searching for a new car... how to spot trouble signs and what to run from

[scott_fx]

I'm on the hunt for a my first classic; 1966 Chevelle. I'm going to check one out this weekend. Mechanically it's supposed to be sound but the owner said that the paint is showing some signs of age. It was repainted 10 years ago (he's owned it for 4 years). He told me that the paint looks good but if you look really close you'll see a few spots where it cracked and there is rust near the rear window (common issue i believe). Since there are cracks, it sounds like it's bondo but i'm far from an expert. What are some things i can do to be a smart consumer and make sure i don't end up with a huge headache. What things are manageable and what are some red flags that should make me run?


Thanks,

scott

[cactuss4]

oofda, I can tell you a story :). First car I passed on, had a 3rd party inspection and the body and pictures that came back, clearly cited that the owner was hiding something, since the pictures they included in their ad were old, old!! The powertrain was enticing as was what appeared to be a prior resto, but the body coming apart was a real turn off.

Now, I found a 66 chevelle, had lots of goodies, asked the right questions, but did not get a 3rd party to inspect it (stupid1). This car is a patched mess, nothing was installed right, $2000 front 6 pot brakes seized, sway bar mounts loose, tranny bolts have way in, major nasty patches under the carpet, paint was a 6 not an 8. OOFDA. So now my pricey Chevelle that looked good, will get new floors, probably some other panels and will end up costing much more than I thought!

Smart consumer would pay a 3rd party if the car is not local, if it's local, find a lift that the owner will allow you to put it up, check the floors for holes, signs of repair etc. Trunk, around windows, look for bubbles etc.. OOFDA, I'm paying for my passive ness, I probably missed a bullet with the Camaro, but took a single fatal shot on the Chevelle

Tory

[scott_fx]

thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to arrange to have auto doc's take a look at it if i decide to get it. they are ~$200 for the inspection so if i can spot something that is a red flag. i'd save some money :)

[mitch_04]

You could purchase a "filler detective" that is supposed to check the depth of the paint/filler on the car. I've never used one but always thought it would come in handy. Basically look for any bubbling that might indicate rust, or cracking that would indicate bondo. Peel back carpet wherever you can to check floorpans, look in wheelwells for rust issues, look underneath, etc etc. If it already has rust, you can assume you are going to need a new paint job anyways and it's hard to tell how much will need to be replaced until the paint is removed.

[Munssey]

I get annoyed by the answer 'it all depends'... but it really does all depend on what you plans are for the car.

*some* body filler from past work might not be a deal breaker if you plan to rip the car apart and do some mods\ paint at some point. The more someone is willing to dive in... and WAY IN.. to the project, the more you can accept less-than-perfect panels on the. A little bit of cracking from old repairs is less concerning than structural damage or bad past repairs.

Regardless of your plans, a few tips to consider when you take a look (others will probably add a bunch more great suggestions):

- Pay attention to the gaps between panels. Door lines, fenders, front bumper and grill areas. Those may be hints to what may have happened that would raise eyebrows.
- Crawl under the car and use a flashlight with special attention to under the floor pans (are they rusty or do you see signs of pieces being welded in?)
- Look for signs of a panel that the color may be originally different in color.
- Wiring under the hood and under the dash and kick panels usually tells you the quality of work that's been put into the car. I know that's away from your concern about the body filler but wiring can become just as bad of a headache as body and paint if ignored too much.

Good luck on the search and be sure to update the group with what you find and plans\ dreams\ goals on the new ride!

[scott_fx]

thanks for your replies so far.

as for my dream. well I just got married and we don't want to break the bank or dip into our house savings. I was posed with either getting a newer car or getting a classic and making it reliable and safe enough to be a daily driver. I love to tinker around and customize so we decided that a classic car would be a great project for me. I am not up for huge tasks like body work or an engine swap but I can do suspension, brakes and shade tree mechanic mods (I've installed turbos before but that's the extend of my 'major' mods). That being said i want to stick to a budget but i also want something that i can be proud of.

here is my priority list (most important at the top... less as you go down):
1) Safe (disc brakes/ proper suspension, good tires)
2) Reliable (will not overheat in L.A. traffic or brake down if i want to travel a few hours to san diego or san fransico)
3) Handling/Comfort I want it to handle more like a modern car and i'll dynomat the whole interior to keep the road/car noise (not the sound of the engine mind you)
4) good paint (doesn't have to be show quality. but i dont want to cringe every time i wax it and see a bunch of flaws)
5) ok interior (i'll live with this and slowly restore it as time goes on)
6) fuel economy (luckily i have a 3 mile commute right now)
7) power (i'm not worried about the power right now. of course i want a v8. but i'm not going to be swapping heads just yet)

Interior is sorta the least of my concerns. that is the thing i want to turn into a project and slowly customize it and make it unique. That is something i'm confident i can do most of the work.

I want to set it up to be a good daily driver and occasionally take it for a spirited run. I had a '99 corvette a while back. Had heads, cam, lightweight flywheel,straight pipes to borla exhaust, long tube headers, hre 20"/19" wheels, dropped it and put some performance leaf springs and sways on it. it sounded AWESOME, looked AWESOME, performed Amazingly... and sat in my garage because it was no longer enjoyable to drive. I want to avoid that this time around


The car i'm looking at this weekend. is going to most likely need paint, it's a good enough deal on paper where i can justify a moderate paint job (~2-3k) and maybe sink some money into suspension as it has disc brakes already.

[scott_fx]

So i looked at the car this weekend. it was great... besides the paint. I put an offer on it and he accepted. I have a 3rd party going down there to inspect it and, barring any big issues, i'll be going back up there to get it this saturday or next weekend.

[Munssey]

That's awesome. man! I hope all works out for you and we get to see the results soon enough.