on the road, finally

[busterwivell]

I got my 56 210 2 door sedan as an incomplete, non- running car in April, 2007. I've been sidelined with stage 4 cancer, 2 heart attacks, my wife's heart attack and cancer..........but finally, finally........I'm driving the car. It was originally a 6 cyl/3 speed car. Now it's a 350/700R4/3:42. It has Heidt's front disc brakes, Ididit tilt column, Vintage Air, Specialty power windows, Retro Sound radio, power door locks, Dakota Digital gauges, dual electric fans etc, etc.........I put almost 100 miles on it yesterday, finally.....

[BamaNomad]

Congratulations Buster!! :) That will put a HUGE SMILE on your face! :)

[carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)]

nice going, time to enjoy.

[Belair-o]

Most Excellent! Congratulations!

[TrifiveRichard]

Congratulations, amazing persistence will all that’s been going on. Enjoy!

[chevynut]

Congrats on your HUGE milestone. Some day I might actually be able to post something like that. Maybe. Hopefully. :)

[markm]

Congrats, ten years is not bad it took me close to thirty. I kept getting distracted by other projects.

[Rocketman]

Congrats. I hope you and your wife are able to enjoy it. You both deserve to. I have had my 57 Chevy 50 years which may be a record on this board.

[busterwivell]

Just got home from my weekly breakfast club meeting. The car drew a crowd, got all kinds of nice comments, even though it's still a Patina'd car. I'm actually a little surprised.......my 66 Chevelle is a done car, a 4 speed, Marina blue.....but the 56 got a lot more attention today than the Chevelle does. I stopped at the store to get a battery cable, the guys there all had to see it, stopped at the bank, just as they were opening........two guys waiting for the doors to get unlocked had to come over and check it out. As I drove thru town, I saw people looking at it as it drove by, I probably got 2 dozen thumbs up...........life is cool!

[hurddawg]

I got my 56 210 2 door sedan as an incomplete, non- running car in April, 2007. I've been sidelined with stage 4 cancer, 2 heart attacks, my wife's heart attack and cancer..........but finally, finally........I'm driving the car. It was originally a 6 cyl/3 speed car. Now it's a 350/700R4/3:42. It has Heidt's front disc brakes, Ididit tilt column, Vintage Air, Specialty power windows, Retro Sound radio, power door locks, Dakota Digital gauges, dual electric fans etc, etc.........I put almost 100 miles on it yesterday, finally.....

Congrats! Must feel great...I'm getting really antsy to drive my car. Its great to hear that you have been able to make it through all those hardships! Show us some photos for your 56 :)

[Rustaddict]

Congratulations, that's got to feel great! There were probably times that you thought this day would never come

[Rick_L]

Buster, that has to be a great feeling to drive and enjoy the car, especially after you've endured what you have.

Congratulations!

[busterwivell]

Congrats! Must feel great...I'm getting really antsy to drive my car. Its great to hear that you have been able to make it through all those hardships! Show us some photos for your 56 :)
Don't know how to post pics.

[busterwivell]

Congratulations, that's got to feel great! There were probably times that you thought this day would never come
You bet there was........a little more history......I got this car from my best friend Charlie, just before he died of cancer on 5-5-07. When I got diagnosed, I thought that would be 2 of us who couldn't get the car finished. Charlie and I are both veterans. I've been taking a flag to him at the cemetery every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day (in my Chevelle) ever since he passed. I tell him every time that I will try and have the 56 done for flag duty soon. This Veteran's Day weekend, I can keep my promise. We'll take a flag to Charlie, then leave for Riverside, CA to deliver one to my brother-in-law who passed from complications from Agent Orange on 1-8-18.

[55 Tony]

Just got home from my weekly breakfast club meeting. The car drew a crowd, got all kinds of nice comments, even though it's still a Patina'd car. I'm actually a little surprised.......my 66 Chevelle is a done car, a 4 speed, Marina blue.....but the 56 got a lot more attention today than the Chevelle does. I stopped at the store to get a battery cable, the guys there all had to see it, stopped at the bank, just as they were opening........two guys waiting for the doors to get unlocked had to come over and check it out. As I drove thru town, I saw people looking at it as it drove by, I probably got 2 dozen thumbs up...........life is cool!

I think primered or patina cars most always get more attention around town or the highway. Bikers, real bikers especially like my black primer and rust finish. Get a lot of two fingers down which is meant for bikers to keep two wheels on the road. I believe people feel like it and the driver are more approachable than a restored car. Not that I'm putting down a nice restoration, not at all, they get all the attention at car shows.
Wishing your wife and you the best of health.

[markm]

I think primered or patina cars most always get more attention around town or the highway. Bikers, real bikers especially like my black primer and rust finish. Get a lot of two fingers down which is meant for bikers to keep two wheels on the road. I believe people feel like it and the driver are more approachable than a restored car. Not that I'm putting down a nice restoration, not at all, they get all the attention at car shows.
Wishing your wife and you the best of health.


Not buying it Tony I have both black primered 55 and nicely restored 56. When I drive them I see no difference in attention they attract. That being said I will go as far to say I don't think the general public know or cares about the difference between 30k car and a 100k build.

[chevynut]

I don't think the general public know or cares about the difference between 30k car and a 100k build.

Not buying it Mark. Anyone can see the difference in $70K if the cars are parked side-by-side. They might not see it when you're driving by, but they can certainly see it when they look up close. And the "general public" might not understand the cost, but they can see the big difference in quality. Whenever I go to a Goodguys show I see people gathered around the high-dollar cars. They walk right past the $30K cars.

You can't get much done at a shop for $30K and just about any simple garage resto is going to cost that. And if you do all the work yourself adding $70K more makes a huge difference.

[markm]

I price and value cars in the real world. Have yet to see a car worth 100k.

[Tabasco]

busterwivell, congratulations on getting the car running. Now you can start start having fun. Thanks for telling us about your friend Charlie. That was a touching story.

[Tabasco]

Markm said "I don't think the general public know or cares about the difference between 30k car and a 100k build."

Chevynut said " Whenever I go to a Goodguys show I see people gathered around the high-dollar cars."

I think both statements are correct, but I don't think the people at a Good Guys show are the general public. I think they are mostly people who are into old cars.

So I have to agree with markm. My '57 wagon has cracked and faded paint. My floor is painted with bedliner, no carpet, the door panels are bare masonite and the seats are from three different cars, just dyed so that they are the same color. The chrome is not real shiny. But when I drive it I get thumbs up and praise all the time from the "general public". A few weeks ago at a red light a guy rolled down his window and said "That's the best looking car I have seen all day."

[busterwivell]

I've been to a lot of Good Guys shows. Yes, the high dollar builds draw lots of attention, but I see lots of attention paid to "ordinary" stuff, too. My friend's patina'd GMC Suburban draws lots of attention, I've always had people around my Chevelle, and I suppose I'll see the same attention to my 56. It won't win any awards, but that's not why I attend. I go to see other builds, other cars, other people with similar likes to mine. I've never had a bad day at a Good Guys show, and I've only won one award in all the years of attending.

[LEE T]

I price and value cars in the real world. Have yet to see a car worth 100k.
I guess you could say that cars are worth what someone is willing to pay, or at an auction a car is worth what at least two people are willing to pay.
I know there have been many cars sold more than once for over $100,000, but that doesn't that those cars are worth that much to all of us.

[WagonCrazy]

Back to the original post: Congrats Buster! Now go out and drive the wheels off that thing. Enjoy the days you get...never look back...just forward.

[busterwivell]

Thanks! Will do! I don't know how to post pictures, but I know how to e-mail one. If someone who knows how to post a picture could PM me an e-mail address, I could forward a picture of the car as it sits today.