i flew up to dallas to look at this car today: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3748268338.html
i was planning to drive it home. it has some issues that would make it impossible, however. i thought i would post it here to help out the owner.
she is a really nice lady in need of money to support her kids. it was her brother's car so she doesn't really know much about it.
the pluses: the body is straight and pretty much rust free. the car is a manual coupe. it is complete. it seems to have a good running engine. the transmission is good.
there are the beginnings of surface rust on the rear valance at the seam on both sides where the quarter panels meet. (leaky antena hole) there is no scale or holes in that area. i jacked the car up and crawled under it so i have a good idea that it is very rust free and likely only driven in the south. there is a good sized shallow dent in the hood on the leading edge by the roundel. see the pic in the ad. the front valance has some dents. the car was repainted at some point so who knows what could be hidden under the paint but i don't think there could be anything serious. the diamondschwartz paint looks better in her pics than it is in real life. the hood, top, and deck lid are sloughing the clear coat. all the fluids were more or less up to the correct level. the radiator was filled with tap water so there is rust in the system.
the negatives: this car is a poster child for the term deferred maintenance. the vc is bad in the transfer case but the front driveshaft/output socket are good. both front axles are shot. the right front control arm is so worn out, the car shimmies like crazy over 40 mph. with the car jacked up you can reach under the wheel and wiggle it around about 3" in 2 axis. changing the right control arm would fix this problem. the struts/shocks are all worn out. the engine leaks oil like a sieve. the bottom of the car is pretty much coated with oil.(i guess it preserves the body from rust). the exhaust(muffler and converter) are shot. the interior is cardinal but the seats are completely shot. (the dash is crack free and the carpet looks like it can be cleaned up well)
the reason i did not buy the car yesterday was mostly that i am short of time and this guy will need a lot of work. had i known the control arm was bad, i would have just picked up one off my parts car and brought it along. i may still buy it if she doesn't find a buyer, but as i mentioned, i really want to help the lady out. i also really want this car to go to an enthusiast and not some retarded jackass that is going to rice it or part it out.
i think the ideal owner for this thing would be someone that has a rusty complete car. it would be much cheaper to buy a car like this, ship it to where you live and do a resto than it would to a rusty car. as all of you know, finding a rust free ix body is pretty much impossible these days. finding a rust free 2 door manual is really tough to do, especially in this price range.
so....anyway, i just wanted to help out the community...if someone here buys this and i see it being parted, i am going to go over to your house and kick you in the ovaries!;) it needs a lot of work. everyone in this forum section knows how much ix parts cost. however this is NOT a parts car, dammit! dont be a greedy piece of shit. pass it up and let it go to someone who will restore it. besides, most of the valuable ix parts need replacement anyway.
anyway, if you are serious about buying it and have more questions, please send me a pm.
brian
i was planning to drive it home. it has some issues that would make it impossible, however. i thought i would post it here to help out the owner.
she is a really nice lady in need of money to support her kids. it was her brother's car so she doesn't really know much about it.
the pluses: the body is straight and pretty much rust free. the car is a manual coupe. it is complete. it seems to have a good running engine. the transmission is good.
there are the beginnings of surface rust on the rear valance at the seam on both sides where the quarter panels meet. (leaky antena hole) there is no scale or holes in that area. i jacked the car up and crawled under it so i have a good idea that it is very rust free and likely only driven in the south. there is a good sized shallow dent in the hood on the leading edge by the roundel. see the pic in the ad. the front valance has some dents. the car was repainted at some point so who knows what could be hidden under the paint but i don't think there could be anything serious. the diamondschwartz paint looks better in her pics than it is in real life. the hood, top, and deck lid are sloughing the clear coat. all the fluids were more or less up to the correct level. the radiator was filled with tap water so there is rust in the system.
the negatives: this car is a poster child for the term deferred maintenance. the vc is bad in the transfer case but the front driveshaft/output socket are good. both front axles are shot. the right front control arm is so worn out, the car shimmies like crazy over 40 mph. with the car jacked up you can reach under the wheel and wiggle it around about 3" in 2 axis. changing the right control arm would fix this problem. the struts/shocks are all worn out. the engine leaks oil like a sieve. the bottom of the car is pretty much coated with oil.(i guess it preserves the body from rust). the exhaust(muffler and converter) are shot. the interior is cardinal but the seats are completely shot. (the dash is crack free and the carpet looks like it can be cleaned up well)
the reason i did not buy the car yesterday was mostly that i am short of time and this guy will need a lot of work. had i known the control arm was bad, i would have just picked up one off my parts car and brought it along. i may still buy it if she doesn't find a buyer, but as i mentioned, i really want to help the lady out. i also really want this car to go to an enthusiast and not some retarded jackass that is going to rice it or part it out.
i think the ideal owner for this thing would be someone that has a rusty complete car. it would be much cheaper to buy a car like this, ship it to where you live and do a resto than it would to a rusty car. as all of you know, finding a rust free ix body is pretty much impossible these days. finding a rust free 2 door manual is really tough to do, especially in this price range.
so....anyway, i just wanted to help out the community...if someone here buys this and i see it being parted, i am going to go over to your house and kick you in the ovaries!;) it needs a lot of work. everyone in this forum section knows how much ix parts cost. however this is NOT a parts car, dammit! dont be a greedy piece of shit. pass it up and let it go to someone who will restore it. besides, most of the valuable ix parts need replacement anyway.
anyway, if you are serious about buying it and have more questions, please send me a pm.
brian
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