1961 Chevy Parkwood wagon - 100% original paint -EZ project - Solid Arizona car

Description

Offering my 1961 Chevy Parkwood wagon project. It is a six passenger, but I have a good nine passenger rear facing seat that can go with this car if you use Buy it Now. This is a running, driving original California car with nice straight one piece bumpers. I ran the numbers and found this was built in the LA factory.
I bought it last year from Arizona. It had been sitting outside for several years. It is 100% original inside and out. If you are looking for originality, this is as good a car as you can still find for being a 56 year old family workhorse. Odometer showing 70,363 miles and the title shows mileage as actual.
I have looked the car over pretty well and there has never been any body or paint work on this car. It has never been wrecked or taken apart. There is no bondo hiding in the quarters or the fenders. All of the valences are still on the car under the bumpers. All are solid but they do have some dents.
It's powered by the indestructible factory 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine and runs like a sewing machine. I just rebuilt the factory carb, replaced the valve cover gasket and installed new points, condenser, cap and rotor. The engine appears to have been rebuilt at some point. There is a small stamp on the side by the distributor and the color does not appear original to me. The transmission is "three on the tree" 3 speed manual with a good clutch. No issues with gearbox or shifter. Good syncros and smooth gear changes. Still has the factory single exhaust which is nice and quiet. I have a cell phone video of the engine running if anyone cares to see it, let me know.
The finish is all original and has many defects. There is missing paint and surface rust on the top of the car. There are random dents and dings but no collision damage. There is a light crease that did not break the paint on the passengers side rear lower door.
Overall, the body is incredibly solid with perfect rockers, dog legs and fender tips. These are the Achilles heel of the 61's. The quarter panels and lower fenders are beautiful too and close to perfect also. I have included pictures of these areas. I can't remember ever seeing a better original body on one of these 61's. After searching nationwide for years, I bought this one because it was the best I could find anywhere. As you can figure out, I paid good money for it.
Since I purchased it last year, I have invested a lot of time and money to get it running and in driving condition.

• I have rebuilt the original carb,
• It has a fresh tune up with new points, condenser, cap and rotor just last week.
  
• I flushed the block, replaced the water pump, thermostat and radiator,
  
• I converted it from generator to alternator with a professional bracket set up and fresh wiring.
  
• I replaced the master cylinder, all the wheel cylinders, rubber brake lines and new brake shoes.
  
• I dropped the gas tank, rinsed out the cobwebs (never any rust) and installed all new fuel lines.
  
• It has a new fan belt, correct radiator hoses and heater hoses.
  
• It has a fresh oil and filter and fresh antifreeze.
  
• It also has a brand new battery.
  
• I had all five original GM wheels soda blasted and powder coated and it has a matched set of brand new whitewall tires and five super nice Impala deluxe full wheel covers. Dog dish are shown in some pictures but car comes with the Impala wheel covers.
  
• It starts right up with working choke and fast idle. It runs cool and is good to drive.
• I have just replaced the window fuzzies in the side doors also.
• Packed wheel bearings and replaced all the lug nuts.
• All of the side window glass is brand new
• I just replaced the vent window seals last week.
  

The headlights, tail lights (high and low beams, plus parking lamps) and turn signals all work correctly. The idiot lights on the dash are functioning as well as the temp gauge. The horn works too! The gas gauge appears to be accurate until you turn the key then it goes to full. I haven't figured it out yet. The radio and windshield wipers still need some sorting.
The interior is dry and dusty. It will need seat covers, door panels, carpet and a headliner. Ciadella makes a great restoration kit for these if you want to go that route. If you don't restore the interior right now, I am including a set of blue NOS seat covers that will really brighten it up and are certainly better than the what's in there now. The seats themselves are in good shape but the covers are shot. Sale also includes all the door panel top rails, you will need them to make new door panels. If you are on a tight budget pick up a carpet set and that will make a big difference. This is easy stuff.
When I replaced all the green tinted side glass, I removed, cleaned and greased all the regulators so the windows crank up and down as designed. I replaced all the fuzzies both around the window frame and down inside the doors. I just replaced the vent window gaskets too. This was a big, ugly job. Now they are nice and soft, like new.
Overall, this is a great wagon to build into your dream car. My plan was to do an LS conversion with a drop, stop and roll package (with big wheels and big brakes) plus a fresh new interior and leave the outside as it is. Basically, this car is an open canvas. Flake the top and the dash or sand it all off and let it rust if you want a more even patina or paint the top of the car and leave the rest or strip it down and build the best 61 around. If you want to restore it to original you won't have to search for anything and you can drive it while you work on it. With a body this nice, you will save thousands of dollars in bodywork and shop time.
The wagon has the normal small patch of rust in the outer tailgate shell, but the interior structure and across the bottom is very nice and does not need work other than sand and seal. I've included a close up of the area. The spare tire well and trunk floor are close to perfect with just minor surface rust. The front floorboards are pretty much perfect as you would expect from a desert car, but open rear windows allowed water to pool under the rubber floor mat in back of the drivers seat in the passenger foot wells (see under car pictures of front boards and inside shots of rear pans). Both sides have small perforations and will require a pan replacement. The rest of the bottom of the car is super nice and has never been undercoated or rusty.
Things it still needs:

• Windshield has some small hazy areas from being covered with a tarp. Sand trapped under the tarp just did a job on it. They may polish out but may require a replacement at some point. "Buy it Now" includes a brand new (in the box) tinted windshield
  
• Minor rust on upper firewall above the seam. I can provide a rust free section from another wagon that I have.
  
• Windshield wipers in-op.
  
• Bumper jack is missing

If you have been shopping vintage wagons, you know that they are super hot right now and early Chevys are some of the most popular. This is a great one to start with. I've listed the good and the bad. I've done the dirty work now you can have some fun doing the easy stuff. Car is now centrally located in Indianapolis and we are within a one day drive of half the US population. If you live in the Midwest this will save you a ton of money! When I shipped this car non running from Arizona it cost me $1100. If you're adventurous, I will be happy to pick you up at the airport and you can drive it home.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have. I may be able to arrange shipment (or delivery if you are within 500 miles). Please take this seriously and make sure you have all your approvals in place before you bid.

I have placed a low reserve on this car and do plan on selling it this week. I will entertain serious offers during the auction but will not stop the auction after the reserve has been met. Please don't waste your time asking the reserve. Shoot me an offer if you want the car. After the reserve is met the car will sell to the high bidder. Prior to meeting reserve, I can add a Buy it Now if you want to secure the car without the drama of a last minute bidding war. I only have one in this condition and I don't think there are any other originals in this price range anymore. Most of my listings end early so don't wait to the end. That could be at any time. This car is for sale right here and right now and that's why it's listed.

Look around and try to find another 100% original paint wagon like this then bid to win. Thanks for looking and good luck .

Hit "Buy it Now" and I will include a brand new tinted glass windshield (still in the box) and a rare NINE PASSENGER rear seat with all the brackets.

On Apr-04-17 at 13:29:12 PDT, seller added the following information:

SAVE MONEY
ON SHIPPING!

uShip is the first and largest auction style
marketplace for shipping and transportation
services.

Learn More SHIPPING PRICE ESTIMATOR Delivery ZIP Code: MORE RESOURCES: uShip Guides and Articles uShip Provider Directory Other Useful Tools & Links