Howdy! I goofed up and joined another similarly named forum this morning in my bleary-eyed state. Now that I'm awake, I see that these are the droids I've been looking for. I've done some searching (on this forum, mostly) and I know things vary by region, but I wanted to bounce off some proposed spend for my newly aquired ride, ifn you'll indulge me. This is my first classic/restoration and I want to ensure I approach it logically, not just viscerally when it comes to the bills I plop down.
Condition:
The car is a 1980 450 with about 96k miles. Convertible top is in great shape and so is the hard one. The body is near perfect (though paint is dull, hoping a buffing will bring it back as the paint isn't damged), seats and armrest need recovering, but mostly she's dirty and has been sitting for a couple years. Took her for a thorough exam and here's what the locals came up with:
Leak in heater core $1,100
A/c to R134 $332
Center link tie rod $290
Diagnose/repair miss in fuel system $330
Alignment $110
Parts for the heater core job are $699 alone. Does this sound reasonable? All of this should get her mechanically sound save for the infamous vent vacuum repair and some hose/belt replacements. I'm not sure how much to invest here; I paid $1,800 and still need to shell out another $500 for tires plus an eventual upholstery job. I'd love to hear what you think the overall value might be and if the effort to repair will already exceed it!
Condition:
The car is a 1980 450 with about 96k miles. Convertible top is in great shape and so is the hard one. The body is near perfect (though paint is dull, hoping a buffing will bring it back as the paint isn't damged), seats and armrest need recovering, but mostly she's dirty and has been sitting for a couple years. Took her for a thorough exam and here's what the locals came up with:
Leak in heater core $1,100
A/c to R134 $332
Center link tie rod $290
Diagnose/repair miss in fuel system $330
Alignment $110
Parts for the heater core job are $699 alone. Does this sound reasonable? All of this should get her mechanically sound save for the infamous vent vacuum repair and some hose/belt replacements. I'm not sure how much to invest here; I paid $1,800 and still need to shell out another $500 for tires plus an eventual upholstery job. I'd love to hear what you think the overall value might be and if the effort to repair will already exceed it!