Our Classic Cars

Building on the "A Car for Your 16th Birthday" blog post, here is the story of the acquisition and restoration of Austin's first car, a 1967 Chevy Chevelle Malibu. The car doesn't actually belong to him yet. Before he can drive it home three important things must happen. First, Austin and Dave have to complete the construction of a 17X10 deck as part of the barter deal. They build the deck and in return, they receive the car as payment. Second, the brakes have to be replaced. The car runs, but it doesn't stop. Third, Austin needs to get his license. He takes driver's ed this semester in school. He is eligible to get his license in January, 2012, so we have a little time for the whole plan to come together. 


One pretty proud kid with his first car, and of course it's a classic.
Dave prepping for the joists.
    They are building a free-standing deck off of the back of the house. With the recent earthquake and hurricane threat, the're making sure everything is up to code.
Austin nailing joist hangers.
We feel like this deal is really cool for a number of reasons. Austin is earning a car without having to pay for it. He is gaining even more experience building and is a master of the theory, "measure twice, cut once". Lastly, he is going to learn how to fix just about everything on a car. That's something that every man should know. And I would actually like my girls to learn that someday too.


Now that's progress. Ready for decking.


The Chevelle Comes Home


New Brakes
With the deck nearing completion after a couple months of weekend work, Freddy, the homeowner, turned the title to the Chevelle over to Dave and Austin. We immediately had the brakes replaced by the same person who replaced the brakes on Dave's '68 Cadillac. He charges such reasonable prices that it makes sense to have him do the work. Plus, until the brakes were fixed she couldn't be driven hone. Surprisingly the pads were in good shape, but we bought a new set just in case. 

Leaking Window
I noticed a 1-inch deep puddle on the back passenger side floor. After investigation, we determined that the puddle is a result of the back window not closing tightly. It is crooked on the track. We used the hand held Bissel to suction the water from the carpet which left it only slightly damp. Surprisingly, the interior is in excellent condition for a car that is 44 years old; we want to keep it that way.

Inaugural Drive
The inaugural drive went well. She handles better than expected with great suspension, easy steering and a surprisingly comfortable interior. Lack of anti-lock brakes is a little unnerving. Dave locked them up as an experiment. That's something Austin will have to learn to handle as he learns to drive.
A great reward for hard manual labor.


Landon assisting as Austin buffs the Chevelle
A Little Body Work
The paint is in decent shape, and it looks much better after the good cleaning and buffing it got yesterday. Hopefully the banana pudding color wont be around long. No car is cool, not even a Chevelle, in pale yellow. Right now the top color contenders are dark metallic green and dark metallic blue. Ultimately Austin will decide. The next projects will be paint and new tires and rims.


The deck is done and we hold title to the car...and Austin takes his driving test for his license tomorrow! 


We're selling the Chevelle?!
When we learned that we were moving to Florida Dave's satisfaction with the Chevelle decreased which meant that ultimately, Austin's satisfaction with the Chevelle decreased. Shortly after he got title to the car he started shopping for an upgrade and listed the Chevelle for sale. A few weeks later it was towed to its new home. With cash in pocket, Austin and Dad started looking for a classic convertible as a replacement.




I have to admit, I was sad to see her go.

Welcome to the family 1972 Buick Electra!

I have to admit, I was sad to see the Malibu go. The decision to sell it seemed hasty. That being said, Dave was the one who had to actually coordinate the move for the family from VA to FL and maybe towing another car wasn't something he wanted to add to the already stressful move with 7 kids. Fast forward to March 14, 2013. 

Meet Big Blue
The Malibu hadn't been gone for more than a week when Big Blue joined the family. This 1972 Buick Electra was a Craigslist find. The person selling it admitted that he was half in the bag when he wrote up the ad. He had been storing the car for a friend and wanted it out of his garage. Dave was the first one to respond to the ad and took the car on the spot. It was that good of a deal-with a/c and a convertible. Obviously it was in need of cosmetic work, but the engine-a 455 with a 400 transmission-was solid. The car was purchased in VA (meaning it had to be shipped to FL). Dave made those arrangements and the car arrived a few weeks after we moved. Now, almost a year later, the car is still in just about the same condition it was the day it arrived in FL with a few exceptions. 
  • The rust on the hood has been removed. 
  • The front seat has also been removed and reupholstered-but not reinstalled. 
  • Our pockets are $1000 lighter after trusting an old timer named "Root" with our money to buy and install a new roof. 9 months later, no money, no roof.
  • We are awaiting the delivery and installation of a second roof (that we have paid for once again) from what we hope is a more reputable upholstery shop.
As of today the ball is rolling in the right direction. Soon, over a year after its purchase, the Buick will be on the road. It is my mission.



The Beach House Mobile

Since opening Beach House last year I have been a little obsessed with all things aqua. It is a color that makes me happy. So, when one of the consignors at Beach House drove up in this truck, naturally I fell in love. I have always loved classic trucks, since my dad restored a 1955 Chevy when I was younger. Over the May 10th weekend Dave happened to be away and it was both my birthday and Mother's Day. So, when the call came that the truck was for sale I felt like it was meant to be. So I bought it. Honestly, if it had been any other color I would have thought twice, but aqua?! This 1966 Ford F-250 truck served Beach House well.