Find me a hardtop car.

No, not a Miata hardtop, a classic American sled. Think 58-70 4 door.  Earlier or funkier, the better. 

This is just for fun (unless a true screaming deal comes along) After watching a bunch of Vice Grip Garage and realizing how much of a pain in the ass hauling a baby and his crap along are, why not a quadra port? 

They are less desirable to most Americans. And cheaper means more fun. Special nod to Mr-Asa, you seem to dig up amazing deals. No restrictions on distance from Chicago. A deal is a deal. If it's the right one, you'll make it work.

From what you wrote above, are you saying that you want to haul a baby in this big sled? 

If so, be aware that the early cars will not have rear seat belts and some may not even have front belts.  A lap belt only in the back works fine for small kid car seats where you attache the kid seat to the car and the child is then secured by the straps integrated into the kid seat. 

By about age 4, the kid could be heading to a booster seat. By modern standards, a booster seat pretty much requires a shoulder belt, even in the rear seats.  

(1) Marketplace - 1959 Edsel Corsair · 4 door hardtop | Facebook

My Grandpa had a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker with the 440 cubic inch engine with 4 barrel Holley. 

It was big but not bulbous like the later New Yorkers.  It was solid.  Lots of room inside.  

It didn't float around like some of these big 4 doors.    I wanted that car when grandpa got rid of it but my dad bought me a lightly wrecked '66 Mustang to fix up instead.  (mid 70's)

John Welsh said:

By about age 4, the kid could be heading to a booster seat. By modern standards, a booster seat pretty much requires a shoulder belt, even in the rear seats.  

I thought the whole point of a booster seat was to get the kid where the shoulder belt is in the right position.

$3k in South Carolina. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/251422703046282/

Another one, $4400. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/363552464633671/

This is awesome! $4500 in NC. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/179181453651551/

I wouldn't be putting a baby in an old car. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U

Someone here had a blue Kaiser Manhattan for sale.  Nice one too!

Meets almost none of your requirements but it's basically an american sled now with the motor swap done. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/280942189837775/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search

friendly reminder... hardtop means no B-pillar.  Some of the suggestions here are sedans.

I think the only answer here is slab side mopar... and I don't even like mopars.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Hmm. Not sure how I did not know that. 

In reply to Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) :

We all have stuff we don't know, so zero judgement from me.  I, for instance, seem to not know how to get a date in a pandemic.  

I just obsessively check CL is all

Lot of stuff is nice, but well out of limits for me to think its a good deal.  I'll expand that for this search, though

Not American, but Dad hauled me around for years in one of these.  He still has it and is working on restoring it

https://staugustine.craigslist.org/cto/d/saint-augustine-vw-van-project/7275703935.html

Everyone likes suicide doors, '48 DeSoto, $6900

https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/d/palm-coast-1948-desoto-barn-find/7284831311.html

'69 Bel Air with the I6, but I'd bet a 500 Caddy would fit, would need to de-pimp it though, $16k

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/cto/d/fort-myers-1969-chevy-bel-air-door/7272221227.html

'66 Bonneville

https://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/d/deltona-1966-pontiac-bonneville-trade/7283077868.html

Probably the winner of this crop, '66 Impala with a 327, $6500

https://cfl.craigslist.org/cto/d/sebring-must-go/7273224663.html

'64 Olds Holiday, $18500

https://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/d/bradenton-1964-oldsmobile-98-holiday/7284665930.html

Want to pretend to be Ash?  Practice your "Groovy"

'71 Olds 98 (Yes, I know Ash drove a '73 88)

https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/d/saint-petersburg-1971-oldsmobile-98/7286078193.html

Or this '72 Olds

https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/d/tampa-for-sale-antique-1972-oldsmobile/7283946922.html

'70 Impala, $7900

https://valdosta.craigslist.org/cto/d/barwick-1970-chevy-impala-sedan/7284922418.html

WHY DID YOU SHOW ME THAT NINETY EIGHT HOLIDAY???

So much want.

Now for FB

'66 Chrysler Newport, $1200, Needs TLC, but it appears to be mostly there?  No Driver's side pics is somewhat concerning

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/243934044115476/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

'71 Caddy limo, 7 passenger, $8100

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/181467816845320/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

'63 Merc Comet, $7000, listed a year ago so don't get your hopes up

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2443944905684277/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

'71 Chevy Caprice, $17,900, vinyl top though so beware.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4389807177702189/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

'50 Studebaker, $18000

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/5008210405915861/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

WHY DID YOU SHOW ME THAT NINETY EIGHT HOLIDAY???

So much want.

Because I'm an enabler of the highest caliber.  If I can't get something cool, someone else should.

Man, I had been jonesing for some old station wagon, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted to go for it.

Pros

• V8
• RWD
• Room for kids
• Tow capacity perhaps for my 3,000lb enclosed trailer (formula car, think small landscapers enclosed trailer)
• Fun with rear facing 3rd row?

Cons

• Crash ability (I live near and sometimes have to drive into DC, I'm gonna get hit at some point)
• Seat belts
• Car seats are so much easier with LATCH
• Power windows are good to have with kids, with a lockout
• The child safety disablement of interior door handles on rear doors is kinda needed with a certain age of child...
• Aircon retrofits, will it work as well as a modern system?
• Carbs and cold starts?  unless EFI retrofit?
• cant necessarily just drop off at local whatever shop to fix it if I am too busy.
• lack of ABS
• Gas mileage - my expedition is managing 17mpg for my regular driving cycle. 
• Do I really want my DD to be a project? I have 3 "toy" cars I can play with. 

I think I'll just stay in newish used SUVs.  I wish there was a modern wagon that fit the bill though. 

Mr_Asa said:

Because I'm an enabler of the highest caliber.

That you are..

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

friendly reminder... hardtop means no B-pillar.  Some of the suggestions here are sedans.

Quoted as a second reminder....too many sedans have been posted, not enough hardtops.  

That '64 Olds Holiday is a beauty.

Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:

This is awesome! $4500 in NC. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/179181453651551/

I was curious about these and apparently the frames rust badly and most need to be repaired.  Also trim parts are pretty much impossible to find, so get one that has as much of it as you care about it having.

Apexcarver said:

Man, I had been jonesing for some old station wagon, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted to go for it.

 

 

Cons

• Crash ability (I live near and sometimes have to drive into DC, I'm gonna get hit at some point)
• lack of ABS

Those are the big issues for me.  I do sometimes daily drive a 1987 Mercedes S class, but I don't think I would go much older.  There are many times I have had to make a hard stop to let a red light runner cross in front of me, and if you don't stop in time someone in a modern car will drive right through and out the other side of a 60's or 70's 4 door hardtop.  Also, when you are driving in freeway traffic the distance you will be able to maintain from the car in front of you will not be enough to avoid driving into the back of them if they make a max effort stop.  Even most 80s cars are marginal at this point (some are good enough but for sure not all).

As much safety stuff as practical would be retrofitted. No way I'm going in there without it, let alone a baby.

Forgot to mention that. 

This isn't too far away