Absolute beginner and a bird to boot..Help!

**Evil McNasty** · 12-11-2011 18:29

Trust Satan and Insanityvans to hijack your thread........ Welcome to R'n'S [AKA the darkside] and good luck with your quest.
No good asking me about 50's yanks I am after all a vanner.

oh yes and I have seen Insanityvans boobies...... NOT a nice sight.

**insanityvans** · 12-11-2011 21:03

How about 50sgirly and I compare. Ladies before gentlemen!

**50sgirly** · 12-11-2011 21:51

LMAO!! I wonder why the forum seems to require photographic evidence of my ability to bake bread?! Strange..but happy to appease the easily pleased, i shall indeed request a friend take a shot or two next time i get my baps out of the oven...Peculiar lot!!
Anyhoo, back with the thread for those of us without a bakery fetish... Mechanically restricted Plumpcars? That sounds worrying! Is it politely informing me we got trouble ahead but softening the blow..Like folically challenged for bald as a coot?! Trust me for narrowing search to vacant steering, random brakes and the likes. Still, i can't help what i like so i'll just have to get used to it! Do we know anyone on here who's got one of my favourites and could vouch for it?! Surely if it's earlier and simpler, i'd be more likely to find people who could work on it? If not, there are gonna be some bloody long threads on here...Step one. Open bonnet...Post two, Nope, the other end!!!!! Sigh.
53Catalina, i'm guessing the cars i listed don't have the power steering or brakes then? From extremely limited experience, sat on right side observing, i think i'd prefer heavy steering to wandering steering tho, at least you know theres something happening!!!!
By the time Hotrod Hayride comes round, i'd like to be driving there in my own! I've been a few times before. Never heard of Rally of Giants though? Whens that?
57Heaven, naughty naughty! Lol! Obtaining a better version of ex's ride is mean! Funny, but mean! Noo, i know better than to mess around like that! Besides, this is all for me. Theres only a few of his car in this country and it'd be most conspicuous if i went out and got one too. And i'd never be able to park it!!! Time to move on with a new love, which by the looks of things so far is going to be the wrong side of sixty, with dubious mechanics, white wall tyres, an eyebrow, bench seats, fender skirts,a lack of people willing to work on him unless bacon baps are provided en masse and quite probably cream. I think i love him already!!!!!xx

**insanityvans** · 12-11-2011 22:04

Joking asside. I had a 1954 Chevy 2 door pilillarless coupe which i love the nuts off. Bog standard brakes, stovebolt 6 engine and no power steering. It was a big heavy b'stard to steer round towns and such. Great on main roads but a pig otherwise. It got so I didn't enjoy driving it. You can have those things fitted , and I would ALWAYS (personally) suggest power steering and brakes, but probably better to find one with them already on or added.
good luck.....and judging by thus thread you will have no end of willing helpers.

**50sgirly** · 12-11-2011 22:11

Do you have a pic of your 54 Insanityvans? I'd love to see her! I think you're probably right too. Just worrying i'm asking for too much and restricting my pot to pick from as it were! Still, better that than buying quickly and finding out it's not right for me later i suppose. Did we have an opinion on importing from States or buying from UK??xx

**insanityvans** · 12-11-2011 22:23

I'll find a pic. As for driving the 54, I'm a 16 stone big bloke so it wasn't that I couldn't drive it, I just didn't enjoy it. I worked all week and just wanted to enjoiy my car not work at driving it!! We're all spolit by our dailies I think!
As for import or buy over here...opinions vary but we would all agree that it is easier to buy over here. Just decide what your budget is and have alook around. Check out the British American Car Mags, check out the websites to see what they have for sale and have some idea of the type and period car you want (ie early 50's mid 50's or late 50's) If you are not too bothered that gives you more scope. Probably a good time to buy now with winter here and people looking to shift their motors. See if the Battersea Boys on here will give some free advice!

**50sgirly** · 12-11-2011 23:18

As advised, i just spent a pleasurable time viewing cars-on-line.com!! Slightly panic stricken when i started to look 'round my house to decide if i could live without it and invest instead in a 48 Pontiac sport coupe!! Sticking to budget, could prove problematic if i go looking on there too often! Mind, also fell for a 50 Pontiac silver streak eight, reasonably priced(?) at $15k, 50 Chevy Bel Air 2dr ht, 52 Chevy 2dr and a 47 Olds 2dr that was cheaper than chips and needs rescuing and putting in my garage asap!!!
Have started looking over here, but so far haven't seen anything that grabs me. Also, i'd rather do some more research into cars i like v cars that'd suit me or i could make a rather costly mistake me thinks! Welcome Battersea Boys and everyone elses advice, i need as much as i can get!!!xx

**Mad Mark** · 13-11-2011 08:53

Welcome to R&S, we need more birds!

My old bus has no power steering and as said before is a pig to drive at parking speed, but on the open road...... Since putting the dropped spindles on, the steering is worse as the geometry has changed due to the position of the track rod mounting points, so something else to look for. I really need to put a power rack on her, but I want other toys ahead of that.

I fitted a disc conversion and a 9" servo as the original drum brakes worked, but only just! With the present set up the brakes are fantastic! Also fitting anti-roll bars front and rear makes the old barge go round corners very well.

Four doors are so much more practical and I could not have afforded two door prices, even two door sedans, when I got mine! I paid a lot less buying form America and shipping it in than I would have paid over here for the same quality/condition so it's worth looking around for what you want.

**fibrebird** · 13-11-2011 13:30

Hi, welcome to RnS,
My advice as well as echoing whats been said before is to join a car club. Not one of those where you send of subsription and get a window sticker and free magazine but something local where you can go along and meet real people with similar interests, don't worry about it being too specific to type of car you intend getting as most will welcome anything within the scene be it rod/custom/50s/60s etc.
Also don't wait untill you get your car go along now they should only be too pleased for someone new to show up, hopefully it should provide you with good advise, point you in right directions for repairs/modifications, also the added benefit is a new bunch of mates that you can go out and have a f*****g good laugh with! Unless its us at smoke city cos were horrible.