PPI next weekend on the NH/VT border, care to join me? Options

[scott_in_nh]

I am looking at a 74 2.0 FI next weekend (weather permitting) that sounds promising but overpriced.
It is supposed to be a rust free AZ car that runs well, needs paint and seats and has an intermittent fueling issue and some electrical gremlins that don't sound too serious.
I'm buying lunch if anybody wants to look at it with me - another set of eyes, knowledgeable opinion and moral support are always welcome!

thanks,

Scott

[r_towle]

Sure, show me junk cars in a barn...a flared car and a 911...
That is just not fair.
Its like putting a 25 year old stripper in front of me...
I am very attracted to junk cars...its like Sheen.

Now I am interested.
The first car may be decent but you will need to spend some time crawling around underneath to be certain....

Ask him if he would be willing to remove the rocker panel covers for you..that will show what you need to see.
if you cant get those removed prior to buying it...its an educated guess.

BTW, if I was selling mine, I would not let you remove the covers...they are held in place by special rivets that are not easy to come by and a PITA to put it all back together if the buyer backs out.

Buying old cars is alot like gambling...sometimes you win, sometimes you loose.

If you factor in the 1K is costs to ship a car fom CA, and the fact that you seem to want to buy a local car you can touch....I would say this is a good candidate.
Its the right year and model...and the motor works.

Just figure that at some point you will strip it and paint it.
Buy a decent car, a few thousand more or less at this point is really mute if you find the right car.
I assume you plan to restore whatever you buy and keep it for a while....

Rich

[scott_in_nh]

Sure, show me junk cars in a barn...a flared car and a 911...
That is just not fair.
Its like putting a 25 year old stripper in front of me...
I am very attracted to junk cars...its like Sheen.

Rich

Ha-ha, the bait worked (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

I'm not stuck on buying a local car, but sometimes there just has not been anybody in the area to do a PPI on cars I have found.
Other times the cost of shipping has put a nice known car out of my budget.
When a local car does appear on the seen and fulfills much of what I am looking for - why not check it out?
It is still gambling, but makes me feel like my odds are improved or least I have nobody to blame except myself.

"restore" is probably too big of a word for what I have in mind.
I am thinking that I should get any electricals and mechanical issues straightend out that prevent the car from being driven reliably first.
Then I would have the car painted, probably back to the original color, but I will not drop stupid money on the paint. I'm thinking $1500 for the paint budget?

I want to drive it and not worry about it too much and I don't have that kind of money to put into it anyway.
If I did have the money - I'd rather have a fresh motor than concours quality paint any day of the week!
The interior would not be necessarily last, but it would be done on a "as able" basis.

I do plan on keeping it for awhile and want a decent car.
I have already increased my budget by $2k and being a divorced dad with two kids in college - a few grand more isn't going to happen.
This car would have to go for a price where I can fix the known issues and paint it within my full budget.