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

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Comments

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,097
    doesn't exactly get me lusting over it, but I like it. There's just a sort of no-nonesense honesty about it, I guess. If that makes sense. Just a nice old car, not trying to pretend that it's anything more than what it is. Nothing exotic or pretentious or glamorous about it.

    The only thing I don't like is the shade of the lighter green. It's just a bit too, well, radioactive looking.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,761
    either its the same seller or the 2 guys in seattle with fake lambos formed their own little club and got together to take that last pic

    I thought that as well, but the interior of the black car's door in the yellow car's ad is white while the interior of the door in the black car's ad is black.... Now if you can decipher what I just wrote, you get the car for free! :P
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Yeah googling RX7 V8 gets hits for all kinds of conversions and discussions. Apparently its fun for 2nd gen RX7s too.

    I don't know how I feel about it. I would much rather have a Miata with a small turbo kit than a Monster Miata 5.0. That starts to be like that Alpine Tiger we were talking about a few days ago (interestingly, that is what one of the Detroit FREEP writers said about the MazdaSpeed3, but he might just be a wuss).
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    The guy with the Prelude is on crack.

    Especially with that kind of mileage, what is he thinking?

    Somebody even wrote that in the qestions section.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    Ha, I didn't notice those. Looks like the guy is serious too!

    Oops, I usually put these in the obscure car thread. Oh well...I guess they work here too.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Wow, just what I've always lusted over: a '79 Chrysler LeBaron sedan (spawn of Volare). :sick:

    I can't believe that guy is asking that much for a 24-year-old Prelude. With almost 125K miles? He's got to be totally insane! I mean, at least start the bidding at something realistic, like $100!
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    And best of all, the Lebaron has a slant six. :P I like the comment on the Fiat: "We've been working on this since 1986." Is that continuously, or has it been driven? :P The interior on that Daimler Empress is beautiful.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Daimler -- a bottomless moneypit filled with snakes, biting insects, fire and agonizing death. Other than that, no reason not to own one. This is the kind of car best kept INSIDE your house.

    Fiat 1200 -- neat little car, I'd love to have it. Price is right, so far. They can bring $10K++ because they are so rare in this condition.

    Riley Elf--all the problems of a MINI, with none of the good looks. What more could a man want?

    Datsun Bluebird -- dear seller: Oh, no, once again no one has bid on your cute, albeit rusty little car. Move the decimal point to the left and see what happens.

    '83 Prelude -- the man is just 25 years ahead of his time. Some day, when today's 20-something tuners are fat old men, this car will be collectible and will sell for his asking price. Of course, also by that time, a loaf of bread will cost $56.

    MB 300 -- nice lookers, but the SC is the one to have, with fuel-injection. That's the same motor as the Gullwing. Also bottomless money pits, but at least people know what it is, people will admire it, and you can enjoy driving it, so there's some payback.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    Wow that's the cheapest W140 I've seen so far.

    I wonder if it has any issues with it. Don'[t like the interior color though.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I've owned three RX7's and they had well over 50,000 miles without any engine problems. Of course, they weren't turbos either.

    You CAN NOT let one of these get overheated! If a hose bursts you CAN NOT drive these cars to the nearest shop!

    If you "think" you may have overheated an RX7, you have and you have ruined your engine.

    They also need clean oil and they will use some oil. This is normal and you CAN NOT let an RX7 get low on oil!

    If you take care of an RX7, they will easily go 100,000 miles or more.

    It is amazing how much power these cars have considering the engines are the size of a beer keg and look like one.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah the turbos are very vulnerable to ignition "detonation" for some reason, probably related to high internal combustion chamber heat caused by the turbos themselves. The regular rotaries don't have to deal with these extreme internal temperatures. I don't think oil changes can help this. I suppose one could drive like grandpa, but then what's the point of laying off the boost?

    Maybe some radical intercooler modifications would help this problem. But if I owned a TT, I'd just budget for a new motor every 60K or so, and I bet I'd need it, too.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I wouldn't buy a turbo RX7 but I would love to find another non turbo in good condition. These are amazing little cars that are fun to drive. Gobs of power and great handling too. They are NOT good on gas either!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    Yeah, something has to be up with it. That car has been on Seattle CL for weeks, price steadily falling. The 6cyl cars aren't especially problematic as a whole, so this example must have some issue. Otherwise, lots of looks for the money.

    Looks good in the pic anyway

    And its ragtop sibling

    Dunno what it is really worth

    I feel sorry for the car simply based on the ad...another car that's been haunting the ads for months
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I love it..." 150,000 miles is nothing for a Mercedes"

    Oh, it is certainly "something"!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Hard to tell but that '66 Skylark looks like a Gran Sport. At least it has a GS hood. If so that is one FAST car. I noticed the A/C is lacking it's belt. Probably "just needs a charge" right?

    They ruined the looks of the Skylark when they decided to add (gag) fender skirts on the '67's.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    MB W140-- It's the miles---216,000!!! That car is about worn out unless it has been invested in. A car (any car) with 200K takes a severe depreciation hit unless it's been restored.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    I just ran an Edmunds TMV on it...it's actually just about right on the nose for private party value. Funny thing, it said to deduct $1 for being white...yes, one dollar. Just one of those cars that looks more expensive than it is I guess...MB and Rolls are good at that.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I shall refrain from commenting on TMV numbers. :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd buy it if I could carefully examine the service records and if the price reflected the high miles. Given that, statistically speaking, the normal life for a modern car is about 225K, I don't see why I should be paying any big money for those last 9K miles.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    "The normal life for a modern car is about 225K"

    Compare that to cars that were being produced say, 40 years ago.

    Most 1967 cars were getting pretty tired around 60K when a valve job was in order. 20,000 miles later, it was time for rings and maybe even a rebore.

    If the Auto trans held up for 90,000 miles, that was a good thing.

    Oh, and tires were shot after 20K.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    All true. Of course, repairing and rebuilding a car was a lot less expensive as well, so one could afford to do things back then that today would dictate junking the car.

    Many cars only 5 or 6 years old today would be totalled if the engine blew up. But in 1967 you could pull the heads off in your backyard with a few wrenches and a hammer.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,788
    hmmmm... why does the title of the listing say S320 and the body say 300SE?

    '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

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,788
    Elf - $6250 buys you the car AND shipping to the east or west coast from New Zealand?? Kinda sounds like a scam to me. What does that kind of shipping cost? I mean, customs fees and all that included?

    '93 prelude - i really don't know what to say. it certainly does sound like he is serious. i contemplated sending him a message since he seems to post them all right there in the listing, but it seems any humor would be lost on him.

    '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

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    I'm guessing because "S320" looks newer, and might attract more attention. CL people seem to do that all the time...I like seeing an 80s car listed as a "SEL500" etc.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    Do you find they are too generous? (I assume)
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    That's what I did with my old W126 300SE. It had over 150K on it when I bought it, and it certainly wasn't the cheapest one around. But it had a file full of records, one previous owner, and had been cosmetically maintained to the point where it looked like a car with maybe 30K on it, inside and out. The car ran and drove like new, and had almost no issues in the time I had it. I certainly don't regret it.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,425
    ">How do you value something like this? People love these cars but I have no idea if this is too much or a deal

    Good deal for 2 grand There's a place called a junkyard... find one

    Last ran in 91 Outside is not a good place to store a car for 16 years. However, it does look pretty good and these cars are climbing in value. I wonder just how new those new tires are? They were probably new in 91 and are destroyed by dry rot now.

    NO RUST (Originally California Car- only seen snow these past few weeks)
    It's only been in NY since May 2006
    That rust situation isn't going to stay that way unless you get that inside ASAP

    Let the good times roll

    What the hell is this thing? If he thinks that he's got 300 horse out of that V6, he has the same crack dealer as the guy with the Prelude.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    "statistically speaking, the normal life for a modern car is about 225K, I don't see why I should be paying any big money for those last 9K miles."

    If the car lasted 225K it means it was well maintained and carefully driven, and is a quality car to begin with. Therefore, this particular car probably has much more than a few thousand miles left in it.

    On a few occasions you've cited the mileage of junk yard cars in discussing maximum mileage expectations. While mileage when scrapped is one measure of vehicle life spans, it should also be considered that cars are scrapped for a variety of reasons that are unrelated to their potential life, including accidents, fires, floods, poor maintenance and/or abuse, and wholesale book values. Therefore, I think that average mileage when scrapped underestimates the potential average mileage of cars that remain in service, because it includes those that avoided catastrophes.

    In listing book value above, I realize that BV is an important consideration when deciding whether repairs or restoration should be undertaken, but it isn't the only factor. I think that BV should be considered on a case by case basis, because it's just an actuarial number that frequently doesn't reflect the relationship of the cost-to- repair and the subsequent economic value of a vehicle. What I'm saying is that while insurance settlements rely heavily or solely on BV, BV is only one factor, albeit an important one, that an owner or potential owner should consider in the repair or scrap decision.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    So true.

    On modern cars that are getting old, one major event can total the car.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,097
    On modern cars that are getting old, one major event can total the car.

    I think one problem nowadays is that a lot of parts on cars today are disposable, where once upon a time, they were more a "life of the car" sort of thing. For example, you know those cooling lines that run from the transmission to the radiator? Once upon a time, they were metal tubes. And maybe on some newer vehicles they still are, but on my Intrepid they sure ain't!

    Out of all the old cars I've had, the only time I ever had a problem with one of those lines was with my '68 Dart. I forget how exactly now, but one of them got crimped almost shut, caused pressure to build up, and made the car spray transmission fluid. I think I had to put about $137 into some transmission work that day, including replacing that line, replacing a popped seal, and some other minor odds and ends.

    But on my Intrepid, those lines are rubber. And they started leaking. I've heard that sometimes they would practically leak right off the showroom floor, but somehow I suspect right after the warranty is up is a more common occurence. Well, mine actually held out for awhile, although I did notice in March that they were leaking.

    The bill to replace them? Roughly $300. For something that, on an older car, you probably never had to give a second thought to.

    And this is just a minor example. Just think of all the things in modern cars, such as independent rear suspensions, complex computer systems with a myriad of sensors and such, emissions controls up the wazoo, 5- and 6-speed automatic transmissions, engine bays that you need to be a contortionist to work on, and tons of components that were "updated" to help cut costs on the assembly line or initial sale, only to bankrupt you or total out the car once it comes time to repair them.

    Oh, as for my $300 cooling lines repair? Well, that was only a portion of what I had done that day. I also had the coolant flushed and new hoses put on, tires rotated, front brake pads replaced (factory parts, so they were a bit pricier but should last longer), rotors machined (I'm shocked they could machine them, usually that's a throwaway part these days), back brakes and parking brake checked and adjusted, and a new front right bearing hub replaced.

    Total bill came out to about $1050. And what's the trade-in on a 2000 Intrepid base model with 130,000 miles? Maybe $2000 if I'm lucky? Heck, slack off for a bit and let a bunch of maintenance issues hit you all at once with a modern car, and you could probably almost total it!

    $1050 might seem like a lot of money to put into a 7 1/2 year old Intrepid. But I figure that comes out to about 3 months of car payments, as its monthly payment was $347.66. So if it lasts another 3 months without needing anything at all, I'm even. Now if the transmission starts to crap out, which I think is around $2000-2500, that might tempt me to dump it. And if the engine goes ($5000+ just for a junkyard one), then the car is history.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think the point is, that at 225K, anything can happen at any moment to such a car. Even fintail's car at 150K is a LONG way from 225K---that's probably 5-6 years of use for most people, that extra 75K.

    Personally, I think any car over 200K should be looked upon as a parts car and prices paid accordingly, unless there are receipts for major rebuild of major items.

    The risks are far too great to be paying anywhere near a "book" value.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    '30 Ford Rod -- probably priced a bit high. It needs front end work (king pins can be a real PITA) and the car is part fiberglass, a real turn-off for value on these things. But as a cheap toy, it might be fun. Depends on how the work was done. If done badly, the car would be awful to drive.

    Trans Am--car looks great for having sat outside so long---but of course it will need everything. Seems overpriced on the face of it.

    86 Nissan 300ZX---well, it is what it is...a fat, overweight version of a once great car.

    Dodge Van -- might be a good buy if the rust isn't too bad. Take 'er camping and save on $$$ for motels.

    97 Camaro -- I don't think I've ever sat in or driven a more sloppily built car in my entire life than the last generation Camaros. Sad but true. It's like an eastern communist bloc version of what a real Chevrolet should be.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,097
    I think the point is, that at 225K, anything can happen at any moment to such a car. Even fintail's car at 150K is a LONG way from 225K---that's probably 5-6 years of use for most people, that extra 75K.

    My '68 Dart had 253,000 miles on it when I bought it. BUT, the engine had been rebuilt at 242,000, and the transmission and rear-end were replaced soon after with parts that were used, but lower mileage. I ended up taking it up to about 338,000 miles, when one day it just refused to start. I think it was just the fuel pump, but at the time I didn't have the time or the money to play with it, so I just let it sit, and it deteriorated.

    I never had to get into the engine any further than replacing the valve cover gaskets. Rear-end never gave me any trouble, although I did replace it with an 8 3/4 rear end, because I wanted to be able to swap the gearsets easily if I wanted to. Never did that, though, although I have a 3.55 Suregrip rear packed away somewhere. And aside from crimping the cooling line and an occasional servicing, the tranny never get me any fits. That car tended to have suspension problems though. And power steering troubles. And rust issues.

    I added it up, and I think over the course of those 85,000 miles I put on that Dart, it cost me about $9,000, including the price of the car ($1700), repairs, maintenance, registration fees, etc. So on a cost per mile basis, it ended up being about 11 cents per mile, plus gas, plus insurance. In contrast, I think my Intrepid has amortized out to about 21 cents per mile, plus gas & insurance.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
    Yeah, it still had a lot of life left in it. When it came time to sell, I had a few interested parties, so I got to choose the one I felt would take the best care of the car, and who appreciated its condition most. I didn't lose much money in the deal, several years after I bought it.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,146
    I've seen several hot rods list a Jaguar rear end. Why would that be a good thing? Just for the gee whiz factor? Not like rear disks and handling are important, right? I just remember reading how hard those are to work on and keep working.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Wow, I remember you talking about that Intrepid the day you bought it. Has it really been seven years?

    It sounds like you ae keeping on top of the maintenance and that certainly will make a difference.

    A lot of times, as cars age, the owners quit caring about them and defer maintenance. they figure the car is old and why bother. Before long, this lack of attention will take a toll and a car that could have lasted another 100,000 miles is junk.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,097
    Wow, I remember you talking about that Intrepid the day you bought it. Has it really been seven years?

    Yep, hard to believe, but it's been that long! Heck, it'll be EIGHT years on November 6! I've been trying to take care of it, but have to confess that I've slacked off a bit on oil changes. Originally I wanted to try and do them every 3,000 miles. I guess that could be overly anal, but I never kept up with it anyway. I'd say my average was more like 4,000 miles, with an occasional stretch of as many as 6,000 miles or so.

    The 2.7 is supposed to be one of those engines that is easy to sludge up if you don't take care of it, but my mechanic said that in most sludge cases that he sees, usually you have to slack off to about 10,000 miles or more between oil changes.

    A lot of times, as cars age, the owners quit caring about them and defer maintenance. they figure the car is old and why bother. Before long, this lack of attention will take a toll and a car that could have lasted another 100,000 miles is junk.

    Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to my grandma's '85 LeSabre. She signed it over to me in 1999, when she couldn't get her license renewed because she couldn't pass the eye test. I think it had about 144,000 miles on it at the time. Early on it got driven fairly regularly. I'd drive it occasionally and so would my uncle. But once I got my Intrepid, and then my '79 New Yorker, it got used less and less and spent a lot of time just sitting around. And since it didn't get driven much, we just slacked off on maintenance. In May of 2002, I took it in to my mechanic to have it checked out, and he found about $1200-1300 worth of stuff wrong with it. IIRC that included a tuneup, belts/hoses/coolant flush, tranny service, new brake pads and rotors up front, some suspension work, a leak in the exhaust, and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.

    My uncle was interested in driving it to work at the time, to keep the miles off his truck, and my grandmother said she'd put the money into it. Well, we got about half of the stuff done, and were going to get the rest done a bit later, and then the very next weekend my uncle buys an '03 Corolla!

    In the long run, that was probably the right choice, because it got much better economy than the Buick would. Plus, at the rate of 100-150 miles per day, that Buick wouldn't last forever. Still, we never did get the rest of the work done. I decided to hold off until the next emissions test came up, which would've been January 2003, and then we'd make a decision on whether to keep it or cut it loose. Well, it made the decision for me one day over the summer. I had it out at my condo, and hopped in it to go to work. When I stepped on the brake pedal to shift into gear, the pedal went all the way to the floor. At that point I figured that's it...we're not putting another DIME into this thing! Plus, around that time, my Mom was talking about letting me have her '85 Silverado, which had been Granddad's, and I figured having a pickup truck might be a bit more useful than yet another large sedan.

    Now if that Buick had been my only car, I probably would've been willing to get the brake work done, and the other $600-700 of maintenance/repairs, plus the new tires it would soon be needing. It was up to around 157,000 miles by then, and the drivetrain was still solid. The paint was faded on the hood and trunk, and the vinyl top was shredding, but there was very little rust. Just a bit at the lower edges of the doors, and on the rear bumper. Nothing really structural, though.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,603
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Hmmm, $5500 for a puke green Mustang II that needs "bonder" on the fender? Looks like the hood used to be red.

    "...could run low 14s stock." Maybe to an eighth of a mile. ;)
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,425
    22 grand for a used 06 Malibu??? Does he think that the value goes up a few grand when you drive it off the lot?
  • grahampaigegrahampaige Member Posts: 51
    The hot rod boys use the jag rear, as it is the easiest way to get and independent rear end in their cars, the Jag rear comes out in one bang, so it is easy to fit to the chassis.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's a very strong differential as well. Older Jaguar diffs and engines are very good. Their transmissions suck, as do the cooling systems and electrics and build quality.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,097
    one of those types where the center carrier pulls out at the front, in one big easy-to-get-to, but heavy, piece? Kinda like the Mopar 8 3/4?

    As opposed to the types of rear-ends where they have a plate on the back you have to take off, and then pull the guts out piece-by-piece?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah the gears just plop out I think once you pull the axles.
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    What about the Ford Thunderbird IRS from the last generation? Those were a drop-in component, I think, as they were used on a few Mustangs as well.

    Could they be used in Hot-rod work, rather than the Jag?

    I'm also sure there are a bunch of Japanese makes with IRS that could be transplanted, but I've no idea which.
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    The thing with the Jag IRS is that it would be a easy unit to drop in compared to most of the other options. (I assume we're talking about the units like on the E-types and "S" saloons where it is one unit with the brakes inboard.)

    The rear ends in those were basically Dana units weren't they (like what went into Jeeps and Fords IIRC)?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I don't think any of those units are strong enough. Not sure why you'd want IRS for a hot-rod anyway. Guess it looks cool or something.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,146
    I figured out I was asking a dumb question - of course it's for the looks, everthing on a hot rod is for the looks!
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