Well, folks, I finally got myself an N-code Polara 'vert. Snow White is a fair beauty with a black top, and she wears road wheels. A photo is included below, courtesy of seller @race city retro.
According to the documentation gathered in the past dozen years by folks on the Yahoo Board (most of the credits go to @kmccabe56 and @Bill Watson, with a supporting cast that included @Fratzog and @polara71), there were 842 Polara 'verts produced for MY1970. 695 were sold in the States: of the latter, a mere nineteen (19!) came out of the factory with a 383-4. Of the 144 'verts sold in Canada, none (0, zip) sported an "N" code engine. (Yes, I know, 144 and 695 make 839, not 842 -- I believe the other 3 were "Export-Import division built up units", Kevin will correct me if I am wrong).
I owe special thanks to @Yeahrightgreer and @71Polara383 for volunteering to travel and help to assess the car before purchase, and to @Ripinator for offering to help me pick it up (unfortunately, other commitments rule out my taking him up on this adventure
). Working with the seller has been a pleasure.
The car should reach its destination in the coming days. Some work will then in order, so that she can make it to Volo, Carlisle, and the CATL next year (and, maybe, MoparFest and the Woodward Ave. Cruise as well). Here is the list that Wyatt will go through, given that what I want is a solid/exciting driver.
--> The interior seems in very good condition, with a couple of broken A/C vents and the steering wheel the only significant eyesores:
(1) Wyatt has the correct A/C vents;
(2) for the steering wheel, because I will go with RWL on this car (color-match with the road wheels inserts and the body), I may get a wood steering wheel;
(3) I need to find an R35 radio: the car apparently has an aftermarket unit...
--> Mechanically, other than get 5 new tires, the seller seems to have done most of what I’d want to do:
(i) the brakes need going through but I think the issue is that the seller may have bought the wrong booster from eBay. My plan is to have the original booster (which he kept, luckily) re-manufactured and then reinstall the original;
(ii) the radiator may need replaced, depending on whether the Spectra CU332 cools well.
(iii) the car needs an exhaust -- I could go back to Waldron’s, or maybe I'll go TTI this time?
(iv) of course oil / trans fluid / PS fluid changes (and the coolant if we change the radiator) are needed after all has been done.
--> Cosmetically, my plan is to:
(a) properly finish the outside paint job (it needs wet sanded and buffed);
(b) repaint the trunk, including the right spackle finish;
(c) check out the lower quarters for bondo (there is a bit) and fix what needs to be;
(d) once that is done, install the missing driver-side rear-wheel well trim;
(e) and I may change the bumpers as well, or have the originals re-plated.
Other than that, I don't think I should do anything to the top unless it turns out to be less than hermetic.
Any thoughts?
According to the documentation gathered in the past dozen years by folks on the Yahoo Board (most of the credits go to @kmccabe56 and @Bill Watson, with a supporting cast that included @Fratzog and @polara71), there were 842 Polara 'verts produced for MY1970. 695 were sold in the States: of the latter, a mere nineteen (19!) came out of the factory with a 383-4. Of the 144 'verts sold in Canada, none (0, zip) sported an "N" code engine. (Yes, I know, 144 and 695 make 839, not 842 -- I believe the other 3 were "Export-Import division built up units", Kevin will correct me if I am wrong).
I owe special thanks to @Yeahrightgreer and @71Polara383 for volunteering to travel and help to assess the car before purchase, and to @Ripinator for offering to help me pick it up (unfortunately, other commitments rule out my taking him up on this adventure
). Working with the seller has been a pleasure.The car should reach its destination in the coming days. Some work will then in order, so that she can make it to Volo, Carlisle, and the CATL next year (and, maybe, MoparFest and the Woodward Ave. Cruise as well). Here is the list that Wyatt will go through, given that what I want is a solid/exciting driver.
--> The interior seems in very good condition, with a couple of broken A/C vents and the steering wheel the only significant eyesores:
(1) Wyatt has the correct A/C vents;
(2) for the steering wheel, because I will go with RWL on this car (color-match with the road wheels inserts and the body), I may get a wood steering wheel;
(3) I need to find an R35 radio: the car apparently has an aftermarket unit...
--> Mechanically, other than get 5 new tires, the seller seems to have done most of what I’d want to do:
(i) the brakes need going through but I think the issue is that the seller may have bought the wrong booster from eBay. My plan is to have the original booster (which he kept, luckily) re-manufactured and then reinstall the original;
(ii) the radiator may need replaced, depending on whether the Spectra CU332 cools well.
(iii) the car needs an exhaust -- I could go back to Waldron’s, or maybe I'll go TTI this time?
(iv) of course oil / trans fluid / PS fluid changes (and the coolant if we change the radiator) are needed after all has been done.
--> Cosmetically, my plan is to:
(a) properly finish the outside paint job (it needs wet sanded and buffed);
(b) repaint the trunk, including the right spackle finish;
(c) check out the lower quarters for bondo (there is a bit) and fix what needs to be;
(d) once that is done, install the missing driver-side rear-wheel well trim;
(e) and I may change the bumpers as well, or have the originals re-plated.
Other than that, I don't think I should do anything to the top unless it turns out to be less than hermetic.
Any thoughts?
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