hi everyone

I am brand new to the club, and I am a half-inch from buying my first Checker. I’ve wanted one for a long, long time, and the time is right.

I have need for a larger vehicle - 3 kids (2 still in carseats), three dogs, wife, assorted strollers and other things. A Checker will suit this nicely.

The car I’m looking at is coming from Joe Pollard, so I have a solid idea of the mechanicals and the rest. He’s known the car in question for a long time, too, which is nice.

I have a couple of questions, though, and I bet you can help me out:

What’s the best company to use to ship it from CA to TX? or, companies to avoid?
I know they are built like tanks - do I have to worry about driving my little ones around in it?
I have a great mechanic, plus access to manuals and rest; but I am not a mechanic (I change oil and once swapped alternators, but that’s as far as I’ve gone). Am I crazy for considering this purchase?
What else should I be aware of?

I want to use this daily, and for a long time.

Thanks for your help.

Steve

Steve,
If your bottom line reason for buying a Checker is to use it as a safe, reliable family transport then I think you have better options out there. I don't know what your budget is (nor is it my business) but, you could find a gently used mini-van with air bags, anti lock brakes, car seat latch system, and inherent crash safety built in not to mention fuel economy. You're right in the thought that you should be buying a good example from Joe and he can definitely supply you with many parts and tons of experience and good advice. I just think that if you want a family truckster that you have better options. Now, if you really want it as a unique, collector car that always gets a smile from those who see it, then go for it. Just my two cents since you asked.

I'd probably echo the comments by Chris. The Checker is really a great car, and the fact that it has the Joe Pollard seal of approval is a definite bonus. Having said that -- and I know you know this -- it doesn't have all the safety bells and whistles that modern cars have (air bags, ABS, etc etc). Additionally, I'd make sure the A/C in the car works really well!

As far as shippers go, I used Auto Transport Logistics out of Florida last year (they all seem to be located in Florida), and they were excellent. Damian is the fellow I worked with, and he kept me well-informed about the pickup date, gave me the cell # of the driver, and the price was competitive (I had mine shipped from Washington state to here in Maryland). One thing I did learn is that the cheapest is not always the best -- they can definitely quote you the lowest price, but it might take them forever to schedule the delivery. Pay a bit more, and the drivers will be more eager to do your route.

Aside from the mechanicals, the things that I found out were to watch out for rust and frame rot -- on the homepage here, there is a little essay on 'buying your first Checker'. If you haven't read it, I suggest you read it over a few times to familiarize yourself with the good and bad about this unique vehicle.

Other than that, I don't think there's much more that I can add....let us know what you end up doing!

BTW if you go on YouTube and search for 'Checker Marathon Crash Test', you'll see what happens at 30mph in a crash.....why I drive one of these cars, I'll never know!

Steve,

I'll echo the other member's comments. A new or recent used mini-van or SUV would be safer with it's air bags, ABS, traction control, crumple zones, door crash barriers, etc. (Note: the newer Checkers did have side crash barriers in the doors.) The fuel mileage would be better too. The one down side to the new stuff is the high cost of repair when the electronics start to go. Between the all digital dashes, a half dozen computers, and finicky wiring harness, they can get expensive to repair real fast. I'm fighting that now in the daughter-in-law's mini-van.

If you want a collector car that can sub for a minivan on occasion, a Checker is a good option. The biggest safety issues with them are the anemic seat belts, no air bags, and no crumple zones. Plus regardless of how good an example you find, there is always the possibility of rust weakening things like the A pillars and they could crumple in a crash. I know one couple that happened to. Having been T-boned in a parking lot by a Lincoln, I can say from personal experience they do held up fairly well but there was a bit of intrusion in the A pillar area ... we did fare better than we would have if we were driving the wife's VW Rabbit convertible.

The other issue with collector cars is they can be a bit less reliable than new stuff. Over the course of 12 years and around 120,000 miles, I've been towed home twice and worried about making it home three or four other times ... and I'm a fair mechanic who can fix most stuff on the road. The two times it was towed were when an ignition module went out of the GM HEI distributor (could happen to a new car) and when I had a engine compartment / dash fire from a failed starter / fusible link. If you go ahead with the Checker, be sure to always carry a fire extinguished under the front seat where you can easily reach it; I have a Velco strip down the side of mine and stuck under the seat to the passenger side seat brace. It got used the day of the dash fire; I calmly put the fire out while the wife was freaking out. Note: the fusible link issue affects any GM car or any car like Checker that used the GM engine wiring design ...

Having said all that, the Checker is our usual choice when we take the grand-kids out ... partly because of the room and the fact it's our only 4 door, and partly because the grand-kids love riding it it!

That's my two cents worth ...

John W

Steve,

One additional thought ... any car, collector classic or otherwise, tends to deteriorate just sitting. Doesn't matter if it's in a climate controlled museum or a garage or outside; rubber ages just sitting there. It can be functioning perfectly when it is shipped to you.

But when you start driving it regularly, the usual wear and tear items will show up. I don't know which of Joe's cars you are looking at, but expect to have things like rear axle seals leak or the rear brake cylinders or the radiator or the heater core ... that kind of stuff is common. You'll probably have some minor issues like that the first 30 - 90 days of regular usage; it's just part of owning a collector car. I honestly believe you have less trouble with them when you do drive them every day or every other day.

John W

Trust me when I say, John is absolutely correct. There are so many things on my car that have shown themselves to be too far gone to fix, just from sitting (and in the sun too!). My car has a long road of repairs to get it completely back up to snuff.

I'm saying this just to say it; Large old barges are not safe. Look at the damage on an older vehicle compared to the newer plastic rigs; seems like the older rigs hold up better right? To a degree, that may well be true, but newer cars are designed such that the "car" will be sacrificed to save the occupants. Yep, those plastic boxes sure do dismantle themselves easily don't they? For the most part, the people inside sustain far fewer injuries.

I bought my Checker simply because I have always wanted one. The fact that you have asked about whether it is a good idea or not tells me that you have your doubts about its ability to do all the things that newer vehicles can. This in of itself should say to you that getting a Checker for this specific purpose may not be the best idea.

Here is what I would do (finances willing):

Go buy a cheap, newer family rig. Make sure it checks out, and only use it for Family stuff. This will keep miles off of it, but you will find that you use it enough that nothing goes to crap from sitting.

Then, buy the Checker for you to drive, and to take fun trips in!

~Robert~