[tim1859]

I spent 90 minutes last night looking at a 66 Comet two door hard top. The current owner started working on it, but decided he needed to free up garage space (he has 15 cars spread wround his property and his three garages).

The body is all in primer and is straight except for a golfball size dent by the left rear wheel arc. The interior is removed and all of the trunk lining so I have been over and under all of the sheet metal. There are some pinholes in the front floor pans, otherwise it is solid. All of the exterior trim is off of the car, but I inpsected it and it is in amazingly good condition. It has a 289 with an automatic. He scavenged the engine from a Galaxie in a junk yard.

Here is the key issue for me - I am a beginner and I have planned on buying a car that is running that I can do one thing at a time to and enjoy in between. This is a solid foundation for a project, but I have to do a very complete project just to get it on the street. What is your best advice?

I know quite a bit more about it, but I'll answer your questions as they come up rather than making this post any longer than it has to be.

Oh, he is asking $2900 and said he would take $2600. I didn't try to negotiate any further because I wasn't ready to write a check.

Thanks

 

[1965FALCON]

Well... Sounds like you are in for a "project". If you are the kind of person that likes the project part more than the driving part I say go for it!

Body work and interior restoration is very time consuming and requires a lot of patience and parts searching to get it right. Personally, I love doing that kind of stuff... but I have friends that can't handle that and end up driving their cars with nothing but a bench seat and an instrument cluster for four years. Then they sell the "peice of crap" for something completed.

Don't settle for something you don't really want... It's worth waiting for something that you really want and look forward to working on and driving.

There my opinion...

 

[Wildcat]

Personally, I'd run away from the car and not look back. Especially if you are looking for somthing you can drive in between upgrades. Spend the extra money on a solid, running car -- it will be worth it. There always seem to be hidden costs that add up so fast when trying to piece things back together. Before you know it the car will be held togther with zip ties and duct tape and you'll be wondering where all the money went you put into it.

I would consider the car a reasonable buy if you were going to drive something else while you kept it at home in the garage and built it up all at once. Just my opinion...

 

[Fastback66]

Well i think if your up to a project. My uncle bought his "High School" car in pieces but now since its all apart hes puttin it together the way he wants to and its gonna be really nice.

 

[desertdroog]

I am not sure how rare those cars are or what their value is, but for my solid 289 no rust, suede 2 door fastback 1964 Galaxie 500, I paid $2000.00. It has perfect seats and headliner, but the dash floor and panels have the typical summer dryrot.

I have a hard time paying for any car without paint or not running over $2000.00, but that is just me.

 

[JohnnyRay]

On 2002-02-21 17:43, desertdroog wrote:
I am not sure how rare those cars are or what their value is, but for my solid 289 no rust, suede 2 door fastback 1964 Galaxie 500, I paid $2000.00. It has perfect seats and headliner, but the dash floor and panels have the typical summer dryrot.

I have a hard time paying for any car without paint or not running over $2000.00, but that is just me.

I agree with desertdroog about the price.

Seems kind of high to me.

 

[gttorinofan]

It's hard enough to tear a car apart yourself and remember what goes back where even if you take good notes and pictures. It needs floorboards, has a junkyard engine and trans, and the price seems a bit high. But hey if it's what you want go for it. But you can more than likely get something all together and running for not much more.

 

[RumpityRump]

take the money, hire van halen and have a party in your back yard !

Party On !

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: RumpityRump on 2/22/02 1:26pm ]</font>

 

[RPM]

Sooo, have enough people advised you to pass on this project and buy a driver?

 

[tim1859]

Yes, RPM, enough people have and they are right. I did strike up a bit of a friendship with the seller and he is a much more experienced project car guy than I am, so I'm going to call him this evening and tell him I'm not buying it, but I'll try to preserve him as a resource since he isn't far away.

Thanks guys!

 

[RPM]

Tim, since you don't have your location filled in, I don't know where you live. However, saw a 67 Fairlane in the Bakersfield, Ca paper @ $4,500. Also one w/o engine in local camera ads for $1,500 I believe.

 

[tim1859]

Thanks RPM, I updated my profile to show that I live in beautiful, salt-strewn Indiana.

I went today and looked at a 68 Torino that I really liked. When I have a little more time later on, I'll post its particulars and get everybodies' feedback.

 

[RPM]

Ya know Tim, it was only 86 degrees in Bakersfield yesterday, not a bad time of year for a hoser, er hoiser, how do you spell hewsher, to visit California. Southwest Airlines has cheap rates.

 

[tim1859]

I have lived in Indiana for 12 years, but I will never own up to being a hoosier, whatever one may be.

Flying to Bakersfield is easy. Getting back with a Fairlane in my carry-on bag is tough.

My secretary lived in Bakersfield for the first half of the 90's. She said her best friend called her the other day and said it snowed there. I suppose it is gone now, though.

I will be Florida over spring break. If I don't buy first, I will shop there at that time.