1957 Del Rio wagons on the market, discussion

[mustang6984]

There is a museum in South Dakota that has a great collection. But the owner is getting on in years and decided to start liquidating some of his stock. He felt he needed to while he could still get something for them. He started t sell off his Model "T's"...and was disappointed that he nearly couldn't even give them away. Like Jeff said...the interest just wasn't there. He was planning on starting to dispose of the "A's" sometime last year and this...wish I had some $$$...

[rmk57]

  I know the early Bronco and pickup truck market is healthy. Even the late 60's 70's f series fetch a pretty good dollar these days. As far as everything else goes, the good cars, the ones with race history, certain restorer or ownership will always fetch good money and most wont be sold at public auctions either.
  The 36 did go cheap. I think a color change, lower it a little and for sure change those wheels to steelies with small caps and you could double your money at least.

[Jeff Norwell]

Yes G. it sold for 14k USD.
Crazy.

I will always say. spend whatever you can or takes on the vehicle you LOVE.....
As for 57's... I love them..more than any other 50's or 60's Ford...well(58 and 59 too) I will never expect or see the amount of money spent on my cars back in my bank account.

[Jeff Norwell]

I agree on the truck market as Randy has mentioned..ALL brands are very healthy at the moment... right up to 82....

[rmk57]

  Same car, same year. Color change, stance, wheels, instantly transform it to something more like this.......

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mecum.com%2Flots%2FSC0518-326521%2F1936-ford-3-window-coupe%2F&psig=AOvVaw1ILzfLCTmv9mU17vL8jCjy&ust=1578077169147000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjhxqFwoTCJCsjt7J5eYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAL

[RICH MUISE]

I'd be just fine with the yellow color, stance of the blue one. The big big difference is in the engine compartment. That Ardun headed flathead alone is worth more than than what the yellow car sold for by quite a bit.

[mustang6984]

I too would be okay with the yellow...and I see a lot of them these days in varying shades of yellow. The Ardun heads would be sweet. Might be the reason it went for so little was because it had one of those bow-tie motors in it. I wouldn't have it at ANY price with one of those things in it.

[rmk57]

  Yes, a crate 350 isn't going to cut it in this day and age, but a lightly modded y-block would push it along nicely without breaking the bank. Washington blue is about my favorite color on any pre-war Ford.

[mustang6984]

I haven't gotten into the Y block motors too much. BUT...I have this idea that I would like to buy a '33 Ford Coupe from Factory Five in MA and put a 312 in it.  Just because. Seems everyone else buying one of those is putting the 5.0 in them...(which they were designed for originally)...or stuffing a 4.6 in them which they also can be built to accept. I wanna be different.
Also thought about dropping an eco-boost V-6 or I-4 in one as well. Fuel economy and 300+ ponies! OH YEA! 

[djfordmanjack]

That Washington Blue 3w is very nice, the tan brown leather and wheels/grill work well.
even though the yellow was a 5w, that sure still is a bargain. But like Rich stated before, the market situation doesn't help him nor me, when you just don't have the money to spend, no matter if the cars offered are dirt cheap.
100% agree with Jeff in that investing in a car you love is the best thing to do. and use and drive them ! What good is a collector car, when you don't drive it and it gets sold off cheap at auction, after we're gone...just my personal opinion. I know there are cars that should be kept as is ( survivor, og paint, low milage etc), but most of them really should just be driven... what would be the point in building a bullet proof, hi po engine and NOT using it ? 

[djfordmanjack]

It will be really interesting, what the general situation in the classic car market will do with our 57 Fords. I really have no clue. I wonder if some really nice Del Rios will come on the market and If I'd be better off saving for some years and buy another good one or put all that hundreds of hours into repairing my sad heap. what do you guys think ? I am really just talking about Del Rio or mabye a very very original Ranchero.

[mustang6984]

Your "sad heap" is no where near as bad as the '69 Mustang I have. We replaced the following:
ALL flooring from toe-boards to truck tail
right side rocker
right side vent wall and vent
all 4 corners of the engine compartment and the battery box
both quarter panels
both door skins
the entire top-hat assembly and the grill that covers it
probably going to have to replace the front fenders as well

Other than that...was a solid car! LOL!!! Also will be getting a new wiring harness and front windshield. Engine and transmission were done before I knew what shape the metal was in...blueprinted 351 Windsor and 4-speed...although I may put a 5-speed in it...I have one laying in the front office floor out of a '90 Mustang with a 302.

My Courier isn't nearly as bad...front floors only..both rockers and possibly the left rear quarter. Rest of the metal is good to go.

Guess what I am saying is...I'd keep and finish the Del Rio...but then as I have been accused of before...and plead guilty to with no remorse...I am a sentimentalist when it comes to cars/trucks of vintage age. I have a friend who keeps telling me that I cannot save them all...and I agree...although...I have a hard time talking myself out of trying! LOL!!!

[djfordmanjack]

that sounds like a lot of work for a Mustang, but 69 is the first year for a 351, right ? if it's a matching car. the Del Rio came with a sweet 69 351 and I still have it. it was and still is a sweet mill, ported heads, real clean work done. nothing fancy, nice and strong. I rotate the crank several times a year while in storage. I have about 4 or 5 engines for the DelRio... 2xSBF and 3xYs...insane....

I reckon that Mustang patch panels are readily available in decent quality. not so easy with our 57s. I did order all the available EMS stuff for floors, rockers, floor braces, fender corners aso...I am still not convinced about the patch panels. They will need a lot of work to come out nice. The main problem on my Del Rio is all of the roof rain gutters and inner structure is completely rotted out, along with the upper A posts, radiator support, doors and both tailgates. Many hours and nights I spent and discussed the proper repair for that. From all metal butt welded repair to panel bonding, using ss drip rails to leading in the rain gutters aso...I am pretty confident I can do it, but what will be the price? I reckon that I will easily need 500 working hours on the metal repair. That does not include any paint, upholstery, brightwork or mechanical stuff.
For me still being quite a long way from retirement, this is an absolute NO-GO unfortunately at this point. But like Jay said, who knows. Maybe my son wants to build it in 10 years from now, or even myself later on ? That's why I am coming back to my original thoughts of maybe just being lucky and thankful for having one at all!
it seems there is no way of knowing if any further decent Del Rios will come on the market and if so, what the price might be.

[djfordmanjack]

Hugh, check this out and let's hear again about your Mustang comparison.

http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=4930.msg73886#msg73886

[mustang6984]

that sounds like a lot of work for a Mustang, but 69 is the first year for a 351, right ? if it's a matching car.
I reckon that Mustang patch panels are readily available in decent quality.

It is an all original Mustang. Ford doesn't really do "matching numbers" like the bow-tie people. But this one does have the original motor and trans. The biggest attraction to the '69 is that it was for all intents and purpose a "one year" car...first and only car of the first gen Mustangs to have 4 headlights, and while the '69 - 71 cars share the same basic body, the '69 was the only one with the seriously definitive side scoops that while in 99% of the cars were cosmetic only, were indicators of brake cooling air scoops.
The other thing for me is more sentimental. (I warned ya'!!!) A friend built the motor for me, and then passed away before I even had a chance to get 500 miles on it.
Mustang panels are available...but I lucked out. I was given a '69 coupe that a tree limb had fallen on. With the exception of the quarter panels all the other parts came off of that plus some suspension parts I used in a magazine feature for Mustangs & Fords in a Maverick brake conversion from drums to discs back in '04.
The quarters were purchased from others who had them, one from a Mustang recycling yard, one from a guy who bought one for a car he was doing and then lost interest and sold off the car but the parts separately...making more money in the process.

I am with Jeff here...never buy a car if you are going to look at the dollars or time put into it. You will lose every time. The ONLY way to make any money in this business is to build for customers. Then and only then will you be smiling when it rolls out of the shop with green in your pocket. Any other type of build...you will still be smiling...but only with the satisfaction of having built yourself one heck of a ride.
Tackle that Del...when it is over...you will be dancing a jig like a drinking Irishman!