Is this as good a deal as it seems?

Peter Pan of Chicago · Apr 26, 2009

gold5000000 said: ↑

So its a 1930 sedan. It was in an accident.... And a new front axle, the current one is welded together with no braises
Click to expand...

Let's see, accident = crash and front axle cobbled = cobbled frame and suspension.

Walk away and go to the HAMB classifieds or keep looking locally. There's alot of nice rides and drivable projects out there on account of the banking debacle.

Joel

Anchorboy46 · Apr 26, 2009

That unleaded gas versus hardened seats is a lie. Ya, maybe if ya do 300,000 miles on a rebuild. But Chevies need rebuilt every 100k anyway. Just thier nature. They start to smoke cuz of the cylinder wear,rings. Most rods just dont get driven that much. Soo.. You can use the so-called "soft seats". Makes no damn difference.
Now as far as the price of the car, the guy has already colleceted his insurance. Offer him 6500... see if he bites. I hate 305's anyways.Theyre fuckin lo compression smog motors..

SDhotrod · Apr 26, 2009

"...and there wasn't any visible bondo so i dont really think theres too much if any..."

Invisible bondo is the worst kind.

Anchorboy46 · Apr 26, 2009

One other way to look at it.Let's look at the money not the car for a second.
Soon money is going to be inflated. The guvment is fucking up our way of life there is no doubt on that. Even our lifestyle is gonna change(again!).
I look at how well we wuz doing in da 50's,60's and 70's. Itz getting worse. Buy the damn car for 6500 and love it! The money isnt going to be worth toilet paper pretty soon anyway- Thanks to our dear loving congress...fuck I'm so pissed- where's my gun... Mikey

fab32 · Apr 26, 2009

Go ahead and buy the car. Fix it to your satisfaction. After your done be honest with yourself and admit you would have paid $20,000 for a running driving car that didn't need the work that this one is going to take. It's one of the hardest lessons that a car guy can ever learn but somewhere along the way almost everyone will relate a story of the one they wish they hadn't gotten involved with. The term "MONEY PIT" is the appropriate one for this car.

Frank

Ol Deuce · Apr 26, 2009

One mans floor is another mans ceiling,if you have the cash and want the task of the repairs--- BUY IT ---if not look ,keep your hands in your pocket,-- and move on.

Ol Deuce

Edelbroke · Apr 26, 2009

Pefect car to run fenderless, chopped and channeled, add some wide white walls, sand blast the paint off and park it (bare metal) under your lawn sprinkler

Broncobilly72 · Apr 26, 2009

That's a pretty high price for an A sedan, especially as you described.

gold5000000 · Apr 26, 2009

heres the check list then when i have more info i will post it :
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cyle%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cyle%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cyle%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>  </style> How many miles on the car/engine?
Motor size?
juice brakes?
steering?
Year of engine
Year of build
Year of axle
Check roof line on passenger side
Check passenger window pillar
Look at frame
Ask about title
Make of tranny/size
Life on tires
Check any suspension damage
Take test drive, (if possible) feel for chassis pull, ride, bump-steer, etc
See if the windshield closes all the way
What unseen parts need replacement (things under or in the car)
What king of steering?
What kind of rear susp?
Disc brakes? Dual master cyl?
Whats the wiring look like?
What automatic trans, 350? PG?
What rear end make?
302 engine, I doubt it but possible, the 2 letter prefix will tell you
How is the motor mounted, side or front?

Frosty2 · Apr 26, 2009

Damn,I'm so glad I was raised in the 60's and had a father that said I was a dumbass when I asked about things like this.The internet is not your guardian,do what the heck you want to do but don't get mad when people give their (that you asked for) opinion.

Edelbroke · Apr 26, 2009

Thats a long list, Have you been on the inside of the fence yet?

gold5000000 · Apr 26, 2009

ya, my dad is impatient and stopped on the way from finishing one job to another (he owns the company could have stayed for longer) so we stopped and looked at it, go up close heard it run, thats about it, i dont know much, be he figures for a frame off then handing the frame to his friend who has a frame straightener then weld some triangles in the corners and then powder coat it. eventually when the body is ready to go back on he figures the body will straighten out when he bolts it to a straight frame

Von Rigg Fink · Apr 26, 2009

gold5000000 said: ↑

ya, my dad is impatient and stopped on the way from finishing one job to another (he owns the company could have stayed for longer) so we stopped and looked at it, go up close heard it run, thats about it, i dont know much, be he figures for a frame off then handing the frame to his friend who has a frame straightener then weld some triangles in the corners and then powder coat it. eventually when the body is ready to go back on he figures the body will straighten out when he bolts it to a straight frame
Click to expand...

If it were only that simple..
and if it was that simple..that A would have already been gone..
He will find (if he cares to do it right) that there will be more work to it than just welding in some gussets.
I hope if he does buy it..that he tears it completely apart and goes thru it with a fine tooth comb..or he may be the next guy to wreck it, if something he over looked decides to break..and sends that car off the road ...again

BISHOP · Apr 26, 2009

gold5000000 said: ↑

ya, my dad is impatient and stopped on the way from finishing one job to another (he owns the company could have stayed for longer) so we stopped and looked at it, go up close heard it run, thats about it, i dont know much, be he figures for a frame off then handing the frame to his friend who has a frame straightener then weld some triangles in the corners and then powder coat it. eventually when the body is ready to go back on he figures the body will straighten out when he bolts it to a straight frame
Click to expand...

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa........Your in for a big suprise.

patrick66 · Apr 26, 2009

That 305 has to have come along sometime after 1980 or so. No 305 40 years ago. If the seller said the engine is that old, it's not, or he is lying. Maybe the CAR was built 40 years ago, and another engine was installed later on. With that damage, and a lo-perf smogger engine to boot, I wouldn't give more than five grand for it. Besides the body and paint work, it needs interior updating, plus something to replace that boat anchor 305. And five grand would be my TOP dollar offer!

1950ChevySuburban · Apr 26, 2009

Read back some, he meant to type "302"

patrick66 · Apr 26, 2009

Missed the 302, I guess.

The 302 would make it a little bit more enticing, but not a lot.

Like I said earlier, five grand tops. Three is more in line with what it is and what it needs, seen and unseen.

1950ChevySuburban · Apr 26, 2009

Anyway, it's way overpriced. Why not do a frame-off on a less expensive project? Like a '30 Sedan thats already taken apart or needs work. Your paying too much for something just to bring it down and start over.

1950ChevySuburban · Apr 26, 2009

I have a '29 Sedan, body cost $800 complete. '32 style frame is $1600 complete. $350 for the front axle, $200 for the rear banjo.
Whats that, $3000 total?

Just to help put it in perspective.

gold5000000 · Apr 26, 2009

he figures that the parts are there, and he says that starting from scratch is too much work since he only is home on sundays. I think his main thing is that he believes that by starting with less all of the little parts, add up to rediculas amounts. I also think that his ideas of pricing are off, he thinks it will take 2500 for a cheap engine, i know that isnt true but he refuses to realize it as a fact. My plan was get a t coupe body and go from scratch but he thinks this will still be cheaper

Cal Cowboy · Apr 26, 2009

Too much, when you get it it will cost you to straighten it out. Fenders, interior work, chrome, etc, these aren't flying out of guys garages. Today, I'd pay maybe $7,000 to $7,500.

hotrod40coupe · Apr 26, 2009

Believe me! Starting from scratch is less time consuming than fixing sombodys elses mess. As for all the little parts, find a project that someone has lost interest in and finish it. I don't think you are listening to what everybody is telling, IT'S A PIECE OF SHIT!!!

snelson57 · Apr 26, 2009

gold5000000 said: ↑

ya, my dad is impatient and stopped on the way from finishing one job to another (he owns the company could have stayed for longer) so we stopped and looked at it, go up close heard it run, thats about it, i dont know much, be he figures for a frame off then handing the frame to his friend who has a frame straightener then weld some triangles in the corners and then powder coat it. eventually when the body is ready to go back on he figures the body will straighten out when he bolts it to a straight frame
Click to expand...

Man, I am no expert in building cars but anyone anyone making this statement has no business evaluating this car and clearly did not make said $12k in anything related to the auto industry.

There are WAYYYYY better deals out there. Anything "good" on this car is either worn or completely out of style.

If you have 10-15K to spend, talk the old man into buying something that runs and drive it for a couple of years. If you are looking for a big project, you found it - one worth $4-5,000 in my opinion.

Rudebaker · Apr 26, 2009

Interesting thread. I'm not a "body man" but I have done a little damage repair plus I've been in Quality Assurance for a company that builds truck and off road equipment cabs and bodies for almost 30 years and part of my job is to evaluate bodies that get damaged in the plant or in transit to determine if they can be reworked or have to be scrapped and folks, that is one FUBAR automobile! It's got wrinkles, creases and peeled paint from one end to the other. It's taken a lot harder hit to the rear than it looks at first glance. If it looks that bad on my crummy little laptop it's got to be bad. I think they have one too many zeroes in the price. Like someone else said earlier "Run Forest run!"

rustynewyorker · Apr 26, 2009

Well, it would part out for more than $1250, come on.

It's priced high - take some detailed pictures of it to a body shop and get some quotes to straighten it out, deduct that from the price, and you know what it's worth. For $12,500 you should be able to buy an A that needs nothing. For half that price you can buy a decent running stocker, older restoration or a solid non-runner.

I'm only asking $2500 for an AA truck that needs patch panels but would build easy, just as another example - and that's an asking price. But I did a lot of research and saw similar A trucks in similar shape going for $2500-$4000 depending on just how nice they were, or were not.

Degreaser · Apr 26, 2009

If you pay a dime over 4k for that car you are making a mistake, and at 4k, the interior would have to be nice and not outdated. Thats a 12k car NOT wrecked.

lippy · Apr 26, 2009

I can't tell very well on my computer, but the front view looks like the rear of the roof is tweaked. There's your busted window. He better come down in price quite a bit. Looks like it was a pretty nice car though at one time. Gonna take more work and $ than it looks I bet. JMO.

43gman · Apr 26, 2009

Just read the whole thread. Sad, really. Ive been in your shoes since I was sixteen, and that was over fifty years ago. I am reminded of my own sorry decisions when my enthusiasm and excitement overruled my common sense. I, too, have asked for peoples input on lots of things on which I wanted to spend my hard earned money. Unfortunately for you and your dad, it appears that your minds are pretty much made up, and what you are looking for is someone to agree with you and say, yes, buy it, and you will live happily ever after.

If you would only take the time to read the honest answers here, to a person, everyone is saying no. The sad thing is that there truly is a sucker born every minute. I know, Ive been a sucker for a lot of scoundrels over the years. Some of us are more hard headed than others.

Ive been screwing around with Model As for about forty years. From the little Ive heard from you on this particular car, and from the excellent observations from some of the others, I would not in ANY way even consider buying this car. Period. The price is way too high, the thing needs way too much work, and the owner sounds somewhat less than straightforward. Bad combo. If you cannot keep it out of your head, take a week off from it, and spend the time really searching for a Model A. As others have readily pointed out, there are PLENTY of good deals around, especially with the economy in the toilet the way it is, and will continue to be, IMO. If, after your time out, you still cannot see the sense in the many views here that overwhelmingly say pass, then, by all means, throw your money at this wreck, and learn the lessons you apparently are here to learn. And, don't be afraid to admit you paid too much when you realize you did. We'll all say "I told you so," but we'll still try to help with ideas.

Whatever you decide, though, keep the enthusiasm! I remember when I had a lot more of it than I do today.

Good luck.

BISHOP · Apr 27, 2009

Just something to think about.......Say the owner just gave the car to you for free. Yep, Just come and load it up, its yours. Your still going to have to build it from the ground up. Repair everything, and you will most likely change a lot of whats bolted to the car. Trust me, you will have more than 12,000 in it when your done. If you do it right, it will be more like 18,000. Could be more.....I don't think either you or your father have built a car before.........so figure even higher, when you have to pay someone to fix all the practice work. In all that time jacking with a wreck, if you would have bought a nice driver you could have been driving a finished Model A......... I bet in ten years you would still be posting progress pics of the chassis. If you don't have a big shop, It will just be in the way of itself. Do you know how big a car gets when its totally disassembled.......It gets huge.

I know some guys that could pull this job off. Get it fixed up, and be driving it in a year. But they are professional builders. They get paid to build a car....Not throw money at an experiment. Just think long and hard about what your getting into. I don't think you realise the labor involved, never mind money. If your dad only has Sundays to work on it.......well it wont ever hit the road.

Whats the moral of the story??? EVEN IF YOU GOT THE CAR FOR FREE, YOUR STILL SCREWED.!!! Go spend your money on a driver.

swazzie · Apr 27, 2009

SlamCouver said: ↑

Then go buy the car.
Click to expand...

Yah, what he said . have fun.LOL

.

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