1949 Nash 600

Description

This Meadowlark green 1949 Nash "bathtub" features the base 172 C.I. flathead 6 with overdrive and the "twin bed" option. Victor Crandall purchased the car new on August 13th, 1949 from the Roy Shafer Motor Co. in Pratt, Kansas. He essentially "retired" it from service in 1967.(According to a Phillips 66 oil sticker that was on the door, it traveled less than 7000 miles from January 11th, 1963 to present). I purchased this Nash from Mr. Crandall in 1995, and drove it to my shop, where it has been stored since. The car is completely original, with the exception of an electric fuel pump and some new 1950's era accessory seat covers (they have not been attached but just lying on top of the original cloth upholstery). From a maintenance standpoint, I drained the gas tank, changed the oil several times, and ran it occasionally on premium gas via a remote tank. When I drove it out of my shop after 22 years, I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything works. Mechanically, the engine purrs! The car starts right up, shifts smoothly, and "lot drives" fine around my rural property. Strong clutch, tight steering, very quiet exhaust, no weird or troublesome noises. The brakes are down and will need some attention, but the emergency hand brake stops it adequately. The oversize tires are in good condition, with good tread and no rot. It needs a 6 volt battery, (although I can borrow a 12 volt from another vehicle to get it loaded on your hauler). The last time it had a 6 volt battery in it, all of the lights and accessories worked normally. I have no reason to think that anything would change in this regard, but I don't want to risk burning them out with a 12 volt battery. Considering that it is completely original, the body of this Nash is spectacular: I have been all over and under this car, and there is no significant rust anywhere! The fenders, floor and trunk pans are solid and dry. I peeled some old undercoating off inside the rear fender wheel wells, revealing shiny factory green paint! (Rust was the Achilles heel of these unibody bathtubs. Many were sold and driven in the upper mid west and eastern states. Road salt and moisture often rusted out the underbody area of these cars, and the coil springs would collapse, regulating an otherwise mechanically sound car to the junkyard). The right rear fender has a fairly minor crease in it, as indicated by the photos. Besides this and a few light fender dings, the body and paint is original and unmolested. The front and rear bumpers, grille, tail lamp assembly, and all of the pot metal pieces inside and out are still shiny and not pitted like most original chrome of this era. Some of the lower protruding stainless belt trim mouldings are kind of rough, (as usual), but there are extras in the trunk. All of the curved glass pieces are very clean and almost pit-free, no cracks orscratches. The left and right (flat glass) rear door windows are cracked. (I do have one replacement door glass in the trunk, as well as two extra curved vent window pieces). The interior is original and complete, but the upholstery is pretty tired after nearly 69 years. I removed the front and rear seat cushion to vacuum the interior. (found a 1956 dime)! All of the factory insulation is in place, and no evidence whatsoever of rodent infiltration or damage. There are two splits in the lower front seat cushion upholstery, the paper rear package shelf is faded, and the headliner has one 4" tear adjacent to the rear window. The door panels are water stained.These interior components have an interesting patina now, and will be useful for patterns if the interior is ever redone. That wild Uniscope instrument cluster is excellent, and the plastic dash panels are beautiful, no scratches or cracks. I will include an original accessory dashboard mounted clock in the auction. The doors, windows, glove box, and trunk work fine and lock effortlessly with the original factory keys (2 extra key blanks are included). (Again, the accessory seat covers are not installed, and the original box is in the trunk if the new owner wishes to go back to original and do something else with them). The rubber front floor mat and rear carpeting are faded and discolored, but intact. (After cleaning, they look MUCH better condition than the pictures suggest, and I think they could be dyed). The rubber door sills are very presentable but need to be cleaned. The door weatherstripping is hard and crumbly. The seat-bed folding mechanism is sturdy and intact. (I have seen several Nashes over the years where these seat-back frames were bent out of place and not working properly). The trunk area is all origina, no scratches or dents, with the original pinstriped-rim spare tire and a jack. The floor covering itself is stained and worn. The trunk twist latch lock handle snaps right into place as it should when being locked. This auction includes the original (professionally laminated) Nash literature as pictured, as well as the service policy, owners manual, Alemite warranty card, vintage Kansas map, and overdrive card that would have hung on the knob when delivered. Also, lots of spare parts and stainless trim that I never got around to installing. Hopefully my photos and narrative will provide an honest description of this unique old Nash. I have not attempted to detail any part of the car or hide any of it's flaws. But unmolested original cars like this are hard to find: I know that I looked long and hard to find this one more than 22 years ago! Now I would like this piece of Americanato go to another owner who will appreciate and enjoy it. No warranties are expressed or implied, and $500.00 deposit will be required at auction's end, please. I am not a dealer, just an Ebay hobbyist that is reducing a 40 year collection of cars and parts. I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have either online or at 303-654-1255. I would also encourage you to come inspect the car. Bidders with low or negative feedback please contact me before bidding. Also, I reserve the right to end this auction at any time if I chicken out and decide that I can't part with my old girl! Shipping is obviously at your expense, but I can help coordinate after you pay for the auction. I can also store it on my property for a reasonable amount of time after the auction ends, with the understanding that it is YOUR car! Finally, remember that 10% of the proceeds of this auction will go to Disabled American Veterans. So bid high and often on this neat old car, knowing that it will benefit a great cause! Thanks for your interest, and good luck.