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Hmmmmmm.....
No rub strips.
no sunroof.
no rear spoiler.
no rear wiper.
I would do what you can to save it....my 2 cents, anyway.
Did you run the VIN for options?
OK well that's weird. VIN says "Electrical sliding roof," but pics show no sunroof. Someone could have removed the sunroof, but that's a big job to do correctly.
Wow you have your hands full there. Good car to save and great price! Imo I would get it running before you decide to invest any $$ on the interior. Before you try to get it running I would check the integrity of the timing belt system first.
While looking at the pictures of the paint job...this is exactly what I thought I would see if the same folks did a sun-roof delete. I imagine the rear spoiler and wiper delete were done similarly. These types of repairs/changes automatically remove a lot of value. If they were done correctly, then that's a different story.
Your decision seems clearer and clearer with each exposed panel. Unless you have some very, very deep pockets...you will be hard pressed to get this car straighten out...in a lifetime.
I hope this doesn't come across rude, that's not my intention. Just trying to be realistic. Just in the interior alone...I see probably six grand in repairs...and I'm being somewhat optimistic and assume you will do all of the installation yourself...if not...you can add a bunch more green.
Use this car as an experiment and learning process. Heck, you've already learned a ton. Use this information for a much more enjoyable project. They are out there, especially if you hang around here long enough.
While looking at the pictures of the paint job...this is exactly what I thought I would see if the same folks did a sun-roof delete. I imagine the rear spoiler and wiper delete were done similarly. These types of repairs/changes automatically remove a lot of value. If they were done correctly, then that's a different story.
Your decision seems clearer and clearer with each exposed panel. Unless you have some very, very deep pockets...you will be hard pressed to get this car straighten out...in a lifetime.
I hope this doesn't come across rude, that's not my intention. Just trying to be realistic. Just in the interior alone...I see probably six grand in repairs...and I'm being somewhat optimistic and assume you will do all of the installation yourself...if not...you can add a bunch more green.
Use this car as an experiment and learning process. Heck, you've already learned a ton. Use this information for a much more enjoyable project. They are out there, especially if you hang around here long enough.
Brian.
Brian - Thanks again. And, no, you're being rude at all. I was looking for honest opinions and I knew I would find them here. Like you said, the answer as to what to do with this car becomes clearer and clearer as I dig a bit deeper. I was just in the shop looking over the electrics a bit and, wow, not in good shape either.
Welcome aboard big Al! For what it's worth, I have to agree with the deputy here. If you go forward with restoring this car, you may end up not liking these cars much anymore. This one has heartbreak written large all over it. There are much better restoration platforms out there and I can put you onto to them, and likely for around the same price point. The most important starting point is always a straight body platform and then go from there. You do not appear to have that. I would abort now, sell what I could then buy a better starting point.
Regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, it's your project and best of luck with whatever you decide. There is lots of help here no matter what.
Last edited by linderpat; 01-03-2016 at 10:32 AM.
Reason: fix spelling
You really should Punt....save your money and find a better car to start with.... the transmission alone is worth many times what you paid for the car....get the engine to run and it too is worth a good deal of money....
Trying to "save" this car is stupid .... you did not kill it that happened long before you bought it !
Hi Al 86.5 is a good year. Is it a 4 or 5 speed stick. If you do get bad news on the chassis I have a 86.5 auto and if I had a chance to switch the auto for a stick I think I would. So If you give up and learn the stats like mileage someone like me would buy the drive train less the engine or complete. Might make a nice drive with my Tundra our your way. Being retired I have more time than most. I hope you get it running and back in good shape. If you need a measurement from a car that has never been hit let me know. Maybe you have a 86.5 question since your was less than complete.
Best of Luck, Steve
You really should Punt....save your money and find a better car to start with.... the transmission alone is worth many times what you paid for the car....get the engine to run and it too is worth a good deal of money....
Trying to "save" this car is stupid .... you did not kill it that happened long before you bought it !
+928
Seriously, we love a good save here.. but this one is too far gone. Its not resting, its dead.
Put another way, its in way worse shape than the junk-yard save Kevin is doing with a '78 model where he bought a car which was being parted out in a junk yard.
I'm with Jim on this.. the smart thing to do is get the engine to run, and sell it and the transmission, as well as anything else off the car which may have value (ECU's, window motors, wiper motor and assembly, and so on). Add the proceeds to your original 928 budget and keep looking.
Welcome aborted big Al! For w hat it's worth, I have to agree with the deputy here. If you go forward with restoring this car, you may end up not liking these cars much anymore. This one has heartbreak written large all over it. There are much better restoration platforms out there and I can put you onto to the m, and likely for around the sMe price point. The most important starting point is always a straight body platform and then go from there. You do not appear to have that. I would abort now, sell what I could then buy a better starting point.
Regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, it's your project and best of luck with whatever you decide. There is lots of help here no matter what.
Originally Posted by James Bailey
You really should Punt....save your money and find a better car to start with.... the transmission alone is worth many times what you paid for the car....get the engine to run and it too is worth a good deal of money....
Trying to "save" this car is stupid .... you did not kill it that happened long before you bought it !
Originally Posted by Wisconsin Joe
Welcome. Thanks for the pics (so many new folk fail to post them).
A good body shop may be able to fix it, depending on how bad it is "tweaked." And how much you want to spend.
AO got the "Coca Cola Car" after it got bent pretty badly. It was fixed.
Hi Al 86.5 is a good year. Is it a 4 or 5 speed stick. If you do get bad news on the chassis I have a 86.5 auto and if I had a chance to switch the auto for a stick I think I would. So If you give up and learn the stats like mileage someone like me would buy the drive train less the engine or complete. Might make a nice drive with my Tundra our your way. Being retired I have more time than most. I hope you get it running and back in good shape. If you need a measurement from a car that has never been hit let me know. Maybe you have a 86.5 question since your was less than complete.
Best of Luck, Steve
Originally Posted by Hilton
+928
Seriously, we love a good save here.. but this one is too far gone. Its not resting, its dead.
Put another way, its in way worse shape than the junk-yard save Kevin is doing with a '78 model where he bought a car which was being parted out in a junk yard.
I'm with Jim on this.. the smart thing to do is get the engine to run, and sell it and the transmission, as well as anything else off the car which may have value (ECU's, window motors, wiper motor and assembly, and so on). Add the proceeds to your original 928 budget and keep looking.
Originally Posted by The Deputy
Al,
While looking at the pictures of the paint job...this is exactly what I thought I would see if the same folks did a sun-roof delete. I imagine the rear spoiler and wiper delete were done similarly. These types of repairs/changes automatically remove a lot of value. If they were done correctly, then that's a different story.
Your decision seems clearer and clearer with each exposed panel. Unless you have some very, very deep pockets...you will be hard pressed to get this car straighten out...in a lifetime.
I hope this doesn't come across rude, that's not my intention. Just trying to be realistic. Just in the interior alone...I see probably six grand in repairs...and I'm being somewhat optimistic and assume you will do all of the installation yourself...if not...you can add a bunch more green.
Use this car as an experiment and learning process. Heck, you've already learned a ton. Use this information for a much more enjoyable project. They are out there, especially if you hang around here long enough.
Brian.
Thanks, everyone, for the honest feedback! I was encouraged after reading through AO's effort to save the Coca Cola car. However, after reading through your posts again, Deputy has a good point...what the hell else did the "monkeys" do whilst fixing this car that I haven't come across yet?!? Another example is that the rub strip holes were filled in with bondo (no surprise there), but the opposite side of the fender has a mound of bondo resembling a two year olds effort of putting toothpaste on a toothbrush for the first time.
And the electrics?!? I was an Elec Tech for my first 10 years in the Navy, but, damn, it looks bad!
I'm seriously considering parting her out and looking for a more solid car as a project.
Thanks for all the posts, thus far . I feel as though I've been talked off the ledge.
Thanks, everyone, for the honest feedback! I was encouraged after reading through AO's effort to save the Coca Cola car. However, after reading through your posts again, Deputy has a good point...what the hell else did the "monkeys" do whilst fixing this car that I haven't come across yet?!? Another example is that the rub strip holes were filled in with bondo (no surprise there), but the opposite side of the fender has a mound of bondo resembling a two year olds effort of putting toothpaste on a toothbrush for the first time.
And the electrics?!? I was an Elec Tech for my first 10 years in the Navy, but, damn, it looks bad!
I'm seriously considering parting her out and looking for a more solid car as a project.
Thanks for all the posts, thus far . I feel as though I've been talked off the ledge.
Ok, I'm going to go in the other direction then my esteemed colleagues.
Al you got the shop and you got the skill...
Hell, any training in electronics puts you ahead of the game with this car.
I guess my point would be you can always part the car out now, or later.
Take a shot in the meantime.
Yea the monkeys had their day, true, but you also got into a highly desirable car for rock, rock bottom cost. It's not going to be a COA, concours, animal that you can flip to a collector at Mecum. But, that does not mean you can't make it yours and enjoy the hell out of it.
You've done a lot of the dirty work already, wait till you hit the power band in third on that 32 valve monster, that will but a smile on your face.
01-02-2016, 04:24 PM
. I feel as though I've been talked off the ledge.
