Pull the back seat bottom. Look for rust in the floor in the conners at rocker ends. Rust there is means pass on this one. Or buy it for parts.
I looked at it today, he showed me the engine which was actually a 305 V8 and looked like ok condition. wiring looked somewhat ok. he even said the new engine has like very low miles. i cant get under to see the frame though. it was raining today and i noticed it was leaking water into the inside of the car. I suppose i’ll just let it go for now (because i doubt he would take $500) for it. Or do you guys think i should go to his house, knock on the door and show him cash? let him know i want it? because hes not selling, i just want it. i think he WILL sell though if i just work on him enough haha. i dont know what to do. maybe i’ll just stick to my dodge dakota for a couple more years… sigh.
If it’s leaking water inside the car, that’s a very bad sign, lots of rust and maybe mold await.
im not scared of mold…rust on the other hand…yes.
With it raining inside, it will have rot and will take a lot of work to get back to it being a car.
If you have the ability and the drive to fix something like that, have at it.
But if you’ve never done anything like that before and just want a cool vintage car to roll around to cruise night and fix once in a while, this car is not for you.
Look for cars like that in non-rustbelt areas of the country and perhaps drive it back home or have it trucked. You’ll have a better car and will be off way cheaper.
For instance, check Idaho’s craigslist. It is apparently a fairly well kept secret that cars there don’t seem to have any real rust on them. A friend of mine there, acting as a go between, got me a really solid vehicle for not much money.
Edit: I’m assuming your budget is around 2K and you’re looking for an 80’s model Camaro.
These links of course turn into junk over time but here’s a 80-ish vintage camaro for $2500: http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/3247287729.html
Another later 80 model for 2250: http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/3223299330.html
A 78 for 2K obo: http://boise.craigslist.org/bar/3214318006.html Looks like it need some paint, tho.
An 85 for 1200: http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/3231845295.html
etc. The list goes on.
Long story short - Pick a good non-rust state and start craigslisting. There are plenty out there. That’s the route I chose. I’ve fixed an old car once, off frame, new sheetmetal pretty much all around 30" from the ground up, all nuts and bolts. It was fun and may do it again but was jonesing something I could drive once in a while between mild repair/restoration.
You might not care if it has mold, but most women can really spot that smell, and will not be riding with you. Trust me on this. Let this car go.