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

fintail

G Wagen - I would rather have it with automatic. No mention of rust, and man can those things rust. Being from Eastern Europe might warrant an especially thorough PPI. That being said, they are cool, and have a very high depreciation floor.

gsemike

stickguy said:

that 944 does look surprisingly nice. Seems to have the back story you want. Recent maintenance must have cost a few bucks. I could probably live with that. Once I ditched the window tint!

Tint is actually illegal in NY now so it would have to go

texases

Yeah, that 944 is just what I was looking at back then. And all the maintenance would be a big plus. Tempting...

qbrozen

G wagon is cool, but far better things I'd do with $35k.

4runner price seems nutty to me. Maybe it is because I sold my far cleaner and lower mileage '87 back in 1997 for half that asking price.

stickguy

those 2.2 4Runners seem to have a cult following now too.

Mr_Shiftright

944 price is about market correct. Median price for early 944s (not turbos, later models or cabs) is about $5,600.

The '85 Monte Carlo's engine picture does not have anything resembling 600HP about it.

Early Broncos are hot and this one has all the goodies and mods + a frame-off. So yeah, it might get close to that, from just the right buyer.

qbrozen

You guys are reading the monte Carlo add incorrectly. He states that the transmission is rated for 600 hp.

texases

You're right, clever way to get "600 hp" into an ad. 

tjc78

On the Monte I love the engine picture with the unprotected wires, connected with a vampire tap.  Stuff like that makes you wonder about the rest of the workmanship.  

sda

For some reason, and yes you can call me on this, I always liked land yachts like Lincoln, deep dish wheels and jade green. Has to have the 460, however, and even that was weak in '75. Dad's '77 Grand Marquis with the 460 was hardly fast but it showed some spunk when spurred. It got 10 mpg on a consistent basis. Less when I drove it..

fintail

This is a nice old land yacht - I found this linked on the fun "Avocado Memories" site. Looks like a good deal.

If only this was 1/5 the price and didn't have the celebrity provenance - I have a thing for these, and this exact model is insanely rare.

ab348

We almost bought one of those LTDs new (well, a '71 which was basically the same car) when the 'rents were shopping back then. Probably would have been that body style and likely in those same colors too. Mom vetoed it based on how the C-pillar blocked a bit of access to the rear seat as you can see in one of those photos. Dunno why since she never sat there, but that was that.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail said:

This is a nice old land yacht - I found this linked on the fun "Avocado Memories" site. Looks like a good deal.

If only this was 1/5 the price and didn't have the celebrity provenance - I have a thing for these, and this exact model is insanely rare.

The Bentley is worth $65K at best. Besides, this may not be the celebrity you're looking for. Interestingly, the market does not seem to care that the SC is rarer than the other Continentals. Pricing is about the same.

'72 LTD-- I'm not exactly sure, but I think this is the lowest MPG ever recorded in a stock production domestic car.

fintail

The Bentley celebrity isn't the one I am looking for, but the very optimistic seller must have a thing for him. The Continental SC though, the removable roof does it for me. I always liked the basic style of the 90s Continental, but with the roof, just weird enough to be cool. I'd never lay down even 65K for that though, I could buy a nice new E-class to last me until I am at private sector retirement age, have a good quality restoration performed on the fintail, buy a 1/20th share of a house in my zipcode, etc.

I think the LTD is a good deal, I appreciate how the car has survived. An affordable entry into the hobby, and something that people who like old cars in general will understand.

Mr_Shiftright

Well I guess. The LTD is a real beast, though..a wallowing, clumsy, gas-eating whale of a thing. It's BIG. But as you say, for the entry price, who can complain?

isellhondas

Back in the days of those LTD's some car dealers would actually drill holes in the side of new cars so they
could install those ugly protective strips! The strips ruined the looks of the cars and sometimes they would
rust and the rust streaks would run down the sides of the cars years later!

fintail

LTD is a barge, but if it is as nice as it looks in the pics, it is a clean well kept car. A lot of cars in that price range are ratty. It is also pre-73, has a good engine, decent options, etc. I have seen a lot worse for the money, even in the clumsy whale category.

Mr_Shiftright

I suppose if you valued a car in terms of pounds per dollar or in square feet of metal per dollar, it would be hard to beat those numbers. Just a little more than a dollar a pound. You can barely buy bananas for that.

fintail

A nice looking and assumed nice running and driving Sunday driver for 5K. In these days where the dollar doesn't always go far, it seems fair to me. Take the kids out for a cruise, go to a local show, all for the price of the initial payment on many modern leases.

Mr_Shiftright

I'm not one of those auto enthusiasts (nor implying you are) that presumes every old thing demands respect, so if a car is grossly incompetent, I put it in the Ugly Dog contest---I can see the charm, in a twisted sort of way, but I really wouldn't want to drive this thing very far.

fintail

It definitely wants a straight open road, and wasn't designed for anything but that. It was intended to be a land yacht. I have to look at it relative to when it was new, rather than comparing it to more modern suspension tuning or cars with even a drop of sporting pretense. Luckily, gas is cheap these days too.

Mr_Shiftright

Better be cheap--figure 8 mpg.

fintail

In other words, "average 1972 barge".

That year, the middle class was still strong, with gobs of purchasing power, and the inflation-adjusted gas price was just over $2/gallon, so it wasn't impossible to live with then either.

ab348

I liked those late '60s and early '70s LTDs mostly because they were what Insp. Lewis Erskine drove in The F.B.I. TV series.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

I'm not one of those auto enthusiasts (nor implying you are) that presumes every old thing demands respect, so if a car is grossly incompetent, I put it in the Ugly Dog contest---I can see the charm, in a twisted sort of way, but I really wouldn't want to drive this thing very far.

Well, I guess most cars of that era would fall into that category to varying degrees. My Cutlass is kept up well, but it still has drum brakes which are never going to be pleasant. The steering is slow compared to todays cars. Even with an all-new front end and alignment, it still doesn't feel as confident on the highway as todays cars.

Some other cars of that era would address those issues at the cost of other things, like acceleration or ride comfort or noise. I really wouldn't want to drive very many of them any great distance in today's traffic.

fintail

Maybe every old heap doesn't demand respect, but something that has been lovingly preserved and wasn't objectively bad when new shouldn't be cast aside today.

Even something like my fintail, which was fairly advanced in its day, would probably get tiresome (and maybe tired) in long daily driver usage unless one didn't have a long commute, had light traffic, and had 100% pleasant weather. The maintenance that old cars need, along with their driving characteristics, doesn't make them the most comfortable for modern roads or modern drivers. I look at little weekend day trips in it as an adventure, as I think many old car people feel when taking their old machine out for a spin, even if the car is a great one in the best condition. But modern cars are usually more roadworthy and deliver more peace of mind.

andres3

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/cto/6137594301.html

What do you all think? I have a very strong feeling this is one of my known quality Audi Mechanic's vehicles. He gave it to me as a loaner like 5 years ago. He's whittling away his collection.

fintail

Money pit, but rare. Looks like he is going for UR Quattro ride height. I would want to negotiate strongly, or have the seller provide a thorough detail - the cosmetics of that car look neglected, but probably redeemable

isellhondas

Those old full sized Fords and Thunderbirds were horrible on brakes. When they went to disc brakes it solved most of those problems. Our shop gave a 40,000 mile warranty on brake shoes and we cringed when one of those cars would come in. After the third or fourth time I would usually just refund the price they paid for the brake job and I would tell them to take it elsewhere!

andres3

fintail said:

Money pit, but rare. Looks like he is going for UR Quattro ride height. I would want to negotiate strongly, or have the seller provide a thorough detail - the cosmetics of that car look neglected, but probably redeemable

Yes, he doesn't have a Jay Leno garage for his 9 cars that he never has time to drive any of them much. He works a lot obviously trying to make the independent shop profitable. I would say your assessment is correct. I remember him complaining recently about his fleet taking up too much time and money, mainly dead batteries since he doesn't drive any of them enough.

Wonder if he'd consider a 1-year 12,000 mile warranty (bumper to bumper) as part of his sale price

fintail

I hope he at least covers them, the sun down there would be murderous on a car like that. I'd want to be in for more in the $2500-3000 region, if it runs and drives perfectly. A car like that will have lots of little quirks and needs, but if you can really clean it up, might be cool to have around.

12K miles in a year in a 1983 Audi might produce bills on par with the price of the car, I doubt he would go for that. You'll also maybe be blacklisted by any auto club or towing service

andres3 said:

Yes, he doesn't have a Jay Leno garage for his 9 cars that he never has time to drive any of them much. He works a lot obviously trying to make the independent shop profitable. I would say your assessment is correct. I remember him complaining recently about his fleet taking up too much time and money, mainly dead batteries since he doesn't drive any of them enough.

Wonder if he'd consider a 1-year 12,000 mile warranty (bumper to bumper) as part of his sale price

tjc78

Never knew these existed.  
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/dodge/shelby/1936154.html

stickguy

odd truck. I always hated standard cab PUs with no headrests. Meaning the rear window was your whiplash protection!

berri

Old car design is like art. Each person has their own reactions and preferences. I wish we could go back from all the look-a-like and copycat car design these days (and that includes color choices inside and outside). I can understand why more than a few millennials now give cars a big "meh".

Mr_Shiftright

tjc78 said:

Never knew these existed.  
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/dodge/shelby/1936154.html

One year only. Shelby took the V6 out of a standard Dakota and shoe-horned in the 5.2L V8 (318 cid), and course some paint and decals. For its time, it was pretty fast as far as pickups go. Some say it inspired the Cyclone and the Lightning. Production was 1,475 says Wiki, with 480 done in white.

Whether anyone cares to the tune of $19,000 or not, I don' t know.

I'd call this one a "curiosity" rather than a collectible, but you know, money talks, and I'm just talkin'.

One of these sold at Barrett-Jackson a few years back in Palm Beach for $6,875.

isellhondas

fintail said:

Money pit, but rare. Looks like he is going for UR Quattro ride height. I would want to negotiate strongly, or have the seller provide a thorough detail - the cosmetics of that car look neglected, but probably redeemable

It's rare because most of those fell apart at an early age.

Kind of like a glorified VW Rabbit!

texases

I thought of those Audis as 5/4 scale Sciroccos. 

gsemike

Glad to see it's not solely an American thing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222577684858?clk_rvr_id=1255983267613&rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-53481-19255-0%2F1%3Fff3%3D4%26pub%3D5574637365%26toolid%3D10001%26campid%3D5337441450%26customid%3D%26mpre%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F222577684858%26srcrot%3D710-53481-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D1255983267613 Oh Lord

texases

My eyes! My eyes!

Here's something for those who want more of a challenge:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUPER-RARE-MK1-JENSEN-INTERCEPTOR-6-3-BARN-FIND-OWNED-30-YEARS-99P-NO-RESERVE-/112478226502?hash=item1a30398846:g:DGoAAOSwd3dZZUXE

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, another barn find from a barn without a roof.

Mr_Shiftright

gsemike said:

Glad to see it's not solely an American thing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222577684858?clk_rvr_id=1255983267613&rmvSB=true&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-53481-19255-0%2F1%3Fff3%3D4%26pub%3D5574637365%26toolid%3D10001%26campid%3D5337441450%26customid%3D%26mpre%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F222577684858%26srcrot%3D710-53481-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D1255983267613 Oh Lord

Good lord! Such talent and time used to such a monstrous result. Dr. Frankenstein also could have spent his time better, I guess.

xwesx

I'm not sure what is more challenging.... putting that car back together or deciphering what the poster is trying to say!!!!

thecardoc3

From the page with the Shelby Truck....

I always liked these.
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/dodge/lil-red-express/1936116.html

stickguy

I love those red express trucks. I remember back in the 70s, car and driver did a top speed test, and the Dodge truck would win or come close. The advantage of no emission controls. The dart 360 was the other often winner.

ab348

The 11 year-old pic makes me wonder what it's like now.

gsemike

https://newyork.craigslist.org/que/ctd/6206955249.html

2016 Charger. If it's clean, can I trust Chrysler? I am a keep my cars for 10 years guy

texases

If you just gotta have it, and are willing to put up with relatively poor reliability, then check it out. Pretty much all FCA brands are at or near the bottom of CRs reliability ratings. 

ab348

gsemike said:

https://newyork.craigslist.org/que/ctd/6206955249.html

2016 Charger. If it's clean, can I trust Chrysler? I am a keep my cars for 10 years guy

I don't know about 10 years with one of those, but the thing that gets me about that (and a lot of other) car ads is how they use the word "Options" these to describe every piece of standard equipment or even design . I don't think "sedan" is an option.

fintail

I see that options thing in MB ads, too. You mean a 2015 S-class has power windows? Wow! The "all options" claim irritates me, too. I know the options list for these cars, and I can tell with a 10 second look at the car that it doesn't have every option.

omarman

This project comes with its own big red Please Do Not Touch placard.