I am looking for a mild-moderate project and have always been fascinated by cars like this:
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/3591776739.html
I'd be very appreciative of any comments or suggestions on whether this car is worth the price being asked for it and anything in particular that I should look out for on these cars.
Thanks!
Gary
It all depends on how much work/time/money you want to invest I suppose. Lets start with the good:
-If he has all the paperwork to backup the engine work and you have someone check it out and it runs well that this is all good
-Having disc brakes up front is a definite plus and not having to worry about braking power is great
-A refreshed suspension is good
The bad:
-That paint (obviously)
-The body looks like it will need more work than just paint but that could just be bad picture quality
It's worth checking out if you planned to get into a project that required mostly cosmetic work. I, personally, won't even think to touch the body because I wouldn't do it justice so when I was looking for a project I found one with a good body on it but needed help mechanically.
In the end it is hard to say from just some pictures and the seller's word... go check it out and see if you think it is a fair price. Just go in with the mindset that you can walk away from the deal without emotions attached and you will always have the upper hand. Take it for a test drive, find a body shop in the area and drive it to them, see what they have to say, then do the same with a mechanic if you're concerned there.
My final 2¢, that price seems fair if it runs and drives well but I wouldn't say it's a deal for either buyer or seller. Try to talk him down a little and be able to walk away. There are other Coronets out there, don't let the seller try to get you worked up into a panic by saying it's a super rare, one of a kind, nothing else like it car (and if he does say that, get the VIN, there are some guys on this site who can check those out and tell you if that's true or not). Now we'll let the true veterans weigh in.
What zaq said!! At this point in time unless you can do alot by yourself or have access to things, you're almost better off trying to fid something all but done, just a nice driver you can "tinker" with if you want, again, my 2cents!
I forgot to mention, as should be done with all cars, stick your noggin under there and check the frame rails front to back. I checked mine and saw the cross member was pretty rough on one side and knew it would need some attention but forgot to check the same spot on the other side... nearly completely gone on that side. In the end, wasn't that big a deal for me as I planned to take it somewhere for fixing that anyway but check it out top and bottom throughout.
Thanks for your comments. They all seem solid to me and are very helpful. You're right, the body does look not so good in some places. I can't see the car until tonight at 4:30 when it will be getting fairly dark...
The seller sounds earnest and sincere, but you never know. I'm not in a huge hurry to finish the car, just thought I'd check another item off of my bucket list. I'm semi-retired and would like to add another hobby to my schedule 8>).
Gary
Zaq Wrote:It all depends on how much work/time/money you want to invest I suppose. Lets start with the good:
-If he has all the paperwork to backup the engine work and you have someone check it out and it runs well that this is all good
-Having disc brakes up front is a definite plus and not having to worry about braking power is great
-A refreshed suspension is good
The bad:
-That paint (obviously)
-The body looks like it will need more work than just paint but that could just be bad picture quality
It's worth checking out if you planned to get into a project that required mostly cosmetic work. I, personally, won't even think to touch the body because I wouldn't do it justice so when I was looking for a project I found one with a good body on it but needed help mechanically.
In the end it is hard to say from just some pictures and the seller's word... go check it out and see if you think it is a fair price. Just go in with the mindset that you can walk away from the deal without emotions attached and you will always have the upper hand. Take it for a test drive, find a body shop in the area and drive it to them, see what they have to say, then do the same with a mechanic if you're concerned there.
My final 2¢, that price seems fair if it runs and drives well but I wouldn't say it's a deal for either buyer or seller. Try to talk him down a little and be able to walk away. There are other Coronets out there, don't let the seller try to get you worked up into a panic by saying it's a super rare, one of a kind, nothing else like it car (and if he does say that, get the VIN, there are some guys on this site who can check those out and tell you if that's true or not). Now we'll let the true veterans weigh in.
I'm pretty handy, so I think I could learn most of what it would take to do the cosmetics. When I was a kid I had a few cars (e.g. a '67 GTO and and '57 Chevy) that I had to do some body work on (just Bondo, though, no real metal work). I also hand sanded and prepped my Chevy and took it to someone else to paint. It turned out great because I spent so much time sanding and priming the car. I'm curious how much rust there is on this car. The seller claims not much. As for underneath, he says he bought the car a year ago and it had undercoating on it. So, whether that's hiding rust or preventing it, I don't know....
Gary
Racer Brown Wrote:What zaq said!! At this point in time unless you can do alot by yourself or have access to things, you're almost better off trying to fid something all but done, just a nice driver you can "tinker" with if you want, again, my 2cents!
I'd be fine getting a car that needs little or no work. Of course, it would then cost a lot more, I assume. Not being made of money and not wanting to put more into it than it's worth a important considerations for me...
Zaq Wrote:I forgot to mention, as should be done with all cars, stick your noggin under there and check the frame rails front to back. I checked mine and saw the cross member was pretty rough on one side and knew it would need some attention but forgot to check the same spot on the other side... nearly completely gone on that side. In the end, wasn't that big a deal for me as I planned to take it somewhere for fixing that anyway but check it out top and bottom throughout.
Let us know how it turns out... write down the VIN if you want more detailed information about the car. Some of the guys on this board can give you really good information with this.
Unless you're the guy going to buy the car, its sold to a guy that will be there in 2 hours!
Nope, I wasn't the guy. I ran into a little interference from a person in my life who's not a big fan of...well, enough said.
The good news is that there are other Coronets out there and I'm not going to give up!