64 injected roadster

[Kid_Again]

Wanted to bring this one back to the top. Can't WAIT for the feedback on this one Monday morning.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Even though this combo wasn't available from the factory It could have a FI unit on it. Lots of them sold for nothing by today's standards in the '70s. Same for knock off wheels. $150./set was common. I can remember when $300. for a '63-'65 unit with air cleaner was high enough to basically assure it would notsell.

 

[Kid_Again]

so...where's the car???

 

[TriTown]

I thought I'd check in with an update. The guy went to Maine for the week end to deal with a problem that arose with his ski country home. I'm still no where with seeing it or getting it home. My wife, who is all for the car said it's worth waiting for and that I should ask you guys what to look for as potential problems. The mechanical stuff is not a problem it would be what to look for with the body. RUST...Keep in mind this car has been in a garage for 20 or more years.
Thanks,
Joe

 

[65-to-00]

For $12 grand, I can't see any problems from here.

If all you have to do is show the man the money to get the tarp pulled back ...... show him the money.

If it's a total woofer .... trust your gut. Check underneath for any major fibereglass repairs. All major interior components there?

Have you called on an engine shop to check on the cost of a rebuild?

 

[clint4vette]

I paid $23,000 and took it to the frame and am rebuilding a 64 Convertable Fuelie.
Look at the Tach red line for 6500 RPM, An oval hole in the left (driver side) of the radiator support or the obvious, the FI breather assm., 7 leaf rear spring, RF or RX on the engine pad suffix. These are some of the obvious FI car signs.
An FI or not, it would need to be near totaled out to not be worth $12 grand. Keep us posted.
Here's my project.
Clint

 

[Kid_Again]

Wow, nice job on the fuelie restoration.

Eh, tough to tell if the car was a true FI car or not. For example, I had it in my head to convert my '65 over to a fuelie (why, I'm not sure). I bought an FI unit with the correct, original two piece distributor and all the correct gingerbread plumbing gizmos. I have spare injector blocks and a spare spider. I rebuilt the unit by following the shop manual and the learned writings of Jerry Bramlett. I swapped out the radiator support for the correct FI version (which I swapped out of a base engine '65 that came with the incorrect FI support from the factory) and I already had the high RPM tach. Easy enough to do if you have patience, good luck and money.

Now, if the car in question comes with the correct, original air cleaner assembly, happy days are here again....:Twist

Even though I didn't do the conversion, the FI Unit has a much better ROI than the stock market. Amazing.

 

[iron cross]

Rodchester FI Unit Problems

First issue is that there were no Rodchester FI a/c cars built in any year. But if it is equiped with the Rodchester unit it will have to be taken apart and completely cleaned or else subject the engine to a hydraulic condition from fuel drawn into the cylinders. This can be costly if overlooked and result in bent rods and broken pistons to say the least. This is the one problem that an owner of an FI piece has either already experienced or positively will in the future. Otherwise they are great.

 

[Kid_Again]

I didn't know that. I'll be darned.

 

[Kid_Again]

Any word on this car? Seriously, if it's in decent shape, $12K is a pretty freakin' good price.

 

[TriTown]

I'm going to check it out Saturday AM. I have to call the guy before I go to look. I can't belirve that it will really happen. I sounds way too good to be true!!

I'll be back with the info as soon as I can.

Later!!!

 

[Kid_Again]

What's shakin'? :dance

 

[clint4vette]

I can't wait to hear about it!

 

[TriTown]

Well... Here's the scoop. The car is a 64 coupe not a roadster. It's got A/C, AM/FM, Power glide, the original snorkle air cleaner distributor cover. The car looks like it would start right up. It's sitting on 4 flats. The interior is covered with black mold dust and has lots of cob webs inside. It is Silver blue in color , very dusty and the body has not a crack in it or any hair line cracks in the fiberglass that I could see with out a wash job. I was shaking with excitement when the garage door opened. I think my voice was messed up too! The car IS an absolute gem under a 1/8" of dust!

Now that you are all juced up too ,I'm sad to say the guy changed his mind at the last moment and there was no talking him through to a sale. He would'nt even allow me to take a photo of it. So there it sits for who knows how much longer. It's just about 21 years so far. I just can't believe some poeple can be so pig headed.

So now the search goes on for something else.

 

[65-to-00]

A__ hole of the month award!

:eyerole The ol' bastard probably gets his jollies once or twice a year by "spreading the word" and then just pulls the rug out.

Dollars will get ya' donuts that your not the first to be a "Pavlov Dog" for his ego.

I WOULD NEVER DO THIS .... but he is the kinda guy that is gonna get "keyed" in a parking lot someday when someone catches on ....

Does he give a crap that you "schmoozed" your wife and hit the bank for the cash you had to bring and tied up a day of your life.

I had a guy at our American Legion post pull something like this on me .... right outa' the military and needed a good car. He gave me a price and we agreed when his new car was delivered (three months). I worked double shifts and nursed an old decrepit Toyota with bad brakes and starter through the worst of winter waiting for this rig (original Bronco 4X4).

 

[WayneC]

Don't be too hard on the guy, he apparently had a change of heart. He didn't renege on a contract with you. When you get some years behind you, you may do the same thing sometime.... decide to sell, then just can't do it when it comes right down to it. At least this guy doesn't have the car sitting out in the weather on the back 40, and he did let you see it rather than turn you away cold.

When something's too good a deal to be true, it usually isn't.

I once looked at a mid-80's Avanti sitting in a backyard on the dirt, covered by one of those cheap blue plastic tarps that had trapped all the ground moisture beneath it and rusted everything metal inside and outside the car (undoubtedly all the wiring connections too), with all 4's flattened, an engine compartment packed chockablock full of dead pine needles; paint was oxidized, couldn't open the trunk, nor see how bad the mud-buried frame was rusted. Obviously had been sitting that way for years, because the plates hadn't been renewed for quite some time.

But it had possibilities, seemed not to have had body damage, only had 50k or 60k on the clock, and the price was low enough to afford some repairs, so I agreed to the price in the ad and gave the guy $100 in return for a handwritten sales receipt (stating VIN, the full price, and the down payment, etc) until I could figure out how to get it moved. He said he'd misplaced the title and would look for it in the interim.

When I called the guy to arrange pickup, he said someone had seen his ad on the internet (a newly-started "cars for sale" website had copied the newspaper ad and posted it), and called him and told him he was selling too cheap, that he could easily get $20k for that car... so he wasn't going to sell it to me (of course the caller wasn't offering him that, because the car wouldn't bring that much even in pristine restored condition); I talked about the poor condition of the car and the realistic value even after an expensive restoration. When I reminded him we had a signed sales agreement, he then said that the car really belonged to a friend for whom he'd been storing the car, and that the friend had died and he couldn't contact the relatives, they sometimes came by, and anyway, they'd want a lot more $$$. I talked about the poor condition and the market value of a completely restored car like that, and offered to pay about 20% more than I'd originally agreed.

He said he'd try to contact the relatives again, to call him back in a week. On subsequent calls he said he'd contacted relatives but that they couldn't find the title and wanted a much higher price, close to $15k, and then, after a few more calls, finally, that they'd sell for $10k but that there was also a lien on the car of unknown amount which I'd also have to agree to pay (I found out there really was a lien, but DMV wouldn't give me the lien holder's name nor the amount). Then he said they'd sell the car for a little less if I'd take it without a title.

The runaround became too much at that point and I gave up and told him to return my deposit or I'd turn him in on suspicion of selling a stolen car, because obviously I'd have to sue him and/or the "relatives" to make the deal go through, and I didn't know what part of what he was telling me was legit and what wasn't.

 

[Kid_Again]

That's a damn shame. Good luck in your hunt.

The car was NEVER for sale, don't worry about it.

 

[TriTown]

Yup it just wan't ment to be. I'll find one at one point in time. Just need more $$$ In the meantime I still have a C4