Full Size 1956-73 Cars Back On The Market

Full Size 1956-73 Cars Back On The Market FARM HOME Cars 7-5-35 Here's good news for everyone who looks back with nostalgia to the good old days of full-size passenger cars when lots of legroom and plenty of built-in safety were the rule rather than the exception. The good news is that those big cars are coming back. Mike Brown of the Brown Carburetor Co., Draper, Utah is doing a booming business remanufacturing full-size passenger cars originally produced between 1956 and 1973 and selling them ù with as-good-as-new warranties ù for prices ranging from $5,000 to $8,000. Brown is the manufacturer who brought back the popular Fish carburetor which is adjustable to different power loads and uses a variety of fuels (featured in FARM SHOW's Vol. 7, No. 1 issue). He began his car remanufacturing business earlier this year when he realized that many of the big cars that might still be on the road had gone into disuse because the high octane fuels they need to operate efficiently is no longer available. Because of its design, the Fish carburetor allows those older engines to work at peak efficiency on regular gas and get better mileage than they ever got on premium, according to Brown. "Given a choice, most drivers would prefer to drive a full-sized luxury car than the smaller so-called family-sized autos now coming out of Detroit. But the prices for a big car today are astronomical. We're able to sell our completely remanufactured cars at or near their original sales price," Brown told FARM SHOW, noting that the company has been concentrating primarily on Lincolns, Cadillacs, Chryslers and other full-sized luxury models. "These cars not only have the best ride and the most room of any passenger car ever built, but they provide the most safety. Unless you get hit by a semi, you aren't likely to be injured in an old-style full-sized auto, whereas many accidents in small foreign autos are often fatal, even at low speeds," says Brown. To remanufacture the older autos, Brown looks for cars that still have good exteriors. "Most of the cars come from Southern states where cars get very little rust. Usually luxury model autos are treated well by owners so there's no trouble finding cars that are in good shape," he points out. Once in the shop, the cars are almost totally redone. A "new" rebuilt engine is installed, the transmission is rebuilt and all wear parts in the drive line are replaced, new brakes are installed, all electrical wiring is replaced, new upholstery is installed, the car is repainted and rechromed, and new tires are mounted. With a Fish Carburetor installed, a big Cadillac gets about 17 mpg on the road and sometimes as high as 20. "When finished, the cars look like they just came off the showroom floor," Brown says. Cars are being rebuilt on order. You can specify a certain model or choose from a selection in stock. Brown says the company will also remanufacture your older model auto on a custom basis, if desired. There is a 5-year, 100,000 mile warranty on engines, a 1-year or 12,000 mile warranty on the transmission, and a 90-day warranty on other parts. Brown flies buyers to Utah to pick up their cars. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The Brown Carburetor Company, Inc., P.O. Box 89, Draper, Utah 84020-0589 (ph 801 571-9452).

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