Category: Convertible

1961 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible: An Ultra-Rare Breed

11/15/2018

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1961 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport convertible owned by Owen Fuchs

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
Even though it already had the Corvette, Chevrolet added a dash of excitement to its full-sized Impala lineup with the mid-year 1961 Super Sport. This $53.80 option, available on all models but the Nomad wagon, required buyers to install various heavy-duty mechanical bits and choose an engine of at least 305 horsepower. There were just a few exterior and interior trim pieces, such as SS emblems, spinner wheel covers and a dash-mounted “assist bar,” to tell it apart from regular models. Today, this SS is something of an automotive unicorn. Just 453 two-door-only versions were built, including a handful of convertibles, with one Chevy enthusiast magazine estimating that 22 to 45 are still on the road. “My 1961 Chevrolet Super Sport convertible, with factory air conditioning, may be one of one left,” says Fuchs of his ride.”This particular automobile is extremely rare.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 2017

WHERE HE FOUND IT
It was advertised online by the original Midwest owner.

CONDITION
Fuchs bought the convertible with only 53,000 original miles. “It spent most of its life in the Midwest and was pampered and garaged for 57 years, and then sold to me,” he says. “My Impala had a body-off restoration and it is truly pristine, both on the inside as well as the outside. It’s powered by a 348-cubic-inch engine, which puts out 305 horsepower. The same engine block was used to produce the very famous 409, which the Beach Boys sang about.”

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“Enjoy your classic car,” he advises, “and encourage others to get into this wonderful hobby.”

VALUE
Fuchs estimates his SS is worth $80,000 to $105,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“After 57 years,” he says, “I believe mine is the only one left.”

1950 Mercury Convertible: A Cool Driver

8/11/2017

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1950 Mercury convertible owned by Ron House

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
As soon as the 1949-51 Mercurys hit the showrooms, customizers saw their ample bodies and flathead V-8 engines as starting points for sleeker and more powerful creations that often ended up on the covers of hot rod magazines. But the real notoriety came in 1955 with the release of “Rebel Without a Cause,” a feature film that starred a modded ’49 Mercury sedan driven by teen heartthrob James Dean. Dean died in a car crash that year at age 24, but the Mercs are still riding high 62 years later and still serve as blank canvases for the customizer’s art. House’s convertible, painted in “British Racing Green,” has been restored and modified twice over the years. “I love these ’49-’51 Mercurys,” he says. “I had a ’51 Mercury in the same color in high school in 1958, so I have a connection.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 1969

WHERE HE FOUND IT
He bought it from the original owner, a friend’s father-in-law from Brooklyn, New York. “He came to my wedding in 1966 and sold me the car in 1969,” House says.

CONDITION
“It’s a mild custom,” he says. “I built it as a road car. It was an original-owner car with 37,000 miles and it was in good, solid condition. But it needed paint, needed an interior and needed some motor work. I restored it in 1979 and ran it all over the country for 30 years” before a second restoration was performed. Both times, a host of changes were made to its appearance and mechanical bits, including parts that are recognizable from Cadillac and Lincoln, as well as modern advancements, such as disc brakes, electronic ignition and radial tires.

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“Have a lot of ‘Ben Franklins,’” he advises. “It takes a lot of money to get a car to this caliber. You’re talking six figures. Don’t tell my wife.”

VALUE
House estimates the Mercury is worth $100,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“When I get behind the wheel, it’s my time machine,” he says. “When I get in the car and drive out east to wine country (on Long Island, New York) at six in the morning,” it’s like 1958 all over again.”

1939 Cadillac Fleetwood: Rose Bowl Champion

1/12/2017

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1939 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 owned by Jim Barnes

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
If you were super-rich or a dignitary in pre-World War II America and wanted a car to match your status, a Fleetwood 75 convertible sedan was the way to go. These were mammoth open cars, stretching almost 12 feet from axle to axle, weighing nearly 5,000 lbs. and carrying five to eight people in extreme comfort. And they were rare. “There were only 36 made and there are only 14 left in the world,” Barnes says of his ride. “This car led the Rose Bowl parade for about 20 years and then it somehow came east. Someone put the jump seats in the back, and it was painted blue and the interior was changed to tan. There are three sets of seatbelts in the back because one of the owners had triplet girls.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 2013

WHERE HE FOUND IT
He bought it from a Florida owner through a well-known auctioneer, who knew that Barnes had 13 grandchildren and liked to transport them in large classic cars.

CONDITION
“I basically repaired it,” says Barnes. “It had been repainted and the upholstery was good. I put the wood trim back on, had the glass fixed and it was ready to go.” He also installed a new convertible top at McCoys Upholstery, his Queens, New York restoration shop.

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“If I was going to get into the hobby as a brand-new person,” he advises, “I would start with a Model A (Ford). There are plenty of them, the parts are available, there’s a big club and they’re lots of fun. Then, you can move up to the classics. They’re bigger, they’re heavier and they’re much more expensive,” although he says the Cadillac is “easy to maintain.”

VALUE
He puts the value somewhere north of $100,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“I particularly have lots of fun with this car because I have tons of grandchildren,” says Barnes. “I’m not a ‘do not touch’ person. I’d rather drive the cars. And I pile them all in and we go to games – football, soccer and lacrosse. With lacrosse, I’m not too happy with the sticks, but we put them in the trunk.”

1939 Packard Convertible Sedan: Star-Struck Behemoth

1/17/2016

THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1939 Packard convertible sedan owned by Jim Barnes

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
If you wanted to celebrate your good fortune in the new year of 1939, you might head down to your Packard dealer, plunk down $2,435 and reward yourself with one of these limited edition Super Eight convertible sedans. These behemoths could seat five passengers (eight with jump seats) in ultimate comfort and in rain or shine. They could also speed down the highway with regal aplomb, boasting 130 horsepower at a time when a Ford V-8 was good for only 60 to 85. As for this Packard, Barnes says it “has a little bit of history. It was first owned by (movie mogul and MGM founder) Louis B. Mayer. He drove it for about a month, but he didn’t buy it for himself. He bought it for (legendary screen star) Hedy Lamarr. That was the enticing part: to get her to sign with his studio, he gave her the car. Of course, like most movie stars of the time, she decided the car was much too big for her, so he had to give her a chauffeur.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 2013

WHERE HE FOUND IT
He bought it from a Midwest owner.

CONDITION
“It was in disrepair,” Barnes says. “The engine had been re-done twice and the mechanicals were great. The rest was cosmetic. I’ve restored it now and have shown it.” He had it repainted and the convertible top and leather interior were professionally restored at the shop he owns, McCoys Upholstery in Woodside, New York.

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“There’s an audience for these cars,” Barnes advises. “There is definitely a market and you can see that by the auction results. But it is shrinking as people get older and collectors want the cars they grew up with -- the Camaros, Pontiacs, GTOs -- because that’s what their parents owned. My grandparents owned Packards.” He says the single best source for parts is Kanter Auto Products in Boonton, New Jersey.

VALUE
He values the Packard at around $95,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Barnes says these four-door convertibles are perfect for large families. “I have tons of grandchildren,” he says, “and I pile them all in for games – football, soccer, lacrosse. It’s just a nice, big touring car. I drove it to Cape May (New Jersey) and back. It was perfect, a beautiful ride down the Garden State Parkway.”

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1961 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible: An Ultra-Rare Breed

1950 Mercury Convertible: A Cool Driver

1939 Cadillac Fleetwood: Rose Bowl Champion

1939 Packard Convertible Sedan: Star-Struck Behemoth

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