Used Car Stories

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05snopro440

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
5,142
Location
Sherwood Park, Alberta
I was looking at the local classifieds and found this: 1944 Dodge Car

The story sounds good that it was made for a Dodge executive, but a bit fishy to me. Then looking at the photos, it's not a business coupe so I wonder how much the guy really knows about it... I often hear stories similar to this and I guess I'm a skeptic, as I find myself doubting that there's any truth to them.

There's a Chevy pickup in AB that the guy claims is a 1944. The serial numbers are really easy to decode (and it is still riveted as stock), it's a 1946. GM never made a civilian truck in 1944, I wonder if the guy bought it as a 1944. I often wonder how many of these used car stories are better fabricated than the vehicles they're attached to.
 
I just saw a add the other day that was similar. It was for a 38 ford truck, but it was very obvious that it was a 48-52 ford. It makes ya wonder if they are dumb and don't know their own vehicle or if they think everyone else is dumb and won't notice.
 
I just saw a add the other day that was similar. It was for a 38 ford truck, but it was very obvious that it was a 48-52 ford. It makes ya wonder if they are dumb and don't know their own vehicle or if they think everyone else is dumb and won't notice.

This was one of many I found that were trying to sell the wrong year of car. A 46 Chevy that's actually a 47-53, a "28 Model A" that's actually a tall T, it goes on and on seeing people listing their vehicles as something else. I can't help but assume that it's stupidity.
 
I see typo's all the time, 38 for 48, T for A, that kind of thing. To some folks, every car without a top is a roadster, if it has two doors it's a coupe. War year vehicles are tough, from what I've read civilian production was stopped in early 1942, with the exception of trucks for farm or business use. But car production carried on until about 1943 or so in a limited manner for military and Govt use. I have seen 1943 model Fords, Chevy's, even a Packard { which is what General George Patton used for a staff car}, but all were civilian vehicles used by the military and all were 4 doors. I think civilian production didn't start back until late 1945 with left over 1942 models being released as 46 models, some with cosmetic upgrades, some without.

Some of the "car stories" may be loosely based on facts, but I'd bet most are made up with the intention of trying to give a history to a vehicle for greater resale.
 
Most of the poorly written ads I see, are abandoned projects. In many cases it's obvious the seller doesn't know cars, doesn't know what he bought, takes it apart, doesn't know how to build it and tries to sell it with no further knowledge.

That "1944" Dodge is laughable. (The Canadian government ORDERED the end of civilian vehicle production in March of 1942.)

"OK, fellas. We're gonna halt the war effort to build Mr. Finklestein a Sedan Coupe. Why? Because his mom says so." :D

.
 
I've given up trying to set people straight about their mistaken auto knowledge at car shows to avoid violent backlash - it's more amusing to let them elaborate on their delusions to see how far it goes.... [ddd:D
Once got into a heated debate about a mythical Nailhead Buick engine, though to be fair it is partly the fault of Buicks' own advertising BS - on the air cleaner lid it had a factory sticker proclaiming it to be a "Wildcat 441" - the guy was adamant that was the actual cubic inch displacement of the engine.....

My friend has a genuine 1943 Chevrolet pickup that he bought in Washington state - a former military production vehicle - full documentation and paperwork to prove its legitimacy. I caused him much grief when it came to registering it here in B.C., our government run auto insurance and DMV - ICBC - simply would not accept that it was a '43 without a certified inspection process and reams of paperwork. They wanted to call it a 'Modified' or 'U-built' but he persevered and in the end got it registered as a 1943.....
 
Once got into a heated debate about a mythical Nailhead Buick engine, though to be fair it is partly the fault of Buicks' own advertising BS - on the air cleaner lid it had a factory sticker proclaiming it to be a "Wildcat 441" - the guy was adamant that was the actual cubic inch displacement of the engine....

When I was younger, I thought the same thing about the Buick Nailheads :p
It wasn't until I got to know them, what the sticker meant. I was somewhat disillusioned :( Only for a minute though ;) :cool:
 
Yeah, it's hard to win the nailhead argument with most people. I recently saw one advertised with the correct displacement but he thought it was 445 horsepower, actually 325. Another one that constantly chaps me is seeing guys call old Ford F-100s an F-150, or calling any Ford pickup 52 and older an F-100.
 
Used car stories

I made a boo boo like some of these guys back in 1967. A buddy and me found out about an early 60's Chrysler that had burned on a gravel road not for from us. We checked around and found out the car was abandoned it was fair game for pickin. We were told by some so called "experts" that the motor was a hemi and worth a lot of money. We had never seen a hemi only heard of them. We spent several afternoons and a Saturday digging this "hemi" out of the burned car with nothing but bumper jacks , sledge hammer and axe. We cut the fenders off with the axe to get better access to the motor. We drug the motor out with a chain and managed to get it into the trunk of my 56 chevy. We pulled out grinning from ear to ear about all the money we were going to make selling the "hemi". Well we found out pretty quick we didn't have a hemi but a 413 and we couldn't sell it to anybody. We did finally let someone have the heads and I still have the intake in my shop. Its a good conversation piece. PHIL
 
I made a boo boo like some of these guys back in 1967. A buddy and me found out about an early 60's Chrysler that had burned on a gravel road not for from us. We checked around and found out the car was abandoned it was fair game for pickin. We were told by some so called "experts" that the motor was a hemi and worth a lot of money. We had never seen a hemi only heard of them. We spent several afternoons and a Saturday digging this "hemi" out of the burned car with nothing but bumper jacks , sledge hammer and axe. We cut the fenders off with the axe to get better access to the motor. We drug the motor out with a chain and managed to get it into the trunk of my 56 chevy. We pulled out grinning from ear to ear about all the money we were going to make selling the "hemi". Well we found out pretty quick we didn't have a hemi but a 413 and we couldn't sell it to anybody. We did finally let someone have the heads and I still have the intake in my shop. Its a good conversation piece. PHIL
A song were written about the 413. Not a hemi, but it was a decent engine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nll2r0h8rRE
 

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