Alright guys, I am looking for a cheap classic. I am looking for a 69-77s 2dr Caddy. Or those bulky 58-59 Dodge/chrysler/Buick mean looking cars with fins. (Doubt will find cheap)
Anyone knows anything or sees anything, please let me know. Also if anyone wants to take a look at a car anytime, I can possible pay. Just don't want to get something thats gonna kill my bank in the long run because I don't know what to look for. again... twice...
Over $6000 work performed on car 2000km ago. Have all the receipts. Car is solid and clean, inside, outside and underneath. Rare model. There is a knock in the engine and that is the reason car is being offered at such reasonable price. $3200 firm. Serious inquiries only please. 905 526 0183
-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 7th of September 2010 06:18:48 PM
-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 7th of September 2010 06:20:16 PM
-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 7th of September 2010 06:33:20 PM
-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 7th of September 2010 07:45:43 PM
Deposit of US $500.00 within 48 hours of auction close. Immediate deposit required for Buy It Now. Full payment required within 3 days of auction close.
Shipping:
Buyer responsible for vehicle pick-up or shipping.
Mike, theres no such thing as a Cheap classic thats going to certify for little or no money. You should know that from the last "episode" You get what you pay for & you don't have the place, tools, or experience to repair one. Wait till you can get a GOOD ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________
Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
haha, That's why I like ya Dualquad. Says it the way it is and brings me back! your right too, gotta stay focused. It was actually two Episodes though, first one was the 71 Ford LTD.
Thanks Ray for jumping in on this, thought I might have to "adopt" Mike to keep him on track!!! When it comes "time" & he's ready, one of us is going to have to go with him to see at "least" 4 or 5 cars & get the best one possible & CERTIFIED so he doesn't get in the "bucket of SH&^T" he was in before!!! OVER & OUT 1 of the many "mikes" DADS here!!
__________________
Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
Not to make Mike suffer any more, but can you share the story of the 'lesson learned'. Maybe others can avoid the same. I too am looking for an old caddy for the wife, something year round.
Thanks for the kind words Pete and Ray. Appreciate them.
Turn2Stone, it was very simple really. Both times, could have been avoided easily. with the Riviera and the LTD. Of course, I bought because I wanted a classic car and liked the looks. So I figured good deal. Again, it was a simple stupid thing. I was only 17 when I bought the LTD, no one came with me when I wanted to see it. Anyway, LTD had hole in the frame. I put new dual exhaust, and then ended up selling it because of personal reasons. Atleast I made a profit on that one. Both of the bodies on the Riviera and LTD were good(which was what had tricked me). It was the floors and hidden mechanical problems that needed the attention. The Riviera, started going downhill when I had to let it sit (because of personal reasons again). Hole in the floor and trunk and other unknown things that had to get fixed. Sold it. Lost a lot on that one.
But Pete is right and knows what I am referring to. The thing that I keep getting off track about. That I will have to keep getting my @$$ back on. Which is more important as well... But so hard to stay away from classics.
-- Edited by mike667 on Wednesday 8th of September 2010 07:45:43 AM
Yup, I think its a disease. Fortunately for me, i just recently got infected, and am now looking for my 4th classic in 2 years. I am considering building a shop on my property to house some more. The way I see it, everyone is passionate about something, you just need to find out what it is and go with it. The grim reeper is looking at his watch and looking back at us, so why wait.
Knowing this is a Pontiac site I wish to contribute to your desires for a large comfort car. I have in my possesion a 1973 GrandVille 2 door Hardtop . I am the second owner. Car has 86000 miles. I have owned it for just over a year and I really like the car. I have not considered selling it before I read your post. I have too many cars at this time and have been considering downsizing by one vehicle. The car drives exceptionally well. It has a 455, Turbo 400, new tires, new battery, rebuilt carburator, new muffler, and new tailpipe. Air conditioning parts are all there but need repair. Price firm at $3500 U.S. Dollars. If you might be interested please PM me for more info. Fly in, drive home.
I'm thinking that there is really no such thing, because you have to spend money on them one way or another. Either you spend more up front to get a car that has had the work done on it (or is a nice original that doesn't need the work) or you spend less up front but more in the long run to keep it going and fix it up to your satisfaction. Either way you are spending money.
Now with that said, there are more economical ways of enjoying a classic, and these are some of the lessons I've learned over the years with some of the old tanks I've owned. I'm sure others out there can add much more, but I'll just toss in a few things off the top of my head.
(1) The most important rule to me is AVOID RUST. Ok, this is Canada and rust-free cars are few and far between, but they are out there. If you can't find a completely rust-free car then choose a car that has minimal non-structural rust that can be repaired relatively easy. Fixing a rusty car is the easiest way to eat into your restoration budget big time - you will always find more rust than you thought was there and it will always cost more to fix it than you thought.
The best advice that I can give when looking for an old car is to look it over carefully - putting it up on a hoist is the best way to find rust issues, but if you can't do that be sure to bring a pair of coveralls and a good bright light and crawl all around and underneath it.
Remember, with rust you not only have structural and cosmetic body issues to deal with, but a whole host of other components that will likely be equally rusty and likely need replacement at additional cost/time to you. Thinks like fuel tanks and lines, brake lines, suspension arms, etc etc. It adds up really quickly.
(2) Be realistic with yourself. What are your capabilities? How much time and energy do you really have to devote to your old car? How much money over and above the purchase price of the car can you afford?
Take the Caddy with the engine knock, for example. The $3200 purchase price seems attractive at first, but what will you have to do to make it drivable? Sounds like you'll have to pull the engine, tear it down, find the source of the knock and repair it. While you're in there, you might as well freshen it up with new bearing inserts all around, new rings, new seals, etc etc. If you don't have the place/skills to do this yourself, you'll have to pay somebody else to do it - count on more $$$. But then, you might need machine work done which might necessitate the purchase of more parts as well - keep adding on the $$$. At that point, the car may sit and deteriorate because you can't afford to fix it - not much enjoyment there, and no value for the money you already spent.
(3) What do you want to do with the car? Just have a neat old car to cruise around in and enjoy the experience of owning/driving one? Or do you want to fix it up to "dream car" level someday. Again, be realistic with this one. I've had a few old cars in the past that were drivable and fun as is, but were on the cusp of becoming "money pits".
That is, I was faced with the choice of just keeping them running, but putting up with chalky paint, dents, poorly-repaired rust issues, torn-up interiors, pitted/faded chrome, missing trim, minor but annoying mechanical/electrical/functional issues, etc etc. I had to decide whether I wanted to keep going as is or take the dive and start throwing money at them to bring them to where I want them to be. There's nothing wrong with either decision, but just be sure of where you want to go before you start because once you start throwing money at them it's very easy to get in over your head.
Bodywork and paint are expensive, but once you've done those the chrome looks terrible so you throw $$$ at chrome. Then you notice that the fresh paint makes the interior look all the worse. Then you decide that your car looks great but doesn't drive as nicely as you want it to, so you go at the suspension. Then you have a nice car that smokes a little or is down on power or doesn't shift quite right. Suddenly you've got twice the money into the car than you'll ever get out of it.
It's not all bad, as it can be quite satisfying in the long run, but I'm just saying be realistic with yourself and don't bite off more than you can chew.
(4) Car choice. Well, obviously you have to choose a car that interests/excites you but some cars make better "cheap classics" than others.
Some may not agree with me on this, but I'd tend to avoid the top-end luxury cars for two main reasons. Firstly, the luxury models all had more stuff on them - that means more stuff that can break and can be expensive/frustrating to repair. Sometimes all that electric/automatic stuff can really be a pain to deal with. The simpler the car the easier it will be to fix. Secondly, the high-end luxury stuff - the Caddys, Buicks, Imperials, Lincolns, etc tend to have less of a following among the mainstream of the hobby and are thusly not very well supported by the aftermarket. Parts can be tough to find unless you have some good junkyard contacts, or have the time/patience to scan the internet ads or auction sites to find them.
Age and practicality can be an issue as well. While I think the finned Mopars are some of the coolest cars on wheels, they are also hard to find in decent shape and were less popular than their Ford and GM contemporaries. They were also prone to serious rust. Again, be prepared to spend money on them.
Safety systems might be something to think about as well. For example dual-chamber master cylinders and seat belts. Those finned Mopars will have neither. Anybody who has popped a brake line while driving a car will attest to the fact that there is nothing scarier than having no brakes - on a dual chamber (1967 or later) setup you always have half of the brakes remaining to get you to the side of the road, but the single-chamber setup leaves you no options except the park brake and gearing down. They can be upgraded but again, at a cost. Ideally, one should ensure that all braking systems are at 100%, but reality of keeping a car at a low budget often means that systems are left to be "good enough" - which for obvious reasons can come back to bite you. Seat belts can also be upgraded, but again at a cost.
Notice the common thread here? Cost! It's all good and fun, but ya gotta be realistic about what you want/need and how much it will really cost you. The more work you can do yourself, will obviously result in less cost financially but more cost to your personal life. If you have a wife or girlfriend (hopefully not both!), they will likely want to occupy a part of your personal life, so unless they enjoy getting their hands dirty under the hood of an old car this will have to figure into the equation.
Sorry for the long ramble... I ended up typing more than I had set out to do, but it's just a few of my personal thoughts on the subject. I constantly have the struggle of wanting to get back into an old car as cheaply as possible and often my emotional reaction to an old car clouds my judgement somewhat, so you're not alone... I'm sure most people in the hobby deal with this at one time or another.
Knowing this is a Pontiac site I wish to contribute to your desires for a large comfort car. I have in my possesion a 1973 GrandVille 2 door Hardtop . I am the second owner. Car has 86000 miles. I have owned it for just over a year and I really like the car. I have not considered selling it before I read your post. I have too many cars at this time and have been considering downsizing by one vehicle. The car drives exceptionally well. It has a 455, Turbo 400, new tires, new battery, rebuilt carburator, new muffler, and new tailpipe. Air conditioning parts are all there but need repair. Price firm at $3500 U.S. Dollars. If you might be interested please PM me for more info. Fly in, drive home.
That's one nice looking car! You west coast guys have all the nice cars!
Good write up MC. Memories, of all the mechanic inspections, fees, tow charges, appraisals, taxes, are all coming back as well. Has put some more thought for me. I will have to back off for now, and get that one thing that is priority. But I will be back for a classic, and I will be ready one day.
Halfbreed, sweet car, good price. But Pete and Ray reminded me what has to come first. When I get that, then I will come back and talk.
-- Edited by mike667 on Wednesday 8th of September 2010 04:25:41 PM
Sounds like you know what you have to do. I wish you all the best with it. Take your time, there will still be lots of old cars available when you are ready for one.
My idea of a great car that is easy to work on, cheap to buy, lots of parts for them, and can go like stink yet have great fuel milage, is the 94-96 B-body Chevs, Buicks, & Caddies. These cars are a little older now and are a bargin. They can achieve 30mpg on the highway and with only bolt ons, you can get these big brutes turning mid 13 second quarter mile times. How can you go wrong? I have a 96 Caprice (9C1 car) with a Buick Roadmaster interior for my driver, a 95 Impala SS with every possible bolt-on speed part and a 94 Impala SS with 3.73 gears and CAI. These cars are not bad to work on and can be fun drivers that people like to check out at the cruise nights. I suppose that what I am getting at is that you don't need a classic car requiring tons of work just to go cruising. I have always followed what the old man (dad) did when I was a kid....make the family car a racer too. I don't own anything without some sort of modifications on it. It's way more fun hosing unsuspecting sports cars from the lights with a huge 4 door than you guys can imagine. The LT-1 engines in these B-bodies has significant torque compared to the old school 350's. They have no problem to get a 4400lb car moving and then they rev past 5500 without a problem.
I have been driving B-bodies for the past 9 years and think they are one of the best kept secrets. Parts are cheap. Cars are very comfortable. Easy to work on. Great fuel economy. Potential to hot rod them. And best of all, they are cheap to buy. (oh yeah, they are faster than a crown vic PI too)
) 
