For Sale 1957 Imperial

[mdh157]

my buddy called me this am.........he bought the 74 Newport of yours for his father. Just told me abt his adventure on the way home!

 

[motorhead55]

What luck he had! I am glad he made out ok. Really nice guy.

 

[motorhead55]

This is going to make one hell of a gasser this winter! See you at Dead Mans Curve car show.

 

[saforwardlook]

Pictures make this car look crappy, I don't have the energy to complete all the projects I started. My question to all is this hobby really dying?

I would say that the hobby is definitely dying, at least here in the states. Newer generations aren't interested in cars all that much except as status symbols, and old cars are just "dusty automobiles". Smart phones are the passion, not cars. With automated driving cars around the corner, it is only a matter of time before our cars are phased out due to safety considerations for the common good (we are a Democracy after all). Self driving cars will have vehicle to vehicle communication systems that can act much faster than humans to avoid accidents, and fewer accidents is another of societies' goals and widescale implementation will lessen traffic congestion significantly they claim. Even vehicle ownership in the future is not clear, as many forecast that many will just hail a self driving car from Uber or the like when they need to go somewhere.

Also having a "driver" Forward Look car will not be as enjoyable as you might think. If you don't go through a car that old completely, it will frustrate you to death with one thing after another going bad, and you will soon learn that those old electric generators and starters and other electrics will need frequent servicing, and then trying to get them fixed will have the car out of commission maybe several months at a time. The starters and generators are also very heavy and cumbersome to work with. And ever try removing a cast iron torqueflite transmission to fix a leaking seal - it is no fun? And have you ever had the fun of trying to make center plane ("total contact") brakes work reliably over time? That is a real challenge. And just trying to remove the rear drums to replace a wheel cylinder will also be fun - you need a really good strong puller to even get them off, and even then you will often fail. Ever try to get the correct fabrics or door panels from SMS, one of the few suppliers - you will wait maybe even 2 years to get door panels reproduced that are authentic at least.

In my view, the only way to enjoy a 60 year old plus Forward Look car is to fully restore everything once and then enjoy driving it. But it ain't cheap. That is why your price given the condition of the car from what I see is too high. Better examples can be found for less money. And interested potential owners are dying off - 60 years is a long time ago. That is the reality I see ahead.

Been there

 

[cm23uoc]

I see a slight Chance of an early letter car in my 60s with generally vaning intersts and falling Prices in the future.

 

[motorhead55]

Well put Safowardlook self driving cars are the future and I can't wait to see the reaction of some people when their self driving car is doing the speed limit.

 

[CanCritter]

self driving cars in Canada?.....obviously someones never driven up here durrin the winter.....can see it now...no worries here...l'll be haulin *** till l croak

 

[motorhead55]

All everybody wants to do is pull the hemis and junk the rest. Plus offering 1500 for a good running hemi I think is on the low side.

 

[imperialman]

I would say that the hobby is definitely dying, at least here in the states. Newer generations aren't interested in cars all that much except as status symbols, and old cars are just "dusty automobiles". Smart phones are the passion, not cars. With automated driving cars around the corner, it is only a matter of time before our cars are phased out due to safety considerations for the common good (we are a Democracy after all). Self driving cars will have vehicle to vehicle communication systems that can act much faster than humans to avoid accidents, and fewer accidents is another of societies' goals and widescale implementation will lessen traffic congestion significantly they claim. Even vehicle ownership in the future is not clear, as many forecast that many will just hail a self driving car from Uber or the like when they need to go somewhere.

Also having a "driver" Forward Look car will not be as enjoyable as you might think. If you don't go through a car that old completely, it will frustrate you to death with one thing after another going bad, and you will soon learn that those old electric generators and starters and other electrics will need frequent servicing, and then trying to get them fixed will have the car out of commission maybe several months at a time. The starters and generators are also very heavy and cumbersome to work with. And ever try removing a cast iron torqueflite transmission to fix a leaking seal - it is no fun? And have you ever had the fun of trying to make center plane ("total contact") brakes work reliably over time? That is a real challenge. And just trying to remove the rear drums to replace a wheel cylinder will also be fun - you need a really good strong puller to even get them off, and even then you will often fail. Ever try to get the correct fabrics or door panels from SMS, one of the few suppliers - you will wait maybe even 2 years to get door panels reproduced that are authentic at least.

In my view, the only way to enjoy a 60 year old plus Forward Look car is to fully restore everything once and then enjoy driving it. But it ain't cheap. That is why your price given the condition of the car from what I see is too high. Better examples can be found for less money. And interested potential owners are dying off - 60 years is a long time ago. That is the reality I see ahead.

Been there

View attachment 144395

Meh...without putting my tinfoil hat on I would agree that yes the hobby is dying for no other reason than the people that like and care for these cars are doing the same.

 

[motorhead55]

Still for sale to the right person. Everybody just wants the motor so I am looking at making it road worthy again and drive it.

 

[fury fan]

I read an interesting article about a poll on driverless cars, and the algorithms that would be programmed into them for accident avoidance, and more specifically - accident selection. This is new territory for the NHTSB, to determine how these algorithms will be developed, because ethics and social mores are involved.

The premise was a driverless car carrying 2-3 people is approaching a crosswalk (and green light, which the car sees), when 3-4 people dart in front of the car and will be hit. The car must choose between swerving into a retaining wall and killing the car occupants, or sparing the occupants and killing the pedestrians instead. (obviously an extreme example with extreme outcome) Pollsters were the car's passengers.

Interestingly, most people were willing to accept an algorithm that would choose for the greater societal good and kill the fewer-qty occupants to spare the pedestrians. Even if spouse/child were in the car. (I believe most of those folks gave the answer they think they *should* give in order to be PC and feel good about themselves, but that's a whole 'nother discussion)

However - when it was posed that the same algorithm would be required by the govt to be programmed into the car, pollsters were overwhelmingly against such programming, or at least the govt mandate of it.

 

[Jeff]

Still for sale to the right person. Everybody just wants the motor so I am looking at making it road worthy again and drive it.

Wish you were not so far away. I love that model.