Can someone please help me define the term "OLD CAR"?

Dear group;
I recently began shopping around the southern US for some *vintage tin* in order to start my project and I got the shock of my life! Jeebus, older cars have gotten Ungadly EXPENSIVE! I was hoping (in vain, it seems) to locate a decent Tri-Five with a straight, mostly rust-free body that was at least 90% complete. I soon discovered that even the most incomplete, rusted out pieces of junk are selling for over $4,000! Has the world gone crazy?

After my Tri-Five bubble got popped, I then decided to expand my search for a 1966-68 Chevelle Malibu. Second shock! They are as expensive, if not more so, than Tri-Fives! And Novas are just as bad as the Malibus! A Dodge Charger? Forget it!

And now, I am altering my plan of attack yet again. Arghhhhhhhh! Going wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy back to my hot rodding roots, I am now searching for a mostly rust-free, complete 1970-72 Monte Carlo. I had a 454 powered 70 MC back in 81 and it rocked! Especially after I bought a second hand Weiand low profile 256 blower for it! It smoked! And so now, with my options quickly running out, I've noticed that the 1970-72 Monte Carlo offerings are substantially cheaper than just about anything else.

My question is, would a 1970-72 Monte Carlo be considered an *old car*? he reason why I am asking the question is because I would very much like to build a street legal Gasser. I caught the drag racing bug many moons ago by watching the gassers run at my local track (long since gone) however, as I recall, the last year the gassers was in 1976 or thereabouts. Alas, I got my DL in 1977, and not being able to locate a parked street legal gasser back then, I've never owned one. Also, I didn't have enough knowledge or $$$ back in those days to build a streetable gasser, so having a streetable gasser has remained a pipe dream for me.

I would like to build a ride that is both street legal and yet is competitive at the drag strip. And this is where the problem lies. It seem there are no unified rules regarding gassers. One club runs mostly fiberglass Willys copies and their cut-off year is 1957 or something horrendous like that. Another club states that 1972 is the cut-off year and yet another club does not have a cut-off, yet they state that all cars must retain a *period look* (whatever that means).

And thoughts, ideas or suggestions?
Your friend;
LAMAR

Lamar,
Just one person's opinion but..... If you are going for a period look you have to go for a period car. Gassers were in their heyday from the 50's into the mid sixties. A big block Monte Carlo is a cool car but I don't recall ever seeing one at the drag strip with a straight axle. One sure would look pretty awesome done up that way though. You should build your own vision but if you are wanting period correct you might want to go a little older.... Get out some old Hot Rod magazines and start a scrapbook of the look you are wanting. On the subject of affordability don't forget the orphans and oddballs when choosing your gasser project. Something like a '61 Rambler American or a '60 Valiant station wagon might be more affordable than a muscle car and would end up standing out in the crowd.... Like I said, just one person's opinion. Let's hear from everybody else!

My personal opinion, something Pre-World War II manufactured is classified as an "old car". And, if you consider $4,000 "ungadly" expensive, I believe that you need to consider another hobby.

Roller Coaster wrote:My personal opinion, something Pre-World War II manufactured is classified as an "old car". And, if you consider $4,000 "ungadly" expensive, I believe that you need to consider another hobby.

Dear Roller Coaster;
No, I don't consider $4,000 *Ungadly expensive* yet at the same time I DO consider a pile of rusted out imcomplete junk with a $4,000 price tag to be Ungadly expensive. I learned a long time ago that the more car there is to start with equals the less time, money and effort expended to have a running ride.
Your friend;
LAMAR

Truxter Fordly wrote:Lamar,
Just one person's opinion but..... If you are going for a period look you have to go for a period car. Gassers were in their heyday from the 50's into the mid sixties. A big block Monte Carlo is a cool car but I don't recall ever seeing one at the drag strip with a straight axle. One sure would look pretty awesome done up that way though. You should build your own vision but if you are wanting period correct you might want to go a little older.... Get out some old Hot Rod magazines and start a scrapbook of the look you are wanting. On the subject of affordability don't forget the orphans and oddballs when choosing your gasser project. Something like a '61 Rambler American or a '60 Valiant station wagon might be more affordable than a muscle car and would end up standing out in the crowd.... Like I said, just one person's opinion. Let's hear from everybody else!

Dear Truxter Fordly;
While a straight tube front axle is definitely the most desirable, as I recall from memory, about 90% of the later model gassers had the lifted front ends while maintaining the independent front suspension.

Station wagons are DEFINITELY cool as are all late 50s to mid 60s AMC products. I have a soft spot for that 401 AMC engine and I truly believe that as a power building platform, it is second only to the venerable Hemi.
Your friend;
LAMAR

I would look on Craigs List for a car for a certain amount only. I see a lot of cars from 1940 - 1977 under $2,000.00 that runs, but also needs some TLC. You can search these cities: Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio Lexington, Louisville, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana. I average 20 a week with a price tag under 2 grand. But, half of them are not running. I thought I seen a good deal last week, until I found out it didn't have a motor or tranny in it. Although the Tranny was part of the car, it wasn't in the vehicle.

I consider old as anything under a 2000 model.. You can build any car that you would like and yes, money is a issue with any older vehicle. Doesn't matter what it is, it's usually going to cost you to rebuild one. I figure most older vehicles, your going to have to drop 2 or 3 grand in it to get it in descent shape, not counting paint. Unless of course, you know someone that has used parts that are willing to give them to you. This is my two cents worth..
I hope you find what your looking for and have a good day!

If it was cheap and easy everyone would be doing it.

And making a Monte Carlo into a gasser would be like building a Ferrari with wagon wheels on it. The time frame just doesn't match up.

Money-wise, you gotta pay to play - The more you start with the more it costs. Desirable/collectible cars cost more. Besides, did you really think you were going to pick up a clean complete tri-five for under 4 bills? It's not 1981 anymore...

I have a 67 GTO Sedan sedan I'd sell ya...Complete, but not cheap....

Blue Eyed Devil wrote:If it was cheap and easy everyone would be doing it.

And making a Monte Carlo into a gasser would be like building a Ferrari with wagon wheels on it. The time frame just doesn't match up.

Money-wise, you gotta pay to play - The more you start with the more it costs. Desirable/collectible cars cost more. Besides, did you really think you were going to pick up a clean complete tri-five for under 4 bills? It's not 1981 anymore...

Dear Blue Eyed Devil:
I agree that turning a Gen. I Monte Carlo into a gasser is somewhat unique and novel, which is why I'd like to do it. The truth of the matter is that I think that with a field of around 90% fiberglass 40 Willys coupes, today's gassers are sort of boring. An old Monte Carlo would really stand apart from the rest of the crowd. Say! Isn't that what hot rodding was originally about??? Building a car that was unique and novel and also something that stood apart from the rest o' the crowd? Yeah, I do remember that was how hot rodding got started, or something like that.

And no, I didn't really know what to expect, except to state if prices keep going up then we will soon be pricing ourselves out of a hobby. I know that a lot of guys take pride in the fact that their ride costs more than their house, but the truth is that it will the outrageous price tag which will ultimately kill the hobby of hot rodding. And this is why kids today's take a ricer, throw a huge stereo in it, slap some Japanese characters on the sides, put a tach in it as big as a pie plate and then call it good. It's because they can't AFFORD anything else.

Anyway, I have a build budget that I would not like to go over. The more $$$ saved at the beginning of the build means the more $$$ than go into the end of the build. The engine alone will cost around 15K which is very spendy and it also leaves out the Hemi. I guess it'll have to be another BBC. *sigh* So much for being unique and novel.
Your friend;
LAMAR

Is a Monte Carlo with a straight axle a Gasser or a Street Freak? The real Gassers were run in Modifird Eliminator until 1981 when the bracket was done away with. At that time most of the higher Gas class cars were Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs and Monzas. A good portion of the winning cars were the 6 cylinder cars in the lower classes or the Modified Production cars. I really don't think that an axle makes a gasser (they didn't all have straight axles) and neither does a Willys or 55 Chevy body. The Gasser term is one that is over used by people who have no idea what the old Gassers were. Have fun, build what you want and called it what you want. Others may view it differently so just keep that in mind.

Hey Lamar,
There is a yard here with two 65 Rambler Marlins. Now you want different; there you go and old enough to be accepted 'bout anywhere. The problem with Old Cars is that with scrap prices the way they are, Old Car = Flat Car.

rambler wagon on the hamb, set up for SBC for 1900 in Macon GA....could build and drive for under 3 grand...and koool to boot...