new to classics

[FlipStyle12oo]

Hey guys,
I've been a member here for a while now over at the v6 boards and have recently decided that my v8 is gonna be a classic. I found a '66 with a 289 in it in really good condition for $4000. Paint, interior, and all 4 sides are pretty clean but I haven't seen the engine bay yet. I'm going to see the car in person soon and I was wondering what to look for when purchasing the car.

I'm really hopeful about this project and plan to drive it for the rest of my college career (2 more years hopefully).

 

[StaffAmerica74]

check the unibody, cowl, and floorboards for rust.

 

[my66coupe]

What staff said...............bring a screwdriver and poke around the bottom of the car. Ask the seller if it would be ok to run a hose down the cowl...If water ends up on the interior floor, you have a bad cowl. Bring a magnet with you, and run it along the body, if it doesnt stick, you have alot of bondo, or a fiberglass replaced part. Odds are its bondo. The car may be advertised as a v-8...but it may just as well have been a 6 cyl. Make sure all wheels are 5 lug. Check the vin number and decode it to ensure the car was an original v-8. Nothing wrong with a 6 to 8 swap but the owner could have left out some crucial parts...like a beefier rear end and springs. Thats all i can think of for now. good luck

Mike

 

[e2mustang]

Besides what everyone else said, also check the sheet metal behind the front and rear wheel wells..

 

[FlipStyle12oo]

so..
how much of bondo and fiberglass on the car is enough for me to walk away from? here's some pics of the car...

 

[FlipStyle12oo]

more pics...

 

[geostang351]

Good looking from 10 feet, but what about underneath; the trunk; wheel wells?

 

[Edbert]

A note on the floorboards...ask to pull the carpet back, more than half of the floorboards rust from the INSIDE not the outside. I have seen many that looked great on the underside but were trashed from the inside.

 

[SLVRBOY]

these guys are right. mine was real bad behind the rear tires and inside the fenderwells. also does the person who ownes the car live close to the beach.

 

[FlipStyle12oo]

these guys are right. mine was real bad behind the rear tires and inside the fenderwells. also does the person who ownes the car live close to the beach.

The person lives around the bay area here in California.