While I was out traveling all over the west and northwest, looking for a replacement for my 68 Nomad and visiting friends and relatives, this came up on the Phoenix Craigslist back home - "1971 Chevy Chevelle / Malibu Concours Wagon 83K Rare! Very Rare 1971 Chevy Chevelle Concours Station Wagon -- Only 83,000 Original Miles! This awesome car is completely original! 350 4BBL (270 HP) 350 / Turbo Transmission, power steering, new power disc brakes, factory air conditioning, like new radial tires, rebuilt carb, complete tune-up, dual opening tailgate with power window, luggage rack, This wagon runs and drives like brand new!! Original tan interior is absolutely beautiful, no cracks in the dash, original beige paint is showing its age. Built in Los Angeles -- You must see and drive this beautiful Chevy to really appreciate!$5,500.00." Here is the link to pics - http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/...ce_Photos1234/. I called and talked to the guy;it belonged to a family member who had passed away. I then called my wife in Phoenix who is as thrilled about cars about as I am about watching paint dry! She put together the money , had a neighbor friend drive her there (about a 1 hour) on a 100 degree evening, saw it and bought it. From the pictures and description that I saw online, it has the possibility to be a "survivor" so I don't have any immediate plans to hotrod it, like my 68, at least not until I get to see it when I get home. After a month of traveling, I got in late yesterday from our 5000 mile vacation trip throughout 6 western and Northwestern states and Canada. The view of my "new" car met me as I turned the corner to my street; my wife had moved my daughter's truck out of the driveway so that nothing else would obstruct my view! Because of the small 2-car garages of the "modern" homes, which are built to hold 2 small cars, it's parked outside. Even though it was 117 degrees at my home in Maricopa today, I started to go over it. The car has been sitting in the driveway since my wife bought it on the 19th and there are no signs of any leaks...a good thing! The interior is as clean as the seller mentioned in the ad. The storage compartment in the back still has what appears to be the factory speckled coating on it (see pic). Any problems that I have come across so far are small. Under the hood needs cleaning and belts and hoses, and a strange hood lock needs to be removed. I'll be changing fluids and greasing it up and, while underneath, I'll try to find the info on the rear axle to check that as well. There are some strange holes (see pic) on the rear pillars that may have been for antennae. The only body damage that I found so far is the crease on the rear driver's qtr and the missing wheel lip molding (see pic). Until I saw it in person, it was hard to fight the thought of the hotrodding route throughout the final days of my trip; that is until I saw it! They are still there but this may be one better left in the original form. Only time will tell!
Congrats, really nice wagon and a great deal, what more can you ask for. Good luck and keep us up to date.
Thanks to all, and yes, Mike, she is definitely a great spouse. When we married at age 33, we jokingly agreed that it was a 50 years contract. We are only 28 years into it and I'm already hoping that she will renew it at 83! I wonder if she will want a pre-nup before renewing????
Great find Sglide. You being a fellow Arizonian, if you ever make it to the Scottsdale Pavilion for the Saturday night auto shows, watch for my wagon, stop and say hello.
Wagonman, I do make it up to the Saturday night cruise at the Pavilion. I'll keep my eye out for your car.
Taking small steps in getting the car ready for a run to Spokane WA at the end of August. Health and heat are big factors on my rate of work. Working space in the modern AZ 2-car garage is limited and I wasn't sure if the wagon was going to fit. As you can see in the pics, it fit with inches to spare - just have to have the door open to work on it, or even to walk around it. I should have listened closer to my daughter when buying a house down here; she suggested that I buy a house with a 3-car garage! New starter in afew days ago. I had forgotten what a pain it is to replace a starter when the car has single exhaust. I had to drop the system to get the starter out. Luckily, no nuts were frozen (PB Blaster did its job!) and the system came down easily. Next is hose replacement and new valve cover gaskets; then, drain and flush all systems (brakes, PS, rear, etc), and fix the AC system. I picked up a nice set of 71 SS wheels for it, and I ordered a set of 215/70R-15 BFG TAs. Because of the original condition of the car, I'm not doing anything wild...at least not yet. Found a self-serve car wash In Casa Grande (about 25 miles from the house) to degrease the engine and undercarriage. Degreasing it at the house may upset the HOA!
That is an amazing and rare survivor Chevy! I like your idea of doing only mild updates, things that could be reverted back to original later, like wheels and tires.
I see what you mean by not much space in your garage. I guess the houses in the City of Maricopa are built shorter than other places. I guess they are looking for areas to save a buck or two. Good luck with your renovation.
