Every so often, my wife and I enjoy a trip to Kansas City. Having more fountains than Rome (or so it’s claimed), barbecue restaurants as prevalent as taxi-cabs, and the Tom Pendergast filled history, it’s a great place to visit.
Yet like youth and beauty, all things pass. So it was with great glee I stopped about 65 miles east of town to snap a few pictures. Hey, when this many good cars are lined up and visible from the interstate, I’m going to stop!
This establishment has been here for the nearly 18 years I’ve been going to Kansas City. There are always cars out front although the inventory doesn’t change with a tremendous frequency. Since we’ve made the effort to stop, let’s stroll around to see what we can find.
Red does grab a persons attention as this is what I could most readily see from the interstate. Either a ’73 or ’74, this old Galaxie is in decent shape, although the vinyl roof is starting to show a few bubbles beneath it.
If one was inclined to paint it brown they could then drink a glass of milk and pretend to be Barnaby Jones. Barnaby Jones was a Quinn Martin Production.
With an asking price of $6,850, this Ford will likely be sitting here a while,
despite the Ford manuals that seem to come with the deal.
Parked on a slope next to the red Galaxie is this Corvair.
It even has a white knobbed stick erupting through the floor.
Since I’m going clockwise, next up is this old Chrysler Windsor sitting on a one-ton.
The front overhang on this Chrysler really jumped out at me. I’ve seen similar vintage Chrysler’s before, but never really noticed how the front overhang seems to be longer than the rear overhang, which seems so out of proportion. This Chrysler is sporting hubcaps that say “Dodge”.
Behind the Chrysler were four cars that had potential in one form or another. The blue base model Galaxie was possibly the most distraught, however, this Mercury Zephyr wagon would be a hoot with a 5.0 from a late ’80’s Mustang. If desiring something of a different flavor, one could even Eco-Boost it. Either way, it would be a real sleeper.
Ever see an outside rear-view mirror mount like the one on the Galaxie? With this being the base trim level, it is prime for being painted yellow and turned into a special event taxi – “The Classy Taxi” is something I’ve always wanted to do.
Beside the Galaxie is this Dodge Coronet, the most lively looking one of these four.
Here’s a better view of the Coronet, along with the dual tone Bel-Air next to it.
So you say this 3/4 ton Dodge pickup is nothing special? That these are still as common as fleas on an alley cat? Perhaps you didn’t see how this Dodge is being sandwiched, did you?
How about an Opel on your rear bumper,
and an Opel GT on your front bumper? Both of these Opel’s are absolutely dwarfed by what is parked near them, especially the International next to the black one. It almost makes the Opel look like a speed bump.
Our tour is rapidly winding down with this last car being under a tarp. A lot of key elements are MIA, but I’m thinking ’58 Lincoln. How about you?
Before we part company, there was one last car parked next to the Lincoln. While it wasn’t the oldest we’ve seen here, it is certainly the most rare. At 60 years of age, this car must be respected for its rarity and its perseverance. So respected in fact, it has earned its own CC, coming sometime later. All I will tell you about the car is this:
The Corvair is tempting, but that Chrysler, wow! Peel off the moon sticker and headlight shields, and it’s ready to go as is.
I love having bad taste in cars, it really does make many things interesting…
But it opens up such a realm of possibilities!
The G-500 looks like a 73, since the rear bumper is shorter 2.5 mph version. 74’s had 5 MPH rear regulations.
For 74, it seems G-500 sales declined badly. Those that could afford higher gas went with LTD’s, while savers downsized to smaller cars.
That Coronet would be a good car for use in period 1960’s movies. Lots of plain, non Hot Rodded, 4 door ‘nets were driven by middle aged and elder adults on Chicago streets up til 1974.
Son-of-a-Gun! We just got back from a road trip from Cincinnati to Kansas City!
I didn’t see this place – perhaps because my vision issues makes it wise not to look too far off the road while driving, plus the fact that Wifey and I were yakking…
I DID see a trailer-queen 1960 Impala headed east, a 55 Chevy actually being driven (!) east, a Napoleon cannon and caisson on a trailer going somewhere west, my old buddy’s 1961 Volvo PV544, his what’s-left-of-it 1980 Jeep J10 and a few other oddities.
I hate trailer queens. With a passion…
Wish I would have noticed this place.
The additional overhang on the Chrysler is to accomodate the inline eight that some of them had. If you look at Plymouths or Dodges from this era, they don’t have as much overhang because they only came with inline sixes.
I’d respectfully like to differ. Here’s a ’39, which was essentially the same car except the front end. The restyled front end that arrived for the ’42s had all that overhang for one reason: to make these cars look longer and more modern. But it really messes with the balance overall.
I agree with your main point, but I think you need to start with the 40 model instead. The 39 was the final version of what had started as the 1937 Airstream, and may have been the most beautiful prewar Chrysler after the classic era. The 40 was a new body that lasted through the 48 models, where the 1940-41 front ends were not so heavy. The 40 was a much blockier design from front to back than the 39.
That’s what I meant…rush, rush, rush…
That Galaxie is definitely a 73. I remember this because I clearly recall when these came out. The LTD, while not attractive, at least had a decently done front end. The Galaxie had one of the most awful cheap grilles I had ever seen. Ford did the same thing with the base Torino and the Mercury Monterey – used the cheapest looking grilles ever, in a probable effort to upsell to the more profitable models.
The other thing I recall about the 73 big Ford was a very orangy bright red color, that was way too hot for a full sized car. The red on big Fords was toned way down for 74.
Great post. That Galaxie (I don’t how or why) looks so unique after suffecient time has passed. Of course, my usual customization dream involves another repetitive cliche: drop the front and back two inches to improve stance, put on flow master exhaust, get righeoust wheels and tires. And, I’m eyeing that little Fairmont wagon for a Vortec 4.3 install, with five speed stick….Torque thrust wheels, and paint bumpers same color as body. These tricks have been beaten to death and done before…….but they work.
So you got the Century running good again?
It’s running; running well? Not so much.
Being a simpleton with sporadic episodes of patience (this not being one of those occasions), here’s the run down:
Cleaned the MAF sensor.
Replaced all three ignition coils. As Mrs. Jason pointed out, if one is bad, the other two are still twenty years old.
Replaced the fuel filter. It was the original and had what looked like pond water inside it. Also, I trapped the fuel that came out of it – no metal shavings and it starts every time with ease, so I ruled out the fuel pump.
Found a plug wire in a mild kink, so I replaced it.
Each time it has ran better, but not well. I drove it into town Saturday (about six miles) and it was running awful by the time I got there. It sat for about 15 minutes and then ran better but was back to coughing and gagging by the time I got back. Dropping down a gear aided with the rough running to a degree.
So, pragmatic me said the hell with it; take it somebody who has the patience to dink with it. I just dropped it off a few hours ago.
The saga continues…
It still sounds exactly like a bad coil, but you changed those.
The only other thing I can think of is the issue caused a plug to foul. Doesn’t sound like the harmonic balancer.
The ICM or MAF could be toast, but in my experience that comes with a CEL. I think you’d be able to tell if the
Hopefully your friend/mechanic figures it out soon.
These things crossed my mind also. It just got to the point where I was tired of messing with it and I was needing it to run.
Hopefully I should know something tomorrow.
Well, I had a spark plug wire that was kissing an O2 sensor and getting shorted out. It was very subtle yet very vicious.
Okay, I’m hoping there’s an upcoming bit on the Kaiser Dragon. Don’t tease us like that! I saw a very nice one when I went to the LeMay Museum a while back, but none of my pictures of it turned out. (I couldn’t figure out how to compensate for the glare in that place.)
Stay tuned.
I know right where this is…I just got back from my annual summer cross-country road trip and remember seeing the Galaxie as I passed going east, then two weeks later as I passed going west.
That 63 Bel Air is just begging to get a 409 and get restored into a vintage drag racer. Ah yes, another project for the imagination.
Well Juniper, that car was called the dogcatcher and it was at the drags at connecticut dragway in 67/68 iirc. It looked good and it was hot.
Color me old because I like the corvair best. I plead guilty.
I’m enough of a Mopar guy to be in favor of the old squared-off Coronet sedan.
I like the big cheapo Ford 2dr, that was an endanger species when new, the cheapie big hardtop 2 door car was nearing the end of existence. I wonder whats under the dinner table sized hood? 351? Probably a 2bbl 400 or something awful like that, could have had a 460 though?
Waiting with anticipation on the Kaiser Dragon CC! I LOVE those.
No love for the (I think) ’70-’73 F-body in the background of the Corvair shot? Looks clean, and maybe even with original wheels!
I’m thinking that Zephyr would make a great recipient for a Coyote transplant…