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

fintail

Looks like a custom front end from my sister, but people like these things

No mention of mileage or records but these are collectible

andys120

"race cars" , not!

lemmer

Aren't decent driver Firebirds pretty cheap? I would pass on that one.

The Mercedes I kind of like, but I would probably rather have an M3 from the same era.

andre1969

make much of a difference on that Firebird? I'd imagine that the biggest engine (could you get a 455 in them yet, or just the 400?) with the 4-speed would be by far the most valuable, but a 400/3-speed auto sounds like a good mid-range option. I'd imagine that most of these just got stuck with 350s, and maybe 2-speed automatics.

Shame about the fender damage. If it was hit hard enough in the parking lot to push it into a parked car so that both fenders got damaged, I'd imagine that there might be hood issues as well. And I'm sure the bumper/grille combo got pinched between the two and distorted! And I'm sure it's a turn off to a lot of people, but I absolutely LOVE that shade of green! :shades:

IF all it needed were the two fenders and some interior work, I might be tempted. But I'm sure there's more to it.

lemmer

It is at least three shades of green. Which one do you like?

Maybe I can find a picture of the original color somewhere.

lemmer

Didn't find one, but...

Is this rusty pile of parts really worth something?

stickguy

no, but apparantly the VIN tag is. I looked at the web site, and the spare car (to be cloned) doesn't look all that hot either. But, it does have a CB radio in it!

I would love a '72 TA though. I was hot for these when I was a kid, but it has to have a 4 speed. Wonder what this car, in good shape, is worth?

fintail

The 2.3-16 would be much better as a stick. I just noticed it is an auto. I guess it's a race car in that a similar looking car was very successful in DTM racing back in the day.

Yeah that TA is a VIN project, otherwise just a few boxes of parts

fintail

Too bad it's not a GTO...still not bad looking

"Classic"? Ummm...

I guess for the money it's a neater beater than a Tempo or a Cav or something

lemmer

I like the "Lamans" - no idea what it is worth, though.

Nothing classic about an old Civic, give me an '83 GTI instead please.

Mr_Shiftright

A clean '72 T/A with 300 HP engine & automatic would bring about $11,000 but a sharp buyer can pick off a nice daily driver for a good deal less.

Is that pile of junk worth restoring. Absolutely not, but the VIN tag might be worth something for a future rip-off, hard to say, as there is not big money involved here even for a genuine car.

lemmer

another less than classic Civic

stickguy

Hmm, I would have thought that the recent run up of muscle car values would have pushed this higher. Any premium for a 4 speed car? For 10Kish, I would buy one in a heartbeat. And really tick off my wife, although my 14 YO son would love it.

stickguy

that CIvic has to be the worst thing I have seen in a long time. Hard to believe someone bid 8K on it, but I bet someone invested way moe than that making it!

lemmer

Please note that it is a base 1.5L with an automatic.

Mr_Shiftright

Firebirds really don't bring anywhere near the same prices as Camaros and GTOs, and the 70s era 'birds especially become increasingly ugly and de-clawed with less and less HP.

Yes a 4-speed car in 1972 would be worth another $1,000.

But the best Firebird in the world of ANY year really shouldn't cost you more than $20,000. Sometimes you see "spikes" in pricing because the car has 2,000 original miles on it or has been given a $50,000 nut and bolt restoration, but average prices for these cars run $5,000--$12,000 for just about anything you can name except maybe the more desirable '69 models with the 345HP motors.

fintail

That Civic is nauseating, and a whole lot of cars could humiliate off the line or on a track. As pointless as the most obese SUV

oregonboy

The civic is rather sad, really. A ton of money and effort to transform an efficient little economy car into a grotesque, non-functional poser (that is U-G-L-Y).

james

boomchek

actually the body isnt bad, it would take some skills to create a kit like that out of metal, but why would you do that on the base engined civic with an automatic? :confuse:

ghulet

....but has anyone seen prices on '69s? I tried, but couldn't find any for sale, at least not on the internet. I'm certain they are the main (or only) exception to the 'under $20k' rule. Only 689 coupes and 8 convertibles were built. Kind of a drag that they're all the same color (white, which I hate on almost any car).

sunchaserj1205

I read a Motor Trend Magazine in 1976 that there were 10 convertibles, but only 1 that they knew in existence back then. You can be sure those were only available to GM executives and very special people. You see 69's and clones on ebay all the time. Here is a link to see some on some completed auctions on ebay. Good luck if you are looking for one. I have seen 2 face to face. Do you have one or jus
t want one?The first one I saw was about 1976 disassembled in the floor of a Pontiac dealership in Pell City, AL. It was the owners son's car.
Here's the link to ebay cars: http://motors.search-completed.ebay.com/trans-am_Passenger-Vehicles_W0QQcatrefZC6QQfclZ3QQ- fisZ2QQfromZR10QQfrppZ50QQfsclZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ9QQfssZ0QQmppfqyZtransQ20amQQsacatZ6001QQsa- curZ0QQsaslopZ1QQsbrsrtZl

fintail

Kind of an attractive old land yacht, but not my first choice in colors

Another good driver, a step up from a beater. I can't recall the last time I saw one of these in roadworthy condition

fintail

W112 300SE LWB fintail....it's taking a lot of self control (and realization that I've nowhere to put it) for me not to bid

stickguy

tha Caddy is worth saving, just because of the nice condition and originality. Not suer what to do with it, but someone must like these.

THat olds does nothing for me. May be a 2 door would but worth saving.

andys120

The Olds F-85 is a rare survivor of the first generation of "import-fighters" from Detroit. I find it interesting for that reason alone but perhaps that's a generational thing..

andre1969

the '61-62 Olds F-85. There's just something about the forward thrust to the grille, and the bodyside creasing that I like. Even in 4-door form. I think I actually like it better than the same-era Tempest and Special. In '63 though, they bulked up the sheetmetal a lot, and really made it look dowdy IMO...



In contrast, I think the '61-62 has kind of a youthful, sporty flair about it. The main thing that would worry me would be the engine, though. I don't think those little aluminum V-8's were reliable when new, but now here's a 43 year old one with 140,000 miles on that engine?! Also, I thought these cars only had a 2-speed automatic?

As far as that '71 Caddy goes, the color is a real killer for me. Just doesn't seem like it belongs on a Cadillac! I could probably stomach it on a full-sized Mopar from that era, or a Pontiac, with a light colored interior. But it just don't seem just on a Caddy!

andre1969

a fair price for this?

http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/2/3/80382723.htm

Looks like the body's actually in pretty good shape, although the interior seems a bit worn.

I have a feeling $7995 is a bit high, but I have seen them priced higher. Doesn't mean they're going to get it, though! Hate to confess it, but I'm a bit tempted by this...

fintail

Well, if you knocked down the price a little, and sold the latest car or something else to justify it.

That's how I've done things...sell something else to justify a new purchase.

Mr_Shiftright

Price is about market correct for a clean, solid, no excuses, genuine #3 car--perhaps just a bit high by 5-10%.

fintail

Well in England it would sell in a heartbeat

If it was cheaper, it might actually be kinda fun in a weird way

It's really boring, but looks like a good old cruiser for the $$$...you don't get much for that

No fun, too big, guzzles too much, too much like a 4 wheeled aircraft carrier...but it's cheap

ghulet

....hard to argue with $500 for that Lincoln, gas prices be damned (unless you wanted it as a daily driver, bad idea). That Olds looks nice for the money. No, nothing exciting, but it's hard to find a nice anything coupe for under $4k, so this is 'what you get'.

lemko

Shame about the color on the '71 Caddy because it looks to be exactly the kind of car I'd like. It's like that god-awful color on the '74 that keeps showing up at Macungie with an ever-higher price tag.

andre1969

the big '64 Oldsmobile is another car that I've always had a soft spot for. While the styling is hardly knock-out, I think they have a nice, conservative, no-nonsense look about them. Also, is it just me, or is there something just a bit Lincoln-esque about the styling?

andys120

the Pinto drivetrain is problematic but could be discarded in favor of a 1275cc from a later Sprite. British roadsters are hot, this one's a "Hold".

andre1969

I think the main problem is there's just TOO much brown! I think if it had a light colored vinyl roof, such as white or off-white ("cool vanilla"?) and if the seats and door trim were done up to match, it might be more stomachable.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think anyone in the UK would want the Bugeye. It's really been ruined for one thing, and besides, it is LHD which causes a lot of grief to British drivers--I think there is even a fine or tax levied for owning one. Yep, best thing would be to bargain hard on the Bugeye, strip it down to nothing and install the proper engine and get rid of that awful paint color. A good project car, but not at that price. As I think about it, best to just buy it as cheap as you can and drive and enjoy it as is and never show the engine to a British car lover.

fintail

The $500 Lincoln has been deleted, so it likely sold fast. I was somehow almost thinking of looking at it....I mean, $500! A major service on my car would cost more than that.

I'd say the Caddy and the Olds are worth their prices, although I'd choose the Olds based on style and color. The brown really is too much. But for $3500...you can't get anything great for that, collectible or not. An easy way to get in on the collector car hobby, and have something that isn't shameful.

On the bugeye, I would not bother with the engine unless it crapped out. Just don't show it off. It's like with that LWB fintail...I showed it to some old MB people, and one suggested swapping the horribly complex gullwing-based M189 6cyl in it for a M103 6cyl out of a 124 E or 126 S. That would be interesting.

lemmer

unusual limo; think of the possibilities

Gold Duster for Andre

Maybe a good 911 for a race car?

qbrozen

think of the possibilities? Haha! yeah, i'm thinking of the possibility of 7 mpg and the possibility that old metal stressed to that point won't want to keep all that weight off the ground much longer.

qbrozen

and, on that 911, is it just me or does this seem about right:

no engine + no tranny + no wheels + rusted out + beat up + $1780 + reserve not met = insane!

lemmer

I thought maybe it was worth it in parts until I noticed you don't get the wheels.

The way to sell a car like that is definitely on eBay.

The way to buy a car like that is too find someone who blew up the engine in a car that couldn't really afford anyway. Then you could probably pick it up for like $1,000.

lemmer

That is after you redo the whole interior and put the drivetrain back in. However, I would leave the bullet holes for effect.

Mr_Shiftright

scrapyard....it's not a rare car nor particularly valuable----$12,000 -- $15,000 for a really REALLY sharp one, so what do we have here....right, a parts car!

And it's a lousy color PLUS rust...about all it needs to convince even the fools to bail on their bids would be to have a dead horse in the back seat.

andre1969

I think this is a cool picture...



has an artistic quality about it...

Mr_Shiftright

That's what happens when you blow up a $12,000 engine in an $8,000 car.

But the engine cases are valuable as cores for rebuilding if they aren't damaged.

andys120

Oh man, that's truly sad.

lemmer

It is even sadder to peruse the cars they are parting out.

There are too many 944s with nothing but a blown clutch and a wrinkled fender being parted out. But, most of them look like $3000 cars if they were fixed, so why spend $4000 fixing them?

lemmer

This 944 Turbo tempts me. Daily driver, but needs work? I emailed the guy.

This old 911 might be worth it if it isn't a rust bucket

stickguy

Porsche and "needs some work" in the same description is a scary proposition. Still, I like the car, and at least the 944 is cheap. Really depends on what it needs, and how much money you are willing to burn that you wil lnever get back.

The 911 looks decent. Not sure if it qualifies as a project though. Bad color (is it brown?), or at least the picture doesn't do it justice.

Not sure what market value is, but at 8K if it is clean, you aren't getting in too deep. I might consider that one at a little lower price, if it was local, unless Shifty comes along to slap me upside the head.

fintail

It's another big old tank, but sounds mechanically good and the cosmetics look decent. Knock a little off, and you have a seldom-seen cruiser