magwa

Well, I got home Saturday from bringing the '88 and delivering her to the shop. The whole day was a rush. I could hardly stop myself from breaking up the family day on Sunday to go over and primp. But I contained myself until yesterday.

I really went over to take stock of the girl we're now calling "Edna" because of some of the family history. Edna (the woman) owned the '55. I believe, from 1970... and put all of her 100k miles on her until she parked it (and herself)
in the garage in Berkeley, CA 1984. So, this is the first sunlight she's seen (the car) since then. I found a late-1983 newspaper on the front seat, neatly folded.

Well, my friend Mike (whose truck and trailer we used to get her, and who is pictured in the link) fell in love with Edna.

When I went over to the shop, I was really trying to work on the truck...which is about 65-70% done. But I couldn't keep my hands off of Edna. Other than the dents I expected and a tweeked grille, and some surface rust,
and some pimply spots on the big chrome parts, she's "all of that". The front seat is worn and losing foam on the driver's side. But look at the interior pics. Pretty amazing!

I was overly surprised that the tires stayed aired up...and they still are. And I was equally surprised that the power brakes worked as well as they did with no power. Naturally, the battery is dead.
There's a gas cap that's locked on I'll have to address. The ignition switch doesn't have a key. I'm working on that.

Edna, the woman, is dead, so the pink slip is in the works with the DMV right now and will be sent to me as soon as my friend/family member finishes the last little stitch of paper work.
No biggie, Edna (the car) is out of the DMV computers, anyway.

When I get the lock picks I ordered thru the mail, I'll change the oil and dump some gas in the carb, connect a fresh battery. She ran when she was parked in 1984. Edna (the car) was
Edna's and her adult "boyfriend", Tom's daily driver. My bet is (only a bet), that she'll fire up. And run smoothly. Maybe take a carb rebuild after all this time...I don't know.
There was some (at least, what appeared to be ) brake fluid on the trailer after we offloaded her.

So, here's the rub: I have to finish my truck. Edna is so beautiful...a gem in the semi-rough. My question is this....Since Mike fell in love with Edna. And there's no way I'm going to leave her down at the shop
(outside) for six or eight months, I'm going to offer her to Mike for the silly low price that I paid...The car is family. And so is Mike.

But what does anybody here think Edna should bring, as is, in the California market right now?

http://tinyurl.com/44m7qh5

It makes me sad, but I can't allow Edna to sit outside. If Mike is tied up with other projects, or really doesn't want to get into her, Edna will go on Fresno/Madera criagslist.
I'd appreciate any help you folks could give me in being fair and reasonable to a new home....I'd rather get less money and know she was going to a good spot.
Somewhere that the new owner would appreciate a '55 Rocket 88 2-door hard top with every nut and bolt still attached where it was put from the factory.

Tedd Thompson

The easiest way to get a ignition keyed is to take the door off the glove box and have the lock shop make a key for it. The keys should be the same,Took about 5 minutes for them to make a key on mine.
I could only guess what the price would be without seeing the car,to many variables.Good engine bad engine, does the trans need rebuilt, breaks, power booster, steering suspension. how much chrome needs to be redone. You should get it running and then do an evaluation on what works and what needs to be repaired. We then could do a better evaluation......Tedd

magwa

Makes sense, Tedd. I don't have to move fast. Maybe a few hours of work would make a big difference.

Thanks.

magwa

Mike's still in love.
Edna's going to his house Saturday.

Good news: Edna stays in the family.

Junkman

I might be wrong, but my memory tells me that the glove box lock and the trunk lock are the same key, and that the door lock and ignition lock are the same key. Ask your local locksmith if he has a set of "tryout" keys. If he will loan them to you, then you should be able to find one that works in the ignition switch. Once you find one that works, then turn the ignition to the far left, insert a paper clip end into the small hole in the face of the ignition cylinder, and continue turning. On the barrel of the lock cylinder, there should be a 4 digit number, and he will be able to cut a key from this number for you. Lacking this, then I suggest that you remove the drivers door lock, and there should be a number on the barrel of that lock to make the key. Glove box locks are iffy, and some do and some don't have a key number on them. Usually if you can get the trunk open, there will be a number on the barrel of that lock. Also hunt around under the hood for a hidden key. Back then, it was common for people to use hidden magnetic key boxes for spares. I recently found the original key taped to the front wire harness with black tape on my Chevy. As many times that I looked under the hood, I just never noticed that slight bulge in the black covering, until last month.

Tedd Thompson

junkman, You are correct. I just went and tried my locks on my 55 and I was wrong, glove box and trunk are the same. I can remember removing the glove box door so a key could be made Don't remember why I didn't just drive to the lock shop if it was for the trunk. Senior moment.... Tedd

magwa

Hey! I've never had one of those.

oldsmobum

Those old GM lock cores wore out very commonly... So chances are if ANY of your friends have a 50's to mid 60's GM, their key will start your car. Just an example:

I have my 55 olds. My buddies have a 63 Chevy Nova and 64 El Camino. Sure enough, doesn't matter whose car or whose key, all ignition keys work in all of our cars.

The visual cue that it could work is that the head of the key kinda has a hexagonal shaped head.

Junkman

The keys are the same from 1939 to 1966. The only difference between a trunk key and an ignition key is the head of the key. there are 9999 different key combinations of peaks and grooves (talk for those not familiar with keys). Of those 9999 combinations, there are many that are so close to each other that a key from one car will also work on another car, especially if the tumblers are worn. The one thing that you don't want to do is destroy the lock cylinder, since it will be extremely difficult to find another. Lock cylinders are mated up to the ignition switch, and when an ignition switch changes part number, the ignition cylinder usually also changes part number.