[Oldsguy]

If you have done restorations before you should expect to do a frame-off and look for the worse. If you are trying to turn the car over for a profit quickly then you might reconsider. If you are buying the car because you "have to have it" then you might go for it with your experience. If you disassemble and find you don't need to do a full frame-off then you come out ahead from what you were expecting to have to do. Remember, there is almost always a better car than the one you are looking for out there but finding it takes time and my time is worth SOMETHING....yours probably is too. Just throwing in some pro's and con's about the whole deal. Like you said $500 deposit is tuff to give up.