Conestoga Forum

I am offering my time and effort for the good of Conestoga Wagon-dom!

I'm going out to Santa Rosa to pick up the 'Rust bucket' tomorrow morning. (re: Ebay# 4616642423)

I just hate to see good parts crushed.

I absolutely can't keep this car for more that a week or 2 and it will be stripped.

I have the tools to separate this car into (what might be left of...) sides, roof, doors, frame, and whatever you'll need cut off. I just need to know where you want me to cut it...

I get dibs on the headlight buckets, locks, and sliding window latches...

I think I read that somebody's Connie got hit behind the driver's door?

If the sides of this car are good, I'll have these available for you if you wish. Cost will be rock bottom.

If anyone else needs anything for their cars, give me an email and it's yours! Cost will be rock bottom!


The tailgate looks too far gone, but the hatch looks good. It has a Champ dash in it. Interior looks complete. The add said... not running, not...no engine... so I presume it has it's drivetrain (dash says six banger).

Basically, I'm lookin' ta get shipping cost. I'll eat the purchase price 'cause I figger I'll get $200 worth of parts off it.

I want to offer this car for the collective good!

I will post pics of whatever you want, so, lay it on me! Use me like the cheap whore that I am...

Just gotta hurry! This offer ends soon...

Conestogaman@yahoo.com

You Da Man Great to see that this will yield more than $ 40.00 for scrap! I know that the Conestoga script as a hole is not on the tailgate but if you fund it laying about inside I would like it if it is not parts for you. I would also take the OGA that appears to be there as I have the Conest and maybe I can cast something up. Taillight housings also if they are not total junk. Have a good trip and Thanx. Al

Good to hear that it'll live on in other cars! Someday I'll be able to save them all for others to get what they need-- right? I'd like to think so, anyway!!!

I might be interested in the grilles if they aren't too bad...
Is that a trailer hitch I see under the rear bumper? If it'll come off in one piece I could use that, too I suppose. Maybe more to follow- looking in the parts book for more!!!

What kinda shape it the upper tail gate in?

1. I'd be most interested in the upper gate hinges as long as they are in reasonable condition. No need for perfect, moderately straight and no broken parts.

2. Does the dash cluster have the switches in it? If so...you can add that to the list.

3. For a big one....how much of the drivers side quarter panel is usable? I have big rust from the wheel opening to the bumper. Fixable dents are fine, should have no rust.

All I can think of right now.
Thanks a lot for the offer.

Mike

Well, the car's pretty shot. As for the parts of the body that are worth cutting out are...

The drivers door window frame, the passenger door, and rear corners with fins. . It has a champ dash and is actually a fairly complete car with only the glass and a couple emblems missing.

I will start the dismantle tomorrow and list what is saveable...

Believe it or not, the front lower valance (scoop) is unmolested and will go on my Champ along with the headlight buckets and passenger door handle. I still don't have any keys for my cars, but my lock selection is growing. I'm thinking of making both cars so they can use the same key...

The trailer hitch looks removeable, but is very light duty. More for the look than to haul anything more than a tiny trailer.

I also learned some of the car's history. Turns out the original owner saw it on Ebay and called the wrecker. It seems this car travelled from Santa Rosa to Mexico every weekend. It then sat in his storage lot for 20 years. the lot was sold and the car went with it. It came out lately as the newest property owner is cleaning up.

Another bit of history I learned is that PG&E bought Conestoga wagons for their remote area (back country) technicians that stayed out in the field for long periods. There's no telling how many are still out in the woods...

Well, more tomorrow...

I would like to thank you, for taking the time to go and pick up this Conestoga. It is nice to see, that parts of this car will be used on others.

I would be interested in the lower tailgate hinges, lower tailgate side straps and latches if no one else has spoken for them. Please let me know what condition and price.

What does the top look like?

Conetogaman....Great to hear you been there and back and that you have scored some usable stuff and a little education as well. Awesome! Life's an adventure and you sound like you are living yours! Al

Conetogaman....Great to hear you been there and back and that you have scored some usable stuff and a little education as well. Awesome! Life's an adventure and you sound like you are living yours! Al

OK...

After spending the morning cleaning it out and removing the smaller items I've found...

that the hatch and hinges are good, as are the brackets/stops for the lower gate. The lower hinges are, well, siezed.

The frame looks good so far and the pass. door.

Driver's door is shot, but contains all the internals and the upper window frame is good for grafting onto a sedan lower. The lower door skin is rusted at the bottom and hit at the lower front corner but is otherwise intact.

Fenders are a mess but I may be able to salvage the vent doors. Does anyone section in the headlight bucket area anymore?

The engine is siezed, but still complete, with an OD tranny and 3rd member intact. It'll be awhile before I can open up the gearboxes to see if there was any water intrusion.

I am prepared to take a chop saw to the rear corner areas (in and around the fins) for those of you that got hit from behind, and the roof and the rear (seat/cargo area) floor. The quarters are shot. The right rear side is saveable minus the bottom of the quarter panel.

The floor is good under and behind the rear seat, and over the front tunnel. I still need to clean out the spare tire well to judge it's condition, but I'm not holding my breath.

There is a good manual steering column/box (3 sp. OD), and the front suspension and spindles.

The seat frames and associated stainless trim (rear seat) is good.

Also a good dashboard. I need to mess with the guage cluster, but will make a guage available eventually. Even the glovebox liner is intact.

The front grilles are pitted and missing the emblems, but are paintable.

The roof has a little rust hole at the driver's 'A' pillar, and a dent from inside at the passenger 'A' pillar, but appears to be ok other than that. The headliner bows are good.

Also there are both small side trims (aka: Briz's rear side trim), the Stude emblem on the gate, and the (small/thin) windshield trim that inserts into the windshield seal.

As you can imagine, the floor footwell areas are ...gone! The fuel tank is there, but no telling what shape it's in til it's removed.

After I finish the removal of the bolt on stuff, I'll start to cut up the rest into more manageable pieces with a gas powered chop saw. I'll prolly cut the body off the chassis a piece at a time til the chassis and drivetrain is all that's left. I'll then separate the rest into components.

I need to know what is needed from y'all and where you want me to cut. I'll prolly be ready to scrap the rest by next weekend, so get your orders in.

Also, I'd like to save the good pieces (wagon specific) that aren't immediatly wanted for someone that might need them later down the road, so am looking for what to save and where to cut.

I'm gonna just stockpile the stuff for now and won't ship anything til the detritus is hauled away. Like I said...I gotta make this happen quick. I will ship what y'all need, but not til I get the rest out of my buddies back yard.

He's a fellow car enthusiast with a built 700 HP '64 GTO in the garage and a backyard full of rock crawlers.

He's also helping (indirectly) to preserve the Conestoga wagon, and he doesn't even own one. If fact, he's such a good friend, that I used the $200 that I owed him to buy the car... and then stuck it in his backyard... A true friend indeed!

I've been trying to post pics at Webshots but have been dumped 6 times now. It'll let me browse-n-choose, but not upload. As soon as I get pics online I'll share the URL.

Stay tuned, more to come...