Deciding if I should buy this 85... help

[JimBowy]

Hey guys, I have some information for you about a car I'm thinking about purchasing...

It's an 85' hatchback LX (4 cylinder converted to a v8) however currently the car doesn't run. The owner has the wiring harness and computer to get everything running but I want to avoid Speed Density. It's too bad its not a mass-air car... anyhow therefore I think I'll just go with a carb setup.

For $1,300 I know the car is deffinetly worth it just in parts...
- 302 (he says its bored to a 306 but its hard to verify, doesnt look like the engine has been appart)
- T5 transmission (when asked he said the input shaft was tight but no trans work has been done)
- 3" Cowl Fiberglass hood
- Clean body, not so good paint... but thats not very important - minimal dents
- Currently a 6-pt roll-cage (and he says he can get the other bars to make it a 10-pt
- Fuel Cell
- 8.8 rear end
- Steeda Shocks
- Flowmasters and H-Pipe
- He says steeda headers (but they're pinched off like the stocks???)
- interior is stripped othan than 2 stock seats, the dash, and a shifter
- tires are all pretty new, and he'll give me his other 2 rims (intended for slicks)

However, this car would require plenty of work to be a street/strip car... (and I'm trying to get an idea of the time and money that would be involved).
Here is some of the repairs/things that would need to be re-added to the car...
- verify all the lights work
- needs battery
- needs windshield wipers etc.
- not sure if the tach etc. will work
- need heatercore (probably)
- will need paint
- missing hatch locking mechanism
- need power steering
- unsure if the other locks in the car will work etc.
- need new weather stripping

Like I said its work, but the parts above deffinetly would make the car worth it for the money. I'm eventually wanting a 351 in this car (and my initial goal would be to just get this 302 running -- carb'ed would probably be the easiest). My old man's buddy also offered some parts from a 460 for free if I was interested (but i'd still need the crank and all sorts of other things).

Well, that's my situation. I need to make a decision here by tomorrow and I'm hoping you guys can help me out! I'm going to attach some pictures below... it's a pretty nice car.

- Jim

 

[JimBowy]

 

[JimBowy]

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

if you're mechanically inclined i'd try to talk him down and take it. If the body is clean and the frame is rust free. If you're thinking about buying a new engine or something, i'd scout out a cheap 4 banger car for 500 bucks or so and do your own conversion though, cause you could have it converted for less than 1500 bucks (minus the cost of whatever motor you put in it) So just dont fall in love with that parts list. Also..looks like it still has the 4 banger radiator..

 

[93tealstang]

Quite a bit of work to do there. I'd pass it up or either talk him down lower.

 

[rd]

Quite a bit of work to do there. I'd pass it up or either talk him down lower.

It sounds like a decent deal even at that price. Just buying some of those items for a car you already had would take $1300 easily. But do make sure you know how much you have to spend to get it going. My $50 car got to $800 and took 2 more parts cars before it ran. I would be money ahead if I had started with what you are looking at.

 

[JimBowy]

It sounds like a decent deal even at that price. Just buying some of those items for a car you already had would take $1300 easily. But do make sure you know how much you have to spend to get it going. My $50 car got to $800 and took 2 more parts cars before it ran. I would be money ahead if I had started with what you are looking at.

I started to roughly estimate using my mustang magazine how much all of the little things would cost -- and they add up =(

seatbelts, and all the other kind of stuff above (and then electric fans etc.) ended up totallying another ~$3,400 I'd have to put into the car (and then that assumes everything in the drivetrain is perfect and runs like a champ.
Therefore, I'm passing this one up...

*Yawn* I'll find a car eventually...