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

fintail · February 2006

ooh, nevermind then

I was somehow thinking it would be like a friend of mine's 83 Monte, which has an emasculated but not unsafe 305.

british_rover · February 2006

Hey you are in luck the seller es no hables espanol.

Get in there and buy it.

andre1969 · February 2006

but I think there was one year in there, like 1982, when GM eliminated all 5-liter engines from their midsized cars. So that would mean that you were limited to the likes of the Buick 252 V-6 (125 hp and even more prone to self-destruction than the 231), Chevy 267 (~120-125 hp, and really no worse than any other smallblock Chevy), Olds 260 (100 hp, and about as bulletproof as it gets, but gawd, that 100 hp is embarrassing!) and Pontiac 265 (~120 hp, and derived from the troubleprone 301, but not really strong enough to hurt itself, so considerably more reliable)

I think 1983 was the year they got rid of all those little sub-5 liter V-8's, and you could get a 305 in a Chevy/Pontiac, and a 307 in the Olds, but Buick wanted you to go turbo for your extra power.

martian · February 2006

Wow-thanks, shifty! I actually had amd dreams about buying an old XJ6-I'm so glad i've listened to you! Now I understand why these heaps are so tough to unload. Another question: my brother recently sold his old M-B 500D 9a real dog) to a wholesaler, who told him that the car would be shipped to greece or Turkey! apparently, they can rebuoild these cars there very cheaply-and re-export the rebuilt car to Africa or the Middle east-at a handsome profit! can you do such a similar thing with 80's jags?

fintail · February 2006

That is crazy about those eary 80s GM cars - talk about inefficient. My friend with the Monte has also mentioned that he's had problems finding exactly the right brake parts for that car, they would keep giving him the wrong ones. Almost identical cars, but all different parts. He also has wheels from an 81 Z28 on it, and he had a hell of a time getting those to fit.

About the old MB, that is very true. I read an article in the Brit mag 'Mercedes Enthusiast' about a guy who bought a used old 240D on ebay in England, drove it to northern Africa, and sold it for triple the money.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

no, nobody in Europe or Africa wants old XJ6s....Mercedes rules because they have a lot of trained mechanics and a superb parts and service network. With an old Jag you're just hung out to dry. Their bad reputation is world-wide, it's not just us.

british_rover · February 2006

Shelby Mustang

and the cheap ones ohhh i like this one

martian · February 2006

I think the industry (foreign and domestic) is making life cycles shorter and shorter,,which is bad for the consumer. Consider this (I just got my KANTERS MOTORS catalogue). OLDSMOBILE used the same driveshaft u-joints from 1952 to 1974! The AMC 232 engine had the same parts from 1960 through 1979. Compare that to today-most of the time parts from one year won;t fit the next year's models. That is why used car values are dropping like a stone-it simply is far too expensive to stock so many parts given the yearly changes. Which is why a 10 year old AUDI is essentially worthless-and becomes a crap shoot if you face a major re[pair.

british_rover · February 2006

Thats true but the improvments in parts design now is measured in months now not in years or decades like before. The advancments in meatlurgy alone is astonishing now without even thinking about parts that involve anything electronic.

fintail · February 2006

Yeah, cars are disposable now.

The funny thing is that back in the day when mechanicals were constant, the sheetmetal changed. You'll find cars made over a 15-20 year period with very few if any body panels that can be shared, not to mention trim. Today, the bodies change a lot less, but the mechanicals change more (in most cases).

fintail · February 2006

Here's a...car of sorts

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

GEEZ! The 500KR Shelby in the condition listed is already overbid at $70K. You can buy really nice ones for $85K. Silly money at work here or shill bidding....somebody needs to remind them that it's the 1967 model that's worth all the money.

fintail · February 2006

"the guy i got it from said it was a four speed and ss but i dont know how to run numbers" = "pretty as it may be, this was once 5 different cars"

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

Decent enough price if it's a really sharp well done clone. But of course when the muscle car bubble bursts, the clones will take the hardest hit of all.

imidazol97 · February 2006

The Olds 260 V8? 100 horsepower. I had a 1980 Cutlass which got along nicely with that motor and a 350 THM (got lucky on that build date). I didn't recall those went into Buicks.

I remember lots of the turbos in Buicks.

andre1969 · February 2006

I don't think the Olds 260 ever found its way into many, if any Buicks. Especially not by 1982-83. I was just listing all the undersized engines that GM used around that timeframe in their various midsizes. Now in a big Olds or Buick, you could get a 307 V-8. And in a Caprice/Impala you could get a 305. There were no big Pontiacs in '82.

A buddy of mine had an '82 Cutlass Supreme sedan with the 260, and honestly, for having 100 hp it did better than I though it would. I had a 1986 Monte Carlo for a few months, with a 305-4bbl, 150 hp, 245 ft-lb of torque (IIRC) and a 4-speed automatic tranny. For having 50 less hp, that Cutlass didn't seem any worse in normal driving, and even in hard-out acceleration, kept up surprisingly well with my Monte.

Now in something like 0-60 it would be no contest. I'd imagine my Monte would do it in around 10 seconds, while if I were to take a wild guess, 14 or so for the Cutlass? But at highway speeds it seemed to have good passing power.

Ultimately, he got like $600 in trade for it in 1999 when he bought a '95 Grand Marquis. It had at least 150,000 miles on it. Interestingly, $600 is all he got in 2004 when he traded that Grand Marquis for an '04 Crown Vic! It was up to around 175,000 though!

As for the THM350, sometimes you'd get lucky I guess. My '82 Cutlass Supreme, which just had a 231 V-6, had a THM 350. But I had to get it rebuilt, so I guess I wasn't THAT lucky!

fintail · February 2006

Speaking of those early 60s Buicks

Well, the price is right

Hmmm...how many times the real price is this?

andre1969 · February 2006

almost looks artistic, sitting out in the field like that. The seller got the year wrong. It's either a '51 or '52. The '53 had a 1-piece windshield, bolder, sleeker, chromier grille, and a more modern looking roofline with a reverse-slant C-pillar and wraparound rear window.

Odd that wraparound rear windows started becoming pretty common, but it would still be a bit before the wraparound windshield came into vogue.

andre1969 · February 2006

a nice little Three pack of yard trophies!

imidazol97 · February 2006

Laundry hanging on the line in the background doesn't do much for the subliminal cues in the Buick picture!

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

300ZX--about three times the real price.

fintail · February 2006

I like that Lincoln three pack somehow. Cars with stories and traceable ownership are more interesting.

bumpy · February 2006

The steering wheel on that Buick isn't original, is it? That Z is way overpriced, RHD isn't worth $20,000.

british_rover · February 2006

I do like the buick that would be a nice summer cruise car.

fintail · February 2006

Yeah the wheel in that Buick isn't stock

fintail · February 2006

"350hp" - I wonder what "hp" means in this ad

andre1969 · February 2006

it does have a K&N air filter, so I'd assume the hp to be correct. :P

bumpy · February 2006

Hamsterpower, approximately 75 watts.

qbrozen · February 2006

is this a more positive way to say "salvage title"??

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131642371.html

stickguy · February 2006

not sure if you got your tongue in your cheek or not (being a I can't see through my monitor), so I will assume you did not know that '99 was the year they switched to the remodeled body style. I'm assuming that's what this seller was (poorly at best) trying to say.

Reminds me, I hate companies that switch models mid year, but keep the same MY. If you come out with a remodel in January of '99, just call it the 2000 like everyone else, instead of having 2 unique 1999 models.

qbrozen · February 2006

i hope "colege" teaches this fella how to spell.
Is it even possible to cram a 4.0 in the enine bay??
and somebody please take the red spray paint away from him.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131653027.html

thank goodness for the "good" inspection. I hate buying cars with bad inspections.
Think that's a repaint? if not, its darned shiney for the age.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131643083.html

Here's something you don't see on the roads here in the northeast anymore.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131635453.html

I always liked this style, but price seems pretty steep for the age. What say the rest of you?
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131597066.html

If only it was a stick, this could be a decent beater.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131583544.html

I don't care how clean it is, is any rodeo worth this much?
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131588365.html

qbrozen · February 2006

i was half serious. i found it funny either way. I'm easily amused.

Anyway, i figured that's what he was saying, but considering its been redesigned since then, it didn't make sense to me. Now that you explain the mid-year change, it makes more sense.

qbrozen · February 2006

what is with the question marks??
If you don't know the answers to questions about YOUR car, buddy, nobody does!
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131555659.html

17 miles???
17K miles??
171K miles??

stickguy · February 2006

or just bored?

I doubt any rodeo is worth it, but I suppose if it is super clean, that one could be.

The Bronco II looks like a good deal for the $$ if it is generally clean, with no obvious needs.

And maybe the Jetta has a spare engine in the trunk?

qbrozen · February 2006

definitely bored.

found one i really like. Still darned expensive for 13 years old, though.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131532914.html

british_rover · February 2006

Re the prelude

Its an automatic so going to be a bit more of a pain to put any newer Honda 4 cylinders in it and make it an ok little track car.

And it is an automatic so not many kids are going to want to rice it either.

I would agree a little steep.

qbrozen · February 2006

In my sometimes-not-so-humble opinion, "restored" and "sheepskin seat covers" should NOT apply to the same car.
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/131486997.html

british_rover · February 2006

Agreed again depends on how it drives I guess with the age it has but I think like 6 or 6.5 is about all it is worth.

stickguy · February 2006

hey, doesn't hurt to drive by and toss out a low ball.

That's the beauty of not really needing a car, but being willing to buy something interesting when it comes along. Just remember to keep a wad of Benjamins in the glove compartment, since money talks!

stickguy · February 2006

I actually really wanted one of the 5 speed stick models (that they probably made 10 of). But not too practical with 2 kids to tote around.

Maybe when they hit college, if for no other reason than I won't be able to afford anything better than a 20 YO Lexus!

Man, when I am an empty nester, the possibilities will be endless, since practicality won't be an issue! I highly doubt that my DW would fit into an Lotus though (she barely fit in the Miata).

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

Toyota FJ40s and 60s are red hot right now, but the FJ40 is really worth more and the 60s are just on the coat tails.

fintail · February 2006

That abused poor looking W140 is likely 171K, look at the neglect of that interior. Money pit - you can buy a pristine one for 15K, and it would take that much to fix that poor old thing. Ship it off to Russia or something.

british_rover · February 2006

I too have always wanted one of the SC300 sticks. I think that would be a great sleeper with a Supra motor in it.

stickguy · February 2006

the supra (non-turbo) motor? Probably real easy to hop that baby up and have a nice, unique sleeper!

british_rover · February 2006

Either one is fairly easy to put in. One of the import tuner mags did a detailed swap write up on it a year or so ago. They found a kind of beat up but ok 5 speed SC300 and swapped in a 6 speed tranny and turbo motor from a supra into it.

Not exactly plug in play but fairly easy as for as most swaps go.

bumpy · February 2006

It would probably be easier to import a manual Soarer TT than to find an SC with a stick.

xwesx · February 2006

post regarding '75 Pinto hatchback

I'd buy that for parts if I was still living in Oregon!

lilengineerboy · February 2006

FJs are super hot right now. There is an active cottage industry to restore these guys. Companies like TLC:
http://www.tlc4x4.com/2000/Restorations/tlc_restorations.htm and
RMC:
http://www.rockymountaincruisers.com/ do a lot of work on them.
You can still find these cheap if you look around, there are a few in the Michigan freebee auto sellers.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

We have one FJ40 in our town where the guy put $40,000 into restoration (and he's not done!). Looks a lot better than Toyota ever built it.

I like FJ40s. I can see why they are popular.

jrosasmc · February 2006

And how about the later FJ60s/62s? You think people will be fully restoring these things and asking top dollar for them within the next few years?

To be frank if one wanted a cheap 4x4 from the late '80s he should get an old Jeep Cherokee or Ford Bronco and be done with it.

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

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