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Comments
I think the only cars of the 1980s that came close to that spooky kind of reliability where nothing bad every happens were *some* the rather dull Japanese cars. You sold a Toyota to someone and you never heard about complaints afterwards...that was very rare to have one break down completely.
You gotta trust the used car market for judgment...you can get $5,000 for a clean 1968 Datsun 510 and you'd be lucky to get $1250 for a 1968 Volvo. Even Datsun 240Zs are way ahead of P1800s right now, by almost double. And a 90s Accord wagon is just as popular as a 90s Volvo wagon.
I've always wanted a Jaguar E Type coupe and I came across this ad in Craigs List. I know the price of E types is high but this much for this???
http://austin.craigslist.org/car/277271826.html
Looking forward to your comments.
Jorge
james
For that price, I'd step away.
Parts car for $3,500 tops.
These are extremely difficult cars to restore,and why waste your time on the one E Type no collector wants or loves?
You can buy these cars fully restored for $30,000, and this shabby car advertised won't even be 1/3 done for that money.
Definite PASS!
Jorge
And for $6,500, at least where I live, a '68 2+2 should be RUNNING and drivable, even if a bit shabby.
If it were a Series I coupe, that's a whole other story. Never confuse the two cars, they are worlds apart.
Anyone ever replace a clutch in one of these?
So you need to jack the car up high enough to slip about 1/2 ton of motor and trans, at an angle downward toward the floor.
Not pretty. And REALLY not pretty if you don't get it right the first time.
then of course you have to replace the entire front bonnet/hood/fenders/grillwork section that you took off to access everything, and that is a bear of a bear of a bear to align properly.
Did we talk about dropping the entire rear axle assembly to replace the inboard brake rotors that hug the differential?
Still a Series 1 4.2 convertible is a car worth restoring...they are so beautiful and still exciting to drive.
The Series III cars with the V-12 are more GT cars than sports cars.
The XJ sedans are an equal nightmare to work on...same inboard brakes and rear roller bearing suspension, as well as little niceties like rubber injection hoses placed UNDER the intake manifold, fuel lines cooled by the AC unit, and twin saddle gasoline tanks that love to rot out from the bottom. The beat goes on with old Jaguars....you gotta love 'em to restore 'em.
Give me an XK150 roadster anyday. Not so complex.
Through the bottom might actually be the easier route to be honest with you.
(sigh)
I think I've told this story before here...
Years ago, I managed a large Auto Center for Sears in California. In those days we did everything but we really limited ourselves to what we would do on imports.
So, one summer night, I looked out my office window and noticed one of my battery guys installing a new battery in an old XKE. I thought nothing about it at the time. On a Jag, a battery replacement is the ONLY thing we would have attempted. Even so, we managed to botch the job.
A couple of days later, I got a call from the very British Service Manager at the local Jag dealer. It seems we had installed the battery BACKWARDS! He was nice enough to let me know that every British car built before 1965 used negative ground! I told him I didn't know they would even start if the battery was reversed.
" Oh, they bloody well will start|" he assured me!
As I recall, my bill for the various components that got fried came to around 1500.00! These were late 70's dollars.
I couldn't really blame my 18 year old installer, how could he have known? Last Jag we ever worked on!
I know every car I've ever had had the negative side of the battery ground to the chassis/motor. Am I not understanding something in that statement??
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
After all, we're talking about a British car here!
Just like a Model A. Leave it to the Brits.
Anyway, Mr. Lucas sure didn't like that backwards battery!
The negative/positive ground topic was actually a hotly debated subject for years.
Thanks
Jorge
http://austin.craigslist.org/car/265195995.html
I would feel better if there was a pic at least. "Very little rust" is always disconcerting. It tends to mean "I have found very little rust, but when you strip the piant and bondo, you will find swiss cheese."
Parts car at best. To be restored when they are worth 1/2 million dollars.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
"67 68 69 Pontiac Firebird 455"
Hmmmm - maybe a fun project?
Who says they all rusted out or blew up?
The Kaiser
Paging Mr. Lemko!
Rare! Who'd a thought it?
A Fiat with an automatic? why bother?
If the Vega GT still has the original sleeveless aluminum engine, it has a transplant in its future.
james
2nd the Vega comment too, but if you just put a V8 in there you don't have to worry. If you are going to fix up a Vega and keep the 4, get a Cosworth.
That Buick...I dunno, it seems kind of small to me. Do you have anything a little bigger?
Chrysler must have used the absolute lowest-grade plastic for those headlight lenses.
I don't know about the prices, but I like that Kaiser -- sure is a looker with the unusual styling and flamboyant 2-tone paint job.
I like the '64 Bel Air too, but you're right about Grandma's interior! Still, you can enter the car through the right door and slide across the seat just like Jimmy Stewart did in "Vertigo."
'69 Electra: somewhat interesting, but I'd rather have the first year of that design -- the '65, and make mine a Wildcat!
THAT ended THAT project.....
:mad:
I really do have to start reading more carefully....
I think the only people that would be interested in this generation SL would be those who always wanted one but couldn't afford it new, or people who grew up with them and they'd like it for nostalgic reasons.
Sort of like a lady who bought a used 94 Infiniti J30 off our lot because it was always her dream car. :confuse:
Or another couple who bought a used 1997 Hyundai Tiburon from us because she was dreaming about owning one since it came out.
Everyone has their own tastes I guess......
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
And yeah, not a lot of reason to chase one of those for something like 20K when that money will get you a nice R129.
The V-8 SLs will sink to a certain level and bottom out, and then creep up.
But $8K is too cheap for a 560SL because it is newer than, and much better than, a 450SL, which is worth about $8K.
So, no, $8K isn't "market" IMO. I'd buy every clean 560SL in the world for $8K. I'd buy that car tomorrow if it were close by and it were really clean, and I'd flip it for $4K in a day I betcha to a dealer.
But it had better have "no stories". One big dent and a torn ragtop and there goes your profit.
Low: $8,995.00
High: $27,995.00
Average (mean): $18,339.31
Median: $18,900.00
If we knocked out the extreme high and extreme low and did only 27 samples, we'd still come up with a median of around $17,000, which I think is correct.
I have never ever seen a 560SL that wasn't a pile of junk selling for $8,000, at least not where I live.
Over 100K but under 135K or so is nothing for a Benz. It doesn't seem to deter buyers for an old SL.
Like I said, I'll buy every clean, no problems 560SL I could find at that price, and so would any other gearhead in his right mind I think. That's a bargain in my book.
Maybe the 560SL seller is a silly person, or smarter than we suspect....hm......
Still the 560SL is SOOOOOO much better a car than the 450...it's not even close. Faster, better handling, better fuel mileage and more reliable. There's no downside to it unless Hans or Dieter gets you into their shop and slowly and gravely shake their heads as they peer into the engine compartment.
Rip cord!
Pre A 356
Or are they all just wayyyy overpriced?
That is the most gentle way of saying "his wife put her foot down" that I have ever read.... :P
I'd offer $8,000 and then pull the engine immediately and either buy proper German pistons or re-machine the heads to lower compression ratios accordingly. Probably the former.
912s are comin' up in price but they have to be RIGHT.
356A/preA -- these early Porsches are better for a museum that they are to drive IMO. The cars will hopefully be saved but for the average owner/collector these are the poorest choices of all the 356 models in terms of enjoyment, drivability, etc. I think. The Pre As are also very difficult for parts, and I noticed lots of wrong things on that car already. Sunroof is way cool, though, and rare.
The 356 you want are either the B roadster or the C coupe/convertible with those wonderful front disk brakes and strongest engines.
The 912 engine is just a slightly modified 356 engine anyway, so if I bought an early 356 I'd put a 912 engine in it. They sorta look right and they work mo' bettah. The original engine (if correct) can go in the shed.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX