When I made my first post I forgot the upcoming weekend was Easter so I didn't get around to seeing the car. However, my wife, son (19), and I made the trip yesterday to check it out. The car is sitting on its wheels and tires in his drive way with flat tires. It was hard to see under the car to check the frame or suspension pieces. One advantage of this endeavor is I have known the owner, a co-worker, for 20 years so he was honest and up front but what he doesn't know he doesn't know like frame condition. The car was parked about 12 years ago because it kept blowing head gaskets, cracked block at right rear stud, and he wanted to freshen up the whole car. Until then he drove it about 90 miles round trip daily. 7 years ago his wife attended Triumphest with him which inspired them both to commit to tackling the project that coming summer but other things came up so there it sits.
I must be honest, in my head I wanted this project, when I saw the car, not that it was in worse shape then I expected, but all the sudden I was unsure. I am basically overwhelmed at this moment because I wouldn't even know where to start on something that has to be brought back from the ground up. So if I go with this I will be asking lots of questions.
Some of the most expensive things I have ever done came to me at no or low cost so I am curious if you would walk away from this project or what price would you expect to pay for a car in this condition. It has steel wheels and NO overdrive but it does have the original california black plates from 1963.
Good - Floors, trunk floor looked to be in great shape. What I could see of the frame and suspension points also looked good (well coated with oil).
Bad - Front of hood rusted through, passenger rocker panel rusted through on top and the rear of door stabilizer rusted (I don't know what this part is called), driver front fender at rear rusted at bottom, rust starting on trunk lid but lip underneath was in good condition, windshield frame rusted out but he has another in good conditon.
Here come the pics
1. Overall photo
2. Hood rusted through on outside. Do you cut out bad and weld in good metal?
3. Passenger rocker panel and door opening stabilizer triangle.
4. Rusted windshield frame
5. Rusted vent cover
6. Rusted driver fender
7. Rust starting on trunk lid
8.Back of hood
9. Passenger and driver floor pan (sprinkler included)
10. Trunk floor
11. Big dent in passenger fender
12. Driver door surface rust
13. Drivers door sill (looked OK)
14. Driver's side suspension photo taken from behind. Doesn't really show anything
15. Dash (why not)