A Few Reasons Why Your Next Project Car Should Be An Old Sedan

"Blake Noble" (blake-noble) 05/04/2014 at 17:45 • Filed to: Lists

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It's May. Summer is just around the bend. And that means we're getting ready to head into the heart of classic car show season, a special time of year when Mr. Mid-Life Crisis backs that old V8 something out of the garage, rubs on a fresh coat of wax and trailers it out to the largest parking lot near you.

Although at times I feel out of place amidst the hundreds of bad White Rain-infused comb-overs, cheap Mustang t-shirts and grotesque sildenafil-laced beer bellies that comprise the typical rank and file of classic car shows, I genuinely love attending them. Never mind the hoards of Baby Boomers, the stupid trophies and the lazy DJ whose repertoire seems to be mostly comprised of an old Don Henley mixtape he stitched together his junior year of high school. If loafing around for an entire afternoon guiltlessly ogling classic cars while taking in an occasional deep breath of the pungent petrol-scented cologne of an elderly carbureted engine doesn't appeal to you as an automotive enthusiast, you should probably consider a new hobby. Quiltmaking or birdwatching might be more your speed.

In fact, my mecca these last few years actually hasn't been some sort of local raceway. It's actually been a tourist town located on the edge of the Pennyrile, a place known as Somerset, Kentucky. In Somerset, one Saturday a month from April until October, downtown shuts down to regular traffic and vintage cars from everywhere in the nation swarm the area like giant rumbling locusts. The result is a massive, sprawling car show called the Somernites Cruise and it's truly a wondrous and exhausting sight to behold.

So with a handful of Cruises under my belt, I have managed to make a curious observation. While you can see as many two-door hardtops, convertibles, wagons and pickups as your heart might desire here, one particular bodystyle is largely absent: the venerable sedan.

I really can't think of one good reason why classic sedans have been ignored for so long. And with the possibility of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , perhaps its time for a bit of a change of heart. That's why I've taken the time to think up a few very good reasons why you should restore an old sedan when it comes time to build your next project.

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4.) Most of them look just as cool as their two-door counterparts

Okay, sure, styling is a subjective matter. That's why this reason isn't at the top of this list. But, with that said, automakers used to take a lazy approach when it came to designing sedans. Basically, if you wanted to make one, you simply took your two-door whatever, added an extra set of doors and made the roof just a little more upright. As a result pretty much every classic sedan you'll see is going to have virtually the same styling as its two-door counterpart and a good number of them look every bit as nice.

Automakers also used to make a good number of their sedans without those pesky b-pillars, too. And, for what it's worth, I personally think hardtop sedans (such as the '66 Impala above) are especially sexy.

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3.) There's endless possibilities for customization

This should be fairly obvious, but I feel that a reminder is in order here: Whatever you can do to an old coupe, convertible or wagon, you can do to a sedan too.

Depending on how you customize and modify your vintage four-door, you can have a car that looks every bit as cool and awesome as its two-door equivalent. See the grey first-generation Chevelle sedan above for proof. Don't tell me you wouldn't drive the goddamn shit out of that car just because it has something extra to love.

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2.) They're cheap to buy and restore

I think it's time that I shared a little piece of actual consumer advice in one of my weekend pieces, so here goes: If you're in the market for a classic car, an old sedan will save you a hell of a lot of cash.

Take for example !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (it's also pictured above just in case someone actually buys it). For under $9,000 big ones, you can have what appears to be an honest survivor car that needs little to absolutely no restoration. It only has around 57,000 miles, has all of its original books, the original Protect-o-Plate, and complete documentation. The seller says that if you deleted its extra set of doors, you'd be looking at about a $25,000 dollar car, and he's absolutely correct (if not a bit modest).

But what if you don't want an out-of-the-gate showcar and want something you can use as the basis for a badass project? Well, I managed to dig up a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (screencap !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) that doesn't need to spend most of its time in a welding shop. It's a great blank canvas for you to build your next pro-touring or restomod project with. And because you don't have to spend an untold fortune restoring its bodywork or interior, you can dump that money into more upgrades. How could you lose?

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1.) You don't see them everywhere

The best reason I can give you for buying a vintage sedan takes us right back to where we started at the beginning of our list: They're uncommon.

When you visit your next classic car show, just count how many sedans are among all of those Mustang convertibles, Dodge Chargers and Nomad wagons. If you see more than one or two, I'd expect the sky to be a shade of red and the clouds to rain LSD.

If you want to build a classic car that will really stand out at a car show, or even just cruising along down a stretch of highway, you should really reconsider investing your time in building up an old coupe or convertible. Why? Well, because they're everywhere , not unlike how modern sedans are today.

Grey 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle sedan photo credit: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Dunnik > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 17:49

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Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 17:50

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Late 60s GM B-bodies should be reason enough to want a sedan project.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 17:52

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Great post, I've always thought that if I got a 4 door I'd want to get a convertible for the additional rarity.

Telumektar > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/04/2014 at 17:57

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I think that the 67 Impala looks WAY better as a sedan than it does as a coupe.

It has so much more presence. The roofline and hips flow better.

Plus, Supernatural

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Telumektar 05/04/2014 at 17:59

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The sedan really does look better than the coupe, and that a rare thing to accomplish.

Supernatural made the 67 sexy. Because damn black over tan/black and those AR rims.

JR1 > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 18:03

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I approve this post. Here is my contribution to the hobby! Trying to restore a four door Lincoln Capri Hardtop from 1959. The way I see it is I can have 6 or 7 people in this car all day long with a small lose of style. I think it is acceptable for a luxury car like this Lincoln to be a four door but I can understand why some cars such as the Malibu are more coveted as a two door. They are viewed as muscle cars and most muscle cars are not four doors.

Alex from Toronto > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/04/2014 at 18:32

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I know there not that old but the 90's B-bodys always had a look to them that I liked.

Birddog > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 05/04/2014 at 18:51

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An excption to the rule.

Birddog > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 18:56

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"I really can't think of one good reason why classic sedans have been ignored by enthusiasts for so long."

They really didn't look as good as the Coupe counterparts. (Especially the GM A bodies)

They were usually designed around a longer wheelbase but tried to keep the same lines as a coupe. Not a good plan.

They were usually an afterthought.

Most, not all, were ugly.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > Blake Noble 05/04/2014 at 20:48

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At some point, I want a 76-78 Lincoln 4 door. My dream car for years was a 63 Galaxie 4 door. However, I'm busy for now on a ute: something rarer even than a sedan at car shows...

George McNally > Blake Noble 05/06/2014 at 20:07

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When I was 16.....I wanted to buy a used 1974 Torino cop car.....looked exactly like this car.

Had a 400 ci motor, cop shocks, cop tires.etc.

My father wisely objected and I ended up with a 69 Beetle.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Blake Noble 05/06/2014 at 21:30

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I don't really like four doors on anything fastbackish, like a Chevelle or a Nova, but if it's a land yacht (even a fastback land yacht), count me in. This isn't something I think about a lot, but I'd very much enjot getting some friends and go cruising listening to 70's rock and funk. Actual funk, not that crap from Rio de Janeiro that gets passed around as music. Would be a totally foreign concept to my mates, but I've no doubt they'd end up enjoying it.

Dsscats > Blake Noble 05/07/2014 at 23:21

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This is SOOO much cooler than a coupe.

Dsscats > Blake Noble 05/07/2014 at 23:22

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Paint pillar black. Enjoy.