Sorry to not have responded sooner. I am not getting email updates when comments are added.
Allow me to address several posts individually in this single post:
* My plans definitely to take it to a knowledgable frame shop, first thing, to determine what repairs/patches are necessary to insure it's safe.
As previously noted, the car seems pretty rigid - doors on the car shut and close perfectly. I looked at 2 others before settling on this one, and both of those had poorly closing doors.
* Question for John Snoddy - you didn't say why you would not weld it. What is the concern about possibly patching over the cut with some plate steel?
* Putting the body on a new frame? I actually thought about this. Can anyone here give me a brief overview of what would be involved? I assume the body could be taken off the frame in sections, or components? This car is too far gone to be a candidate for a concours restoration, so maybe it might be a candidate for something like that.
* I appreciate and share everyone's love for these cars. I am sure many of you own very nice examples and may find a car like this one horrid, sad and unthinkable to touch. To that I would simply say I'm still in the investigative stages right now. I recognize this isn't a good choice for a concours restoration project. But it might just be a good choice for an average driver I can enjoy without spending 6 figures.