hi chris, i shot those for you, but thanks for posting them. notice how the rear seat lower cushion is not the same upholstery pattern as the upper cushion, or the front seat. i dont know if it was changed or not. that was there when i bought the car. this car is living proof that internet pics can make a rust bucket look better than it really is. note the big riveted patch panel below the rr side marker lamp. the 1/4's, floors, & core support, etc are very rusty, lots of holes, yet in a pic, it looks much better. keep this in mind people if you buy a project over the net. it had the rust when i bought it on 2-22-85 with 131,243 on the odometer. framingham built, if anyone was wondering. henry
Well, you can get repro quarters, floors and trunks. I don't see that you have a numbers match engine, so if it were me I wouldn't do a ground up resto. I say buy repro parts, find a community college who teaches body shop, drop it off and tell the teacher to teach panel replacement on it...and that you're not in a hurry. You usually get free covered storage out of it, typically the work is okay in my experience and when you get it back you'll be on your way to having a nice driver... my four and a half cents
thats a good idea tim. i have most everything except the numbers block, and a dash tach, but the cost of the little stuff concerns me. the wiring, interior, exhaust, fuel tank, engine & trans rebuild, tires, radiator, weatherstrips, etc. i have all new trim, but this thing could nickle & dime me to death. it needs everything except glass. it still adds up to alot. hmmmm, maybe someday. henry
Sorry Henry, didn't mean to jump the gun by posting the pictures. I had kinda figured that you sent them to me to post for you, I get that all the time and I guess I was in that "mode" so to speak. Cool looking car, too bad it is so far gone. Hang onto it a couple more years, they certainly aren't making them anymore and it doesnt look like there are any good parts there to rot away. Might as well keep it and maybe one day you'll want to do something with it. :TU:
It's very hard not to spend more building a car than it will be worth when it's done. For me if I spend $18K over a four year period that's easier to bear than coughing up $14-$15K right now. I've been buying NOS and repro parts for my 68 convert for the past 5 years (about $1000/yr). One of these days I'll start on it, but as it is I believe I have every single part that I need, except for a correct carb-which I may never find, and it hasn't caused me (or my wife) any grief. Just boxes showing up every once in a while.
hi chris, oh i do appreciate you posting the pics, i just wasnt going to ask you to do so for my benefit. i was under the impression that you collect pics on your puter. dont get me wrong, i do thank you for doing it, i just dont want to ask anyone to do it for me since you guys have already spent so much time helping me with pics. i have read some of the threads about it, but i cant figure out how to make my pics small enough to post. thank you so much. henry
No problem Henry, any time. Oh, and I do appreciate you sending them. I added them to the picture archive I have going here. :TU:
tim, that another thing, the car wouldnt be worth as much as it would take to fix it. it is BER, ( beyond economical repair ) . otoh, i build cars for the love of the breed, not the resale value. henry
I would at least stop the rust. That BEHR concert etch n rust remover is some bad ass stuff. Even at 25% mix it stop rust dead n its tracks. i have been using it on everything for the past couple of weeks. You can get it for $13 at home depot for a gal. I am gonna get a $10 pump sprayer and soak down the under side of both of my cars. Its some wicked cool stuff. If you leave it on its works even better. water wont remove it once dry. I am using it to keep my car n bare metal out side and I drive it too. 4-5 days, off n on rain. no signs of rust anywhere. I have been having fun with it. Spraying anything rusty just to see how it changes. Th rust just melts away and turn black as it rolls over n dies.
I,d drop a BIg Block in it and drive it as is! I get dirty looks and power windows going up when I pull up next to a Beemer or a Mercedes or bettet yet those Volvo Crosscountry's(they're safe cars you know) in my car. I could just imadgine the looks i'd get in that bad boy from all the rich snobs in my area!
I don't know, tough call. Everyone says fix it or sell it, but what are you looking for exactly? When I bought my 72 GS ragtop, it came with a very rusty numbers matching 72 GS 455, solid gold with saddle interior,no options except varibale ration p/sing and posi. One build sheet behind door panel, the other on top of the gas tank (can see it through the trunk floor) Tried to sell it to someone ambitious, best offer was 500.00 (yeah right)...its worth more than that for sure. I am parting it out. Its sad but at least others will survive. I WILL NOT swap tags, that is a huge moral issue, and possibly illegal (until a case hits the courts of a rebodied car to try and save a car rather than sell a stolen one legally it is an unknown). Cars that were rusty but patched back togher never bring good money, you will spend many times what its worth to save it, if that matters. I know everyone says save it, but they aren't the ones forking out the money. I'll probably get slammed for all this, but I have done 5 GS's including the ragtop (rusted and interior fire-beat that!) so I know what it takes to save one of these cars. If you have the space, then keep it, if you don't sell it. If you can't sell it, then part it. Some die so others live, thats just the way it is. The last thing we need is old rust buckets running around dropping parts, thats exactly why we are being targeted for elimination, we need to keep the hobby looking decent, at least. Just my opnion. later Tim
Well said Tim, I agree 99%... I don't see a problem with the re-bodied cars! I know, I know, but once ONE single part is changed from a car built by the factory, it is different. :Smarty: And if somebody out there has a rust free 71 lark conv, I'd do it myself (& maybe fire my body man).:Smarty: These are USED cars, ALL built from used parts and/or repro pieces! :TU: I mean, if you can change one part, then what is the limit 10, 20, 100, 1000??? Please tell me.:rant:
i think a rebody is what i will try to do. i want to save as many of these cars as possible. theres so much demand for the 70 GS's, i do believe i better try to save it. it wont be all original, but i have never seen a 34 year old car that was. i could sell the car, but the new owner might part it out. i wont sell the spare goodies, thats for sure. saving those for rainy day spares for the stage 1. thank you to all who replied. henry
