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

stickguy

I don't know, but if you are going to do a body kit slam job, at least put some decent wheels on it! The no hubcap steelies just don't do it for me.

oregonboy

The seller probably pulled off the 40 pound, 18-in, chrome-aftermarket boat-anchors wheels to put on his new ride. :P

Mr_Shiftright

The 500s were real dogs in those big Eldos.

fintail

Good year or bad year?

I've never really seen myself much in a Porsche, but that one is pretty. Very 80s.

And the dope with that engineless Pontiac has re-listed it at $1000 (from $650). What the hell?

Mr_Shiftright

GREAT years...78 to 83 SCs. Nice car but a bit pricey. I'm thinkin' $18K is plenty.

fintail

How are they to drive? Easy or a workout?

I rode in something like that when I was about 5 (it was white with sheepskin seat covers - I will never forget it).

lilengineerboy

I believe they changed the timing chain tensioners in '82 to something more reliable. By now though, many of the earlier cars have been updated to that later tensioner. The pre-78s have a magnesium block that didn't take to being heated and cooled as well as they had expected (actually the earlier ones pre-73 had it too, but that was a 2.4 block in stead of a 2.7, so there was more material there).
In the other direction, in '84 they got an updated fuel injection system that supposedly improved driveability, but I can't ever remember driving a 911 and not enjoying it (well okay, one time, but there was a regional constable behind me and he seemed irate...).

fintail

Uncommon tank

ghulet

That Civic cracks me up, nothing like putting mods on the LEAST sporty Civic I can think of (four door, automatic, DX trim) made in the last twenty years.

xwesx

Beautiful car. If only....

andre1969

those big '68 Fords just never register on my radar screen, although that does appear to be a really nice one. I think it's partly because I really like the '65-67 with their stacked headlights, so the '68 just fades into obscurity.

Also, I know it has to be a styling trick, but there's just something about the '68 Ford that looks small to me. Sometimes I'll see one and at first glance I'll think it's an intermediate! They can't be any smaller than the '65-67 models, can they?

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, just about every SC I see has been updated. They are a pleasure to drive, very light and easy, but they are somewhat spartan by modern standards. AC is a joke, (as is all german AC of those times). They are very sturdy, non-fussy cars and run forever. You'll never see mileage on a Corvette or Viper like you will on an old Porsche. Downside is mostly related to monkeys working on them rather than really well trained mechanics.

lemko

The only way the 1968 Ford registers on my radar is that Clint Eastwood drove one in "Dirty Harry" and I think Gene Hackman was driving one in "The French Connection." The 1969 Ford registers as my cousin Steve had one in that familiar light green in which all '69 Ford Galaxies seem to be finished. Arnold's Dad buys a 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 in one episode of "The Wonder Years" which is a dead ringer for Steve's car.

lemko

God knows what Goober or Gomer could do to a Porsche when they couldn't even fix a VW. My Dad had a black 1962 Volkswagen before he was married. He took it to a local garage unfamiliar with foreign cars. The had no metric tools, so they ground down the bolt and nut heads so the standard tools would fit. They more or less ruined the car and Dad replaced it with a 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne.

Mr_Shiftright

oh god I see so many botched up Porsches...it's really sad....

andre1969

I like those Bunkie Knudsen Fords from around 1971-72. They're kinda ugly and hulking looking, but still just have character, IMO. The styling of the '68 and '69-70 styles just seem too, for lack of a better word, featureless.

lemko

I remember those 1971-72 Fords extremely well and not always for the best reasons. They did have those massive three element grilles. Of course they rusted with a vengeance and weren't terribly reliable. I heard a rumor that the steel was either recycled or imported and was of inferior quality. Was there a steel strike that year or something?

xwesx

Yes, I prefer the 66/7 as well. The front end of the '68 is just.... odd. The car is just in such nice condition, it is hard to slight it for a bit of oddity. Shoot, look at my '69 Econoline.... you know I cannot hold a bit of ugliness against a vehicle. :P

ghulet

This one looks nice (can't tell the quality of what is probably a repaint, though), but it's an automatic and the price is nuts:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/140263184.html

Below: hate rear (or any) window tints, especially in Chicago (this isn't FL or TX), hate the color, no mention of miles, the 'my dad fixed this before he gave it to me' scares me, the price is more than a bit optimistic ($5k should be the end of the world), IMO, and am I the only one who thinks a short wheelbase on a 7-series (or an S-class, for that matter) is a bit of a waste (you still get the small back seat, but all the extra bulk):

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/140254428.html

and, last, this:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/140192783.html

I don't know enough about these to guess if it's a decent deal for a driver or a money pit. I'm guessing the latter (needs paint work, windows don't work). Considering nice, much newer, quicker, 635s with more goodies (power stuff, ABS and even five gears!) are ~$7k, this doesn't seem a wise investment.

ghulet

Nothing worth saving, but a bit unusual:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/140046532.html

My dad had one of these, I think he got over 200k out of it. Has the same drivetrain as the Mazda 323 of the same era, IIRC. Naturally, no mention of transmission type, which makes all the difference.

fintail

740 = money pit

Is the old 6er a Euro? Seems very early.

I didn't know a 1987 3er could be called "classic"

ghulet

lilengineerboy

the 740 depends which V8 it had. One was a nagasil and on an asaki or something, one started with A and one with N. One of the blocks was poor and the other one was very strong. I don't know which is which but if you are seriously considering it, look it up.
The 6 ser in the 70s had thermal reactors that cooked head gaskets (my friend had a '78 530i that cooked then got a '80 528i that was my favorite car for a long time)
The 6-ser is starting to get talked about as being collectable though, although i would go for a mid to late 80s M6.

ghulet

....I'm not sure which V8 that 740 has, but I do know '93 was the first year for the V8 in North America, which usually isn't a good thing. The 3.0L V8 in the early-90s 530i had lots of problems, though; I've never heard anything particularly bad about the 4.0L.

Mr_Shiftright

I agree on the 740 -- money pit extraordinaire. You might as well get ahead of the game and just set fire to $5,000 worth of $100 bills for openers.

633 - hard to say but parts will be hell to find and pay for, and really there's nothing exceptional about this car. You are better off shopping for a mid to late 80s 635 series with an automatic. The stickshifts in a big BMW are no fun..the car is too large...5 series on down for manual transmissions.

325 convertible -- seller has to get real on the price, is the main problem. The 3 series is the best BMW (then, as now). Be careful of cracked cylinder heads on 80s Bimmers though, and those 3 series convertible top mechanisms like to jam and screw up. So I'd work the top a gazillion times before buying it, if it was an electric top.

andre1969

who was traditionally an old domestic iron nut (had a variety of Mopars and currently has a '66 Impala convertible, in pieces, in his parents' driveway) recently bought some BMW sedan. I forget the specifics, but it's a 7-series sedan from the 90's with a 5.0 V-12.

Aren't those things money pits, too? Also, is there really any advantage to having a V-12 that small? I mean, a 5.0 isn't even a very big V-8! I guess the V-12 would have a nicer sound to it though, and possibly be smoother?

Mr_Shiftright

V-12s are more about smoothness than power.

The 750iL is what he bought. He'll be real sorry he did that, real sorry, unless he is filthy rich. Every repair will be $3,000 on up.

lemko

There was an excellent site about one man's troubles with his 750. Here it is, but it doesn't seem to load. Maybe others will be luckier:

http://my750.com/

andre1969

over 15 years doesn't sound THAT horrible. But when you factor in only 100,000 miles, then it gets scary. FWIW, the most expensive car I ever had when it came to sinking money into it was my '68 Dart. I probably sunk around $7600 into it, in addition to what I paid for it, over the 85,000 miles I had it. But when you figure it had 253,000 miles on it when I got it, that's really not TOO horrible!

xwesx

It worked for me..... I love this comment:

"...I've been telling everyone about my 1991 750iL, aka 'The Mir Space-Station on Wheels' ... I'm actually embarrassed to be associated with this car ... I feel like ... De Niro ... in the movie Casino, who fell for ... a sexy hooker, who wrecked his life with endless problems, expenses, and low-rent people ... I'd feel somewhat guilty about selling it to someone other than a BMW Corporation executive." JK, M.D. 1-May-01

Mr_Shiftright

When you add in depreciation, which is massive, it really turns into a nosebleed.

Well now you've all been warned. These horror stories are not campfire fantasies....it could happen to YOU!!!!!!

fintail

That 750 link is pretty cool, thanks. I haven't heard of V12 MB being quite so awful anyway.

lilengineerboy

Roadfly actually had the info on the different blocks, and now I can spell Alusil and Nikasil :P
M60
V8 DOHC 32V. 1992-1996. 146kg 321lbs
Engine blocks were made of Nikasil (Silicone Injected Nickel) which were prone to failure over time. Many have been replaced with the newer Alusil (Silicone injected Aluminum) engines
Used in E34 530i, E32 730i, 740i, 840i
3.0 (218bhp), 4.0 (286bhp)

ghulet

At this point, not necessarily in BMW's defense, but what the hell do people expect from a 15+ year-old German top-of-the-line luxury sedan? Yeah, they're cheap to buy despite their 'prestige', don't you think there's a reason? Nice cars, fast, probably too much car for most (in all respects), high-tech at the time almost always translates to expensive and difficult to repair. Ya takes yer chances. Duh.

rockylee

I'd like to have a last body style BMW 750 iL ! Is the BMW V-12 better than MB's. How bout Cost ?

Rocky

Mr_Shiftright

If it has no warranty, don't buy it. If someone gives you one, sell it.

bumpy

drive it around until something catastrophic breaks (I would have said expensive, but *everything* that breaks on that car will be expensive), then push it into the backyard and use it for target practice.

Then, when the county gets on you for running an unlicensed junkyard, donate it to the local fire department for rescue practice, invite all your friends over, and have a party while the Jaws of Life rip your Teutonic heap apart.

lemko

...how many of these 15 year-old BMW 750i's that are too expensive to repair will be used as stunt cars driven by the "bad guys."

xwesx

Are these not frankenstein-able on a cheap budget? Seems like gutting it and putting in a Chevy engine should take care of much of the problems Mr. 750iL was having (many/most cooling system related, though I was blown away by the windshield molding... how fast was he driving?!).

Mr_Shiftright

Nah, you can't butcher a car of that level of sophistication with a Chevy motor. The electronic interfaces would be daunting to all but the most clever of technicians. And you'd still have a car nobody wants. You want a Buick Lucerne, buy a Buick Lucerne.

fintail

If you want a project with no upside...but at least you won't run into yourself in traffic

Looks like an OK cruiser/driver for the DIYer

These are uncommon anymore

british_rover

Ok ever since I found out this car was really made I have wanted one.

I am starting to sort of look around and will probably have one of our wholesalers keep an eye out for them. What in particular should I be looking for on these? The C-Class is the only Mercedes I actually like and although I like the newer bodystyle better I really like the idea of the C43 style.

british_rover

I love big old convertiables

I guess it would be worth something with the original engine.

Has posibilities

This is a good year right?

Stay away stay far away

Mr_Shiftright

Today's winner of the eBay Damn Fool Award goes to the seller of this very nice but 4-door Mercedes 200Sb.....

who turned down $10,000 real dollars bid on it!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4618152714&sspagen- - ame=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AUS%3A112&sasel=&id=

DOH!

Mr_Shiftright

'69 Chevelle--- all they are selling is the VIN tag, which will appear on another car soon enough.

72 Porsche 911T-- good lord, what a mess. Might be worth an engine core and some bits and pieces....$2,500??

lilengineerboy

'72 Porshce- I dont think we are that desperate for Porshces that we have to resort to this one. Making that one right wont justify the expense.
'85 Porsche- yeah thats what i want- to dig around in something that has been sitting in nasty contaminated water for 3 weeks, then got hosed off and sold to highest bidder. Every time you sit on those seats you know that foam was soaked with bio-hazzard water.---PASS

martian

Was this aluminum-silicon alloy the same as used by the ill-fate VEGA? As I recall, VEGA engines had no cylinder liners-the piston rings rode on the silicon layer (exposed by etching). The VEGA engines were famously bad-most started burning oil at 30K miles-and blown engines were common. I had one-it lasted till 85K-and blew up at a toll booth! (the exhause poured out smoke and steam-and the engine froze up)!

british_rover

The same guy is also selling this 2002 Disco for a buy it now of 18,500. Anyone who buys a Rover at a non-Rover dealer deserves whatever they get. Land Rover makes it very hard for second owners to by extended warranties if they bought the car at a non-rover dealer. Unless the market is drasticly different in flordia then that 18,500 is way over priced too.

qbrozen

but that's what he owes ... so it MUST be worth that much.

british_rover

I just skimmed the listing but it looks like some kind of wholesale opperation that drops cars on Ebay from time to time.