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

[scott_in_nh]

The good:

Bitchin’ good looks

Nice red paint

Nice interior

Starts/idles/revs nice

JCS 2.0 motor with very few miles (installed 2005 – last stickered 07)

40 IDF’s

Electronic distributor (fireball XR700 or XR3000

Charges to 14v at idle

Idles easily at 5-600 rpm

Solid floors

Good rubber

Front & rear swaybars

Very little rotor rust

Brake lines

Heat exchangers

Short shift kit/shifts through all gear very well with engine running

Drivers door opens/closes smoothly



The bad:

Couldn’t drive it – buried in large garage, not registered

JCS motor is an EA serial number machined to accept the 2.0 crank

Cracked dash

originally silver, also had some orange under the red on the roll bar by back window

No heater blower

Some perforations in the rear jacking points

Unknown chassis mileage

Don’t know if the car was a 2.0 before engine swap

Passenger door does not open or latch well (not too bad)



The ugly:

Completely replaced front clip between fender, just forward of the gas tank bulkhead (possibly front fenders too). Appears to be collision repair from when the car was still silver. Probably ok, but...

Current owner was unaware and surprised and doesn’t know if it was due to rust or crash

Front hood does not align completely. It bows up 3/16” about 1.5’ ahead of the cowl (looking at other cars pictures - maybe not that unusual?)

Hell hole patched on top and on the inner fender, very so-so job.

Bondo protruding into the inner fender area through drilled holes behind the door latch.

Right rear trunk under taillight is patched about 1’ x 0.5’, very so-so job.

It was represented that they were considering asking $8k but if I liked it they would work with me knowing my budget was up to $7k.

I told them if I made an offer it would be in the $5k range. He wasn’t insulted but he thought they could get more out of the car. I don’t think they paid more than that, in the paperwork was an autotrader ad from 2005 that I would have to assume was placed by the PO at $5700. The current owner must have forgotten it was in there and told me he did not pay the previous owner asking price.