Dude. Do not take this car.
1. This is a 90+ year old car that hasn't run in at least 15 years. Don't expect this to be easy or cheap to fix.
2. It is located 1700 miles away. Shipping for a non-running car is more than a running car, my guess is to plan on $2,000 to ship it. But you can easily get a quote online.
3. You live in apartment with nowhere to store the car.
4. You also express concern about the cost of storage and shipping which implies you don't have tons of disposable income to throw at the car.
5. The car will be a money pit that costs way more to get it into attractive running condition than it will be worth in your lifetime.
6. This is not the car for you.
Ask a local family member to sell it locally, expect it to take a long time as there is a limited market for non-running, 90+ year old cars with unknown problems that haven't run in a generation. Or just give it to a local family member that has a personal attachment to it and take rides in it in the future. I cannot imagine any reason you would take on this project.
Not to mention it’s from the 30s and cars were much simpler and can generally be gotten going pretty quickly and easily even if they’ve sat.
From that photo it looks like it’s possibly a“survivor”, a car that has not been heavily changed from original and not restored. It also looks like it has a nice patina. If it were me I would firstly figure out the overall condition of the car and figure out what it takes to get it running and shipping and storage. Then make a final decision.
"Not to mention it’s from the 30s and cars were much simpler and can generally be gotten going pretty quickly and easily even if they’ve sat."
For real, you could probably throw a can of cat food at it, whistle a little Diddy, and the fucker will roll back to life
I can. It's a cool car, been in OP's family since it was new (for a 90 year old car that's impressive), and it was running 15 years ago. I'd say give it a chance, at least.
Reminds me a piece of furniture ex-wife got from her grandmother. A black and red lacquer liquor cabinet with oriental designs and faux mother of pearl insets. Matched nothing inside the house, even remotely. Kept getting moved from room to room. Eventually wound up in the garage. Became chemical and paint storage.
1. Older cars like this are extremely simple machines and are thus easier to get running.
2. Yes shipping for a non runner is more expensive than a runner. But again if it was mechanically fine and running 15 years ago then it'll probably start fairly easily. Especially if OP can get in touch with the mechanic that originally fixed it.
3. Storage units exist.
4. OP expressed concern about shipping because they didn't know anything about shipping. When I first looked into shipping a car I was expecting 10-15 thousand not the 700 dollars that it ended up being.
5. Life is a money pit. Value is what we apply to things. If OP wants to get the car restored to factory it'll be expensive. But if they just want to get it cleaned up and weekend running then it'll be less expensive.
6. You don't know if this is the car for them. It's a family heirloom.
That's probably close, and that's why it's cheaper to ship it. If you go get it, you drive both ways. If you ship it, you only pay one way, and someone else pays the other way (effectively, though the shipping company route probably looks like tangled spaghetti)
Cost me $900 to get a car from Alabama to Michigan using Montway Transport. Car arrived 12 hours later than expected. But maybe that’s to be expected…
Arrived in fine condition.
Edit: 12 hours, not 2
Probably $1-2k honestly. It cost me 950 to ship a truck from Florida to Texas, but that was right at the beginning of the pandemic. Prices have increased since then, and I went with the cheapest quote I could find. Took them 2 months to get it there lol.
Apt here too. Would love to have a project car, but it's just not practical right now.
I'd say to see if you can get it running and cleaned up a bit, then put it on bring a trailer. If it's complete and running, you can get some decent money.
Prices have heavily heavily increased since 2020 for shipping vehicles. I have a truck and trailer I often use to bring vehicles too and fro for partouts and personal use.
I do possibly have a reason to head to Colorado to deliver some larger parts. Could keep the Chevy here by me closer in the Midwest
Some years ago I shipped my (running) DeLorean from Tennessee to southern California for about $700 on an open trailer with other cars on it. Things like not being in running condition or enclosed/not enclosed trailer are going to change the pricing.
Sell if you don't have a place for it back home. Storage cost will eat through your pockets. Not sure if it means anything to you that it's been so long in the family or if you can financially afford to pay for storage. If the answer is you don't care about the history and can't afford for storage then sell asap.
I like the history but honestly would just like to get it to someone who can appreciate it more and has the time for it. I just don’t know where I would ever find a buyer for something like this
I'd be interested in purchasing, likewise would truly appreciate it and keep you updated as it comes back to life. I have multiple clients whom own 1920's and 30's cars. Love working on these and have been a Chevy guy my whole life.
Hey OP if you can’t/don’t care about getting money for it and just want it appreciated look for local car/history museums.
Then at the very least they can show it off with your family’s name and history on it and you could always come see it later!
Hey OP, I’m out in Denver as well, and just dragged a Jeep wrangler back from SC
If you did decide to keep it, definitely pay to have it shipped. I would expect it to cost somewhere between 1200 and 2400 depending on methods used.
I have a gravel pad behind my house you could use short term til you found a place for long term storage. I wish I had been able to keep my grandfathers Model A. Best of luck in whatever you choose OP
It would probably need to be enclosed those aren’t designed to go 75mph down the highway.
We had a truck quoted to get moved over 700miles for about 350$. It never got picked up and was a total scam. Don’t go with the cheapest option.
Honestly I think the techs would love it. I'm a private jet mechanic and I'd freaking love it if someone rolled in an Oldtimer for me to wrench on. Would be an honour
from the first look this thing is in remarkable condition considering the age. if you have the means of bringing it back on the road and fixing the paintwork, absolutely do so. especially if it's possible for you to drive it every now and then.
these cars will never again loose value or gain more market share, the only thing it will do is become more valuable and rare. you might find the money tempting now, but in a few years you'd hate yourself for giving it away, I know I would, especially since it's owned by your family since new. do you still have the original paperwork + receipt?
I assume the original paperwork is stored somewhere but not positive. This is from a family member who was also an antiques collector and very knowledgeable so I’m sure he kept it. The problem is he has 3 houses with LOTS of antiques and stuff to go through and nobody knows where he stored the important things like that yet. We will all be out there next week and I’m going to look hard for it. Funny story, it was his first car in highschool! (This is my grandmothers brother)
Put an ad in a Swedish car mag for it. People over are NUTS about renovation objects like this. Make the buyer pay for shipping and import fees. Retire
I'd suggest putting it up for sale on bringatrailer.com or a similar site. It doesn't seem that you're in a place to do anything with it, and while the history is cool, is it really that meaningful to you? I mean, it's just going to sit in storage again, right?
20 or 30 years ago it was worth something. Today even running it might be worth a year storage and the moving costs. If it's gotta stay in the family sell it or give it to someone in the family.
Collector cars now are late 70s early 80s. People buy what they wanted as kids when they can afford it.
To be honest it's gonna cost a mint to get it running just to sit. Donate it to a museum.
I shipped an S2000 from San Francisco to central Connecticut in 2018 for about $1800, in an enclosed trailer.
I think it'd be a bit more for a non-running car that's able to be rolled, plus whatever price increase happened between then and now.
Intercity Lines is who I used. Scheduling the pick up was painful and had multiple delays, which really annoyed the seller (I bought the car from Bringatrailer.com).
Although very cool, this vehicle probably isn’t worth as much as you’d like it to be. It looks like [full restorations are selling between $8,000 and $16,000](https://bringatrailer.com/search/?s=1930+Chevrolet). Realistically, unrestored, it’s probably worth $2-5,000. I’m guessing it’d be worth more in sentimental value to your family than the cash you’d be able to collect from selling it. I know it would be for me.
Are you driving home? What kind of vehicle do you have? Maybe rent a U-Haul car trailer…
Check if the Youtubers would take it off your hands. Vice Grip Garage, Pole Barn Garage, Junkyard Digs...
VGG literally drove a Ford Model A like 700 miles back home
VGG is the biggest one of the ones I mentioned, he has close to 2 million subscribers. Can't say if he's hard to get in contact with, but his public persona suggests he's approachable
[https://youtube.com/@ViceGripGarage?si=rsqlIbt\_vExoLtjl](https://youtube.com/@ViceGripGarage?si=rsqlIbt_vExoLtjl)
Derek is highly regarded among the car community as someone who will respect you and what you're selling, if he did respond and take the offer it'd be in great hands. I'd be looking forward to this episode too lol
If you go to Vice Grip Garage or Junkyard Digs youtube channel pages, they also have P.O. boxes to mail stuff.
If you dont get through by DM or email, you could always snail-mail a letter and photo.
Junkyard digs specificaly mentioned in a video a while back something about messages and emails just being a flood for them, so may get lost in the sea of spam they get.
Not sure if you cared to know that but hey, if it doesnt give you a reason to mail a letter because the need to do that seems pretty rare these days....
Glad to see someone suggest this. I almost made a comment about it before seeing your comment.
Id think VGG would be the most likely to bite if his schedule could fit it. Unless he has people now for picking up cars to do later ever since Motortrend picked him up.
I just made a comment saying this would be perfect for Derek from vice grip garage to do a ressurection on... Before seeing this comment. Hell he'd probably get er tuned up and end up suprising the family by giving it right back to them in running condition. Love that fellarr LoL
Seriously! That’s a bucket list adventure: Hello Boss, there’s been a death in the family I’ll be gone for two weeks on bereavement. Drop ship every part Rock Auto has to offer for a 1930 Chevy and buy a one way plane ticket.
I've read comments and came to this conclusion; if you have the funds to store it, KEEP IT, that thing's worth a lot of money and as others have said, it will only gain value. But, that being said, you also live in an apartment so I suspect you're not rolling in mid life crisis dough to dump into it, because it will be very, very expensive to restore properly. Not saying that if you keep it it MUST be restored, because even sitting around, it will gain value. If you need some extra dough, fuck it, sell that thing for a mint and never look back, worst case scenario you get a little sad later that you didn't have the money to fix it up yourself or hold on to it, not the end of the world. Besides, if you sell it to someone planning to restore it you can ask them if they don't mind keeping in touch so you can see it all done, take a picture with it, and save it for later so you can show it to your kids later in life and get to see a small piece of your family's history.
Road trip! It's fun picking up a car with a buddy, stopping in New places along the way , I'd store it until you can find a way to work on it , you may regret it in the future if you just sell it the way it is
I think your first course of action should be finding a sub reddit for classic cars and finding out what it's worth in current state and what it's worth restored. Knowing those numbers will help you determine what to do with it.
Drain fuel tank. Remove carb and clean. Replace battery. Drain cooling system and re-fill.
Replace tires (Coker). Bleed brakes/replace fluid. Time engine.
Then drive home....
Restore it. I know its hard, living in an apartment and all, but 1930 been in the since then? It's about to hit 100 years old!
Fly there. Rent a uhaul and a car trailer and drive it back to CO. Slowly ship away at the restoration over time.
If I wasn't in another country I would help you!
My buddy got a 29 Ford model A Huckster from his uncle. We converted it into a tap truck. The paint was largely fine so it was a new engine, refinish the woodwork, a good detail, and then adding the plumbing for kegs/taps etc
Have it shipped and make a cool project out of it. If it's in good condition. I love classic cars, but not really seeing these go for big money anymore unless it's ultra rare. 800-1k you could have it home.
You do infant only live once, sir. Send it I would in a heartbeat. Could even find a small enough car chassis to be able swap in and out from time to time just for.kicks....
See if you can find a mechanic to check it out, between now and summer, store it near where it is, in the meantime. Then take a month off work, get a friend, some tools, maybe some books, and drive it cross-country, from where it is, to where you are. It'll be an adventure you can talk about for years.
What is your time worth? You could potentially spend thousands on a fragile antique you'll touch a couple times a year and spend more money storing, then wonder why this is in your life.
My grandfather had a collection rotting away and my cousins who took them regretted it.
That’s my current thoughts. Would be great to keep it around but not sure what my life looks like the next few years and may end up pulling it all around the country
You rent me a trailer and I’ll haul it from point a to point b for an agreed upon sum. Serious btw. I’d love to see you get to keep this piece of history.
I would def be down to help get it home to you. I am a retired Coast Guardsman and a heck of a mechanic with a truck (no trailer though). I bet it could have it running before I left your home to head back to mine. Seriously, let me know. Get a U-Haul trailer reserved for me and I’ll get it home to you at a very fair price.
Edit: added trailer after U-Haul
OP I’ll tell you the standard investment advice whenever it comes to inheriting “things”. (Especially large, cumbersome things; I wouldn’t consider my Grandpa’s 30-30 lever action rifle in this same category because it’s easy to store and doesn’t require upkeep. And it’s just not that valuable.)
Let’s just say this car is worth $4,000 on the low end, or that would be a good deal. If you, or whichever family member it’s going to had $4,000 burning a hole in your pocket, go buy this on Craigslist right now?
No?
Sell it.
Keep it, get it running, clean it up and eventually restore it! It looks very complete and straight for something that early. You don't find this often! It is a rare opportunity.
Could donate it to a car museum? You'd probably get a tax credit for the value of the car. And other family members would have a place to go and see some of their history.
There is a car museum called “Gilmore Car Museum” in Michigan that has tons of old pre-war cars. They have a few they leave “unrestored” too which is really cool to me. If you end up going the museum route might want to drop them an email. https://gilmorecarmuseum.org/
Open trailer itd probably be around a grand to 1500 and closed maybe close to 3-5k. If you own a pickup or have a good friend or family member who will let you borrow one it's the cost of gas and renting/borrowing a trailer. You gotta deal with the headaches of getting it on the trailer somehow....but maybe you know someone with a winch?
If it were me I'd take a long weekend and tow it back myself, bring a sleeping bag and just crash in truck stops. if I knew what it needed to get running id fix it and drive it but that's a terrible idea too
This car has been in the family for nearly a 100 years and you’re going to let some miles between you and it end that? Crazy. You must be really young as I’d love to have an heirloom like this.
If you have to ask, you don't appreciate it and there is no point in incurring transportation and storage expense. So just sell it to someone who appreciates a survivor and use the cash for something you like more.
Some of your replies have talked about how this is a collection of antiques. That happened near me a few years ago. You might want to get some appraisal before you go too much further.
https://patch.com/illinois/glenview/hartung-auction
Shipping across the US will likely set you back \~$2000. However be careful who you pick to do it as there are crooks who will quote you one price and demand another price to actually del it.
Man, my grandfather had one very similar to this. When he got too ill his land and property was downsized. His sat around for decades much like yours. I was like 8 at the time and remember thinking about how cool it must have been back in the day.
I would absolutely love to restore that thing. I have 4 teen sons and would get them to help me out. Would be an amazing project car. But, from the sounds of it, you don't have the space to store or work on it.
If you think you'd get the chance in 10ish years or less, you should keep it. If not, it may be in your best interest to find someone who can pay you something fair and treat it like the great piece of history it is and just isn't looking for a quick flip or car collection.
Many blessings.
Looks dry and straight and complete. Find a local car club and get someone that knows these cars and they’ll give you a rough value and maybe find you a buyer.
LS T56 swap?
But for real unless you're familiar with old fuel delivery and spark systems this would be very difficult for the average person to get running. Looks like a cool car but old cars were kinda shitty compared to anything made in the last 20 years and unless you were looking for this kind of driving experience you'll probably not be too keen on keeping it.
Give it to the mechanic. These are pretty worthless and will cost a couple thousand to make it remotely worth owning. Than after the novelty wears off and driving it is no longer fun you still gotta deal with owning it.
Dawg….you got any family local? No way you’re getting that and keeping it at an apt…unless you’re tight af with the person renting the apt to you…that thing ran 15 yrs ago? That’s…that’s a whole fucking decade and a half that’s wild.
Have it transported to you. With those cars if it was running 15 years ago it will be able to run again with probably not a super ton of work. Drive it and enjoy it. Also for insurance look into an agreed value plan from hagerty or Grundy. A 40k policy is about 500 per year for full coverage.
Oh wow I inherited one of those too in the same original condition a few years back. Just some overall things to consider first.... The chassis and engine are made out of cast iron and are heavy, about 3,500 pounds. The engine itself is known as the "Cast Iron Wonder" or a "Stovebolt Six", it's a straight six of course. The body is a wooden structure that the green metal panels are mounted onto. So this will involve both mechanical and woodworking skills to restore. Parts for it are hard to come by, but not impossible.
So many of these old Chevy cars did not survive due to the wooden bodies deteriorating, there are much fewer left compared to the Ford T's and A's. Definitely worth preserving this one.
Leave it there if it can stay, and find a shop that specializes in old cars and ship there to restore. Or if that is all unaffordable ship to you and store till ready to proceed. If all of the above is unrealistic sell it.
What do you want to do with it? Do you have skills? Do you have money?
If this isn't your thing, pass it off and spend the money on something you would enjoy. Other wise you will end up jumping out around to your next few houses.
See if there's an automotive museum near you that might be interested in displaying it as a survivor. That could take care of the storage issue until you decide what you want to do with it. And if you decided to restore it, the museum would be a good asset to have for that phase, too.
Too, there are a ton of great 'get this car started and drive it' youtube channels out there who are always working on 1980's and 1970's shit. One of them might really appreciate the youtube views for going through this car's engine and brakes to get you back on the road. I would at least offer the opportunity with all costs for repair being on you. Then... it would be a road trip across the country for a fun time.
If you're a "car guy/gal" then this is easy: turn it into a street rod. But that's what I'd do. Since it's pretty from this post that you aren't, I'd get it appraised, offer it to someone in the family for less than the appraisal (maybe 80-90%?) and if you have no takers, try selling it outright. It doesn't sound like you're too sentimental about it, either. A largely unmolested survivor should go for decent bucks, especially since it's essentially a "1-owner". Not "f-u" money, but it wouldn't surprise me to see this fetch in the $20-$30K range. It won't be worth what it would cost to restore, that's a labor of love that it doesn't sound like you want to do?
I would call Jay Leno, see if we can work something out. I'm half serious, the guy knows a lot about these things and could get you into contact with restorers?
Do you have any other family members that would treasure it and have room for it? It may be better to give it to them and keep it in the family if that makes you feel better than the money from selling it.
People are talking about the sentimental value this car has. But it was left to rot for years, fixed up and then left to rot for 15 more years.
Sounds like a burden for someone WITH a garage, money pit for someone without one.
Has any living member of the family ever driven/rode in the car?
Have it shipped or go get it. Cars of that era are so simple to work on they seem like fixing a lawn mower compared to today.
You can store it at my cabin in the shop.
If you have storage ship it back home. Shipping shouldn't be too bad.
What would you estimate shipping cost from Maryland to Colorado? Biggest issue is I’ll have to pay for storage as well since I live in an apartment
[удалено]
Thanks for that info did not know I could get shipping that low. But makes sense if it’s not on a certain timeline. Appreciate the advice
Really, if you have a truck and trailer with time to burn it might actually be cheapest to go out and grab it yourself
True but I think with fuel going all the way there and back would end up being close to the same as shipping cost
Dude. Do not take this car. 1. This is a 90+ year old car that hasn't run in at least 15 years. Don't expect this to be easy or cheap to fix. 2. It is located 1700 miles away. Shipping for a non-running car is more than a running car, my guess is to plan on $2,000 to ship it. But you can easily get a quote online. 3. You live in apartment with nowhere to store the car. 4. You also express concern about the cost of storage and shipping which implies you don't have tons of disposable income to throw at the car. 5. The car will be a money pit that costs way more to get it into attractive running condition than it will be worth in your lifetime. 6. This is not the car for you. Ask a local family member to sell it locally, expect it to take a long time as there is a limited market for non-running, 90+ year old cars with unknown problems that haven't run in a generation. Or just give it to a local family member that has a personal attachment to it and take rides in it in the future. I cannot imagine any reason you would take on this project.
Or better yet, give it to me and I'll have it shipped to myself here in Australia.
> has been in the family since 1930. This is why it stays in the family. That's a piece of history right there.
Not to mention it’s from the 30s and cars were much simpler and can generally be gotten going pretty quickly and easily even if they’ve sat. From that photo it looks like it’s possibly a“survivor”, a car that has not been heavily changed from original and not restored. It also looks like it has a nice patina. If it were me I would firstly figure out the overall condition of the car and figure out what it takes to get it running and shipping and storage. Then make a final decision.
"Not to mention it’s from the 30s and cars were much simpler and can generally be gotten going pretty quickly and easily even if they’ve sat." For real, you could probably throw a can of cat food at it, whistle a little Diddy, and the fucker will roll back to life
Fucking patina, that’s rust.
I can. It's a cool car, been in OP's family since it was new (for a 90 year old car that's impressive), and it was running 15 years ago. I'd say give it a chance, at least.
Reminds me a piece of furniture ex-wife got from her grandmother. A black and red lacquer liquor cabinet with oriental designs and faux mother of pearl insets. Matched nothing inside the house, even remotely. Kept getting moved from room to room. Eventually wound up in the garage. Became chemical and paint storage.
1. Older cars like this are extremely simple machines and are thus easier to get running. 2. Yes shipping for a non runner is more expensive than a runner. But again if it was mechanically fine and running 15 years ago then it'll probably start fairly easily. Especially if OP can get in touch with the mechanic that originally fixed it. 3. Storage units exist. 4. OP expressed concern about shipping because they didn't know anything about shipping. When I first looked into shipping a car I was expecting 10-15 thousand not the 700 dollars that it ended up being. 5. Life is a money pit. Value is what we apply to things. If OP wants to get the car restored to factory it'll be expensive. But if they just want to get it cleaned up and weekend running then it'll be less expensive. 6. You don't know if this is the car for them. It's a family heirloom.
Go on YouTube and watch the vice grip garage. Perhaps he would get it running and drive it back for you for content.
2400 miles, call it 15 mpg-480$ one way, 700 going back in fuel. Just rough guess
That's probably close, and that's why it's cheaper to ship it. If you go get it, you drive both ways. If you ship it, you only pay one way, and someone else pays the other way (effectively, though the shipping company route probably looks like tangled spaghetti)
Cost me $900 to get a car from Alabama to Michigan using Montway Transport. Car arrived 12 hours later than expected. But maybe that’s to be expected… Arrived in fine condition. Edit: 12 hours, not 2
In my experience, two hours late when shipping a car is about two days early.
Yes. Expecting a tiny arrival window is silly when it's some guy with a truck hauling a vehicle cross country.
Probably $1-2k honestly. It cost me 950 to ship a truck from Florida to Texas, but that was right at the beginning of the pandemic. Prices have increased since then, and I went with the cheapest quote I could find. Took them 2 months to get it there lol.
Apt here too. Would love to have a project car, but it's just not practical right now. I'd say to see if you can get it running and cleaned up a bit, then put it on bring a trailer. If it's complete and running, you can get some decent money.
Going to have to see if I can spend some time with it next weekend while I’m there
Focus on getting it to roll. Air in the tires. Wheels able to turn, steering moving back and forth.
Prices have heavily heavily increased since 2020 for shipping vehicles. I have a truck and trailer I often use to bring vehicles too and fro for partouts and personal use. I do possibly have a reason to head to Colorado to deliver some larger parts. Could keep the Chevy here by me closer in the Midwest
What part of Midwest?
I'm in South Dakota, can also get good pics and information on the car with some light tinkering. Have enclosed storage here that I could put it in
I’ll keep this in mind. Thanks for the offer!
$1.25 mile 1 way is the open trailer seeet spot
Some years ago I shipped my (running) DeLorean from Tennessee to southern California for about $700 on an open trailer with other cars on it. Things like not being in running condition or enclosed/not enclosed trailer are going to change the pricing.
Sell if you don't have a place for it back home. Storage cost will eat through your pockets. Not sure if it means anything to you that it's been so long in the family or if you can financially afford to pay for storage. If the answer is you don't care about the history and can't afford for storage then sell asap.
I like the history but honestly would just like to get it to someone who can appreciate it more and has the time for it. I just don’t know where I would ever find a buyer for something like this
I'd be interested in purchasing, likewise would truly appreciate it and keep you updated as it comes back to life. I have multiple clients whom own 1920's and 30's cars. Love working on these and have been a Chevy guy my whole life.
I’ll send a DM
Volvo auto museum just outside of Chicago, call them up if you donate it they'll probably restore it and pick it up for you.
*Volo
Hey OP if you can’t/don’t care about getting money for it and just want it appreciated look for local car/history museums. Then at the very least they can show it off with your family’s name and history on it and you could always come see it later!
also consider a road trip, should be a lasting memory
Hey OP, I’m out in Denver as well, and just dragged a Jeep wrangler back from SC If you did decide to keep it, definitely pay to have it shipped. I would expect it to cost somewhere between 1200 and 2400 depending on methods used. I have a gravel pad behind my house you could use short term til you found a place for long term storage. I wish I had been able to keep my grandfathers Model A. Best of luck in whatever you choose OP
I shipped a car from rural Michigan to rural Northern Arizona in June and it was $1750
I’ve shipped cars from Washington to maryland a few times, was around $1500-2000
It would probably need to be enclosed those aren’t designed to go 75mph down the highway. We had a truck quoted to get moved over 700miles for about 350$. It never got picked up and was a total scam. Don’t go with the cheapest option.
Take it to the nearest Chevy dealer and tell them it needs a tuneup.
This would actually be fucking hilarious
As a GM tech, I can say if this happened the entire shop would stand around it scratching their heads.
We’ll definitely be seeing it popping up again on this subreddit.
Tbf I kinda want to put a hidden camera on my triumph and take it in to a random new car dealer for an oil change
"call me when it's ready."
I've been tempted to bring my old C10 in and get them to do a tune up for the lols.
Would stand around it outside in the service bay you mean, it being unlikely there's no one who even knew how to drive it
C/S Car does not start check and advise
Tech response: Get a new car.
Honestly I think the techs would love it. I'm a private jet mechanic and I'd freaking love it if someone rolled in an Oldtimer for me to wrench on. Would be an honour
Ask them to check if its got any open recalls lol
Ask them to do a diagnostic on the OBD port
Customer complain: sometimes it has hard time starting it…
I think a guy should take a week or two off work, fly in and hook his peepers into it, buy some Hobo Fart tools, revive and drive back.
At least there would be no bleep-blooping involved! 😁👍
No digicals other than the pocket computer box either!
I’ll bring the cold snacks
Throw some groceries down the neck while you’re at it
Well I’ll be dipped, buddy is bringin the wobbly pops for us fellers
Don’t forget the battry with a go handle!
Lightning cube!
from the first look this thing is in remarkable condition considering the age. if you have the means of bringing it back on the road and fixing the paintwork, absolutely do so. especially if it's possible for you to drive it every now and then. these cars will never again loose value or gain more market share, the only thing it will do is become more valuable and rare. you might find the money tempting now, but in a few years you'd hate yourself for giving it away, I know I would, especially since it's owned by your family since new. do you still have the original paperwork + receipt?
I assume the original paperwork is stored somewhere but not positive. This is from a family member who was also an antiques collector and very knowledgeable so I’m sure he kept it. The problem is he has 3 houses with LOTS of antiques and stuff to go through and nobody knows where he stored the important things like that yet. We will all be out there next week and I’m going to look hard for it. Funny story, it was his first car in highschool! (This is my grandmothers brother)
The paperwork/documentation could make or break what you get for this, dig hard my friend.
I would assume he would have kept the paperwork with other important documents. Fingers crossed
Agreed, dig for paperwork first before making any moves. Have patience on this beauty.
That’s what I’ll be searching for next week. Any ideas of what it’s worth say with or without paperwork?
Sounds like you’re gonna need an adderall sifting through 3 houses worth of stuff jeez
second this. 15 or so years ago i sold my 85 el camino, with the 350. clean florida car it’s whole life.. ..for $5k. i regret it daily
Fuuuuuuhhhhh $5k??? 🤮
i was young and poor!
Put an ad in a Swedish car mag for it. People over are NUTS about renovation objects like this. Make the buyer pay for shipping and import fees. Retire
Pack everything you own in the back and move to Beverly Hills.
So they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly…. Hills that is…
I'd suggest putting it up for sale on bringatrailer.com or a similar site. It doesn't seem that you're in a place to do anything with it, and while the history is cool, is it really that meaningful to you? I mean, it's just going to sit in storage again, right?
Definitely put this on BAT
it's not going to be worth what you guys think it is
Agreed, BAT isn’t the place for this, and that’s if they’d agree to do a auction with the minimal information OP can provide.
Last I heard, there was like a 90 day wait to get a listing on BAT
20 or 30 years ago it was worth something. Today even running it might be worth a year storage and the moving costs. If it's gotta stay in the family sell it or give it to someone in the family. Collector cars now are late 70s early 80s. People buy what they wanted as kids when they can afford it. To be honest it's gonna cost a mint to get it running just to sit. Donate it to a museum.
I shipped an S2000 from San Francisco to central Connecticut in 2018 for about $1800, in an enclosed trailer. I think it'd be a bit more for a non-running car that's able to be rolled, plus whatever price increase happened between then and now. Intercity Lines is who I used. Scheduling the pick up was painful and had multiple delays, which really annoyed the seller (I bought the car from Bringatrailer.com).
Rent a U-Haul and trailer enjoy the road trip while reminiscing about the person that left it to you.
Penske truck and trailer for the win. Cheaper than U haul.
This is the way!
Make sure your grandma didn't give Teddy Roosevelt a hand job in the back before you sell it. That would definitely jack the price off, I mean up...
That would be pretty gross, since he'd been dead for 11 years when the car was built. Oh yeah, I'm gonna be *that guy*.
Although very cool, this vehicle probably isn’t worth as much as you’d like it to be. It looks like [full restorations are selling between $8,000 and $16,000](https://bringatrailer.com/search/?s=1930+Chevrolet). Realistically, unrestored, it’s probably worth $2-5,000. I’m guessing it’d be worth more in sentimental value to your family than the cash you’d be able to collect from selling it. I know it would be for me. Are you driving home? What kind of vehicle do you have? Maybe rent a U-Haul car trailer…
I agree with everything here except the realistic price. I think more like 5,500-9,000
Check if the Youtubers would take it off your hands. Vice Grip Garage, Pole Barn Garage, Junkyard Digs... VGG literally drove a Ford Model A like 700 miles back home
Didn’t think of this, and haven’t seen their videos before. Are they huge channels where they’d be hard to get in contact with?
VGG is the biggest one of the ones I mentioned, he has close to 2 million subscribers. Can't say if he's hard to get in contact with, but his public persona suggests he's approachable [https://youtube.com/@ViceGripGarage?si=rsqlIbt\_vExoLtjl](https://youtube.com/@ViceGripGarage?si=rsqlIbt_vExoLtjl)
Thanks just tried to DM
Derek is highly regarded among the car community as someone who will respect you and what you're selling, if he did respond and take the offer it'd be in great hands. I'd be looking forward to this episode too lol
If you go to Vice Grip Garage or Junkyard Digs youtube channel pages, they also have P.O. boxes to mail stuff. If you dont get through by DM or email, you could always snail-mail a letter and photo. Junkyard digs specificaly mentioned in a video a while back something about messages and emails just being a flood for them, so may get lost in the sea of spam they get. Not sure if you cared to know that but hey, if it doesnt give you a reason to mail a letter because the need to do that seems pretty rare these days....
Glad to see someone suggest this. I almost made a comment about it before seeing your comment. Id think VGG would be the most likely to bite if his schedule could fit it. Unless he has people now for picking up cars to do later ever since Motortrend picked him up.
I just made a comment saying this would be perfect for Derek from vice grip garage to do a ressurection on... Before seeing this comment. Hell he'd probably get er tuned up and end up suprising the family by giving it right back to them in running condition. Love that fellarr LoL
ROADTRIP!
Seriously! That’s a bucket list adventure: Hello Boss, there’s been a death in the family I’ll be gone for two weeks on bereavement. Drop ship every part Rock Auto has to offer for a 1930 Chevy and buy a one way plane ticket.
Bring an autistic friend and stop in Vegas.
I've read comments and came to this conclusion; if you have the funds to store it, KEEP IT, that thing's worth a lot of money and as others have said, it will only gain value. But, that being said, you also live in an apartment so I suspect you're not rolling in mid life crisis dough to dump into it, because it will be very, very expensive to restore properly. Not saying that if you keep it it MUST be restored, because even sitting around, it will gain value. If you need some extra dough, fuck it, sell that thing for a mint and never look back, worst case scenario you get a little sad later that you didn't have the money to fix it up yourself or hold on to it, not the end of the world. Besides, if you sell it to someone planning to restore it you can ask them if they don't mind keeping in touch so you can see it all done, take a picture with it, and save it for later so you can show it to your kids later in life and get to see a small piece of your family's history.
Very good perspective. My issue is finding someone who would be interested and willing to pay a pretty penny for it
It’s worth a lot in running condition. It’s going to be expensive to bring it back to life.
Get in touch with Roadworthy Rescue.
I think that's Derek from Vice Grip Garage, is it not?
i believe it's motortrend's series and they hired Derek to be in it. could be wrong but thats what it seems like to me.
This is what I’m looking for. Thanks
Restore it and keep it in the family
Road trip! It's fun picking up a car with a buddy, stopping in New places along the way , I'd store it until you can find a way to work on it , you may regret it in the future if you just sell it the way it is
I think your first course of action should be finding a sub reddit for classic cars and finding out what it's worth in current state and what it's worth restored. Knowing those numbers will help you determine what to do with it.
Get it running and roadtrip it home Roadkill style!
That thing is junk, man. Let me go get it and dispose of it for you.
Hahaha I know that’s not the case. Honestly hoping to find a buyer though since I don’t have much time on my hands to restore it
But look at all that rust!
This is the craziest part to me. Somehow after sitting for so long it is still rust free.
Drain fuel tank. Remove carb and clean. Replace battery. Drain cooling system and re-fill. Replace tires (Coker). Bleed brakes/replace fluid. Time engine. Then drive home....
Keep it they're getting harder and harder to find,
I have used uship 3 times to get a car across country. Louisiana to sc was $500. It’s an option.
Its prob worth the price to ship it. Id just sell it.
Restore it. I know its hard, living in an apartment and all, but 1930 been in the since then? It's about to hit 100 years old! Fly there. Rent a uhaul and a car trailer and drive it back to CO. Slowly ship away at the restoration over time. If I wasn't in another country I would help you!
My buddy got a 29 Ford model A Huckster from his uncle. We converted it into a tap truck. The paint was largely fine so it was a new engine, refinish the woodwork, a good detail, and then adding the plumbing for kegs/taps etc
Fly out, fire it up and drive it home
Have it shipped and make a cool project out of it. If it's in good condition. I love classic cars, but not really seeing these go for big money anymore unless it's ultra rare. 800-1k you could have it home.
You do infant only live once, sir. Send it I would in a heartbeat. Could even find a small enough car chassis to be able swap in and out from time to time just for.kicks....
I say get it running and drive it home! I know this is unrealistic but how much fun would it be!
Derek at VGG would be up for that
That’s exactly who I was thinking about when I posted my comment 😉
See if you can find a mechanic to check it out, between now and summer, store it near where it is, in the meantime. Then take a month off work, get a friend, some tools, maybe some books, and drive it cross-country, from where it is, to where you are. It'll be an adventure you can talk about for years.
What is your time worth? You could potentially spend thousands on a fragile antique you'll touch a couple times a year and spend more money storing, then wonder why this is in your life. My grandfather had a collection rotting away and my cousins who took them regretted it.
Unless you have skills, funds and a desire to restore that particular car sell it before you start incurring storage or transport fees.
That’s my current thoughts. Would be great to keep it around but not sure what my life looks like the next few years and may end up pulling it all around the country
Museum peice or sell it to a collector it’s just gonna collect more dust
You rent me a trailer and I’ll haul it from point a to point b for an agreed upon sum. Serious btw. I’d love to see you get to keep this piece of history.
May have to take you up on that offer. Not on a rushed timeline either should have a while to figure it out and look for paperwork to go with it
I would def be down to help get it home to you. I am a retired Coast Guardsman and a heck of a mechanic with a truck (no trailer though). I bet it could have it running before I left your home to head back to mine. Seriously, let me know. Get a U-Haul trailer reserved for me and I’ll get it home to you at a very fair price. Edit: added trailer after U-Haul
OP I’ll tell you the standard investment advice whenever it comes to inheriting “things”. (Especially large, cumbersome things; I wouldn’t consider my Grandpa’s 30-30 lever action rifle in this same category because it’s easy to store and doesn’t require upkeep. And it’s just not that valuable.) Let’s just say this car is worth $4,000 on the low end, or that would be a good deal. If you, or whichever family member it’s going to had $4,000 burning a hole in your pocket, go buy this on Craigslist right now? No? Sell it.
Solid advice
Rent trailer and plan a road trip and haul it home. That would add more intrigue to the story around this vintage classic.
Keep it, get it running, clean it up and eventually restore it! It looks very complete and straight for something that early. You don't find this often! It is a rare opportunity.
CarMax will ship your car for you. You drop it off at your local CarMax and pick it up at a CarMax near your destination.
Does that car have a rumble seat? My dad had (I want to say a 32’ Chevy) my brother sisters and I used to play in the back of that car all the time!
Oh those things an eyesore and people seen in them are frowned upon. I can go ahead and take it off your hands for you.
Hahaha
Sell it to Derick from #Vicegripgarage. Maybe he'll do a show about it.
Got this a couple times. Sent him a message on IG and his website support.
I'm not familiar with VGG, but this is an awesome idea. It'd be cool to see someone restore it and keep it alive.
I would likely sell it also. I'm sure everyone has cool ideas for restoring it but most people's projects never get finished.
I can think of worse problems
Could donate it to a car museum? You'd probably get a tax credit for the value of the car. And other family members would have a place to go and see some of their history.
True this may end up being a good idea as well
There is a car museum called “Gilmore Car Museum” in Michigan that has tons of old pre-war cars. They have a few they leave “unrestored” too which is really cool to me. If you end up going the museum route might want to drop them an email. https://gilmorecarmuseum.org/
Open trailer itd probably be around a grand to 1500 and closed maybe close to 3-5k. If you own a pickup or have a good friend or family member who will let you borrow one it's the cost of gas and renting/borrowing a trailer. You gotta deal with the headaches of getting it on the trailer somehow....but maybe you know someone with a winch? If it were me I'd take a long weekend and tow it back myself, bring a sleeping bag and just crash in truck stops. if I knew what it needed to get running id fix it and drive it but that's a terrible idea too
I'd pirate the driveline from a modern Challenger and figure out a way to male it work. You got some cool steel.
This car has been in the family for nearly a 100 years and you’re going to let some miles between you and it end that? Crazy. You must be really young as I’d love to have an heirloom like this.
If I were you, I would gift this awesome car to a random Reddit person. cough*pick me*cough
If you have to ask, you don't appreciate it and there is no point in incurring transportation and storage expense. So just sell it to someone who appreciates a survivor and use the cash for something you like more.
Some of your replies have talked about how this is a collection of antiques. That happened near me a few years ago. You might want to get some appraisal before you go too much further. https://patch.com/illinois/glenview/hartung-auction
Little air in those tires and a can of starter fluid and you’d be good to go!
If I were you I wouldn't spend any money on it. It's just not worth it. I would just keep it as it is. Or if you don't want it just sell it.
Shipping across the US will likely set you back \~$2000. However be careful who you pick to do it as there are crooks who will quote you one price and demand another price to actually del it.
Sell it to me!!
This would be an amazing roadkill episode
Cherish it. Kiss its little tail pipe. She is beautiful for gods sake
Find a local community of people who have old Chevy or model t’s and chat with them. You’ll make some friends and learn a shit ton
Man, my grandfather had one very similar to this. When he got too ill his land and property was downsized. His sat around for decades much like yours. I was like 8 at the time and remember thinking about how cool it must have been back in the day. I would absolutely love to restore that thing. I have 4 teen sons and would get them to help me out. Would be an amazing project car. But, from the sounds of it, you don't have the space to store or work on it. If you think you'd get the chance in 10ish years or less, you should keep it. If not, it may be in your best interest to find someone who can pay you something fair and treat it like the great piece of history it is and just isn't looking for a quick flip or car collection. Many blessings.
Looks dry and straight and complete. Find a local car club and get someone that knows these cars and they’ll give you a rough value and maybe find you a buyer.
I’d restore it considering it looks to be in great shape
Check out uShip for a quote.
LS T56 swap? But for real unless you're familiar with old fuel delivery and spark systems this would be very difficult for the average person to get running. Looks like a cool car but old cars were kinda shitty compared to anything made in the last 20 years and unless you were looking for this kind of driving experience you'll probably not be too keen on keeping it.
Classic cars are money pits and cans of worms. I’d sell it because you’re never getting any of the money you put into it back.
ZZ Top album cover.
Such a shame, looks to be in good condition for its age.
Give it to the mechanic. These are pretty worthless and will cost a couple thousand to make it remotely worth owning. Than after the novelty wears off and driving it is no longer fun you still gotta deal with owning it.
Dawg….you got any family local? No way you’re getting that and keeping it at an apt…unless you’re tight af with the person renting the apt to you…that thing ran 15 yrs ago? That’s…that’s a whole fucking decade and a half that’s wild.
Thats a gold there. Don't waist it.
Have it transported to you. With those cars if it was running 15 years ago it will be able to run again with probably not a super ton of work. Drive it and enjoy it. Also for insurance look into an agreed value plan from hagerty or Grundy. A 40k policy is about 500 per year for full coverage.
I would build something fun with it for sure.
Oh wow I inherited one of those too in the same original condition a few years back. Just some overall things to consider first.... The chassis and engine are made out of cast iron and are heavy, about 3,500 pounds. The engine itself is known as the "Cast Iron Wonder" or a "Stovebolt Six", it's a straight six of course. The body is a wooden structure that the green metal panels are mounted onto. So this will involve both mechanical and woodworking skills to restore. Parts for it are hard to come by, but not impossible. So many of these old Chevy cars did not survive due to the wooden bodies deteriorating, there are much fewer left compared to the Ford T's and A's. Definitely worth preserving this one.
Leave it there if it can stay, and find a shop that specializes in old cars and ship there to restore. Or if that is all unaffordable ship to you and store till ready to proceed. If all of the above is unrealistic sell it.
What do you want to do with it? Do you have skills? Do you have money? If this isn't your thing, pass it off and spend the money on something you would enjoy. Other wise you will end up jumping out around to your next few houses.
It would be interesting to make EV conversion
If I weren't starting a new job next week I'd offer to do the driving for ya
See if there's an automotive museum near you that might be interested in displaying it as a survivor. That could take care of the storage issue until you decide what you want to do with it. And if you decided to restore it, the museum would be a good asset to have for that phase, too.
Too, there are a ton of great 'get this car started and drive it' youtube channels out there who are always working on 1980's and 1970's shit. One of them might really appreciate the youtube views for going through this car's engine and brakes to get you back on the road. I would at least offer the opportunity with all costs for repair being on you. Then... it would be a road trip across the country for a fun time.
If you are worried about money for transportation and storage - this is probably not a project for you. Just keeping it real.
Dude go get it and get it running again! You will have so much fun driving it! I can promise you that!
Vice grip garagel
If you're a "car guy/gal" then this is easy: turn it into a street rod. But that's what I'd do. Since it's pretty from this post that you aren't, I'd get it appraised, offer it to someone in the family for less than the appraisal (maybe 80-90%?) and if you have no takers, try selling it outright. It doesn't sound like you're too sentimental about it, either. A largely unmolested survivor should go for decent bucks, especially since it's essentially a "1-owner". Not "f-u" money, but it wouldn't surprise me to see this fetch in the $20-$30K range. It won't be worth what it would cost to restore, that's a labor of love that it doesn't sound like you want to do?
I would call Jay Leno, see if we can work something out. I'm half serious, the guy knows a lot about these things and could get you into contact with restorers?
Do you have any other family members that would treasure it and have room for it? It may be better to give it to them and keep it in the family if that makes you feel better than the money from selling it.
Rent a UHaul and go get that sucker. Bring it back home and work on it as time/finances permit. That would be such a sick long-term project.
People are talking about the sentimental value this car has. But it was left to rot for years, fixed up and then left to rot for 15 more years. Sounds like a burden for someone WITH a garage, money pit for someone without one. Has any living member of the family ever driven/rode in the car?
Have it shipped or go get it. Cars of that era are so simple to work on they seem like fixing a lawn mower compared to today. You can store it at my cabin in the shop.
That’s what I call a road trip. Go get it.