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

fintail

Rare yeah...probably not fit for more than in-town use

These wrong-engined cars are overpriced, but that coupe is pretty

fintail

What does this guy think he has?

Not very reassuring

Could be a fun beater

Might be a good driver

ghulet

Not exactly my cup of tea, but $1750 seems like a great price for that Dart convertible.

On the flip side, the guy with the Tercel is more than a bit nuts....now that gas is $3 a gallon, everyone with a car that gets 30mpg suddenly feels like their sitting on a gold mine. $4350 is about twice what it's worth, if not more, not to mention that it probably only cost twice that much new, what with the vinyl, four speed, no a/c and all.

ghulet

This could be a cheap, fun Summer cruiser, if you know when to dump and run:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/172608221.html

I love ads like these (it has 230k, not priced accordingly, but 'will last another 100k'--would you care to put a wager on that, and if that's the case, why are you selling?):

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/172619840.html

Other than the trans slip and the check engine light, it's just the greatest full-retail-priced Contour on earth:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/172622924.html

fintail

I agree about that Dart...it has to have sold by now, as it looks like a good fun car for the money.

Funny thing in that Contour ad...the seller is afraid of scams...the biggest scam there is himself.

This held up pretty well...digital dash and all

andre1969

I missed the Dart, and it looks like the posting's been deleted.

There's a local guy here who used to have a '68 Dart convertible that he bought used back in high school, like in the late 70's/early 80's. He also has an early 60's Lincoln Continental (closed sedan, not the convertible).

Well, back in 1993 I asked him if he'd be interested in selling that Dart. It didn't run at the time, but I had my excellent-running '68, and figured that between the two I could try to piece together a decent-running 'vert. Let's just say I was a bit more optimistic back then.

Unfortunately, he'd already promised to GIVE it to someone else! I ran into the guy a few years later and he said he wished he'd have given it to me, because he knew I'd appreciate it. It turns out that the guy who bought it fixed it up and tried to sell it back to him!

Now that my '68 is now sitting back towards the edge of the woods with 338,000 miles, hasn't run in a few years, and, to put it nicely "needs TLC", I've pretty much gotten Darts out of my system. Still, I think a convertible one would be cool!

Mr_Shiftright

Saab convertible -- the dreaded transmission failure is about to occur. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Volvo -- You could get a Yugo to go 330,000 miles if you put enough money into it.

ghulet

...still wondering when my mom's 300E will give up the ghost (or when she'll stop putting money into it)....she just had the speedo/odo replaced (odo had stopped working like five years ago at a bit over 300k), it had to be 'recertified' when replaced, LOL.

fintail

Andre - the Dart was a 64 GT, 318, pushbutton auto, needing cosmetic renovation but it looked pretty decent in the pics, and had been cared for. It was likely a good little rig to pick up on the cheap.

How much has that 300E sucked down lately?

michaellno

Saturday, I went to play golf out in the town where my wife works .. a bit more rural than the town we live in.

On the way, I spotted a car for sale. I'm pretty sure it's a Pontiac, but not sure of the year or model. Perhaps if I describe it, someone might recognize it and post a picture for confirmation.

What I can tell you is that it is a two door convertible (green with green roof), very large (Bonneville?) and looks to be an early 70's vintage. The most distinctive feature I can describe - as I was driving past at 40MPH - was that the tailights curved down as they got to the outer edges of the car. Sort of like this:

------)
)

I know it's pretty lame to try to replicate this with keyboard characters, but maybe it's enough to go on.

It had a $5500 price tag on it.

andre1969

Sounds like a '67-69 Catalina or Bonneville convertible to me. All three had taillights that curved down at the outer edges. The 1967 taillights only curved down a bit, to the top of the bumper. The 1968 taillights curved down further, into the bumper, and had gave it kind of an exaggerated, awkward look that didn't seem as well-planned out.

In 1969 the taillights were a bit smoother and more integrated, and the trunk lid dropped down between them. Also, in '69 Bonnevilles had a body-color panel on the rear bumper, while the Catalina had none. I had a '69 Bonneville, but I really can't remember if that trim piece was hard or not. It may have been soft at one time and just hardened with age?

The 1970 Pontiac rear had taillights that were linear, integrated into the bumper, and were spear-shaped at the outer edges. Then from 1971 onward, Pontiac just went to generic, rectangular taillights that got bigger and gaudier as the decade wore on.

michaellno

You da man! I knew you'd come through for me. Of the three pictures, I think that what I saw was the '69.

So, what kind of engines did these beasts have? Is $5500 a reasonable price. From the quick glance that I had of it, it seemed to be in pretty decent shape, but I'm sure that once I get close, it'll have more issues than Monica Lewinsky in therapy.

Mr_Shiftright

$5K--$9K would be the range for '69 Bonnie converts in decent shape. But they shouldn't need LOTS of work at those prices. If it needs paint or has rust, deduct accordingly.

michaellno

The paint seemed to be in decent shape - but again, I was travelling at 40MPH and was several hundred feet away. I'd have to go out there and give it a closer look.

I do know that it's been for sale for a couple of months. I wonder if I could offer something less than the asking price, give a quick once-over and put it on ebay and turn a profit?

andre1969

I'd imagine that Bonneville has a 400-4bbl, which I think put out about 330 hp by that time. Most of them most likely came equipped this way. A 428 was available, which my old car book says put out 370-390 hp. There was also a mild 400-2bbl that was tuned to run on low-octane gasoline, with 265 hp that was available as a credit option. I'd imagine though that something like this might have been more common on a cheaper car like an Executive or Catalina, but probably rare on a Bonneville.

My '69 Bonneville felt pretty quick...when it was running, that is! It had a strong appetite for starters. I've been told this was actually a common Pontiac problem, and they were known for getting cranky when you'd start the car hot. Almost kinda like the starter had a dead spot on it. This car had been struck by lightning though, so I'm sure it had some issues that went beyond any idiosyncracies of the engine!

I don't know if radial tires would have been standard on a '69 Bonneville, but mine had them, and it was an excellent-handling car, especially for its size.

fintail

Yeah these are cool enough, but this is a bit steep

Could be nice

Mr_Shiftright

You might be able to flip it. Remember, old cars sell on how they look, not on how they run, so if you're looking for profit, always pick the cosmetically superior car to the mechanically good one.

lilengineerboy

I love those E30 M3s, and I think its why I like the Audi Quattros and the 190 2.3-16s too. They all are totally blocky with fender flares. I guess a WRX is like that too, I wonder if I will end up with one of those.
Fender flares are hot

au1994

perfect example could be the Riv in the post above.

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, you could flip the Riv for a few thousand.

Mr_Shiftright

xwesx

Hey..... only rolled once, huh? How can you go wrong???! :P

The photo of it belly up was a very nice touch.

qbrozen

Here are just the items you need to finish your project car!

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=products_all

Damn! They are out of blinker fluid!
I'll bet that 710 cap can add some serious horsepower, though.
Anyone wanna go halfsies on a flux capacitor?

fintail

Cool, I've been looking for a new power band for the fintail. And it's very hard to find a wiper blade sharpener in these parts.

That must be one of those overpriced union made flux capacitors...I've seen them cheaper.

xwesx

Sure, but are they as reliable and accurate? Come on now.... tell the truth....

I am bummed that they are sold out of the passenger noise suppresors, and I might be tempted on the perfectly clear tail lights if they had a picture of them.

lilengineerboy

Was that in Trade Express like that? I miss the Central Coast

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah that's how it was sent to me, so.....

fintail

The problem with cheaper flux capacitors is that they are designed for use only with stainless steel-bodied cars. Maybe this expensive one has another venue for flux dispersal. You don't want to end up in 1885...

I'm also tempted to buy one of those left handed metric screwdrivers, and I'm not even left handed. I am glad I am stocked up on blinker fluid - appears to be a hot seller.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's a Cadillac that's priced right!

http://www.craigslist.org/eby/zip/173495537.html

xwesx

LOL, yeah, you never know when your right arm might get tired and you will need to switch to the left!

The funniest thing about that Cadillac is that ol' Doug will probably still have a hard time getting rid of it. :P

andre1969

if it were in my neighborhood, I'd actually be tempted by that Seville! I always liked that style. There's one for sale locally to me that's been sitting in a church parking lot for at least 4-5 months now, so I'm guessing it must have issues. Either that or the owner thinks its worth a lot more than it really is.

One thing that looks kinda odd to me about this free one, is that it appears to sit up kind of high. Almost like the engine has been pulled out of it. But then, these cars did sit pretty high to begin with, not low-slung and weighted down like many 70's cars appeared to be.

fintail

Uh yeah...I don't know what it is worth, but I am pretty sure it's not the asking price

au1994

4700? Um, no. I'm sure they think the low miles on an 89 model are worth a premium. I'd say 2500 is more than fair. It'll be a good car for someone for a long time though, assuming of course it was well taken care if in that 85k miles. It is 17 yrs old!!!

Mr_Shiftright

4,700? Er.....no.

Once again, people in car ads exercising their First Amendment rights.

xwesx

Yeah, I agree with those comments. The seller is correct that it is a rare find in that condition, but again, 2500 is more than fair for an '89 commuter car in good shape. Hahaha, $4700. Sounds like he really wants to keep it. "But Honey, I TRIED to sell it and nobody would buy it!"

fintail

There's been a few of these little things on the market lately

One for lemko

oregonboy

Yeowza! Orange Alpine with a crazy-quilt interior. What were thay thinking?

james

Mr_Shiftright

Musta used pads left over from moving.

Oh well, yet another ruined British sports car. Will the abuse never end?

fintail

Here's an unusually renovated fintail...

british_rover

Man I would not post my address on Craigs list.

Hmh had to replace the whole body with fiberglass so I wonder what the fram looks like?

Looks nice priced right?

Franken Jaguar poor car

I know next to nothing about 911 but I never liked any of the Targa models

best project car EVER

Looks nice I don't think it is 40,000 dollars nice

ghulet

...to the '89 911 Turbo owner (I didn't know Turbos were produced in '89, but then again, I'm not an expert), 58861 miles divided by 17 years (OK, eighteen, heck, even if you're Terry, give it twenty) is ~3460 (or 3250 or 2940) a year, not 2500 (as seller emphatically states over and over). Doy. Looks nice, but I'd rather have the '86 Targa (I like them, as long as they're sans rear spoiler) at half the price, and probably half the upkeep costs.

I'm partial to mid-60s GMS boats like this, and Pontiacs were the prettiest, especially 'sporty' versions with buckets/console, and I like the fact that it's unmolested (even with plainish original hubcaps), perfectly unperfect with a bit of patina, and reasonably priced:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/car/174077921.html

qbrozen

The upholstery on the Tiger is easily fixed. So, if there's no rust and the engine rebuild was decently done, I think that's a pretty good buy.

I don't know what to say about that Benz. I mean, here you've gone and taken away one of the best parts of an old Benz ... the drivetrain! And you did what?? Replaced it with an emissions-choked 80s Mustang engine??!! AND one with an automatic to boot??!!

Funny. The targa Porsches of the 70s and 80s are the ONLY porsches I like from those decades (although "like" is a strong word for the later 80s).

lemko

If my 1988 Buick Park Ave ever quits, I'm checking out eBay or craigslist for my next "beater" ride! I can't seem to find many of these nice older cars around here as everybody seems to hold onto them until the cars or themselves are dead.

andre1969

If my 1988 Buick Park Ave ever quits, I'm checking out eBay or craigslist for my next "beater" ride!

I like looking on Craigslist, but it always seems that the stuff I find locally just doesn't interest me as much as the stuff that Fintail or Ghulet has a habit of digging up. And I dunno if it would make sense to go to Washington State or Chicago for a beater! :confuse:

But then, I did go to Chicago once to look over a 1974 Travco motorhome which, thankfully, I came to my senses once I saw it in person. And I did go to Ohio for a '76 LeMans!

Sometimes, some nice 70's or 80's cars show up in the car corral at Carlisle. Often they're overpriced, but sometimes there seem to be some pretty reasonable deals.

When the day comes that my Intrepid finally calls it quits, I've thought about just going back to driving cheap used cars. Or just buying newer used cars that are 1-2 years old might make sense too. But I've gotten myself into a cheap enough mood that I doubt I'll ever buy another brand-new car again.

qbrozen

I like looking on Craigslist, but it always seems that the stuff I find locally just doesn't interest me as much as the stuff that Fintail or Ghulet has a habit of digging up.

I feel the same way. I think I need to go shopping in Seattle next time. Too bad most of the vehicles might not make the trip home!

british_rover

Sucks living in the North East all of the old cars are generally trashed and full of Cancer.

It was a little better in Virginia but not much.

fintail

I don't mind that frankenbenz fintail...the body looks really nice. Better than junking it because of a ruined engine, which is a fate met by many old MB.

Nobody could be stupid enough...

Copying the bustleback wasn't a great idea

british_rover

For 100 bucks I would buy that beamer but that is it.

andre1969

but there's a guy at work who bought a BMW 7-series with a V-12. I think it's a mid 1990's, though. Normally this guy was into old Detroit iron, like Mopars and Chevies and such, so this seemed like an odd switch to him.

He said part of the fun with it is that he can blow off Mustangs with a 4-door sleeper. I dunno if it's really that fast or not, but this guy does have a gift for hyperbole. I dunno if he's experienced any mechanical problems yet, but I'm guessing he will.

As for that tarted-up, bustleback Fairmont, for some reason I kinda like those. It is interesting that, around that timreframe, the Big Three all tried that motif. Cadillac did it first with the '80 Seville, and then Chrysler with the '81 Imperial, and then Lincoln with this Continental.

If I wanted some neoclassic-style 80's domestic that was nice and heavy, but not all that big overall, I'd still probably just go by that old standby, the M-body 5th Avenue. Even though their origins are humble, being based on the Aspen/Volare, if all you want is something cushy and plush and luxurious in a Louisiana cathouse/Fredericks of Tijuana sort of way, they were easily the equal of anything Cadillac or Lincoln was putting out at the time.

Mr_Shiftright

Frankenbenz -- I sure hope somebody upgraded the brakes, suspension and differential on that old fintail. Well, it's your dime, you can spend it as you wish but I often wonder "Tell me again what the point of this was?"

'88 BMW 750iL --May God Have Mercy On Your Soul is all I can say.

'84 Lincoln--well at least we all know now that if we stash a 2006 Lincoln in our garages and keep it meticulously clean and drive it very little, in a mere 22 years we can cash in our chips for $3,950.