I was stationed in North Dakota in the 1980's with the USAF. Someone brought a 69 H/O from Panama to the base and had it for sale. All the white color was repainted black. The original motor had been replaced with a 455 from a 71 wagon. Interior was original, rest of the car was straight. I saw it for sale and did not check the price, thinking it was WAY out of what I was making at the time ($600 a month). My friend Mike (don't remember his first name) Hiajeck asked about it and got the car for less than $2000. I only know about the car from what we discovered after he bought it. He got out of the USAF and took the car to Minnesota. Last I saw of the car and him. Maybe he still has it, or someone here has the car?

Also while in Dakota I would go junk yard hopping. I would spend a weekend in the yard looking around. It was the days before all the cars got pricey and everyone started snatching them up. I came acrossed a 69 W-29 sitting on the ground with no rear end in it, wheel wells and motor missing. The rest of the car was there. Deep blue with white pinstrips and a W-29 on the front fenders. I thought about getting it, but did noy have the space (or funds) to put it back together. I still think about that one, as I have yet to see another W-29 on a fender.

I wonder if Donald Trump feels this way after loosing a building deal?

 

His name was probably Michael.

I think back to the '71 442 I had in high school. I put a rod thru the matching numbers block & didn't think twice about it. Got an engine out of a '70 Delta & thru that in with a big cam and blew that too & sold it for parts.

 

When I was 19 I had a 68 Cutlass convertible, I was always on the look out for parts for this car, one day I ran across a complete 68 442 w-30 4 speed car for $200 that still had the ram air and everything on it, the only thing wrong with the car was a smashed in front drivers fender. Being young and stupid I parted the car out and used the best parts on my convertible. I look back at it now and can only say what a dumb ***.

 

That would be because there's no such thing. Either you don't recall correctly what was on the fender or someone was pulling someone's leg

 

True, It could have been a W-27.

 

If you were looking at a 69, it was probably a W31 on the front fender. W27 was the aluminum rear axle housing / cooling cover. Time and age are funny things about remembering what you saw or think you saw.

 

Thats what was odd about it. I Saw W-31's before. Thats why it caught my eye (what the hell is this) It was orginal paint and interior. If it had the W-27 rear it was gone, as were the wheel wells.

 

The only thing that would have been on a factory fender in 69 (& I'm no expert on 69's) would be W30, W31 or W32. W-27 rears weren't even available until 1970. W-29 is generally refered to as the option code for the OAI hood in 70-72. (I think,... again I don't know squat about 70-72)

 

Maybe the thread should be re-titled "The ones that nerver happened".

I have two stories of cars I snoozed abnd lost on (though mostly because I was in my mid 20s and didn't have 2 cents to rub together):

1. 1971 Cutlass Supreme Convertible 3 speed manual, console/bucket seat car. Was canary yellow with sdaddle interior and white top. Could have bought it for around $1600 back in 1993 or so. Car ran great, was being sold by the original owner in my company newspaper. Was in nice shape overall, though had some rot in the quarters, esp at the tops of the wheel wells.

2. Around the same time, I could have bought a 1968 442 convertible 4 speed car for $2500. Red with black top and interior. Car was complete, ran fine, but needed a new top and also had the same kind of rear quarter rot as the first car I mentioned.