'59 Superior 3-way: part out or restore?

If owning this '59, you would:


  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
Hurricane Fran wreaked havoc in '96, causing 37 deaths and $5B in damages.

Hurricane Fran also happened to down an oak tree. A large old oak tree. A large old oak tree that happened to partially crush a '59 Superior sideloader.

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Here's a chance to actually express opinions after being asked! State your focused case like a trial lawyer. ;)

Cons: Took out rear third of roof, rear loading door, fiberglass sail panel, and damaged driver fin. Look at main ingredients: Superior rear door is interchangeable from '59-'64, roof '59-'60, sail panel and fin (obviously) '59 only. '60 sail panel could be modified to work. Skill set required to re-roof coach limits to upper percentile.

Pros: This was a running, driving '59 until damage occurred five years ago. Not rusty. 3-way table/mechanism not damaged. (Left rear piece loose and set in place for pics). Clear title. Highest (relative) procar value. '59s don't grow on trees.

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Would you* restore, part out, use base for custom, or ?

Discuss.

(*Use of <obvious> :myopinion: and :my2cents: smilies prohibited.)
 
I voted "other" as the question posed is IF owned would you... If I owned that car I would not have the resources or expertise to revive it. It would be a painful decision but I am a part of the REAL world.
 
Its hard to see the real condition.

The floor isn't all there and rusty. The interior is rough.
Doesn't look like they took care of it after the tree fell on it.

If you have the time, money and parts car to get the roof and many other parts, I would say fix it !!!

I'm sure it would be worth it and make a nice care !


I'm sure you could part it out for big bucks.


Let us know what will happen to it,
Darren
 
Not for me; not for sale at this time; merely hypothetical.

At some point since Hurricane Fran, this '59 changed hands. It has been under cover since. The current owner can't decide what (if anything) to do. Stimulating then relaying different thought processes might just assist him along...
 
Well, someone has to be the one to vote the other way.

I'm no body man, but my understanding is that there's really not a good way to repair roof damage like that. If you had a donor car with a good roof and bad everything else, I suppose it would be possible. I just don't see it.

It seems to me that, if you had a rough '59 with a good roof, it'd be easier/cheaper to use this as a donor for parts for that, than to do it the other way around.

I know there are folks out there who really need a table.

It's a shame, but nobody's fault, it just happened. Sitting around isn't helping it any, though. I think the best thing that can happen is for it to be used to help others with their restorations.
:my2cents:
 
Restore it.

It could be done. Remember the roof and doors are 59-64 Superior so parts are not that difficult to find. In fact, out in my barn.........................
 
Fixing the roof isn't that bad of a job, if you know what you are doing. Finding the interior parts that might be damaged would be a harder task. If there is glass damage, then that presents another problem also. One has to look at the value of the car after it is repaired, and then calculate the cost of the repair to decide if it is a worthwhile project.
 
Yeah, you can use the one that mysteriously disappeared after I paid for it...

Loren
As for the car that mysteriously dissappeared, that isn't that much of a mystery if you file a police report for a stolen car. Posting on websites, isn't going to get you anywhere. Someone knows who took the car, and they are not going to give that information up unless they are put into a position where if they don't, they will have the full extent of the law bearing down on them. Since it happened so long ago, it might be too late to do anything about it.
 
Restorable.

I vote to restore also. Only 124 manual 3-way's were built. Not sure how many electric, but it is a rare car. Very few have survived, and an even smaller number will ever be available for someone to purchase in any condition.

Given the rarity of these cars, it would be worth restoring. This is especially true if the car is from a warm climate and the bottom half of the body is fairly rust-free as these Superiors rot out terribly, especially the rear fenders.

I'm no expert, but over the years I have seen a number of rotted out 1959 Superiors (for sale, junkyard photos, etc.) with fiberglass tops that are just fine and could be used. For someone looking to buy and restore one of these cars, the choice may come down to a rotten example that requires a great deal of rust repair, or this one that needs the top changed and left rear fender/fin fixed.
:my2cents:
 
It could be fixed no doubt, where is the box for if you take the roof off to put it back on with a couple of inches of it gone. I vote that one.:yum:
 
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