through down to the primer underneath or even right down to the metal which is bare and shiny. Obviously, this car is nothing like that, it is just a rusty old car.
Rather than having “unbeatable patina”, this old car just looks like it has been beaten.
These seem pretty rare today. What did they call them, Handyman Wagons?
I’d just call it ‘rusty’, sadly…
I absolutely hate the word patina. “Patina” has become this black abyss of a term engulfing everything from rust to old paint. Every time that I hear someone the word, my skin begins to itch.
Looking at this car, I see rust. the entire body needs to be sanded, treated, primed and painted. This would be a great car to receive a blue flame engine and a manual transmission.
Unless the frame is rusted beyond repair,which I doubt, what would be the reason to replace it? I like the old wagon, but the price is not right.
A guy near me has two 1954 Pontiac versions of this wagon and they both look a lot better than this Chevy. I’m keeping these on the Q.T. in case things change and I need a car project.
Patina = Paint is gone ,And I am not painting it.
Let’s replace the “P” word with the “N” word. Neglect.
I bet with some CLR and elbow grease that a lot of that rust will come of revealing a not-so-bad layer underneath.
Oh come on, the rear bumper is rusted through. The bumper, some of the thickest metal on the car. Now what do you think the frame, floors, and bottom look like? Parts car!
@Bob C. Yes Bob, these were called
Handyman. This is a 150 version of
the line. You could get them in the
210 series as well. They came with
either 2 or 3 seats depending on the
buyer’s preference. Haven’t ever seen
any of these wagons in Bel Air trim though. Just because I haven’t seen
any so equipped doesn’t mean they’re
not out there somewhere. I’d take this
one and add a 3.8 liter V-6 and 700R4
tranny to make this car a reliable daily
driver. But that’s just me. I’ve always
thought outside the box.
Hey guys its a station wagon.You got to love it!!! Bruce.
Scrap
dont kown why rust became patina?….patina is just a way dressing up a turd,in a different way, people do it all the time, i dont get it. its just an old car that needs everything!
I like the word patina just as much as I appreciate the word survivor when it comes to cars. So over used they mean NOTHING!
Sorry Adam, all I can see is rust, not rot, but rust! I believe cars like this are a great opportunity! They are so much more attractive with a nice paint job on them! Hot rods and junk rods look good with the P word for sure!
I only hope this car gets restored to original. Don’t have to go gonzo replacing every nut and bolt, just make it look and drive nice. These cars could do highway service. So many families probably have fond memories riding in someones Chevy wagon, seeing our country for the 1st time. Dinah Shore had a lot of impact with her “See the USA, in your Chevrolet” ads. I think it turns peoples memories off when they see these resto-modded with some corny wheels and superchargers sticking through the hood. One vote for original.
I have a 1953 handyman and the gas tanks are shaped weird and seemed to be trapped in by the rear end and the spare wheel well,and can’t get this old cruddy tank out, that cost $350 bucks..I have a replacement ..can’t wait to get it on the road..all but the tank is done.