Picked this up a few weeks ago,after being rolled, the car sat in a shed for 37 years with only 10,000 miles on her.Talk about being original.

I just can't get it,

Roderick, I can't seem to open the image.

Sounds like a great find. I know there are many originality questions that this car could help answer too.

Roderick,
You need the code out of the IMG box not the URL box. Come on, we want to see it!

http://i93.photobucket.com/f35a7580.jpg Should look like that but this photo is gone for some reason.

Roderick,
I could not put them all into your original post so here are the rest:

That shed sure was dry. Very cool!!!!!!! Where to start? Bill

Wow, that is a great find.. I imagine the owner was heart broken after rolling it new..

Congratulations

Nice! Thanks for sharing those. I hope they were wearing their seat belts.

Wow! That has to be the nicest horn button I've ever seen. I hope you're planning to put it back on the road.

So, what are your plans with this potential treasure?

Have you been able to see how the frame, suspension and undercarraige looks? What an opportunity at a great project.

I know I will be adding engine color to my PVC grommet soon.

I'm sure the parents were and are still heart broken.The car was given to there son, he had the car for about a year,survives the accident and goes to the Army.His father builds a shed around the car with only a walkin door, I'm thinking that he'll let the son decide what to do with car when he returns.The son never made it home,and the car sat all these years.His mother and father are still living.Just maybe, I can restore it in time, so they can see it the way I hope they remember seeing there son in it. Yes,it is a treasure.Plans are to bring her back to the beauty she once was with all new body panels.

Roderick

Roderick, would it be possible for you to look and find the elusive 5th dust sheild? No one else has been able to come up with anything and your treasure may be able to answer the location question.

It's hard to tell in the pic, but is the steering wheel NOT cracked around the collar?

Good luck on the resto. It looks like it will be a challange.

Please post more pictures if you can. Engine pics from the other angles would be helpfull(without the air cleaner).

Thanks,

Tim

Anything can be fixed with the right talent and enough money. The car is hurt bad. Even so, now that the cars are valuebal enough and the mileage is low enough, it might be a cost effective repair. However, I wouldn't get my hopes up because there is serious strcutrual damage, and it will take a talented frame man to do a correct repair.

I had worked alongside many talented persons who could make the repair, so it can be done. The problem is that I don't think it will be a cost effective repair, even with the low mileage.

If you do decide to part it out Roderick, I would be very interested in the steering wheel and other items.

I wonder what the insurance settlement was on it 37 years ago? I would think that if it was insured, it would have been totaled yet they kept the car.

Run the PHS docs and let us know.

This is one time I doubt that there will be any surprises with the PHS.

Good luck with it. Very touching story.

Had a thought; The build sheet is under the back seat.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> I wonder what the insurance settlement was on it 37 years ago? I would think that if it was insured, it would have been totaled yet they kept the car. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">this is curious to mee too, seems like they must have had the car insured, if totalled and the ins paid out, ins co wouldnt let them keep it ,would they? sounds a little fishy to me...

They didn't have to have insurance back than. Many people paid cash for their vehicles and did not finance, so their is a chance their was no insurance.

What an opportunity!! Unfortunately, it will probably take every bit of what it is worth to put back in shape.

Please take hundreds of photos of every inch of this time capsule. We can all learn quite alot, and have a reference for future questions.

Thanks for sharing this with the board.

Or maybe they get the car for the pure fact that it was a memory of their son..

Catalina , sorry I dont know HOW I did that... I was going to copy and quote, got your reply edited instead!
really sorry...


heres my post, removed / moved:
Catalina, I `m not agreeing...
"back then" , I had to have insurance ,but of course I financed my car....even though they migt "only" have been $3500-4000 new , that was more in those days (1968)for a car than a $20,000 car today.....not so sure about "many people paid cash"....lots did finance...I remember most doing so, I and a few others were appalled when a 30 yr old "widow" came in and wrote a check for a 68 M-B 250 SL, $7500.....( I was hanging around my dads dealership) actually there was so much financing going on that when my Swedish friend (mechanic ,just got here ,and was used to pay cash from living in Sweden)bought a very nice stereo system , about $200 worth ,at K-Mart , they asked for ID (to pay cash) thats how unususal it was.....
Bjorn

No problem Bjorn It did confuse me a bit. Copy your text out and I can delete it. (or you can, oh mighty admin )

I realize that if you financed something it needed insurance. However, I would still say a majority of the cars were not financed in 1968. I tried to look up some statistics on it, but could not find anything of value.

According to the inflation calculator (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/), a $2,800 car in 68' would cost $14,939.04 in 2005 dollars.

I would suspect a car in the same performance range today would cost 30K plus.

/threadjack

Cat, I will...but didnt want to do it before you saw what I did ,b/c there will be "evidence", theres` always going to show a "this post was edited by..." etc..
and....
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">According to the inflation calculator (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/), a $2,800 car in 68' would cost $14,939.04 in 2005 dollars. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have a hard time to beleive it...a Volvo in 1968 was $1800+- for the 122 model...= sim to the 240 DL in 80`s which in the 80`s was 18,000+_

a 68 $7500 MB 250 SL , comp. model today , the SLK ,is what? $40,000?

My car went through an engine fire and the ins co totaled it years ago. The pay off was $2200 and I was able to buy the car back from them for 1/4 or 1/3 the cost of the settlement(can't remember). So it's possible.

Robert

I don't think this car is economical to repair. It would be better to start with a rusty straight car as the core and make one good car out of two.

In Michigan, if totalled by insurance, it would have a totaled/red title. You used to be able to get a green title after inspection but they quit doing that.

I know you can "buy them back", I once bought a "totalled" 1972 Volvo 145 from the ins co, they had it sitting at our body shop, didnt want it, was estimated to cost $1900 to repair (this was 1983)and was "worth" acc to books about $1500... so I asked if I could buy it..."sure , just pay us the wrecker bill, its yours", so $45 later I owned it... bought $300 worth of used parts, fixed most of it myself (this is during my 2 mo "education" at the body shop), prepped it for paint , had our guy spray it , $800, had basically a new car for $1150....engine was in good shape , only had 85k on it , barely 'run in' for a Volvo...kept it two years, sold for $2000....

QUOTE "His father builds a shed around the car with only a walkin door"

This may be the best way to keep the car???? Leave it exactly the way it is. It's like a twisted car art. You could even take it to shows that way.

I,ve decided to sell her,my wife tells me to finish the convertible before taking on another project.Can't argue with that and the fact that she says nothing about each month card statments,the guys that know use tell me all the time,that I've got the best car guys wife,sorry that's another topic.Taking offers.If you would like to own this time capsual PM your offer.Giving everyone here a chance,if not here she's going to ebay.Thanks guys for all the input.

Roderick

You were right on the money Nash, good eye!!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You were right on the money Nash,good eye!!</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Johnny Mac,just curious what's that all about.

Rod, we discussed what a challenge it'd be to rebuild this car from the body and frame perspective. I was pretty sure it'd be a bridge too far for most folks. Keep us informed on bids here, would you?

Darn, did I shut this thread down or what?? Certainly didn't mean to. Most of you all know me, no harm ever intended.

Just meant it'd be a good challenge, thats all.

Rod, where are we at on this?

now that I suddenly can see the pictures , the red x`s are gone....it looks like very nice seats, horn button, carpet...but its going to need a whole lot of sheet metal...maybe some frame work......but since its so "new", = little miles on it , could be worth it....

I think the car's biggest value is as an archival research project. If you were within 100 miles or so I would come and document every inch of what remains. Unlike most archaeological and preservation projects, this research will be non-destructive.

Would you be willing properly document it? Starting with the VIN and body tag, tire sidewall info, rim codes, labeling and photos of the hoses, detailed photos of the tire inflator, seat belt tags...in other words, everything. Good daylight photos of the paint and stripe colors, if you can find a broadcast sheet above the glove box or under the rear seat or passenger seat (likely places) the data would be invaluable. I can provide free webspace for the images and data.

I know you are soliciting offers, but perhaps a better way to get them would be to provide an asking price.