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

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Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hard to say without going through the list of modifications, but generally a nicely built, street style, Type IV engine that would be reasonably reliable could put out 110--140HP.

    A more radical build could bring it up to 180 HP, but that'd be for racing.
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    If the 914 project car doesn't look promising, there's a seller listing a 1964 Ford Failane 500 in TX. Somehow the TX Craigslist offers a bit more variety than mine. :)

    Here in Ahiya, the same car is listed as a Fairlane but still less info than the TX ad. 47K miles plus "fully restored." 4 door with 260 and "3 on the tree."

    Not a bad old cruiser from what little can be seen. But $8K?
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You really have to want one of those---I mean, a 4-door with a column shift is not a coupe with a floor shift. Not much fun here. Seems like $4500 would be more than enough in current market.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    I'm sure fintail is gonna like this one. The price is a bit steep but this is a super nice example. One thing I don't like are the chrome bits here and there. But otherwise nice car.

    MB 500E on ebay

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,177
    That does look extremely nice, glad it's 2000 miles away! Which 'chrome bits' are you talking about? The window trim? That's gotta be stock, doesn't it?
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    edited June 2010
    I admire the spotlessness of the car, but the price is a little wacky, and I don't like the add-ons. Not a fan of the grille, I am not certain those are actual AMG wheels (never noticed any real monoblocks without AMG labels), and the "facelift" always has seemed like a fakey thing to do - a pre-facelift W124 with Euro lights is just as nice.

    I think the window trim is stock...it would have had a darker finish on it when new that has probably been polished off a little, and it sticks out more on a clean black car. For the wheels, I actually like the stocks, or the optional longer spoked EVO-style wheels (which might have been a Euro only option as I have only seen them on Euro cars).

    What I do like is that onboard computer in the instrument cluster. That's awesome, it was also a rare option in Euro W126 cars...I'd love to have that if I had a 500E or a W126.

    FWIW, a local dealer known to be amusingly overpriced had a IIRC 20-30K original mile 500E for sale a year or two ago, and I think he wanted 40K for it. It was bone stock.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,923
    It seems fairly audacious to me for someone to ask over $8000 for a car like this and not even include any decent photos of the car. Were I in the market, I would be sorely tempted to offer a price like Shifty suggested just for the crappy photos in the ad. :mad:
    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
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,923
    Maybe I'm a stickler for the details, but the ad itself seems awfully flaky for someone asking $39,000 for an 18-year-old car. The title reads "1980," and that is followed up by the claim it is a coupe....

    Is a listing on e-Bay really that difficult to do?
    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
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    Some people who have those think they are first tier collectibles already. Such people don't have a good eye for detail.

    Ebay doesn't accept non-NA spec VINs, and uses 1980 as a default year.
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    edited June 2010
    Wow that car must have had serious oil leaks! New seals and gaskets for the engine before 59K miles? Is the seller claiming a new limited slip rear axle was installed? Or just the 2.47 gearing?

    Is that rare Euro computer option tied to a major electrical system which will go kaput when the computer goes bad? Looks like a lot of gadgetus apparatus to get old and crap out, need fixing, etc. Wonder if this MB will age like a used Rolls Royce from the same era?
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    The car could have been abused early in its life...its all about maintenance with German cars. But, the gadgets on W124 are pretty solid...much better than anything coming out of England probably at any time in history.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    The owner of that '52 Benz I've been storing came by last night to finish getting it ready to haul away. He has a tow truck arranged, and they're supposed to go out to my place today around 10-11:00. I'm going home around noon, so hopefully by that time, the car will just be a memory.

    I am going to miss the thing, though, in a perverse sort of way. That spot in the yard is going to look so empty without it! :P
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Pics?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    I took some pics of it last night and this morning. I'll try to get 'em posted later tonite.

    I hadn't noticed it before, but this car actually has an inside hood release! I imagine that must be pretty rare for a 1952 car. I wonder if it was standard on the Benz, or an option? Another item of interest...dual heater cores...one on each side, and they were in the engine bay, easy to access, rather than buried in the dash or obscured somewhere in the firewall. It's also kinda interesting that the big hood ornament just screws on, so anybody could come along in the parking lot and swipe it. But, I guess 1952 was a kinder, gentler, more trustworthy time. At least, when it came to things like stealing parts off of cars!
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,177
    I'd almost pay $2k to satisfy my 635i bug. And I'd hate to be on the same street when that guy went bar crawling in that 30' Ford pickup!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited July 2010
    635CSi -- sure, just drive it and DON'T start fixing it unless you're talkin soap and water. You can buy these really nice for cheap, so investing in a rat makes no sense.
    You hear a bad noise one day, just turn it off, and tip-toe away.

    F-350 --- big nasty thing. I guess maybe for taking a lumber crew to work?

    65 Futura--- also, 6 cylinder, nobody cares. Might be the start of a fun street rod, but sexy it ain't.

    55 Ford 4 D " not gonna give the car away".......don't be too sure about that, with a bad transmission :surprise:

    Chevy Custom Deluxe Supremo Classic:

    And why did the flywheel wipe out its teeth? The world wonders where this repair will end. Another lazy seller, wants the "fixed up" money without fixing it.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 54,071
    that looks exactly like the one the boys on wheeler dealers just did. AT and everything.

    He certainyl was in love with the thing. I kind of like it too. At that price, if it was a stick, and ran OK, I would buy it. Probably seriously wonder the next day why I did it, but it would not be the first time that happened.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    that '52 Benz is GONE!!

    Here are the pics I took of the car in its final hours. Some of the pics were taken last night, some of 'em were taken this morning, one of the pics was taken by my roommate, who was home when they came and got the car, and then I took a couple of the now-vacant spot. The yard looks so empty without that car!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,923
    The yard looks so empty without that car!

    Yeah, but I bet it feels good to have it out of the yard!
    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
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh, that's nothin' that $75,000 wouldn't fix.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    It's actually more intact than I imagined. Still beyond hope, but it looks pretty complete...somehow I pictured it to be lacking glass.

    Invest 75K, get maybe 20K back. Sounds like a plan.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you have to make it up in VOLUME.... :P
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    Sounds like a modern GM car restoration scheme :shades:
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Cool pics. I guess the owner is the older dude alongside the rollback truck in the one picture. Will this be the $75K Benz to go with the $130K Edsel?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    Yeah, that's him. Looks like he was out there taking sentimental pictures, too! He's 64, so hopefully he has a few good years left in him. He says he's actually going to try and sell it, so perhaps he's coming to his senses. But then, maybe not, because in his ramblings I heard him say something like "maybe I could get $3,000 for it?"

    3000 pesos, maybe?

    I do kinda miss the car, but I'm glad it's gone. One of the guys at work said that, with the way this guy procrastinates, he could see that car sitting around until he died, and it getting forgotten by the estate, and then me getting stuck with it! So, at least I don't have that to worry about anymore!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Some of the pieces of that car might be compatible with an early 50s Cabriolet 220A or Cabriolet 200B, so if it could be sacrificed to restore one of the more valuable types, that would be a good thing.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,452
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,452
    Seller sounds like a real [non-permissible content removed] with all the attitude for his non running non moving non interesting car that needs everything.
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    edited July 2010
    The only comp that I saw to the CL Thelma is this one which apparently sold for $7500 or less. And the one which sold is wearing tags, so that's a good sign! :shades:

    Seller states that his car is worth the price and a "lot more" after restoration. But it's just another candidate for the formula of "cost to repair vs. cost to buy one already done." And that's only viable if the seller can find a buyer who wants one.
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    Yeah, and what's that old saying..."You can't get there from here" ? I'm sure it would take a lot more than the ~$4,000 difference to get Eunice or Thelma or whatever her name is up to the same condition as that nicer one.

    The '55 Ford in general really doesn't do a whole lot for me, but that $7500 one looks like it's a pretty nice car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The $7500 is light years ahead of the other pile of junk---for one thing, it's a V8, it's got OD, and it looks very clean. You couldn't fit Thelma up like that for $30,000 bucks.
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    Haha! That's a good subject line for an email offer on it!

    RE: Eunice or Thelma or whatever her name is...

    The name Eunice makes me think of an old Carol Burnett skit with Tim Conway and the late Harvey Korman.
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,452
    Like if you wrote to the guy with the subject line "I've got $3,500 and have been looking for a non-running 55 Ford to replace everything on" he's just going to delete the eMail?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,117
    The name Eunice makes me think of an old Carol Burnett skit with Tim Conway and the late Harvey Korman.

    Well, let's just say that if this guy thinks that pile is worth $3500, he's playing hockey with a warped puck. He done sprung a leak in his dinghy. There are splinters in the windmills of his mind. And it must be his time of month, because he must be riding the cotton pony!
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    "he's playing hockey with a warped puck"

    ...or maybe one too many shots to the helmet
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 21,030
    got a chuckle out of this one. even has arrows pointing to where you should start digging. C B Y D
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,177
    "Runs and drives excellent, but needs a few small things"

    Why say that, with no explanation? "small things" on an Audi often aren't!
  • wevkwevk Member Posts: 179
    Always loved the allroad's styling.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited July 2010
    truly scary car, but very seductive. The good news: My friend searched for a year to find an Allroad he had confidence in, and that checked out to his satisfaction--a nice, low miles car: The Bad News: He works at an Audi repair shop and that's how long it took HIM to find one.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    A co-worker has an 04 Allroad...it has a dramatic failure of a random kind only every 6 months or so...and he told me the indy shop he takes it to told him it's the most reliable one they've ever seen.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think if you pick the right car, and have excellent tech support from a superb indie repair shop, you can deal with the car and enjoy it---but if you got the wrong car, or have only the dealership to rely on, it's going to be a bloodbath. This is a complex, highly depreciating vehicle with minimal aftermarket and minimal independent specialists----not a good arena for success. One does find "German car specialists" but anyone claiming that they can fix Audis, Porsche, Mercedes, VW, BMW all in the same basket----well, I don't think so.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,177
    edited July 2010
    On the "NPOCP" site they've got a (OOPS) '04 W12 VW Phaeton for ~$21k. I'm amazed at the 84% "nice price" vote - talk about a future black hole of repairs :sick:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh you mean an 04 Phaeton---that price is stone cold retail.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    And there's probably 10 MB and Porsche specialists for every Audi indy, too. I can't think of an Audi-only garage in my area, but I can think of several MB and Porsche shops. Doesn't help as the cars get old and fewer and fewer general shops will touch them,
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 21,030
    i guess nobody got my CBYD joke. Maybe it is a local program 'Call Before You Dig'.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    There used to be an Audi specialist on Rising Sun Avenue in NE Philly, but I think he closed up shop a while ago. His old sign is painted over.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    Wow, I'd have thought he'd have cars lined up out the door...maybe Audi drivers are the cheapskates of the German makes.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited July 2010
    Audi repair prices and parts prices can be pretty shocking---I think a lot of owners buy them used, because they are priced so attractively, and then bail once reality hits them. I mean, $800 apiece for an A6 headlight---that's tough to swallow.

    You bump a mailbox with an Allroad and take out one headlight and put a small pinch in the sheet metal around it, and you're in for $2000 bucks easy.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,763
    edited July 2010
    I think they might be worse in that regard than even MB and BMW . A coworker had a 2003 A6, the big 4.2...last year it ended up needing so much age-related maintenance that they just dumped it, it needed a few grand in work and they knew the nickel and diming wouldn't stop. Early A8s are now a very rare sight. I know MB has had what many consider a "dark ages" from the mid 90s until almost today...but I see a lot of dark ages vehicles still on the road...don't see too many 1990-2000 Audis around anymore.
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