should I pull the trigger?

[georgeramos]

hi all, I test drove a 1971 last weekend and after viewing several other (later) cars i've determined that it's definitely a 71 - 73 that i want to get. So i went back to be more thorough and here was my checklist
1)headlights- hi/yes; low/yes; tail lights - yes; brake lights - yes left turn - yes; right turn- yes
2)reverse lights - NO
3)horn- yes
4) wipers- yes but they run pretty slowly
5) hazards - yes inside and out
6)gauges- all work including clock but 3 of them were fogged up NOT including the clock...
7)fuses- fusebox has original cover and looks very clean inside and out with no corrosion- no hanging wires etc
hood hinges - no binding
9) behind hinges where fender meets radiator mount area - seam visible but slight bondo seems likely under paint
10)looking down either side of radiator - everything looks straight
11)Flex donut looks ok but will change if purchased
12)shock towers- no rust, no distorted metal etc
13)side rails - no rust, straight and good
14)suspension mounting points look clean and strong
15)crossmember looks clean and strong with no cracks or other deficiencies
16)shake wheels- front passenger has slight amount of play- others seem fine
17)oil pan- several dents and oil leakage is evident, not seen at upper engine/manifold but perhaps oil pan gasket? or dipstick area?
18)transmission- did not pop out of any gear- no grinding, seems good
19)no clunking or vibration from rear end
20)emergency brake works

there was some body work done so there is slight bondo but he pointed these areas out. Car has been painted a beautifful Vanilla pearl color about 3 years ago and looks stunning still. He did no mechanical/electrical upgrades except standard stuff like timing belt; electric fuel pump; plugs,wires,cap/rotor/points,fluids. car has great chrome, new rubber all around, great pirellis with much tread left. asking price was 6000 but he went don to 4800. would you go for it? i probably will but it really seems like the TOP of the price range for such a car...i took a few pics with my phone but theyre pretty lame...

Thanks so much for advice

George Ramos
Portland, OR

[azygoustoyou]

I would think for that kind of money, it shouldn't have an oil leak nor a problem with the reverse light. Did you look at the uni-frame on the bottom? Did you look at the bottom of the doors? I'm sure others will chime in. I would wait to see what they say.

[spidernut]

How many miles on it? I'd recommend having a mechanic do a complete inspection including a compression test. If it all checks out, the price is reasonable provided the interior and top is in good shape too. It sounds from your description that you have found a good car overall. Since there are so few of that year for sale in good shape, you might want to jump on it.

[courtenay]

George - the condition of the car actually sounds pretty good for being 40 years old! The fact that there doesn't seem to be any rust in the important underbody bits - especially the shock towers is really good. Did you look under the floor mats to see how the floor pans looked? That's another area prone to rust. The electrical system on these little beasts is pretty flakey, but this one doesn't sound too bad. The wipers always run slow - it's something you have to get used to - or don't drive in the rain.
$4800 doesn't sound too bad - again if you're not dealing with rust issues.
Good luck!!

[vandor]

Be sure to lift up the carpets and look for rust. Sometimes it is difficult, as the floor is covered with black tarry insulation, and the rust is between it and the floor. Sometimes the rust will start to crack and push up the tarry insulation. When it's cold it gets brittle, and it's easy to chip it. If there is rust there then you will have to remove the carpets and treat the area with Ospho, or POR-15.
Definitely check the rear of the seat towers, where they meet the floor, it is very common for Spiders to rust there.

If you find any of these it might give some leverage on the price. Just finding an early car that looks good and is solid is pretty rare.

[georgeramos]

Oh, I forgot to mention...

The drivers side floor had some rust holes but he tacked in a much larger sheet of steel that covers most of the floor. I did not look under the doors but there is no rust under the running boards and they lika all the other chrome, are very clean and shiny.

Oh, most importantly, the speedo cable wasnt working when he got the car so the mileage is a ???

The interior is really pretty good too. there is a small tear on the drivers seat but thats it. the rear seat is a replacement that was tan in color which he painted black to match the front...that will have to be replaced if I buy it. the top looks perfect and he's throwing in another one that looks brand new. he also has some other spare parts that he'd throw in but nothing of great importance I think.

Thank you for the replies so far, i look forward to hearing more.

[georgeramos]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciclismo_j ... hotostream

here is a photo...

I couldnt post it here...

[vandor]

Sure looks nice!
Hood's been replaced, as a US-model '71 came with a flat hood.

[georgeramos]

could oil leak be from a crack in the block? I am trying to think of worst case scenario here... there was no clear way of telling where it was coming from.

yes, he rplaced the hood and probably other cosmetic stuff off a 75 I think. he actually had 2 donor cars at one time to get tgis one where he wanted it.

George

[spidernut]

I'd still recommend having a mechanic look at it. They should be able to find the source of the oil leak so you have a better idea of what is going on. Without knowing for sure, you're taking a pretty big gamble. The car looks nice from the photos.

[georgeramos]

Thanks John, I will heedyour advice and post the results.

George

[majicwrench]

Certainly it is POSSIBLE that oil leak is from cracked block, reallisticly, not the case. These things leak oil, if you look under mine you will see oil. They leak from lots of places. No worries, helps with rust proofing.
Take it to Mechanic.... not sure I concur, but if you know a good one you trust... if it runs good no need for a compression test. Most mechanics are gonna look at that and write a list a mile long.
Getting it on lift would be fun, you could get a good look at things for rust.
Probably impossible to find a 71 that doesnt' need a few things, that is part of the game. For the most part, these are pretty simple to fix, parts are around.
Keith

[narfire]

Sounds and looks like a decent find. I find the mechanicals are the easy/cheap things to repair/maintain.The cars drip oil it seems no matter how tight you think you have it. Its the body work that will be dissapointing if bubbles start showing up,but if it was painted 3 years ago and the body still looks good,perhaps there won't be any issues in the forseeable future. Sounds like the seller is being forthright in his description so far but if you can do get under the car and poke about in some of the holes found on the structural rails ect. Great place to find rust flakes. Another spot was where the long arms bolt onto the car. If water gets into or on the rear seat area,it pools behind the cross structural member and will rust out where the trailing arm bolts onto...
Car looks great though,I'd be very happy with a car that looks like that.
Now after that car, perhaps a green and red one to get the flag colours covered
Chris

[georgeramos]

I had him lift it and support it on twin jacks and I got under there with a shop light. It seems too good to be true
But I really don't think rust is going to be an issue in this case. His bodywork looks good but he's a DIY type so who
Knows how it'll hold up over time... I was able to get fully beneath the car but I did not check the area under the rear seatsi must admit. There's always more than meets the eye though so I'm feeling nervous. If anyone here might be looking for a 77 that looks and sounds like a garage queen pm me for info. the guys asking 7995 but went down to 6400 or something while we were going back & forth...his is very intriguing but as I said I've decided to go earlier. Thanks again for the replies. I am feeling more secure about moving forward with this endeavor. I was speaking with my dad Sunday morning and joked with my wife (who has been tolerant thus far but no $$ has changed hands yet) that if anyone could talk me off the ledge it would be him.he was the one who had to make the 1.5hour trip from his place to mine in the middle of some freezing snowy nights to help push start my 1979 back in the early 90's. He was no help. He loved the car too.

Best to all
George ramos
Portland or

[gudtimer41]

It sounds as if the owner was pretty up front about everything. One easily fixed and most frequent source of oil leakage is rocker cover gaskets, usually fixed by carefully torqueing down the covers. As the other guys said, for the price this puppy is really nice, and after a good checkout by a mechanic I'd be driving that little gem on down the highway.