What Pleased You Today!

[A modeler named mike]

15 hours ago, stavanzer said:

My roof 12 years ago (1,895 sq.ft.) ran $9500.00 for composition shingles. My daughter's house across the street (1,550 sq. ft.) was $12,000.00 3 years ago, same shingles.

The Joys of living in California, and having a roof put on during COVID.

Glad your estimate is reasonable.

Back in 1994 just the materials was $577.98, I and a friend supplied the labor for two days costing my wife and I, lunch and dinner for both days. We used Tamko 3 tab asphalt shingles. This time around we're using Timberline architectural shingles. The shingles were ordered today so in a week or so we'll have a new roof. All I have to do this time around is sit back and write the check..😁

Edited April 15 by A modeler named mike

[Falcon Ranchero]

 

On 4/14/2025 at 3:17 PM, johnyrotten said:

Those things are tanks. Basically the same as the caprice, which were used as taxi's and police cars back in the day.

Oh yeah, it's a pretty big car; to put a face to the name so to speak, here's what $1500 gets me. Interior is in quite better condition than the exterior. 

Edited April 15 by Falcon Ranchero

[stavanzer]

Man, I'd be all over that!

Stout, reliable car!

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Oh yeah, it's a pretty big car; to put a face to the name so to speak, here's what $1500 gets me. Interior is in quite better condition than the exterior. 

That really is pretty much a forever car (mechanically) if it's cared for. I'd buy it in a NY minute for $1500, just to have a dead reliable backup piece.

[slusher]

Piece I have been craving apple 🍎 pie lately, it would be nice to have one..

[A modeler named mike]

20 minutes ago, slusher said:

Piece I have been craving apple 🍎 pie lately, it would be nice to have one..

Hey Carl, are you really craving that pie or did you think you were on "The One Sentence Game?" LOL 🤔°°pie really sounds good right about now especially with a glass of milk. 

[slusher]

7 minutes ago, A modeler named mike said:

Hey Carl, are you really craving that pie or did you think you were on "The One Sentence Game?" LOL 🤔°°pie really sounds good right about now especially with a glass of milk. 

I thought I was on the sentance game, I am not all ther tonight..

[A modeler named mike]

22 minutes ago, slusher said:

I thought I was on the sentance game, I am not all ther tonight..

That's okay Carl, lets eat pie and call it a day. 😉

[johnyrotten]

9 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Oh yeah, it's a pretty big car;

I'm very familiar with them, they were everywhere when I was a kid. Stone cold reliable cars, hammer simple to maintain. Most of them had gm's 5 liter (305) engine, decent power and run forever. There's a 2 door version of this body style 77 -78 I think. It has the "aero" style rear window. Very cool car.

[Falcon Ranchero]

13 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

That really is pretty much a forever car (mechanically) if it's cared for. I'd buy it in a NY minute for $1500, just to have a dead reliable backup piece.

A few more pics of all the greatness to be had

 

[Falcon Ranchero]

Might end up going through with it; I mean really the price, and the car just can't be beat. An actual classic car, right now, costs a bit too much for us now, a good one being anywhere between $10,000-$25,000 whereas this reliable, pretty darn classy, non-show car quality car is about the cost of a lawn mower, and I could basically treat it as a modern car while still having something appealing. But I mean until we go to get it there's no harm in still looking for classic-er cars for sale... 

[Ace-Garageguy]

11 minutes ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Might end up going through with it; I mean really the price, and the car just can't be beat...

I drove the US Chevy version of one of those a long time ago, and to this day I recall never having been so impressed with the smoothness and total lack of vibration from any American V8. I'm talking turbine smooth.

It's only some iteration of the venerable smallblock Chevy, and maybe all the factory tolerances lined up right on that one engine, but like I say... s m o o t h .

Edited April 16 by Ace-Garageguy

[stavanzer]

4 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

A few more pics of all the greatness to be had

 

Nathan, my first Half Dozen cars all looked worse than this one. I know the paint is borked, but it should look a bit better once it's been washed., a shop-vac, Armour-All, and elbow grease will make the inside look better, too.

My First Car was a 1953 Dodge M-43 Military Ambulance. It took my Dad and I,6 months to get it running well enough to use it every day, and most of a year to get it right.

So your Pontiac, looks just fine to me.

And remember, I'm driving a 38 Year old, 1987 Toyota Camry now.

[Falcon Ranchero]

2 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Nathan, my first Half Dozen cars all looked worse than this one. I know the paint is borked, but it should look a bit better once it's been washed., a shop-vac, Armour-All, and elbow grease will make the inside look better, too.

My First Car was a 1953 Dodge M-43 Military Ambulance. It took my Dad and I,6 months to get it running well enough to use it every day, and most of a year to get it right.

So your Pontiac, looks just fine to me.

And remember, I'm driving a 38 Year old, 1987 Toyota Camry now.

Good points; I mean yeah the car really isn't terrible at all, and it is from Toronto Ont, so not terrible winters, and even then, it has extremely low kms on it so it wasn't driven too too much on salty roads. But it has just always been parked outside when not in use which is probably why the exterior isn't the greatest. But as you said, some work done to it ought to get it looking great enough. It runs smooth and underneath is not very rusty. But I haven't actually seen the car in person. All these details are what i've been told. And buying it is a decision I have to make from these photos  and the details, cause the minute we head down south to pick it up, it's mine before I even drive or inspect it myself, so essentially I would be buying this car "sight unseen" but since it's from relatives, I know I can trust that the car is everything it was said to be. Personally I like any american car from 1952ish to 1975ish, from that point to 1993 it's selective cars. But this car I like. Well you know I like the big ones.

[A modeler named mike]

2 hours ago, stavanzer said:

My First Car was a 1953 Dodge M-43 Military Ambulance. 

Wow Allen, that's one cool vehicle to have as a first.. 

[stavanzer]

39 minutes ago, A modeler named mike said:

Wow Allen, that's one cool vehicle to have as a first.. 

[johnyrotten]

18 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Might end up going through with it

If you go for it, you shouldn't be disappointed. They're great riding cars,as other's have said. Those seats are basically a sofa. If the go fast bug bites you, they are pretty much bolt in hot rod material in a luxo-barge container. I think that one will clean up real well, and look very presentable with a bit of elbow grease. The exterior looks like typical 80's gm paint. It gets "chalky". I'm sure a few of the other posters here know exactly what I mean.

 

Edited April 17 by johnyrotten

[JollySipper]

Everyone on here being such good people................  

Nathan! My first car was a '74 Dodge Dart. It was a more-door with the slant6 engine. Starting off with a car that may not be exactly what you want may be a smart move, as a kids first car is pretty much to be disposable. You can drive the Pontiac to work or whatever, to save up for the classic that you want! I drove the Dart for about 6 months....... It had bad oil leaks and I was lazy about checking the oil, which led to a spun bearing. I graduated to an Aerocoupe Thunderbird, which I enjoyed MUCH more than the ol' Dodge....

[Rob Hall]

My first car was an '86 Ford Mustang LX notchback.  Underpowered 2.3 4cyl, but at least it was a manual, though only a 4spd.  Got that my senior year in HS for college..drove it until 1994 when it got totaled just as I moved to Michigan for grad school, it was replaced by my first SUV and 3rd vehicle--an '88 Ford Bronco II.    I still have my 2nd car ('87 Mustang GT I got in 1990).   

[johnyrotten]

My first car was an 83 Monte Carlo CL.  Grandma edition.  300 bucks, Flintstone floors. Lower doorskins would nearly hit traffic around corners. I actually "borrowed" the wheels off of my brother's iroc to get it home. 25 odd years later he still doesn't know.

[A modeler named mike]

This could turn out to become a "My First Car Topic" 😂

My first car was a '79 Honda Civic, white with a brown vinyl top, I bought from my dad for $1,500. If I remember correctly, it had 30,000 miles on it. My dad was one to always trade a car off when it hit 50,000 miles. He coaxed me into selling it to a friend of his when it hit 50,000 miles. That guy drove it till it had 300,000 miles and only did routine maintenance and replaced the clutch once.

[Falcon Ranchero]

5 hours ago, johnyrotten said:

If you go for it, you shouldn't be disappointed. They're great riding cars,as other's have said. Those seats are basically a sofa. If the go fast bug bites you, they are pretty much bolt in hot rod material in a luxo-barge container. I think that one will clean up real well, and look very presentable with a bit of elbow grease. The exterior looks like typical 80's gm paint. It gets "chalky". I'm sure a few of the other posters here know exactly what I mean.

 

Well I do have until May to decide; they might be able to drive it up here since they have to come up for another reason. We shall see what my decision is.

[TonyK]

Used to be everyone had a "first car" story to tell as we only had enough money to get some kind of transportation. Nowadays I've seen most young kids get a real nice car provided for them as a first car.

Not gonna have any good stories to tell and their 2nd car won't be a wonderful improvement we've enjoyed after that first car.

[A modeler named mike]

My daughter had a minor fender bender awhile back that was the other drivers fault. She had her car in the shop for those repairs. When she picked up vehicle she called me to say something is making a metal on metal sound up front. It was her front brakes and rotors. The car  didn't sound that way when she dropped it off. I was surprised that a shop would not even mention the issue and send it out their door. I know so far this all sounds like an "IRK" but it all turns out good since I replaced the pads and rotors thus saving her money and the worries of another incompetent shop.

[johnyrotten]

34 minutes ago, A modeler named mike said:

My daughter had a minor fender bender awhile back that was the other drivers fault. She had her car in the shop for those repairs. When she picked up vehicle she called me to say something is making a metal on metal sound up front. It was her front brakes and rotors. The car  didn't sound that way when she dropped it off. I was surprised that a shop would not even mention the issue and send it out their door. I know so far this all sounds like an "IRK" but it all turns out good since I replaced the pads and rotors thus saving her money and the worries of another incompetent shop.

 

34 minutes ago, A modeler named mike said:

My daughter had a minor fender bender awhile back that was the other drivers fault. She had her car in the shop for those repairs. When she picked up vehicle she called me to say something is making a metal on metal sound up front. It was her front brakes and rotors. The car  didn't sound that way when she dropped it off. I was surprised that a shop would not even mention the issue and send it out their door. I know so far this all sounds like an "IRK" but it all turns out good since I replaced the pads and rotors thus saving her money and the worries of another incompetent shop.

At least she told before it ruined the calipers, things start getting expensive quickly. And incompetent shops are all too common today.