# 660 combo car



## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Anyone out there know what a 660 combo car is worth, it is in nice shape.


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## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

I've seen 3 car sets (660 662 663) in decent shape go for $65 - $125. Some truly outstanding sets, of course, may be higher. I probably wouldn't go higher than $30--$35 depending on the condition. (The 661 seems to be relatively rare and goes from about $60 on up.)

P.S. I'm talking about the aluminum cars.


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## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Markjs,

It is a 660 aluminum car, 2 different couplers, old and knuckle coupler. it is in very nice shape.


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## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

amer/flyer,
I find transition cars (1 link & 1 knuckle) very useful; you can pull a consist of link coupler cars with a k/c engine (and vice versa). How much is the seller asking for? Any wiggle room here? Without a photo I'm basically sticking to my original price range, but trust your good judgement.

Here's an Ebay link for a 662 Vista Dome which gives you an idea of the going price (660s usually aren't that much different):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291116039405?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Mark


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

The aluminum cars are the ones I love the most. They are heavy and sturdy. When they are polished they shine brilliantly and look awesome. The best part is they seem to be the type of car most people want to sell...therefore they usually don't command such a high price. I once bought the whole set of aluminium streamliners for $100. Without seeing this particular piece, I would not go more than $40-$50 at the most and it would have to be pristine with an original stamped ID box. You should be able to get it for less.


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## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Thanks, Don

ebay was asking $38.00 plus s&h.

John


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## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Mark,

The one I was looking at did not have the dome.
P.S. good price.

John


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## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

Nuttin But Flyer,
A while back CTT magazine had an article on the Lionel Post-War passenger cars. They looked so bulky & boxlike compared to the beautifully proportioned AF streamliners and even heavyweights. (A downside of 27" diameter track.) My only complaint is that I wish they were easier to disassemble so that I can repair/replace the silhouettes.
By the way, what do you use to polish your aluminum cars? (There was a thread dealing with this, but I can't recall when.)
Mark
P.S. Why is the back end of the observation car not aluminum as well??? Looks like hell most of the time.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Did someone say aluminum car!!!????? Several months ago I tried to corner the market on them. I believe I have about 9 of the buggers. They aren't too hard to get apart, just take your time. I've replaced silhouettes, light sockets, and domes in mine, and also polished them. The process I use is very similar to auto body work. If scratched, I'll use a coarse paper to get the scratches out. I then use a finer paper to get the scratches out made by the coarse paper, and so on. I end up using 2000 grit paper or finer, and then use a aluminum polish such as Mother's to polish them up. I'm with NPF; I paid $100 bucks for a 3 car set. I usually could get them for about $30-$40 bucks per car. The passenger car is the one that's hard to get, (661). I don't have any of those...YET!. The ends are made of white or pot metal, and that's a shame. Such as pretty car, and then Gilbert stuck those on! Still, I love my aluminum cars; they're some of my favorites.:appl:


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Yeah, there's nothing you can do about the ends of these cars sadly. They look great when polished but those end pieces take away from the beauty. Nothing you can do about it. Flyernut did corner the market at one time...he says he has 9 but I think he is leaving a few out that he probably stashed so his wife didn't see them and now he forgot where he put them.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Nuttin But Flyer said:


> Yeah, there's nothing you can do about the ends of these cars sadly...


Oh, I don't know about that...

ok I'll tell. pouring silver finish. It's soft, so you'll need to top coat, but it'll put on a shine like chrome. It's not cheap, but not a bank breaker either.


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## Aflyer (Nov 10, 2010)

markjs said:


> Nuttin But Flyer,
> A while back CTT magazine had an article on the Lionel Post-War passenger cars. They looked so bulky & boxlike compared to the beautifully proportioned AF streamliners and even heavyweights. (A downside of 27" diameter track.) My only complaint is that I wish they were easier to disassemble so that I can repair/replace the silhouettes.
> By the way, what do you use to polish your aluminum cars? (There was a thread dealing with this, but I can't recall when.)
> Mark
> P.S. Why is the back end of the observation car not aluminum as well??? Looks like hell most of the time.


Like Flyernut said start with some sandpaper to get scratches out. I use a mag wheel polish on these cars, several out there, one I have is Mothers and another is Semi-Chrome. 

This type of polish will also work on the end of the observation cars, and on the end plates for al the cars. It takes a little elbow grease, but what else are we gonna do while watching the tube?
I am trying to keep up with the boys, I now have 8 or 9 of these cars.
Aflyer


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

You're pulling ahead of me -- think I have 7 or 8 now....more on my bucket list though.


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## jackmack (Dec 12, 2012)

*FYI on Ebay now:*

Hey guys, there's a set of 4 aluminum 600 series that ends tonight. So far they are very affordable.

link here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221426768399


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

In reference to my post about not being able to do much about the end pieces.....hey I saw some beauties in York where the ends were as shiny as the car shells. Not sure what the guy did, but I'd like to know his secret. If it's the process The New Guy mentioned or something else, I don't care. These were beautiful anfd I need to find out how it's done.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I've never had any of these cars but I have seen the difference in colors on the observation cars in pictures. I would think that if the whole thing were aluminum then the end piece was done with a different kind of aluminum or finished with a different process. Maybe you can take the top off the car and try to polish out the insides to see if the colors will eventually match. If they do then maybe a coat of clear after the polishing and cleaning would keep the colors right. Hope you can figure this out and let us know what the answer is. Pete


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## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Pete,

Lost the bid on the 660 combo, won a 663 observation car in great shape.
Thanks for the advice, I polished it with a good quality car wax. Looks good.

John


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

John I'm wondering what the discoloration is from on the OB car? Is it just tarnish or something else? Pete


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

norgale - If you are referring to the rear end of the body, it is cast from a different kind of metal. It is not finished the same as the polished aluminum body. Until I saw one with the rear section polished as brightly as the rest of the car at York this past Spring, I would have said they can never be made a bright and shiny. However, somebody did something special with this one and it looked fabulous. I'd love to know what it was he did so I can get mine to look that way. Otherwise, they will never match the rest of the body.


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## amer/flyer (Jan 11, 2014)

Hi, Pete, don't know, didn't win the auction on the car, was beat out at the last second.
Got a passenger observatory car#963 instead. Great shape.

John


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes that's what I was talking about Don. Can't imagine that those OB cars would sell very well with two different colors and metals. Maybe they didn't look like that in the beginning.
Pete


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

norgale said:


> John I'm wondering what the discoloration is from on the OB car? Is it just tarnish or something else? Pete


It might be pot metal or zinc??


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