Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

lemmer · August 2005

I see kyfdx is looking for trade in values on his wife's BMW. I assume he needs the cash for something like this:

300 HP Porsche

qbrozen · August 2005

she's gonna get tetanus sitting like that on that rusted hood.

qbrozen · August 2005

ugh! That kills me. That is my favorite style Porsche. Really the only one I would consider buying ... and that one is ruined!

fintail · August 2005

LOL at that poor old parts car 108. I swear that thing was on ebay before, like last year! You don't forget ads like that.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

You know that MGA might be worth it, but I would never buy it without looking at it first. The MGA is a very difficult car to restore properly if it is rusted. It LOOKS okay but there's a lot the pix don't show.

The ad stresses the mechanicals but those are stone age simple--it's the body you have to worry about. But if the body is sound, $3,000 sounds about right for the car, but not too much more than that.

Nice thing about MGs is that you can find any part for it easily. GREAT aftermarket on these cars.

PORSCHE V-8 -- oh god, a Frankenporsche. I can hardly imagine flinging that puppy into a turn with a Chevy 350 hanging off the back end. Weird car. A Porsche guy wouldn't touch it and a Chevy guy wouldn't touch it.

lemmer · August 2005

But the spiel sounds good:

With *** conversion kits, a competent do-it-yourself mechanic can transform a mild 911 into a 930 killer. You can buy the kit and all the necessary components for less than the cost of a 911 engine rebuild. Once installed, your *** V8 will provide years of trouble free, hi-performance driving, with affordability, low maintenance, greater reliability, not to mention extreme horsepower.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

Well a couple of the claims are true:

trouble free (well really does a 350 stay cool back there?) , hi-performance driving (don't know as I'd call it that so much as "driving with guts") , with affordability (compared to a 911 engine rebuild yes, but compared to the massive devaluation of the 911, no) , low maintenance (true) , greater reliability (nonsense--911 engines are very reliable) , not to mention extreme horsepower (that's true, too).

Oh, it paints a pretty picture but what is the reality?

bumpy · August 2005

$4000 for a regular Celica? No. For a turbo All-Trac (= AWD) Celica? Yes, if it's in good shape and has been treated well over the years.

qbrozen · August 2005

its still 225k miles! And 18 years old!

Maybe its worth that to someone, but that someone sure as heck ain't me.

We'll see what Ebay'ers say... 3 days to go and no bites yet.

lemmer · August 2005

but I want this little yellow thing

I have no idea if it worth $200 or $2000. I don't know if my weight would crush it. I see people using these as "pit bikes" and I think I need one. I think I could hide it under a tarp in the garage and my wife would never even know I bought it.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

Couple hundred bucks for that would be plenty and it should support 350-400 lbs no problem...do you weigh that much?

The Italians used to make a "suitcase motorcycle" that you could fold up and put into a large valise. Always wanted one of those...

lemmer · August 2005

6' 2" and 195 lbs if I jog regularly. Add about a pound or two a week if I don't.

I don't think I can justify (or hide from my wife) more than about $250.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

Oh we're about the same height and weight. I can ride those little things no problem but you have to be careful about your knees hitting the handlebars. You may need some high bars on that rig and extended forks, German helmet optional.

lemmer · August 2005

please notice the current bid considering that it is trashed in and out and it doesn't run

bumpy · August 2005

A busted-up S14 that doesn't run? About $750.

gsemike · August 2005

The car is from Alabama and the high bidder is brand new to Ebay.... imagine that

ghulet · August 2005

Ten years old, beat up (and likely ragged out, given the boy racer mods), AND sounds like it needs a new engine, or extensive work on the one it has (head gasket, prolly, at least).....$2126? That is beyond crazy. You'd be in over $5k just to have the thing looking and running acceptably.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

you gotta love the Internet.....eBay is a place where a once helpless and ineffective fool can be EMPOWERED.

qbrozen · August 2005

I'm suspicious of the zero feedback guy being the high bidder, BUT, if you look at the history, someone with very good feedback (over 700) bid $2100!

i don't know what the fascination with this car is. Maybe the CF hood and other look-fast parts are drawing a crowd? Could maybe get $1K for the parts .... throw in another $500 for the rest of the car .... i just don't get it.

ghulet · August 2005

....for me, anyway, because I like big, old Cadillacs (especially sedans).

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/93421249.html

Not in bad shape for $600; this guy's been trying to unload this car for months, he lives on the north side of the city, so it's always a hard sell here, let alone now that gas is $3.09 a gallon. Still, looks like it needs some fairly extensive mechanicals, and certainly a driver's door and a paint job. You'd have to be careful, though, as this car really has no 'upside'; it's a sedan, it's a mid-70s domestic, so it's of generally dubious quality, gets lousy mileage, has meager performance compared to models five years older or newer. Still, it could be a nice cruiser if you could keep the car and its repairs under, say, $3k, which seems realistic, or at least possible......or should someone pull that fantastic interior, sell that and the rest as a parts car (noting that it's illegal to part out or even fix a car on the street in Chicago)?

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

Demo derby for that one. You can buy nice ones all day long for $3,000----mint, even. Nobody wants these unless they are Eldos, so prices are as low as you can go. Buyer's market.

andre1969 · August 2005

because it looks like the interior on that '74 is really nice. Hard to believe that the interior pics and exterior pics are of the same car! Grbeck, Lemko, and I saw a '74 sedan DeVille at a car show in Macungie PA a few weeks ago. Similar interior, but a Godawful orangish-greenish (if there is such a thing) color. Exterior was in much better shape than that Craigslist Caddy, but still not a perfect car. The asking price? Something like $8200!!

Not surprisingly, we've seen this car for sale at the car corral in this show for as long as I've been going to it. First year was 2002. And the price has steadily crept up with each passing year!

I agree though, that while the car itself might be a demo derby piece, that interior should definitely be stripped out and saved. I doubt that its very easy anymore to find reproductions of that kind of fabric.

For some odd reason, I really like the '75-76 versions of these, which had rectangular headlights and the little triangular window in the C-pillar. If it was one of those instead of a '74, I'd probably be lusting all over it!

Still, I'd really rather have a Buick, like a '75-76 Electra or even a LeSabre hardtop. I just thought these were classier looking than the Caddy, and less ostentatious and showy. I liked the Olds 98 too, although they always struck me as a bit more conservative and "old money" than an Electra. Maybe it's the old-fashioned, desk/furniture looking dashboard or the button tufted seats that do it to the Olds, but the Buick just seemed to be more stylish on the inside, and I liked the way the headlights were canted a bit up front...made it look a bit sleeker.

lemmer · August 2005

I think the fascination is that these cars are big in the drifting crowd.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2005

Well you could do demo derby and then part out the interior--best of both worlds.

lemmer · August 2005

race car

I am not sure what it would be eligible for. I don't think it is old enough for vintage racing.

andys120 · August 2005

I'm unfamiliar with SVRA regulations but a '77 Spit ought to be eligible for SCCA G or H
Production sports car racing.

Considering that they were average street cars at best Spitfires do pretty well in SCCA racing, something you can say about most Triumph sports cars.

ghulet · September 2005

....but this one's a hoot (particularly about the 'carb'):

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/94720444.html

I think I'm going to go look at this thing. It may just need a fuel filter/pump ('starts then dies right away'), or it could be a head gasket, or worse. Then the seller mentions 'electronical (sic) problems'; wonder if that means the gadgets don't work (windows/seats/sunroof/memory stuff), or if it's more serious (wipers, dashboard lights). Still, for $350, it's worth a look-see, isn't it? Wonder what the body and interior are like. In any case, it's in the next neighborhood over from me, so not a big time waster. It's probably some rich DePaul kid with his dad's hand-me-down or something.

fintail · September 2005

I know this is about 4x overpriced, but I think it's pretty cool.

I guess you could do worse for the money

It's either a good driver or a money pit

andre1969 · September 2005

when did Crosley sell their tooling to Triumph? :P

andys120 · September 2005

Those were originally badged as Standard Tens, Standard took over Triumph in 1946.
No less a personage than Stirling Moss owned a '55 Standard Ten saloon fitted with Borrani wires (?!). There's a picture of it in the latest Classic & Thoroughbred cars.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

The 250SL is probably a European car and so RUST is a major problem. I'd never buy this car without putting it on a lift and seeing if it is magnet-proof.

The MG Midget might be a good deal.

The Triumph is overpriced, as you say, by about $1,650. No title, blown freeze plugs, no brakes, no clutch......hmmmm.....why do I see this car's future as scrap metal sent to Turkey for souvenir tea pots?

fintail · September 2005

That's a winner, ghulet.

"Needs Carb adjustment and carb cleaned "

LOL what the hell? There hasn't been a carb MB sold in NA since like 1975. No W124 carb cars that I can recall sold anywhere ever.

The switches in those cars do tend to break, and the wiring harness can go bad too.

Still, for the money, it'd be a great parts car if anything, or a good car if you can do the work yourself. The thing is you can get a good immaculate honest early 124 like that for no more than 4-5K nowadays, so it can eat up a budget fast.

fintail · September 2005

I think that Triumph is kind of neat. I like little old wagons. I bet those missing parts are impossible to find though...a dashboard parcel shelf for a 59 Triumph sedan or wagon? Good luck.

In England it would have already been restored I am sure, they seem to love old wagons there. Too bad shipping it back home would cost so much.

The W113 250SL is almost tempting at that money, but it has to have defects, as that seems quite a bit under market. They are also a bit feminine too, IMO.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

The 250SL is a Euro car and this is a big hit on price. Most American buyers with any real knowledge of old SLs won't touch a Euro car for any price...you need the naive buyer with the big straw hat to buy one. Also a 280SL is automatically a 20-30% premium in price over the earlier 230s or 250s.

ghulet · September 2005

....considering you can buy just about the nicest '86 300E in Chicago for about $4k (plenty 'decent' under $3k), getting one almost free that could (and likely will) need a virtually infinite amount of work probably can't be a 'good deal'. Still, it only has 124k, and I can't help but think this car could be an easy fix. Of course, NO mention whatsoever is made of the body, interior, suspension, tires, brakes or anything else, which probably doesn't bode well.

Oh yeah, the idiot who listed it neglected to put a phone number OR e-mail in the ad, so there's no way of contacting him, short of posting your own info and hoping the seller checks (which I did hours ago while at work, and have received no response). Apparently he hasn't become perplexed at the fact that he's received no inquiries about his $350 car, which certainly would be an unusual state of affairs for craigslist.

fintail · September 2005

I don't think it would be a good deal, unless you can readily tell the car just needs a little TLC. Good examples are cheap (and are bargains IMO), so one might as well get the best they can afford. It's the rule of any car, especially MB. Cheap to purchase is usually most expensive in the long run. The seller's lack of info would also have me worried. You've probably got a head case there.

A couple nice 6cyl MB from your local craigslist

Lovely 126 that is begging for Euro lights. Good deal if the car is as nice as it looks, and I am sure you could negotiate it a little. I noticed several immaculate 126s in the Chicago listings.

Last of the 124s, very durable cars

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

NEVER buy an old Benz sedan that needs lots of work, never, ever, unless you own a Benz repair shop and a Benz wrecking yard. That's my two cents. FREE is not cheap enough.

Just save your money and buy the nicest, most well-kept, pristine Benz sedan you can afford.

andre1969 · September 2005

with the way gas prices are getting, is there a good chance that prices on those big, lavish 70's barges that I love so much will take a drop? I know that in the "real world", they're not really worth a whole lot to begin with, but at the same time, you get a lot of people holding onto them, thinking that they ARE, and they won't part with them.

Might be a good time for me to go snag a '76 Electra hardtop or a '75 LeSabre convertible?

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

I don't see that happening, since those big 70s barges have been regarded more or less as "toys" for a while now. Not many people buy them as first cars to commute in, but rather fun cars for Sundays---so no, I don't see gas prices affection any old car really.

anyone who isn't paying for storage can hold onto these old 4-door aircraft carriers as long as they want, but they only need to see the value of big old 4-doors from the 1940s to realize that big old 4-doors are barely going to keep up with inflation in terms of value.

But I don't think they will DEpreciate any further. They've bottomed out.

andre1969 · September 2005

I was hoping maybe I could score a nice Electra Limited hardtop sedan for a song!

I'm starting to get tired of this tiny little downsized NYer...for some twisted reason, I want a battlecruiser! :shades:

andys120 · September 2005

Oh I think if you look, you'll find plenty of whales going for cheap money

OTOH, keeping them in gas :surprise: :surprise: :sick:

andre1969 · September 2005

I never really cared for those Mark III's that much. Grbeck likes them, though, so maybe I'll shoot that one on to him.

It's kinda strange, but for some reason I've always liked stuff like those overblown LeSabres, Electras, Deltas, Ninety-Eights, or even a Caprice/Impala, and preferred them to the really opulent stuff like the Lincolns and Caddies. Maybe that's just the conservative streak in me wrestling with my pimpy side? :P

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

Buick Electras from the 70s are very cheap to buy. How much cheaper you want em?

Here's a '67 even == http://www.craigslist.org/sby/car/94352488.html

gsemike · September 2005

I hate car ads without pics =(

andre1969 · September 2005

convertible for sale at a local repair shop here last year. IIRC, they wanted either $2500 or $3500 for it. I want to say it had a 430 in it, but I'm not sure. Also, the guy at the repair shop said it had a THM350, which would NOT be stock in a car like that. But, wouldn't the standard tranny been some kind of DynaSlow variant? The THM350 was probably an improvement there! Anyway, it didn't look bad at a quick glance. It was a goldish-green color though, which was a major turnoff for me.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

yeah could be an ulterior motive in not inserting a photo but a photo can lie pretty well itself.

fintail · September 2005

Indeed they can

Well, the fintail isn't an absolute heap, but it's not the concours specimen it appears to be in photos. Either that, or I am way too picky. IMO it only needs some bodywork, paint, interior, and engine renovations.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2005

I have a magic digital camera that takes photos like that.

Sometimes I do physical inspections for people who are out of state trying to buy a car in California, so I get to see the internet photos and then I get to see the car, and sometimes it is shocking to see the difference.

You can't see ripples in bodywork of course, or checking paint, and you can't see much of the undercarriage.

It costs a LOT of money to go from a #3 condition to a #2 condition.

andre1969 · September 2005

what it was like back in the old prehistoric days, when all we had to go by as the little 1x2 1/4 black and white photos in the Auto Trader! :surprise: I remember back in late '93, I spotted a nice looking '67 Dart GT convertible in the Auto Trader. Went out to look at it...man, what a heap! It looked like it had been rear-ended, and buckled a bit on the driver's side quarter panel above the rear wheel. It had been straightened out as best as possible, and bondo'ed up. On the plus side, it had a new top and the interior was in good shape. It had a rebuilt slant six engine. Guy wanted $3,000 for it.

About a year and a half later, it turned up in the local junkyard. On the hood was written "Bad motor". Guess he didn't do such a hot job on the rebuild!

lemmer · September 2005

the original Caddy that zigs

Project for Fintail - should be a cheap fix, right?

Is a rare Toyota worth anything? I can think of a lot of other cars a would buy for that coinage

Maybe you should have upgraded your "S" rated tires in your 700 hp Corvette

this dune buggy comes with big jugs, but it needs a new diaphragm. I am confused, is he talking about a car?

Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

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