Finally on it's way!

[azdave]

Is the ad still on ebay or was it too long ago? I would like to put the seller on my "never buy from" list if you know their seller name.

[krpound]

Up on the lift, here's what we find: SOLID undecarriage. A leak near what looks like a transfer case, should be attended to sooner rather than later. Brakes shoe on all four wheels installed recently and BACKWARDS, causing all four wheel cylinders to leak (easy fix). Probable bad sending unit in the fuel tank. An incredible amount of body filler on the right door, rear quarter and front and rear splash pans. A slight bit of rust on the right door as well. So mechanically, it's sound. Just uglier than hell. It's was really funny to see all the under-35 techs in the shop gather around and scratch their heads (this is a Cadillac dealership!)

Rear Valence

attachment=4]frontsplash.JPG[/attachment]

Something leaking

Rear Splash Panel

[krpound]

Is the ad still on ebay or was it too long ago? I would like to put the seller on my "never buy from" list if you know their seller name.

It was a private seller, a young man in the Navy getting ready to move to Spain. Bought it back on July 17th. Here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=Vie ... MEWNX%3AIT

[mart]

Those pics look all too familiar, missing panel joints = rust repair, missing body line above wheel well = rust or accident damage.Rear vallence is probably rusted due to the double skin bumper bracket mount ...how do these areas look from inside engine compartment with spare tyre and battery removed? Oil leak doesnt look too serious from the pic.......Seems you just cant trust anyone these days
Take it over to Allentown and sell it to Clint at Right pedal Autosales, tell him I sent ya

[flat6_musik]

Yeesh......I thought it wasn't TOOOOO bad of a deal, but some of those pics are.....just.....not....givin' off the warm fuzzie feelings. But if that drivetrain IS fresh and mechanically it's fairly good, I don't think it's a total tragedy.

Maybe his grandpa was one of those old guys who couldn't bear to part with much of his cold hard cash for some decent bodywork.

If there WAS a grandpa.

[mart]

Just looked at ebay pics, that insulation stuff in engine bay could be hiding a multitude of botched repairs, rip it out and have a look, and top corner in trunk near brake master cyl is a nasty rust suspect area which is a bitch to fix as it reaches into the top of the fenderwell, Have a look at my pensylvania bondo bucket thread to see what to look for

[PHX65CorsaHT]

I'm with flat6, in this market maybe he got a slightly better deal, but if its as good mechanically as you think you in no way got taken to the cleaners. It's the mech's that get expensive. If you don't mind getting dirty redo the body work and its still a driver in the meantime! If you would have to pay someone to do all the body work forget it...you wouldn't want to count the hours and find out your wage, ask mart? It has to be labor of love. The only way you get your money out of it, if that is your ultimate goal, is to drive it as is get a grand worth of driving enjoyment (and that easy in a vair in my opinion), then sell it for $2500. Looks like you have about $3500 into it. You bought it so you are not hurting for the 3k keep it around awhile it will grow on ya bondo and all!

[Bobby65]

i mean if you can't live with the door and quarter being bondo'd find a replacement quarter and door for a few hundred bucks then bring them to a bodyshop and spend a few hundred more dollars and get it fixed the rest of the car seems pretty nice

[krpound]

Thanks for all the input, folks; I really value your opinions. I was very happy just to find out that it's in good shape mechanically. "Must do's" include four new tires while I'm waiting for Harrisburg to process the title and tag work (2-3 weeks for antique plates). I didn't buy it as an investment, I bought it as a driver, but the bodywork is gonna drive me nuts. I can do mechanical repairs, but not bodywork. I'll post more as we work it through the shop.

[MonzaDave]

State inspections are on a state-by-state basis and there are no federally mandated standards for those inspections. Many states don't have inspections and some are just an emissions check. The bottom line is that passing a state inspection means almost nothing -- except you can register the car in that state. None of them are nearly as extensive as the MOT or the Japanese Shaken. When we lived in Japan, it cost hundreds of dollars to have our car Shakened and they checked everything.

[mart]

State inspections are on a state-by-state basis and there are no federally mandated standards for those inspections. Many states don't have inspections and some are just an emissions check. The bottom line is that passing a state inspection means almost nothing -- except you can register the car in that state. None of them are nearly as extensive as the MOT or the Japanese Shaken. When we lived in Japan, it cost hundreds of dollars to have our car Shakened and they checked everything.

Are you saying that despite the USA government's sometimes fanatical stand on vehicle safety , its OK to drive around in a death trap.?Does the legislation only cover newly built vehicles, and manufacturers, and once the vehicle is in private hands it can be in an unsafe condition as long as emissions are OK? As long as you have a million air bags, crumple zones, impact resistant bumpers,warning buzzers etc you dont need brakes, steering or structural integrity???I have heard some states are strict on modifications, but if a stock condition car is allowed to degenerate into a death trap, or has been poorly repaired , then thats OK is it?This now puts the condition of my Corvair into some sort of prospective... Ive heard about the Japanese OTT regs to a certain extent, isnt there a mileage limit ? ,and then cars are scrapped or engines etc changed. I know we import a lot of engines from Japan to UK that are perfectly OK to use over here but dont satisfy Jap regs. I suppose in the land of the free its fine to drive a car that can kill , but you cant speak your mind for fear of being sued.........dont ya just love politics????

[Vaircooled]

I knew a guy in North Carolina that put a sofa on a go kart frame and got it licensed as a kit car and the DMV didn't even need to look at it. Unfortunately each state determines what defines safety regarding state inspections, therefore, there is a lot of variation as to what is safe.
I think the south is particularly lax in their regulations as I have seen many cars such as these driving around daily in my day:






By the way, there is a guy at work who drives his truck without a windshield and wears safety goggles and apparently hasn't been pulled over yet.

[krpound]

Mart, here's the poop on PA State Inspections: http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/c ... 75.80.html
Notice that nowhere is prior poor bodywork a failing point.

Cars in PA are inspected once a year. Looking at the photos of your car, it looks like it had an 8/11 sticker on it. All that means is that (supposedly) a year prior, the car met all of the criteria above. Obviously it didn't when you bought it. Since state inspections are performed by independent (and licensed) shops (like ours), there is the, um, opportunity for the inspection mechanic to turn a blind eye if he thinks it won't come back and bite him on the ass. All inspection mechanics are licensed by the state and most take the job very seriously because a) it's their license on the line and b) it's an opportunity to make some money by doing needed repairs. You just got hosed by an unscrupulous one who probably knew you couldn't or wouldn't take action against him.

[mart]

I bought the car 7/11 so the inspection was about to run out, the bad repairs were done a few years ago, I have receipts, so it must have been running around like this for a while. Its possible that the last inspection was done by someone associated with the dealership I bought it from, I will never know, What worries me is the general acceptance of poor quality repairs and the ignorance regarding what is safe and what is not. This happens over here to a degree and will only get worse as the Government have amended legislation and soon it will not be necessary for pre 1960 cars to be MOT inspected. They are under the impression that all owners of these cars are true gentlemen enthusiasts who maintain their cars to the highest level, I can assure you this is not so, some are completely ignorant of the workings of their classic, and some are out and out bodgers

[mart]

I knew a guy in North Carolina that put a sofa on a go kart frame and got it licensed as a kit car and the DMV didn't even need to look at it. Unfortunately each state determines what defines safety regarding state inspections, therefore, there is a lot of variation as to what is safe.
I think the south is particularly lax in their regulations as I have seen many cars such as these driving around daily in my day:






By the way, there is a guy at work who drives his truck without a windshield and wears safety goggles and apparently hasn't been pulled over yet.

THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, there is a chance you would get a jail sentence for driving this sort of thing in UK, unless you are an immigrant or convicted rapist, in which case your car would be destroyed and replaced with a new one ,free of charge, and given a free Caribbean holiday for the inconvenience

[MonzaDave]

Mart, I live in Minnesota and there is no state inspection for anything. I have seen cars with front brake rotors worn completely through to the vents and pads worn halfway through the steel backing plate. On balance, though, cars are here are in pretty decent condition mechanically. The bodies can be questionable due to the amount of ice melting chemicals used.

I don't think there are any fixed mileage maximums with the Japanese system. When we lived there, the first Shaken was due after 3 years, subsequent ones every two years until the car was 10 years old, then annually. There are clearly a big incentive not to keep your daily driver a long time. Another factor causing low mileage is the extensive transportation system and the lack of parking in major cities. There are lots of Japanese used car imported into other countries -- and engines which are popular for pumps and long-tail boats in Thailand.