The quest for the grail continues... fortunately, in the right direction. My friend went out to the site and located the cowl and vin tag that were removed for acid dipping. They were left in a little box with the car, like everything else!
Haven't officially decoded it, but the obvious stuff is:
- 867 Convertible - 521A Red with white top - A31 Power Windows - L36 427/390 - M20 Four Speed
Which, of course (and thankfully) matches the car and the GM of Canada documentation. I was really worried it wasn't going to show L36M20 on the tag (no reason it has to).
So now the question becomes "How do I get a body and all the parts that make up a car (but not attached to a car) from the back of this truck in a farmer's field in Northern Alberta to my house in Seattle".
It's all in this truck. The friend who went out to the site said a roll-back tow truck could likely winch the body out onto the tow truck deck, and then you could maybe load it into a 24' or longer trailer along with the parts. But how on earth am I going to find a shipper and tow truck in Alberta to meet up on the same day I fly in? The logistics seem problematic. If someone has done something similar, let me know your thoughts!
I believe the seller will throw the truck in for free but I don't want the truck, getting it (with a car inside) across the border might be tough, and I'd have to dispose of it once here anyway somehow.
Sorry these images are so large, I figured the board software would downsample them a bit, but maybe not!
-- Edited by davepl on Friday 20th of October 2017 11:07:04 AM
Maybe get the whole thing hauled to Vancouver, and split them up there. Easier for you to deal with being close to home, and scrap the truck in Vancouver. Just a suggestion to get the ball rolling.
Maybe get the whole thing hauled to Vancouver, and split them up there. Easier for you to deal with being close to home, and scrap the truck in Vancouver. Just a suggestion to get the ball rolling.
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Looking at the GVW listed on the van, that truck must be a 6500 series which means it should have a tall-deck 366 or 427 Big Block V8. Useful for donating 4-bolt main caps if it is a 366 (a small bore 396 not terribly useful for any performance build). A tall deck 427 could be useful as a core to build a stroker 489 or to use the forged 3.76" stroke crank, but even that is old school now. The same stroke is used on the 366 but it would be balanced for small 366 pistons.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
Well, I'll have this car and a donor car if I do this restoration, and be blowing both apart, so that LAST thing I need is an enormous truck to part out. I'm on a small acreage, not a farm, so I can't store much stuff. I am next door to an old farm with a decrepit barn that I'm eyeing for some rough storage...
I'm thinking the following:
a) Flat deck roll-back tow truck meets shipper at the pickup point
b) Flat deck transfers car from truck body to shipper's trailer
c) Move all misc parts, bumpers, etc, from truck body to shipper's trailer
I can get a direct flight there from here (ooh, a hint!) so I'd go and do it in person. I just hate the prospect that one of the parties doesn't show up on time and I'm in another country trying to organize a goat rodeo!
It's within an hour of Edmonton, so if there are members in the area, I might be making some more friends Fortunately, my friend that grew up next door to me in Regina moved to Edmonton a number of years ago so that's who has been braving the mosquitos and so on digging for cowl tags, etc!
Be nice if I could find someone that owned a rollback!
The car is on 4 wheels, zero to four of which are flat and cannot be changed in the truck body, so it'll have to be winched/dragged out of there.
The car is indeed about 45 minutes outside of Edmonton, or so I'm told.
One thing I have to decide is whether I do it in one step or two:
One-step:
I have a rollback meet the shipper w/ trailer at the farm where the truck body is and they move everything to the shipper's trailer
Two-step:
I have a rollback transfer the contents of the truck body to some intermediate place, then have the shipper pick it up from there. This is an extra step but then you don't need the rollback to meet the shipper, that sort of thing. I'd fly out to Edmonton to oversee it.
I'm starting to think this "two step" where I have the shipper pick the vehicle up from someone's place near or in the city might make more sense. It also gives me a way to pay for and "take possession" of the vehicle.
There would be a few boxes of parts, stuff that wouldn't fit in the car. If anyone has room to store it for the week or two it might take to synchronize the 2-step process, and wants to help out, chime in!
Well, I bought it! Which is to say I sent a bank draft off by UPS to Edmonton. Then at some point, assuming all goes well, he signs it and gives a copy to my buddy who will then take the car into possession from the truck. Actually, he's going to take the whole truck and sort out the mess later and prep the car to ship (yes, this is one of THOSE friends, you know, the kind you get like 3 of in your life that just makes stuff like this happen when you haven't seen him for 20 years).
So it sounds like I should be set for local help, but if I need more I will follow Carl's lead as a first step!
Is it weird I own an original 427 2+2 convertible 4-speed and don't feel it? I don't think I will until the car is in-hand.
This one is worth doing no matter what. It is on the extremely endangered species list for sure. Congrats on snagging this Sasquatch. Also many thanks for all those who were instrumental in getting this car into Dave's hands.
IMHO I think this car needs to be restored accurately since it will serve as one of the few in the world left. They are not fully understood by the masses.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
It'll look sick once I lower it and get the 22s on it. No, I'm kidding. It'll be tower clamps and redline tires, the right way.
Funny thing the only other M20 car I have has been converted over to a TKO-600 long ago, so I don't have an original Muncie car. I'd imagine with the Muncie, F40 + F41 suspension, this car will be a seriously stiff ride compared to the outgoing Bonneville Brougham!
It's funny, the frame is perfect! As in I'm told it's powder coated and detailed and new ball joints and all of that. I guess that was what they made progress on before giving up.
My truck was pretty detailed, so if it's not to this level, I'd redo it. But not rusty at least! I'm hoping and praying the trunk and floors are good too, I think they are from what I know.
Fortunately, my friend that grew up next door to me in Regina moved to Edmonton a number of years ago so that's who has been braving the mosquitos and so on digging for cowl tags, etc!
