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

texases

"Included records can be viewed below and show a variety of work performed by the original dealer and Ferrari of Seattle from 1995-2007, including replacement of all valves and guides in 1996 due to a broken timing belt at 25k miles. Records indicate the last timing belt replacement occurred in 2001 and the seller advises another replacement due to the time elapsed since."

Original timing belt broke after 2 years? Interference engine? Hmmmmmmm

Mr_Shiftright

Not an easy job either.

fintail

I think it had been 6 weeks since the project car hit the road. Fired right up on the first turn and ran fine, even in the 80 degree heat that felt much warmer. A gratuitous pic:



I got a "beautiful car" and a thumbs up from different people while stop/stuck at the same light.

One funny issue, I swore I could smell gasoline for a few minutes. I pulled over, looked under the hood, looked at the fuel filler area, saw nothing, and in a minute the smell went away. I think it maybe could have just been some smellier than normal exhaust.

ab348

You should use Photoshop to make those gratuitous pics more interesting. Change the color of the car, make it into a 2-door, put some 24" wheels on it, etc.

fintail

A friend threatened to make something like that happen. Contact one of those shows (maybe not a thing now?) where they pretend to "steal" an old car, and unbeknownst to the owner, it gets customized. He knows my car ending up orange with red flames, ostrich skin style interior, SBC350 etc would just thrill me.

qbrozen

My Coronet is already taking a siesta. Wife has had me so busy with other chores that I just can't get to it.

Mr_Shiftright

Well maybe she can work on the Coronet while you attend to other things.

Just sayin'....

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

Well maybe she can work on the Coronet while you attend to other things.

Just sayin'....

If only.

sda

texases said:

explorerx4 said:

When was the last time you saw rear window louvers?



https://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/6134168391.html

I had that on my '79 Scirocco, had to get the version that fit over the rear wiper. 

Did that year. Mustang come with a carb?




I always liked the Scirocco, very crisp design and loved the bright plaid cloth seats. I bought a used '79 Rabbit C 2dr in '85. It was red on red, A/C, 4sp, rear wiper. I really enjoyed that car. Not fast, and even though it was the soft American Pennsylvania built VW, still fun. I nick named it my rascally red wwabit.
This is the only picture I have of it, alas.

explorerx4

Nice!
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/6141894078.html

Mr_Shiftright

Ever see one of those done up as a tractor trailer rig, with twin exhaust stacks and dual wheels? Very cool mod.

qbrozen

I choked at that price

berri

Those things look kind of like an old "funny car" - just soup it up!

Mr_Shiftright

Price is rather dazzling. More of a hot rod than a plain ol' A100. I'm sure he has more in it.

texases

I know $25k is high, but I sure like this Seville, especially without the vinyl roof:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/6104325591.html

Mr_Shiftright

I like the part about how "everything works" except the AC and the electric antenna. Well that's "not everything works" then. Or how about: "It only needs a recharge but I didn't want to spend the $150 to sell a $26,000 car". Could be $150, could be $2000.

Price is high, seller might also be high at that price, but the miles are so exceptionally low that maybe someone would pay an extra $10,000 for bragging rights on this?

Nice car though. Wire wheels are goofy on it but to each his own I guess.

stickguy

I guess if you want one, that's about as nice as you will find. I, however, don't want one! A same year Z28, 4 speed, now that would interest me.

Mr_Shiftright

stickguy said:

I guess if you want one, that's about as nice as you will find. I, however, don't want one! A same year Z28, 4 speed, now that would interest me.

And you'd pay less for it, too.

fintail

Yeah, pretty Caddy, amazing how much better it looks without a vinyl top. Very optimistic price though, given it has a few (hopefully small) needs. 25K buys some pretty hot 1978 metal.

Wire wheels seem period-appropriate to me, I mean, it's 1978, people even put them on 450SLs.

Mr_Shiftright

Wires don't seem to work on small wheels. Think of how they'd look on a shopping cart.

On inexpensive cars, they also scream pretentiousness. I mean, you do have to wonder when the wheels are worth more than the car.

texases

I'd prefer this:

fintail

Zurich plates even.

I saw one with the same treatment in Munich:



Bustlebacks could be had with nice subtle wheels, too:

ab348

That Seville is nice enough but it doesn't really do anything for me. I would want one in some of the more unique colors, like pale yellow inside and out, or one with white or silver leather inside.

isellhondas

Mr_Shiftright said:

I like the part about how "everything works" except the AC and the electric antenna. Well that's "not everything works" then. Or how about: "It only needs a recharge but I didn't want to spend the $150 to sell a $26,000 car". Could be $150, could be $2000.

Price is high, seller might also be high at that price, but the miles are so exceptionally low that maybe someone would pay an extra $10,000 for bragging rights on this?

Nice car though. Wire wheels are goofy on it but to each his own I guess.

Depending on a person's tastes that color combo is going to be a love it or hate it thing. For me, it would have been my last choice. The wire wheels give it a gaudy "old man" look that just doesn't work.

He's probably right about the A/C recharge. He probably had it recharged a month or so ago and after a week of leaking, it blew hot air so, yeah, it DOES need another recharge!

Some items have been replaced that shouldn't have gone bad I wouldn't think on a 18,000 mile car! a gas tank?

I do like that model but not that car!

xwesx

Well, with those very low miles, if they aren't prepping the car for long storage, moisture in the fuel can certainly cause a tank to rust, as well as kill fuel pumps (rubber components & seals are not fans of ethanol either).

Mr_Shiftright

A car with low miles that has been in longterm storage could be hell to deal with. Aside from fuel system problems, seals can dry up, belts and hoses deteriorate, tires of course, rodents, wiring and vacuum lines become brittle, brakes bind up...it never stops.

explorerx4

This a is pretty good story.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/classic-cars/travelling-through-europe-in-a-1973-roadrunner/ar-BBBuNcA?li=BBnb4R5&ocid=DELLDHP

Michaell

explorerx4 said:

This a is pretty good story.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/classic-cars/travelling-through-europe-in-a-1973-roadrunner/ar-BBBuNcA?li=BBnb4R5&ocid=DELLDHP

Would love to know the final tally on the fuel costs, at $7-9/gal

Mr_Shiftright

That is a great story. I wonder, though, why it cost $11,000 to send the car to Europe.

explorerx4

11k definitely squashes my dream of taking my F150 across the pond.

fintail

I think it shouldn't cost anything more than 3K or so to get a car to Europe, right?

I think gas prices there are around $5-$5.50/gallon right now (maybe a little more for Super), helped down by a strong dollar and weak oil prices. The price you pay to help build legitimate transit systems.

Mr_Shiftright

Shoot, I bet you could almost FLY it there for $11,000. That just can't be right---maybe he wants his own First Class container?

berri

Explorer, just join the military and get a PCS assignment to somewhere in Europe and it will be covered under a govt Bill of Lading as long as you make officer or at least an E6 or 7. Hawaii costs a fortune to ship in and out of as well.

fintail

I bet you could fly it there for that much.

I've always thought the public sector freebies (I am pretty sure the diplomatic corps receives similar perks) was insanely wasteful, but I guess if the transporter is going over there anyway.

berri

I think many corporations will move a vehicle if they transfer you overseas or back here. But some places overseas offer many neat vehicles you may want to buy instead while you are living there. Some companies give you a vehicle allowance instead if you are sent to live overseas.

isellhondas

fintail said:

Zurich plates even.

I saw one with the same treatment in Munich:



Bustlebacks could be had with nice subtle wheels, too:

When the bustlebacks first came out a friend remarked that the back ends looked like a garbage truck and they do!

berri

Wasn't that first Seville really a stretched Chevy Nova?

isellhondas

berri said:

Wasn't that first Seville really a stretched Chevy Nova?

Well, kinda...I heard someone call one a "Leather lined Nova"

The same person referred to Saturns as "Plastic Vegas"

I suppose if one were to REALY stretch their imagination.

texases

berri said:

Wasn't that first Seville really a stretched Chevy Nova?

Sure, in a way, but with a top notch (for the time) fuel injected engine, very nice interior, and very different look, I don't have a problem with the structure being related. Much better job than Ford did with their Lincoln version of the Granada:

fintail

I kind of have a guilty pleasure in the bustlebacks, but they have to be an earlier one without vinyl top, no faux Rolls-Royce grille, no continental kit on the trunk, no wire wheels, etc.

At least the updated Versailles gained a unique C-pillar, the first one didn't try at all to hide its Granada roots, maybe some suits at Ford drank the "just like a Mercedes" Kool-Aid

sda

I remember looking at a '77 white Versailles in '88 to buy as a daily driver, mainly to drive to work and keep miles off of my '87 triple white Wolfsburg edition VW Cabriolet. The Lincoln had around 85k on it, the transmission had just been rebuilt. I was really surprised how sluggish it was even with the bigger 351 V8. It was going to need power steering work so I passed. Always liked the clean look of the deep dish wheels. Dad had those on his '77 Grand Marquis. Ended up buying a '82 fully loaded Buick Skylark 2.8 V6 for $1400. It was a great daily driver and was fairly peppy in normal driving. Sold it 2 years later for $1400.

fintail

A dashing free spirit young woman relative of mine was given an immaculate 78 Versailles by her uncle in 1988, I was 11 and remember it clearly. She was staying with my family for a few months, and we went for drives in that Lincoln several times. As a kid, I liked it - it was very smooth and comfortable, in beautiful condition, seemed to have a good stereo, and it had a moonroof. It also had the deep dish wheels. Of course, something like that in such hands isn't a good idea, and I think it was destroyed in well under a year. I haven't seen a Versailles in ages.

I have my project car out again today. Strong smell of gas again - because I overfilled it. The old style filler neck doesn't seem to work well with the cut off device on the gas pump. I had to drive it for a number of miles to get the fuel out of the neck where it wouldn't seep out.

tjc78

I'm in the minority but I'm not a huge fan of the dish wheels on the late 70s Fords.  I was so happy that my 79 Town Coupe had turbines.   

Useless fact.  The 70s Ford turbines are not the same as the ones on the 80s Panthers... ask me how I know.  They certainly look the same. 

sda

I like the look of the tribune wheels as well and a nice change from the wire wheel covers that seemed to be on every car during that period. Dad liked the deep dish wheels but really liked the wire wheel covers more. Dad's '78 DeVille, '79 Eldorado and mom's '78 Olds 98 Regency all sported wire wheel covers and whitewall tires.

explorerx4

Future Barrett Jackson material after everything is replaced.
https://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/6132652007.html

qbrozen

Removed the carb and manifold this afternoon and discovered a couple of interesting things. 1) they failed to used gaskets on either side of the valley pan, which explains why oil kept showing up under the manifold. And 2) someone lost both a washer and an electrical connector and decided to just leave them in a crevice of a head. That is comforting.

stickguy

the first domino. Post a picture when you have the entire car disassembled.

Michaell

stickguy said:

the first domino. Post a picture when you have the entire car disassembled.

That quote made me think of Peter Egan. 

ab348

Look on the bright side - you now have a washer and an electrical connector you weren't counting on owning!

Mr_Shiftright

Now there's a glass-half-full kinda guy.