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

tjc78

Well.... they said it was "like new"

lemko

...if one is into that kind of thing."

Some people are into sadomasochism, but that sort of thing isn't my bag, baby!

My friend briefly had a silver Corsica and it was the crudest and cheapest made new car I had seen in a long time. I called it a Coarse-ica!

tjc78

A guy at work had a Corsica. He bought brand new and ran it to 250K. I don't know how he did it.

andre1969

We had a couple of gov't/fleet Corsicas at work. I know one of them gave way to an Olds Achieva, and that ultimately got replaced by a 2010 or so Chevy Impala. Another one lasted until it was replaced by a Ford Fusion hybrid! I guess we either got a real good deal on that one, or that project had a lot of money to use up at the end of the fiscal year.

I don't really remember the Corsicas all that well, but did get stuck driving the Achieva a few times. Don't remember much about it, except that it seemed rough and cheap.

Mr_Shiftright

Stumbled across this resource for you project-minded individuals, be it in "classics" or just everyday disposable metal and plastic:

https://www.partingout.com/

fintail

Nice site. Cars are worth more in parts than as a whole.

Regarding the Corsica, it is at a used car lot, so they'd probably jump at a $2500 cash offer. Still, only worthy if one is addicted to 80s GM products.

berri

Nice site. Cars are worth more in parts than as a whole

Heck, if a body shop built a new Camry it would probably run you a quarter of a million bucks!

texases

"Nice site. Cars are worth more in parts than as a whole."

Recent Wheeler Dealers had them buying an old Bentley - the seller make a living parting them out. He refused to drop his price much because he'd get more parting in out. (who knows how true, of course)

michaellno

Recent Wheeler Dealers had them buying an old Bentley - the seller make a living parting them out. He refused to drop his price much because he'd get more parting in out. (who knows how true, of course)

The most interesting part of that episode was when they brought in the guy who 'repainted' the leather seats. My wife was watching with me and thought it was amazing that it could be done.

Mr_Shiftright

It's probably true. Old Bentley Steel Saloons from the 50s--the Mark VI model---are worth well under $20,000 in superb condition, so you can imagine what a beater is worth---nada---whereas the parts can bring a nice price for those people trying to preserve a nice Mark VI.

Restoring a Mark VI would be the height of folly.

texases

This was a later one, a Mulsanne Turbo, mid-80s I think.

Mr_Shiftright

Well ditto and double for 80s Bentleys--a beater turbo would be worth no more than a beater 80s Camaro. But the parts are priceless.

lemko

The man who would restore a 1980s Rolls-Royce or Bentley:

lemmer

A coworker says his Dad wants to sell his 356 Coupe. That is the entire model description I got. Beyond that, the engine was recently rebuilt and the entire car was stripped for an amateur restoration, so it is all in boxes. Apparently the car has little or no rust. And apparently all the original parts are there (which I really doubt).

So what is a run of the mill 356 coupe in a pile of boxes worth?

Mr_Shiftright

Cant' really even ballpark without knowing:

Year and model? Is it a pre-A, A, B or C?

Color?

Engine # (you see lots of these cars with 912 engines or (gasp) VWs.

You know, if it's a 356B normal coupe in pieces and painted baby poop brown, with dents in the nose, he's not going to get very much money for it.

If it's a 356C painted red with a solid body and correct engine, he could get 3 to 6 times the price, even in a box. With a sunroof, add more.

So there's no way in hell to estimate value with the info you have.

rzarbo

Are you wanting to buy it or can I try? zarbord@hotmail.com

Mr_Shiftright

Been there done that. There's nothin' like a 911.

lemmer

I am being spoon fed information. It has a Porsche engine. It is a '63 and it is white/cream.

Mr_Shiftright

Ah, little by little, eh? There's a # under the generator that would be good to know. Correct engine is mighty important in a 356. A chassis # would also help a lot. Sounds like it's a 356B but we don't know if it's a notchback or a coupe. Color is good anyway.

qbrozen

This is kind of tempting.

Of course, it is questionable if it truly is what he says it is and why he just wouldn't have gotten it fixed.

michaellno

Of course, it is questionable if it truly is what he says it is and why he just wouldn't have gotten it fixed.

Agreed - I don't think the ECU is a $1900 repair (the delta between the asking price and the KBB value).

So, what else could be wrong?

Offer him $1500 and see if he bites.

Mr_Shiftright

You might want to drive it--could be a bad transmission, too, and that wouldn't be cheap. The ECM is indeed $1,000 list price. :surprise:

steine13

Why bother?

Over a reasonably priced model that runs right and can be test driven to your heart's content, you're saving, what? A grand or so?

Cars with defects are rarely worth buying.

Car with hidden defects are never worth buying -- once you've figured it out, the seller will just move on to the next buyer and hope he won't figure it out.

Ever the wet blanket -Mathias

xwesx

once you've figured it out, the seller will just move on to the next buyer and hope he won't figure it out.

Exactly.

I tried to buy a '96 Subaru Outback to replace my '96 Outback back in 2007. The seller wanted, I think, $5,000 for the car. He was in Anchorage, so I called him up to schedule a time to see it and seal a deal. We were go as far as I knew (called him before I left Fairbanks), but when I made it to Anchorage, he said he'd sold it.

I was not a happy camper given I'd just traveled 375 miles for nothing. :mad:

When I thought back on our last conversation, while I was assuring him I planned to buy it, I mentioned that I would buy it regardless, but final price was dependent upon the car being in solid condition after I checked it out. He had asked what things I was concerned about, and I said something about inspecting the head gaskets.....

My thought? It had bad gaskets, which means I would have docked probably $1,500 off my offer, so since he knew I was going to check for that, he sold it to some sucker who didn't have a clue and would pay him the $5K. :sick:

explorerx4

For some sellers, there's nothing worse than a savvy buyer.

Mr_Shiftright

I wouldn't give him $5000 for a '96 Subaru in showroom condition much less with needs. It's worth about half that, and add $1000 for Alaska, IMO.

Good call on head gaskets...most Subarus with the 2.5L up to around 2001 will need them at around 110,000 to 125,000. You can almost count on it.

qbrozen

I was thinking it could possible be deep engine troubles if it, as he describes, doesn't have the power it should.

As for the ECM, I would think any 2.0 protege/protege5 ecm from the junkyard would take care of that.

gsemike

Been pretty quiet here

Nice truck

Large box with good tires

Slammed Civic w 5 sp

Winter transportation Love sideways pics

87k Civic

Cheap and clean

think gas prices are effecting the price of these?

Looks clean but the cheapo wheel covers give me a bad feeling

Family transport with no mention of mileage

And finally one for Fintail

stickguy

The Volvo looks nice. and with cloth seats, most likely it came with steelies anyway, so while it may not be the original hubcaps, at least it has some! More concerning to me is, why does a "by owner" car have a dealer ad plate on it (open road?)

and that benz certainly looks clean, body wise. Since it was at some kind of show I assume the interior shows well too. and not much money. But, of course the mechanicals will be the real issue!

qbrozen

volvo owner is full of it on the mileage claims. I'm getting under 24 in mine. Granted, I think something might be wrong with mine... but no way something is THAT wrong.

Mr_Shiftright

'99 Land Rover---financial suicide

'98 Civic---I love that machete chop in the hood!

au1994

The Taurus may be the best of the lot.

Theres a sentence I never thought I'd write.

fintail

108 looks nice enough. If it is mechanically sound and nice otherwise, decent price for a driver. Only flaw I see is a slightly bent front bumper.

Taurus would be good, respectable looking, drive it til the head gasket or transmission fails?

Those Santa Fe's are unpretty.

This says it all about the Civic: "READ AND LOOKS THE PICTUTES"

gsemike

Those Tauruses are bad news generally, I believe. My sister had a 96 where the tranny crapped out well short of 100k. I think that it went in the 60s actually and the car had electrical problems. But for under 2 grand, it appears clean

fintail

Where can a fintail rust? everywhere

Nice rear AC setup, bizarre.

gsemike

And that is a Florida car

fintail

Sat outside for 30 years I bet.

Drivers side rear quarter panel has been rebuilt, too, angle is off at the bottom. Strange.

Mr_Shiftright

Parts car at best.

I see an old Packard in that pile of junk.

fintail

Not even many useful parts there. It's hard to find them so rusty and weathered.

I see the Packard, maybe 36-37 or so. There's some big prewar car in the background of a pic too, it has wide whites - maybe a Buick. And look at that destroyed 50s Buick in a few shots, nothing left.

lemko

I also see a copper-colored 1964 Cadillac in the background.

Mr_Shiftright

The guy might be a "hoarder"--drags in old cars, then lets 'em rot. Or he might scour the countryside for the remains left by actual hoarders. I see this far too often and it disturbs me sometimes, especially when the car could have easily been brought inside, covered up and kept dry at least. It's even more disturbing when the car was historically worthwhile.

fintail

This pic gives a good example of the mess

Looks like it might be some kind of shop too, with half a 70s Corvette stuck to the wall at left.

Mr_Shiftright

it's almost the Old Car version of "House on Haunted Hill" or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

lemko

I also see what might be a 1965-66 Mustang next to the Cadillac, can just about make out a grille of a mid 1940s DeSoto in the back and what might be a black 1930s Cadillac or LaSalle under a plastic sheet.

Curiously, that fintail didn't rot around the headlamp bezels which I would suspect would be the first place it would go.

fintail

The car under the sheet does resemble a ~40 Caddy. The car next to the Caddy might actually be a T-Bird rather than a Mustang - there's another Bird on the other side of the rust colored Buick.

Fintails are known to rust hard around the lights, too. I have to imagine there's some - maybe already repaired. I've never seen hood rust that bad before.

fintail

This behemoth is being sold by a friend of mine's parents - overpriced, but apparently is a nice enough old boat.

Mr_Shiftright

For that price it would have to be show room condition---but if it is, he might get it. If there are little defects, like tiny dings, or a dirty undercarriage or dirty engine bay, then around $5000 is all the money. You certainly can't beat the low mileage!

fintail

Funny. Before I posted the car here, I told her if someone shows up with 45 $100 bills, to take the money and run. It's not a showroom car, just a nice low mileage survivor. I suspect it will need belts/hoses/tires as well, as according to my friend, it has only been driven about 100 miles a year for at least the past decade.

She had told me about this car for years, I imagined a Mark V, not the rarer but less flashy Town Coupe. Her dad had a thing for old Lincolns and apparently had a few, this is the last one.

Mr_Shiftright

Well she'd have a much better chance at a good price if this were a 1st generation Mark IV, which seems to have a bit of a following---probably because it had decent horsepower and cleaner lines.

I'm surprised that the car isn't mint, with so few miles. Well tell her that buyers dictate the price, not books or appraisers or asking prices in ads.

lemko

Three things I see right off the bat I don't like: missing hood ornament, dirty engine compartment, and grotesque steering wheel cover that's likely hiding a cracked or worn steering wheel.