I found this '76 sitting in the rear lot of a local garage. Owner disappeared, and the mechanic has filed a mechanic's lien against the title. I can get it for a couple hundred bucks.

The mechanic hasn't done anything to it other than try to start it about a year ago. It came there for exhaust work after it was painted in '05, and the owner abandoned it.

The body looks solid. The doors close solidly, the rocker panels pass the screwdriver poke test, as does the driver's floorboard, trunk floor and floor under the front hood. The rust on the driver's floorboard appears to be surface -- I went at it hard with a screwdriver, and the metal was solid under the surface oxidation. The paint job is passable, and the interior is mostly just dirty. Well, fithly actually. New window seals and seat inserts needed, it would be passable without.

I read through all the receipts in a box in the trunk, and it was all routine maintenance -- valves, oil, seal here and there, new clutch in '02. Are all '76 models 2.0? Which version of FI is typical on a '76 2.0?

One of the more recent receipts says "Advised owner of engine oil leak and bad exhaust." But nothing earth-shattering from a quick read through the paperwork.

What do you guys think? You've seen way more of these than I have. This one looks a lot better to start than some of the progress threads I've been following.

Couple questions -- Can I tow it home with a dolly? Not sure the front dam will clear the dolly ramp, and the wheel bearings might be questionable. Moving it less than 10 miles. What could I expect to spend on a new exhaust system? I realize this is a loaded question, but where should I look first for the engine oil leak?

I think I'm going to go for it. I have room in the garage and I'm sure you guys will be behind me all the way. Anybody close to Hickory, NC in case I get in a fix?

I have pictures to add, but can't find the "Browse" button the FAQ said to use to add pictures. . Somebody tell me how and I'll put up some photos I took this mornng.

Go for it! You can upload the pics to photobucket.com then copy the [IMG] link from the pic and post it here

Is the car still have it's license plates? Did the mechanic show you the lien?

Very similar situation out here a few years back, car in back of shop ect. Car still had the license plates, mechanic claimed to have a lien but was lying, didn't want to sell. When pushed, gave outrageous price.

A fellow Club member found the real owner of the car through the plates and records, paid her, and showed up with the title and walked away with the car.

Ferg

I'll try Photobucket. I'm using Safari on a Macbook, and sometimes there are browser conflicts.

Thanks...

No tags on the car. Paperwork in the trunk identifies the owner, and the mechanic is a friend. He showed me the lien paperwork. Waiting on the final letter giving him approval to sell it to satisfy the lien.

I can't add pictures. Not sure why. Anybody else using Safari browser on a Mac?

I'd like to show this car to you.

Doesn't look too bad. For a few hundred bucks may be a good deal, depending on how severe the rust is, or it could be a parts car.

From those pics, I see...

Someone has filled the front fender to cowl seals, so it has filler there.

Is black the orig color?

enkei type wheels.

dash cap.

rear trunk is "sprung"

Looks pretty good for a couple hundred bucks

Ferg

If it was in my neighborhood, I'd tell you to run like hell, stay away from it, and then jump on it myself.

As for dolly towing, check your state laws. Some states require that a car have a valid registration to be towed with any of the wheels rolling on the road. You might need to flatbed it to your house.

I only need to tow it about 10 miles, and this is small-town America, so I don't think I'll have an trouble with registration or insurance.

Why would the cowl-fender seal be filled? Accident repair? Same for the rear trunk being "sprung?"

The Enkei center hubs are in the trunk.

someone didn't feel like looking for new seals? hiding rust from missing seals? just wanted a clean look? anyone's guess on that

Worth a closer look. I was told the paint was done in '05, right before it was parked at the shop.

I like the Enkei's -- I'm assuming they can be cleaned and painted?

a 10 mile haul on a tilt bed tow truck shouldn't be very exspensive. cheap piece of mind and 0 hassles.

k

Purple '60(?) F-100? I always did like an ugly truck.

No, say it aint so...is that original houndstooth on the seats? maybe they were just recovered?

I like the trailer hitch on it, you could pull around a cool little trailer with all your stuff in it for 914 runs! Or a trailer made from the back of another 914 that opens to make a BBQ. All kind of ideas come in to my head.

Yes, all 1976 models were 2.0 liters. They used D-Jet injection.

The grill idea is cool!

I found the body shop who painted the car. I'm going to see them next week so see if he remember why he filled the fender-cowl seals.

Believe it or not, there's a small sewing shop close to Hickory that makes all the first class seats for SwissAir. The R&D lady there does an AWESOME job wth leather. She covered a motorcycle seat for me a few years back, and I'm excited about what she can do with the seats, console and door panels.

Nobody answered my Hickory question -- anybody close by?

Here's the whole ugly truck!

That truck is not that ugly, it's a 59 to 61 Ford pickup with a Deep V engine probably. I had one sevaral years ago I picked up for 1200 bucks and the original owner found me and bought it back before I did anything to it for 2k. I think I still have the original plates for it, he asked me for them but never came back for them.

And it's a step side too! Actually that series was about as ugly as anything ever made until Hummers came along. Ugly seems to be fashionable these days. Yeah, we had one that I drove to college a time or two. No heat, Illinois winter. plugged an eight track player in the cigarette lighter because there was no radio either, but it couldn't be heard pver the truck noise. Those were the good old days.

So where's Hickory relative to the Outer Banks? I'll be there in August.

About eight hours west on I-40. : )

Where are you headed? Don't miss Cape Hatteras. One of my favorite places in NC!

Looks like you have some rust boiling up here, I'd check it real good for hidden rust.

Click to view attachment

If that's a Hudson on the other side of the old truck, To hell with the old 914, go for the Hudson...It's worth a fortune...

2-OH!

I'm thinking it is . . . to hell with the 914

For a couple hundred, just go and get it. You will be able to part it out for way more then that if its just a rust bucket.

Have you looked into the hell hole (under the battery against the firewall) and looked at the rockers yet? You will find rust, all of these cars have it. Buy it. Fix it up if its in good shape, use it as a parts car if it is on poor shape.

Zach

Not a Hudson but a Henry J...



Ferg

John, the shop owner, is puttering with the the Henry J. The interior is rough, but the body's solid. Said it was sold through Sears. Or maybe Montgomery Ward?

If anybody's interested, I'll let John know. No telling what he has in mind for it...

You can clean up those enkie wheels and paint htem. Looks like they have already have been painted at one point. I painted up a gold set to black and it turned out pretty well.