Project Car...The Beetle.

[Soup DeVille]

Wouldn't it make more sense to just fix up a used Mustang or am I missing something here?

Other than a lot of people do a lot of things with cars that don't make a heluva lot of sense.

[280Z Turbo]

The 280Z btw, needed paint and seat covers, the dash was split. Ran great. Too bad it was already sold.

Heh...

Needed? I thought they were supposed to do that! If you find a 70-78 dash that isn't split, you're rich. Same thing with the seats and the paint.

The engines are hard to fault, though. They came with forged connecting rods from day one.

[giant_mtb]

A 1988 car with only 110+ thousand miles?  Sounds alright...

[Soup DeVille]

Heh...

Needed? I thought they were supposed to do that! If you find a 70-78 dash that isn't split, you're rich. Same thing with the seats and the paint.

The engines are hard to fault, though. They came with forged connecting rods from day one.

There must be something about the plastics on all '70s vehicles...

[JWC]

Yeah, we had a Fairmont Futura in the shop this week.  The steering wheel looked as if it had melted in the sun and the steering column covers were flaking away every time we touched it.

...and the guy is going to RESTORE it!  (Well, it was his grandmother's and it did only have a little over 30K miles on it.)

It had spent its life parked in the sun and hardly had any paint left on it.  Just patches of blue and rust.

[Danish]

Datsun 510

[TBR]

A very similar (read:  some rust, high miles, needs work) Prelude sold in my neck of the woods for $800 a while back.? I think it's realistic.

In what world is 110k high miles for a 20 year old car?

And, relating to the rwd V8 powered Prelude, it is being done but with a LS1: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1645997&page=1

[JWC]

Anything over 90K is high miles for any car, in my opinion, but for some cars more than others.  The 100k mileage marker doesn't have the same negative overtones as it once did, but it is still a car with 100,000 miles of unknow driving and maintenance history.

Any vehicle without service records, and mileage over 80-90K is a risk. 

[TBR]

Any car without a warranty is a risk and the more miles the more risk, but 110k is still very low mileage for a car that old so I am not sure how you can use it as a bargaining tool. The national average of miles per year is something like 12k, that means that if driven an average amount by the average owner the Prelude would have 240k. For the record, my Prelude with over 300k miles has only need $120 of work in 6 months, but I saved about $2000 because of that mileage.

[JWC]

Any car without a warranty is a risk and the more miles the more risk, but 110k is still very low mileage for a car that old so I am not sure how you can use it as a bargaining tool. The national average of miles per year is something like 12k, that means that if driven an average amount by the average owner the Prelude would have 240k. For the record, my Prelude with over 300k miles has only need $120 of work in 6 months, but I saved about $2000 because of that mileage.

I believe that generally, the number of miles driven is expected to decrease as time goes by.  Cars with 100k generally become secondary vehicles in a family, not primary and as such, begin to be driven less.  This is the same as with a newer vehicle, say three-four years old as having 100k, definitely a high mileage car.

While you can say that 110k for an 1988 vehicle is below average, it is still high mileage.  I wouldn't expect a selling point of a 1988 model car to be, "great car, average miles for this model....250,000 miles."

[the Teuton]

Even though it's a Honda, would you call is low mileage?  Is 110k low?

[JWC]

I also got one step closer today to the original dune buggy that started this whole thing a few weeks ago.  I actually talked to the wife of the guy that owns it.   I could tell by her tone that she wants it gone, but she said he probably wouldn't get rid of it.  She is going to give him my number though, just in case.

I couldn't speak to him...because he was hunting. 

[280Z Turbo]

Yeah, we had a Fairmont Futura in the shop this week. The steering wheel looked as if it had melted in the sun and the steering column covers were flaking away every time we touched it.

...and the guy is going to RESTORE it! (Well, it was his grandmother's and it did only have a little over 30K miles on it.)

It had spent its life parked in the sun and hardly had any paint left on it. Just patches of blue and rust.

The 2nd gen seems to hold up much better with sunlight. Those tend not to have so many cracks as the first gens.

My car is a '76 from California, that spent at least part of its life in Arizona. My dash is split, cracked, chipped, you name it. When I took it out to work on the HVAC system, the number of splits seemed to double.

My steering wheel is wrapped up in one of those 1970's perforated vinyl things, but underneeth I know it's dried up foam with the texture of sandpaper. The wire wrap for my steering wheel cover came off...but the cover is baked on there for good!

[280Z Turbo]

Other than a lot of people do a lot of things with cars that don't make a heluva lot of sense.

There was a guy on Zcar.com that had a standalone fuel injection system and spent about $700 to convert his Z to a 4 barrel carburetor. I think he liked the way it looked or something.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I don't know how you can call an old Prelude a "project car".

Just put a Chevy 350 in a Porsche 914 and get it over with already.

[The Pirate]

Actually, the 914 would be quite fun.  Buick 3800 swaps are fairly common for them, as well.

[Soup DeVille]

Actually, the 914 would be quite fun.? Buick 3800 swaps are fairly common for them, as well.

In this month's SCC, there's an article about a 914 with a Subaru EJ20 turbo swap in it.

Crazy fast. Not too much money to do it either.

[S204STi]

In this month's SCC, there's an article about a 914 with a Subaru EJ20 turbo swap in it.

Crazy fast. Not too much money to do it either.

I gotta subscibe to that mag.  Hemmings Sports and GT car is a great one too.

[The Pirate]

SCC being Sport Compact Car?  I don't subscribe, but pick up an issue occasionally.

[S204STi]

SCC being Sport Compact Car?? I don't subscribe, but pick up an issue occasionally.

For some reason I thought about a different magazine, GRM.  No, SCC can lick my balls.  I hate that magazine, sorry for the confusion.

[Soup DeVille]

For some reason I thought about a different magazine, GRM.? No, SCC can lick my balls.? I hate that magazine, sorry for the confusion.

LOL

Yeah, GRM is a better mag. SCC aint bad though, its about the only competent magazine that covers that segment.

[ro51092]

GRM rocks.

[Raza]

I read Evo, GRM, and GRM's sister mag, Classic Motorsports.

[JWC]

I don't know how you can call an old Prelude a "project car".

Just put a Chevy 350 in a Porsche 914 and get it over with already.

Well, the definition:

: a planned undertaking:

If I can get the Prelude, it will be a project....trust me.  This isn't a "buy and drive" car.

Besides, the radiator and interior.  I need to update the braking system, change out all fluids.  I need to replace: timing belt, plugs, wires, filters.  Do some body work (minor) and have it repainted...though I'll probably borrow a booth and do that myself.  Once the major mechanical is done, I could at least drive it as needed, just taking it off the road for a few weeks at a time for more extensive repairs.



Hmmm, look at that list, the Prelude might be more than I want to get into.  A Beetle restoration would run almost the same amount and be worth more at the finish, though that isn't the reason for the work.



Right now, the important thing for me is to find the right car.  Work will not begin right away due to the fact that the house needs some repairs first. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

I've got a Duster here. $500 takes it. I need to get rid of it.   

[JWC]

I've got a Duster here. $500 takes it. I need to get rid of it.   

Unless it is a 1960's or 1970's Duster, I don't believe it is worth $500.00

[Eye of the Tiger]

Unless it is a 1960's or 1970's Duster, I don't believe it is worth $500.00

[TBR]

I believe that generally, the number of miles driven is expected to decrease as time goes by.  Cars with 100k generally become secondary vehicles in a family, not primary and as such, begin to be driven less.  This is the same as with a newer vehicle, say three-four years old as having 100k, definitely a high mileage car.

While you can say that 110k for an 1988 vehicle is below average, it is still high mileage.  I wouldn't expect a selling point of a 1988 model car to be, "great car, average miles for this model....250,000 miles."

True enough, but I wouldn't hesitate to call 110k miles low for a car that old.

[ChrisV]

Of course, you could buy my '61 Falcon project for $900... Runs (though not well), pretty much rust free... hehehehe...

[the Teuton]

I've got a Duster here. $500 takes it. I need to get rid of it.? ?

In all due respects, this is what I think of K-Cars (picture taken last night behind my dorm building):