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

gsemike

Where has everyone been?

This is how you shoot a car

Own one of the cars that killed Pontiac

It would just be wrong to sell the pictured car to any high school student

Wife miles

Interesting little trailer included

280 project

Remember these?

Vette project

stickguy

if the pontiac was a stick and 1/2 the price, a good winter beater.

And that 280zx is junkyard fodder. You could never restore that low value car (even if perfect) and come out alive. Rust is the enemy.

and some ads just want to make me shake my head that people could be that illiterate (or care that little). A typo is bad enough, but some of these look like they were written in Swahili and run through Google translator.

Oh, and Andre is probably on his way up to take the TC home.

fintail

Jeep is a scammer I bet, you can always tell with the email in the ad like that.

I don't know if I want "wife miles". 57 Chevy is amusingly high, Z is worth scrap value, Corvette is a good deal - for a finished car, about 300% overpriced as it is, TC sadly looks like the best deal of the lot.

stickguy

I have no concept of old car prices, but for a fully finished nice looking driver (plus the little trailer), maybe not that far off? It is still a '57 bel air.

fintail

Looks like a backyard shed restoration to me, I'd want to look it over heavily - and although popular it is a common car. Something about the interior rubs me wrong, and those wheels, puke. Wrong engine, maybe tinted windows too...nah, I think he's 10K optimistic if anything.

Trailer is cute though.

gsemike

I wonder what's with the trailer anyway? Couldn't you fit a 2 bed 2 bath condo in the trunk?

I don't know how much originality counts on a garden variety 57, but that one has a cobbled together look to it. 90% of that impression could be from the gold mods but I'd agree that he is about 10 high

Mr_Shiftright

68 Corvette--price is crazy for a 327 that needs everything.

280zx project---wrecking yard please.

2000 Pontiac Sunfire---GM comes off a great comback in the 1990s, to once again self-destruct with badge-engineering instead of actual engineering.

andre1969

Oh, and Andre is probably on his way up to take the TC home.

Nah, I'd rather have a LeBaron convertible! :P

qbrozen

These aren't (or shouldn't be) project cars, but I figure this is where I'll get the best feedback on these interesting vehicles. I have NO idea what any are truly worth or if any are truly worthy.

Sharp looking '83 SC

An '84 with only 40k miles

'85 with unknown miles and a damned bra

Something completely different, but much much newer

texases

Have you been following the Inside Line '85 911 test? They make me think a slightly newer than '85 model would be better, especially the transmission.

qbrozen

I have a hard time navigating their long-term board. Was there a tranny issue in there somewhere?

In any case, their's is a salvage-titled car with well over 100k miles. I'm not sure I would look to that as a common scenario.

texases

Their '85 came with an older type tranny (915?) that Porsche replaced in '87 models by a much-improved tranny (G50). It wasn't a mechanical problem, or something associated with the salvage title.

qbrozen

Just found a pretty cool tool. Don't know if I'm behind the times and this is common knowledge, but AutoTempest.com allows you to perform a car search on Ebay, Craigs, Autotrader, Cars.com, and others all at once.

Allowed me to find a '91 Carrera nearby, but its a droptop, which I really don't want.

lemmer

I had an '86 with the 915. I hated that transmission.

Mr_Shiftright

G50 is sooooo much better to drive...better transmission and, thank the Lord, a hydraulic clutch that is much smoother and easier for day to day. Also the first 911 with halogen lights! This would be my choice, without question, for a pre-C2 car (the latter 89-91 C2 I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole).

As for the prices, these cars had better just sail through a pre-sale inspection for that kind of money--they'd better be damn near perfect.

With low miles on an older 911, you really have to watch out, especially if long-term storage was involved. Being a flat engine, the pistons, sitting there for years, could develop galling on the cylinder walls, causing oil consumption. Also Porsche brake calipers just love to seize up when not in use.

texases

I just found this pretty extensive IL post on the whole 915 thing.

stickguy

I prefer the Prosches. Probably also less likely to eat you alive financially.

I am sitting probably 1-2 miles at most from the '84 in Lawnside. Let me know if you come down to take a look!

lemmer

Yeah, even when they are in proper working order, they suck.

I find the whole article informative but kind of condescending, like if I was a true enthusiast and properly trained I would enjoy a balky, slow shifting, joy sucking transmission.

I simultaneously owned an '86 944 and it shifted wonderfully.

Mr_Shiftright

Unlike most 80s "exotics" you can use a Porsche as a daily driver, and if you buy the right one, it shouldn't be a financial burden at all...just be sure to take it in to Dieter and Hans twice a year and have them service it top to bottom. You might get away with $125 a month, averaged out.

qbrozen

sooo... what's that leave? Just '87-'88 models?

Ya know, its funny, I'm always hearing how Porsches are reliable, yet when it comes down to choosing one, I'm always getting "oh, watch out for that one for XYZ." So I'm inevitably scared off every single one I find.

qbrozen

I dunno, stick. I have yet to have anyone scare me off the maser. The only complaints I have found are about the auto trans, which this one doesn't have. But, then again, has anyone tried using one of these as a daily driver? Probably not.

texases

"I find the whole article informative but kind of condescending, like if I was a true enthusiast and properly trained I would enjoy a balky, slow shifting, joy sucking transmission."

True. But they do criticize it - I looked for, but couldn't find, the post where they plotted the shift pattern on a map of LA... :P

And this poster had few kind words.

Mr_Shiftright

Well not ALL of them have the problems noted...I mean, you can find cars where the defects have already been corrected (most have been at this stage of the game), or, in the case of the mid 80s Porsches, you might not be bothered by the transmission, which isn't a "defect", it's just a characteristic that for many is not so pleasant.

In its defense, Porsches superb driving characteristics and its exceptional build quality mean that you still have access to a solid fun and reliable car long after most 80s cars are either in the junkyard or, if having survived, they feel slow and primitive compared to modern cars that you might be used to.

The reason there are these WARNING signs is that the consequences of making a mistake are so much higher than if you're buying a 1985 Accord.

But that blogger makes some good points, except I don't know why he thought the car was slow---to drive a 911 properly, you really have to put your boot into the Boschware...if you're afraid of the noise made by high revs, then you need a Buick. But yeah, the HVAC really does suck, and the ride is harsh and the steering heavy at low speed.

The 87-88 is a lot better.

lemmer

We've added a 1985 Porsche 911 to our long-term fleet. It's a "Turbo look" but it's powered by a normally aspirated 3.2-liter flat-6.

We picked it up with 113,897 miles on the odometer and we paid $16,500.

Well, the speedometer doesn't work, the air-conditioning system is in a box, the driver's door lock is sticky and the driver seat fore/aft adjustment is broken...



They paid full dealer clean retail for a cheezy looking salvage car.

Where was Shifty when this financial beatdown took place?

Mr_Shiftright

I drive people nuts when they ask me to help them find a Porsche. I'll kick out 12 cars in a row and I'll have each one gone over with a fine tooth comb.

People aren't patient is the problem. As some irreverent GM execs used to say in the Dark Days---- "finding a good car here is like finding a nice brown pony in a pile of manure".

texases

As I mentioned in one of those threads, this 911 reminded me of the old joke:
"Missing dog - deaf, blind in one eye, 3 legs, answers to "Lucky"..."

lemmer

How much do you think the Edmunds 911 was worth when they bought it?

The previous owner didn't even fix all the damage that made it a salvage.

lemmer

we righted the Porsche's speedometer and tach, which you'll remember were laid over so redline and 100 mph were straight up

Sounds like somebody drove this one pretty hard.

I also see it went through a case of oil in 12,000 miles and it leaks oil. I can only imagine when they go to do a little maintenance, they'll find some broken head stud too.

Did they even PPI this car?

lemmer

Rust. The paint is bubbling up on a salvage title car. And the tally on minor repairs has already exceeded $2500.

I have work to do and I can't stop skimming through these updates.

ab348

I skip through every entry on these used-car money pits Inside Line spends Mr. Edmunds' money on. They are usually cars that I have zero interest in anyway, like the current Acura NSX - holy '90s, Batman!. I don't know why I visit the site anyway. Between those articles and their new-car reviews and blogs, which are a plethora of pro-Hyundai/Kia and anti-GM bias, all it does is irritate me.

Mr_Shiftright

Well to give you an example, my friend bought an '87 with a few dings and needing a new engine pulley (broke apart) and some electric repairs for $5K.

When he gets it all fixed up, that is, with nothing wrong, and detailed, he'll probably get $15K for it. He has a punch list, for sure, but nothing too drastic to do.

I'd say, offhand, that the Edmunds car was worth maybe $10,000, tops.

lemmer

Thank You! I was starting to think I was crazy. As the blog posts rolled on, in the minds of the writers the price they paid was a steal. And they were pouring more money into it. And it still had needs.

OK, I feel better now. It wasn't that long ago, that I sold an arguably nicer '86 for $11,750.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh it was a *steal* all right, but on the other side :P

But hey, they had fun, it was good editorial, it entertained, and it taught. So from their point of view, it's a different type of purchase than for you or me.

lemmer

Did I miss a conclusion to your friend's BMW 7-series saga? Last I heard, you were bailing water and looking for a replacement fusebox of some sort.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh that. I repaired the fusebox but it still won't start---no power to the starter motor---unfortunately, you have to move the exhaust system to see the starter motor,much less work on it, and I simply don't have the equipment to lift a car that large in a gravel driveway. Not sure what's wrong---maybe the anti-theft is shorted out? All the fuses were tested and are okay.

lemko

He couldn't give that '57 Bel Air to me. Too much to undo. And those wheels - vomitrocious!

omarman

1970 "Big Bad Orange" AMX 390/4-speed. Seller describes this car as driver's condition which sounds fair based on pics. After looking at the scruffy wheels I went looking for some pics underneath and found none. Hmm... Asking price is $28K but I don't know what a good driver 390 AMX is worth. Can't be too many left in decent shape but not a rising blue chip stock or complete resto either. Seller states, "We will take later model cars on trade, but are not interested in acquiring other collectibles at this time." Sounds reasonable to warn off trades considering the market so the advertised price must have some wiggle room too. I like these things.

stickguy

nice car. I always like those. But man, cheesey inside without the rally pack.

Mr_Shiftright

Looks a little better than a "driver" but certainly not primo, so I'd put it at about....low 20's. Might change my mind when I see underneath. If it's "just old car" under there, then $17.5K is good.

gsemike

Monday Tuesday Happy Days!! Cheap entrance into local cruises

Start your own business

For our Saab fans It's got the right transmission

They don't make them like this anymore Looks like it's about as clean as you'll find

Really curious about the miles What would the MPG be? Price seems reasonable

Anyone a SHO fanatic?

I've seen worse for this price

stickguy

some decent prices today. The Prelude (assuming the underside is not rotted out) actually looks like a really good deal, though as you surmise, I bet it has a ton of miles. But for a cheap winter beater/station car? That is chump change. I could use something like that for my spare car for when my daughter drives. It is cheap, and so am I!

sadly, I would also but the Iroc for that money if it had a stick and was not a total dog (I would guarantee 110% it is an AT though). Most of them are beat to crap.

The SHO is not my cup of tea, and I assume they can be pricey to maintain, but again seems like a reasonable price for what you get with those miles.

ab348

Look at the front overhang on that Ranchero. It is amazing how dated that vehicle looks today.

Unless that Prelude has been kept in an oil bath, I suspect it is very rusty. Those did not farewell in the northeast.

Mr_Shiftright

'48 Dodge --- shoot, I'd buy that car right now if it didn't need $50,000 worth of work. Main issue I'd look for is hard-starting because of a tired engine coupled to an anemic 6 volt battery. Simple car to work on unless you have to do a clutch or something.

oldbearcat

$50.000 - Nah - maybe $10K to restore this thing. I own a 6 volt car - a 48 Chevrolet, and, she starts just fine. Big problem with these cars is people put 12 volt battery cables on them - half the size that they need to be.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

gsemike

What can you get for 2 grand or less in your neck of the woods?

200k AstroVan

Benz

Sable LS Premium

Accord with a bit of visible rust

Forgot that these existed

This Saturn looks presentable

Cheap serial killer transportation

omarman

The good (for what it is.) :shades:
The bad (for being priced $100 over the limit.) :P
And the ugly. :sick:

andre1969

That Ford van would also be good for bootlegging cigarettes back from North Carolina.

fintail

You'll spend a good 2K getting a working transmission back in that W124, but if it is perfect otherwise, maybe worthy for the backyard mechanic as they aren't too complex.

Those black replacement bumpers like on the Sable are probably made in China :sick:

bumpy

For two grand, I can pick up this super miled-up Camry, or the dregs of the market circa 2000. Or, this lovely I-lost-the-title SHO.

fintail

Rare bird probably has transmission issues
The old GM
Bull bar
Lemko mobile
"I have no idea how many miles are on it due to the fact that the pixtels on the dash aren't working"
The ubiquitous 90s Camry
How far they have come in a decade
Miled up beyond compare
Cheaper Corolla
Another cheap W124
High miles Hyundai
Go topless (among other things)
Another cheap W124 with sad headline
Early DTS
Many of these still going strong
Swedish AWD
Cheap LS
And I will finish it off with a cheapo W126