A guy I know lost his job and needed to sell his 66 Belvedere Wagon so I bought it. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it but I'm thinking it'll wind up being a parts car. Has lots of rust for here in Arizona and has been sitting awhile so I don't think it's worth restoring. Here's some pictures. What do you guys think?
I think any chance to fix up a '60s B-body Mopar wagon shouldn't be wasted. We have this same car in our group and it was saved from the crusher as well. We've put tons of good miles on it and it still rolls strong. Easy to work on and parts are affordable-ish. But ultimately it's your car, so you decide.
It's rough, maybe an expensive restoration but may be worth it. Old MoPars that have begun to rust tend to hide a lot you can't see so, how do you know what you're dealing with short of stripping it down? Part it out and see what your dealing with, gem or junk. One things for sure, these cars have got to be getting pretty rare finds. I think I'd be tempted to go all LAPD or any kind of cop car with this one, great find! Congrats!!
Frame rot would be deal breaker, but if it's just body panels that are bad then those can be fixed or replaced.
Frame and floors are good. Both front fenders, both quarters and the tailgate need quite a bit of patching. People do fix worse cars but you'd be way upside down in thie one even just making a nice driver out of it. I may try to sell it whole first but in this market I doubt I'll have much luck.
make a daily out of it. just a though...pull the motor and put a Cummins in it. or maybe a new engine. given how rusty even low mileage cars are around me... my wifes grand ma just had to junk a 40,000 miles buick skyhawk (when was the last time you saw one of those?) because it was so crispy. i dunno it seems to me as a northerner that that car parted would be a wagon wasted.
Remember he's in Arizona. Rust like below rear tailgate door seems like a lot to those people. In the midwest this is a keeper. Looks straight, glass seems good, most of inside is there. Sad to scrap it. Sadly finding someone interested may be difficult. Only wagon freaks love wagons.
You hit in right on the head Cat. I have been doing bodywork for a living for 39 years and could fix the rust on this one easily. Problem is I'm in Arizona, I don't have to fix rust. I juat have to go find a rust free AZ car. I guess I'll leave the decision up to the people. I'll list it on e-bay with maybe a $600 opening bid and if sells great if not I'll part it. First I'll clean it up a bit and throw a carb on it and try to get it running. It does have a good title and it's already been converted to disc brakes.
Usually if rust is found on a car out here, we walk away from it. Surface is fine cause it comes with the territory. Sometimes floors aren't a breaking point. But when it comes to quarters, fenders, rockers and the underside it becomes a parts car. Cause we know we can usually find a rust free one somewhere. So what is savable to you guys in the rust belt, its scrap here. Just a sad fact. But good job on saving it for the time being and helping a friend out!!
Even in the mid-west where I am from and here in Florida too many people spend way too much time and money on cars that are way too rusty. Sadly no matter how much they repair and replace, that cancer comes back. I sure don't blame you for passing on anything with rust unless it is a rare vehicle.
For Ariz. that may be bad, but growing up in Pa. & living in Misery now, that doesn't look bad at all!! Especially with the years on it.
--------See, we look at vehicles differently than those lucky people in dry climates. I thought living inland in Florida would be better. But lower sections and things unpainted like master cylinders look worse here. Even when parked in cement floored garages. But in a way that's good. Makes the vehicles saved worth more. I still can't figure out why I see more 1940 Ford coupes and 1957 Chevys here than when new! My favorites!
It doesn't look bad to me. The tire well and the tailgate would be the things that I would be looking at closely to determine if its worth fixing along with any other station wagon only steetmetal.
I am with you jim but living in new england all my life I HAVE learnd two things , thairs a project for every drive way and a ass for every seat , ya just got to find the right match.
-Yea butt!!!!! Sometimes we make an ass of ourselves by buying some of those projects that are too far gone! We waste time and money on projects that would be better overlooked for something that may be a driver with just a little money and work. Now that's called larnin!
