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

british_rover

SOme of the [non-permissible content removed] IRS setups, like the Last Gen Supra, are very strong. Plenty of people putting 400-600 hp through the stock rear end on those cars.

A bunch of companies make custom IRS units with the ford 9 inch center section. That should be pretty strong.

Mr_Shiftright

probably the Jag usits are just more convenient and plentiful. I don't think too many people are busting up Supra Twin Turbos for parts, but XJ6s litter the landscape. I'd guess the Ford unit would also be popular if it wasn't too pricey. A diff from an XJ6 is probably pretty cheap, relatively speaking.

british_rover

I wonder if the regular Supra had the same rear diff as the turbo model...

The 240SX rear ends seem to be fairly strong. Not sure what their power potential is or where people swap them out for one from a Z Car.

lilengineerboy

Oh man, me and a few buddies spent a summer combing wrecking yards for Subaru limited slips to put on the back of 510s. Man did we think we were cool. :sick:

british_rover

WOW...

I don't know what to say.

I have a confession.

I spent most of a summer doing combing through junk yards looking for 1999+ Pontiac Bonneville SSEi Suspension components for my first Generation H-Body Bonneville.

fintail

Speaking of the Pinto discussion on the other busy thread, I saw a very nice looking yellow Pinto hatchback today. It was restored or very well maintained.

I also saw a decent looking Maxima wagon...Datsun "by Nissan"...

And a weirdo, a grey market MB 107 with period AMG trim...unusual body cladding, body color 5 spoke wheels, blacked out chrome. Probably something weird like a 280SL I bet (it was debadged of course).

fintail

If you want a money pit, go all the way and get one of these

texases

Double Trouble

Love the ad: "THIS CAR IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE GREATEST UNKNOWN FIND FOR AN AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR OF RECENT TIMES"

Mr_Shiftright

Except that it's not an "American Muscle Car", it's somebody's one-off street rod and not a "real" car.

I'd say it's a freak and should be priced accordingly in the Freak Department, which is No Man's Land in terms of value now or in the future.

But it's a fun ego trip I guess if you like that sort of thing.

I think it's a bit arrogant for the seller to say that this overweight pig can take on all modern muscle cars in a drag race----bring me my 2007 Corvette please.....

Me? I'd rather have an Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

fintail

Big model kit

210delray

A few photos might have been nice.

As for me, no engine = no deal.

Mr_Shiftright

Ugh! Putting together something that someone else has taken apart is nooooooo fun unless you've done it ten times yourself.

You'd think he'd post one picture at least.

texases

"This project is about 90% done" OK, now I have a new benchmark for "90%" - I guess I can start calling myself 90% a frickin' billionaire!

texases

found a picture of it:

Mr_Shiftright

Well let me just roll up my sleeves here, and.....

Golden Rules of Auto Restoration # 26

"Disassembly proceeds at twnety times the rate of re-assembly"

isellhondas

Can you imagine what that pig must weigh and how it must handle?

Oh wait...50-50 weight distribution! It can probably out corner a Porshce!

Mr_Shiftright

A hippopotamus has about 50-50 weight distribution doesn't he?

british_rover

Hippos are actually kind of quick though. I am thinking more like three toed sloth.

lokki

For every sadist there is a masochist

Or a fool

Would you buy a used link ALPHA ROMERO from this man?

Learned his lesson? Nope - Just wants an easier lesson.

This one might be worth the trouble?

Fastest door stop in the West I keep getting an image of this wedged under a Suburban for some reason.

"It runs, however it does have occasional problems"
- See your Honor, I warned him!

The car is a frame off restoration that was not completed Worth 15,000?

The job's not finished till the paintwork is done

Mr_Shiftright

MB 6.3---he doesn't have the money for a concours car, but he has the money to restore a 6.3? Well by the time he's done, he could have bought a concours car and one month's vacation in Europe and eaten out every night for a month. You can't get in cheap and get out alive, it just doesn't work on a 6.3.

Wanted: Old Dead BMW -- no shortage of them. Why bother advertising?

Jaguar V12--sounds like a car worth about $35, to the tow truck driver.

VW pickup -- well, there a lot of flat sanding to do, that's for sure. Might be worth it. Marginal, given the amount of bodywork necessary to make these vehicles look good. All those tall flat panels are so hard to get straight. The car can turn out looking like crap if you don't do it right. Would be way mo' bettah if it were a 21 window bus. But still, it has possibilities for the patient and skilled person.

Opel GT--harmless enough at the price

MB Turbo Diesel--since when is a project car a mechanic's dream at the same time? Those two concepts clang together, unless (AHA!) he meant the mechanic who dreams that you will bring the car to his shop! Just admit it seller---you gave up.

69 Camaro Project ---not worth $15K. Obviously the engine is incorrect and who knows what else....you can buy a fabulously restored CORRECT date-coded SS optioned 350 Camaro for $40K and a nice corect driver for $30K. So here we have a car that nees paint, interior, glass, chrome, trim and complete assembly. Don't think so buddy....let somebody else bail you out of your misspent money.

53 Buick---pile of junk. That was easy.

duff333

Hi all.

Not sure if this is the place to ask but I was looking for some advice on a '69 Lemans convertible located in North Carolina I am interested in purchasing. The car is in very good condition with no rust, all electric works, new tread, rebuilt tranny, new top, new paint that looks great, etc. etc. The guy took great care of the car and actually was a bit fanatical about it (I know him a little). Anyway, the only problem is that the car has an incorrect but completely rebuilt and strong-running 327 engine in it instead of a 350 or 400. How bad does that affect the value of a car - - he's asking "mid-teens" for it and compared to most other cars I've looked at in this price range (albeit with the correct engine) it's head over heels better - - except for the Chevy engine.

$15K or so seems like a fair price for the car unless the engine drags it down and I'm not sure. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mr_Shiftright

I'd say $10,000 to $12,500 if it's a nice clean driver with no glaring issues is plenty fair for the car---the lower number is the better. I don't think too many people care about matching numbers on a Lemans but of course you have to deduct something for that, as a modified car can't really be worth more than a totally original one.

You wouldn't be an absolute raving fool to pay $15K but you'd be ahead of the market I think and hard put to resell it for that anytime soon.

The "other" 60s convertibles are a pretty good buy right now--by that I mean, the non-muscle cars. If you really love the car, go for it. It's not too far out of whack...but remember the Golden Rule:

"Whatever got you into a car cheap, will come back to haunt you when you sell it".

texases

Only other question - are you absolutely sure about the rust situation? A fresh coat of paint can conceal many problems, and convertibles are especially prone to serious rust problems. Everything new you mentioned is fine, but could have been needed because of previous problems (torn top, rusted body, etc.). Good luck, I like that car - I happened to work on one belonging to a teacher of mine while I was in high school.

jlflemmons

I cannot remember the name of the racing team that campaigned one of these with 1500HP twin supercharged engines, but I do remember the driver saying it was the most terrifying beast he ever tried to get down the strip in a straight line. At least once he lost it and rode the guardrail to a stop.

Nasty looking job. Couldn't even figure out how to run both engines off one gas pedal???

Found it: John Smyser's Toro

texases

I wondered about that gas pedal thing, except maybe you'd want the ability to play with each one separately to get them started, etc...

jlflemmons

327??? Does it have a Chevy engine? The Pontiac engine of the era would have been a 326, with no interchangable parts with the other small block GM engines.

duff333

I've seen and looked at the car - - no rust. Of course, I really don't know if quartes have been swapped out, etc. A friend of mine is a painter and he says the car paint job looks fine.

I was told it was Chevy 327 although I didn't check the p/n#. Runs great - - just seems odd that he put it in a Pontiac.

I'm not looking for a show winner - - just something that I can drive around confidently and not do much, if anything, to (went through that years ago - -once is enough!!). Of course, I don't want to overpay if the 327 devalues the car significantly.

Thanks for all the input.

isellhondas

That '69 Le Mans isn't worth a ton of money but that Chevy engine just isn't right. For me, it would be a major turn off.

qbrozen

re: 69 camaro - YIKES!!!! he has a restoration shop and can't even finish his own project??! I feel sorry for his customers!

fintail

"have never seen one of these ever on the road" - there's a reason for that

I'd rather burn my money on a 6.3..."top price" indeed

bumpy

The 240SX has the same ~8" ring gear as most other RWD Nissans of that era, and it will stand up to all sorts of pounding short of heavily worked forced-induction V8s. The twin-turbo Z32 had a ~9" ring gear if you need it (the regular Z had an 8").

Mr_Shiftright

Silver Shadow---one of the world's worst cars ever.

Triumph Herald -- back to the UK with you, where they like this sort of thing. Harmless little car...grandpa's car.

lokki

The Best of both decades or a slug with a nose-job?

A victim of love? "Always wanted one. Just bought it to clean up. No time. Pretty good shape. I don't know anything about these vettes."

"What I have replaced" But it's never enough, is it?

International Scout in nice shape These have a following for some reason

This is really nice looking but can you really stand driving one?

A Honda TRUCK? Apparently he doesn't want one either


"Foreign Car $2800 OK, Place your bets on what that means before you look

andre1969

I always thought Karman Ghias were neat little cars. What is it like driving one? Are they essentially about the same as a Bug?

210delray

I've never driven a Karman Ghia, but I understand they are similar to the Bug experience.

So...what car did you drive to Carlisle?

210delray

On the Scout, what's "normal rust" supposed to mean? As opposed to, say, "abnormal rust."

andre1969

So...what car did you drive to Carlisle?

Oh yeah...almost forgot about that. I borrowed my uncle's '03 Corolla, just as a little test to see if I ever could tolerate driving something that small for any degree of distance. I don't think I could ever bring myself to actually ENJOY it, but it was, well, tolerable. :shades:

One really nice thing was the fuel economy. I left with a full tank and filled up again when I got back home. 228 miles, 6.092 gallons, for an average of about 37.4 mpg. In contrast, my pickup or '79 NYer might've gotten around 14-15, and my Intrepid, maybe 27-28.

So, it was a nice little tree-huggy experience. Oh, and while I was up there, Grbeck showed me an R-body New Yorker that's been parked at a service station for awhile now. Midnight blue, and looks to be a '79-80. He also found out that the owner's interested in selling. I don't NEED another one of those things. But...it calls to me. It beckons!

210delray

Corolla -- I never would have guessed, even though you've said many times your uncle has one.

Actually, I can recommend the Camry, as it's considerably larger inside. My '04 will get about the same mileage on the highway as the Corolla you drove; however, I believe I'm lighter on the throttle than you.

Oddly though, my '05 Camry with one more gear doesn't do as well on the highway -- typically the lower 30s.

On that R-body, maybe replace the one you already have with the "new" one, if it's in better shape?

andre1969

Actually, I can recommend the Camry, as it's considerably larger inside. My '04 will get about the same mileage on the highway as the Corolla you drove; however, I believe I'm lighter on the throttle than you.

I didn't really care for the '02 Camry when it first came out, but once I finally sat in one with a power seat, I was able to get it adjusted to where I was comfortable. As for driving, I'd say I averaged 65-80 on this trip. I'm kinda infatuated with the new Altima though, at least for the time being.

On that R-body, maybe replace the one you already have with the "new" one, if it's in better shape?

Yeah, I've thought about that. Now at a quick glance, this NYer in PA looked really good, just in need of a wash. But late at night is probably not the best time to inspect a midnight blue car! It was a cheaper model than mine, just a basic New Yorker with cloth seats and not a 5th Ave, but I like the color a lot better. And I like the style of cloth Chrysler used back then...kind of a nice, thick corduruoy-ish pattern.

Mr_Shiftright

Just like a Bug....slow, scary, etc.

lilengineerboy

Just like a Bug....slow, scary, etc.

Aww I don't know that its that bad...it reminds me more of the Porsche 356 than the bug.

What is scary is the "very little rust" comment. This car is at least as big a pain as the 356 when it comes to rust, less valuable and more neglected.

lokki

I always found Karmann Ghias to feel very confined inside. In a beetle, you sort of feel like you're on a riding lawnmower, sitting up tall with a good view while things roar and vibrate behind you.

In the Ghia, I always felt like I was IN the belly of that roaring vibrating beast lawnmower.

Now a Ghia convertible, I could stand.

RE: The MG - what say ye? If you do what this guy did - give it a nose job and put in an older engine, are the newer ones a better choice than the older models?

isellhondas

A Porsche 356 ?

Have you ever driven a Karmann Ghia?

For one thing, the steering column is at an angle. I never really noticed that until someone pointed it out to me.

They are nothing more than a glorified beetle. Same mechanicals and the wind blows them around too.

british_rover

I think he just meant it kind of looked like one and it sort of does but not really. I guy I knew in HS had one that was an AutoStick model. It was pretty scary to be in at anything more then 40 mph.

This guy was a VW nut though he also had a tricked out VW Buss with a completly re-done interior. Big thick carpeting, bean bag chairs in the back that were strapped to the floor, Leather bucket seats for the front that were pulled out of a LeBaron I think and some kind of 48938425934987 Watt sound system. :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

Porsche 356s drives rings around a Karmann Ghia. The Porsche is very solid, competent and fast. The Ghia is just a tarted up ill-handling VW bug. There's a world of difference between the two, trust me on this. Night and day. Jekyll and Hyde. Abbott and Costello (???)

texases

Ghias remind me of all those go-fast bodies you could put on a bug - sure, it (might) look sporty, but a bug's a bug. Kind of like the '72 Duster I had with hood scoops and the 198 CID 6 - who was I trying to fool :P

Mr_Shiftright

Exactly. The 356 is different in every detail. Even if you took apart a 4 cylinder Porsche engine and a VW engine and laid them side by side, you'd see amazing differences just in the machining and construction--even if you knew nothing about engines. One having beautiful precision castings, the other cheap stampings.

Not that cheap stampings don't work BTW...VWs are amazing little engines, but you can throw them away in 60,000 miles, whereas a 356 engine should go 200K on the bottom end at least.

fintail

Someone might be able to do something with this

These Euro models always interest me

Mr_Shiftright

'52 Chevy convertible---I like it! Nice car, might even be priced sorta kinda fairly....depends on this "rust" and where it is. Sometimes it gets into the "legs" of the frame where the body bolts on, and that's BADDDDDD...but if it's just rockers and floor pans, maybe this is a fair deal.

500SEL -bottomless money pit. Think of throwing refrigerators into the Grand Canyon and trying to fill it up. However if it runs perfectly at the moment, the price is right, so you could drive it and when something goes "clunk" or "glug", just quietly turn the engine off, lock the car, remove the license plates and walk home.

qbrozen

sooo... '52 sedan is a big NO and '52 vert is a big YES, huh? ;b