Knowing the history is worth its weight in gold!
Yep, I like that I know about the Chiefs history, and almost as much about OY. The story of the Chief is so cliche that some might not believe it. My friends aunt bought it new as I said, in Lansdale PA, and I still have the little leather case with "Freed Pontiac" embossed on it. I have a picture of her standing next to it with her elderly mother that appears to have been taken when the car was brand new. I tried to scan it and download it but it doesn't work for some reason. She likely traded in a car, but we don't know what it might have been. She was never married, and lived all her life with her sister, who also never married, in the family home in Ambler. She was a elementary school teacher (I know, unbelievable, but true). The car was last inspected in 1976, and expired in 1977. The story that my friend recalls is that she was in her 80's then and not driving so well anymore - hence several bondo fixes on both sides. In that last year on the road, the transmission mounts failed, and it was towed to Freed Pontiac to be fixed, but they told her the mounts weren't available anymore, so the car was towed back home, put in the barn (yes, an actual barn - I told you it was cliche but true) and there it sat. I think she died in '78 or '79. I bought the car from my friend and pulled it out of the barn in '80. Somewhere I have pics of this, but I haven't seen them in years. He isn't sure, but my friend thinks he remembers that it may have been the case that it was deliberately not repaired due to her age and fading driving skill. I didn't have any trouble finding the transmission mounts, and replaced them soon after buying it. I haven't done much to it though over the years as other obligations and life in general took priority. At this point, I have lost a lot of interest in it and keep going back and forth about selling it.
Perfectly restored may look nicer but it's just not the same.
True. However, I doubt that she EVER washed it, and I am certain that it never was waxed. It simply wasn't used much. So, after 70 years... The chrome is fair to good, and I have duplicates of almost every piece from bumpers to trim and grille off of a much better parts car that I brought back from Durango Colorado years ago. The paint is really bad though. There is surface rust and some pealing bondo on the door. The only actual penetrating rust is a small area over the one fender skirt. The tires however, are ancient! They are a set of matching Firestones, likely from the 60's, and still have tubes in them. At least they hold air, but I obviously don't trust them at all, and that is why I really don't drive it very far, very fast, or very often. I could replace the tires, but I can never decide whether I am going to keep it or not, and would rather work on OY. Seems like everything I own needs tires. The engine is a straight six, and it's a shame that it wasn't the straight eight. It's fairly slow, but quiet, and S M O O T H! It's mated to a four speed hydramatic automatic which works amazingly well.