I just put a deposit down on a ‘68 442. Curious to see what price would be reasonable as opposed to screaming good deal? Photos attached. Anyone else have corrosion around rear window? What do you think of it overall? Thanks

















the rear window (see photo).

 

Typical rust at the rear front fenders. It's coming through so you're probably in for a treat there. The rear window and trunk are showing signs of rust which needs further inspection. I think there's more damage under that window than meets the eye as it's already messing up the sail panels and rear interior side panels. While a good body shop could repair those areas around the rear window, the trunk may be eat up from the inside working it's way out. Again, more investigation there. Undercarriage from the pics seems fairly solid except it appears there has been some rework under the driver footwell with rivets holding in the patch panel. At least that's what it looks like to me.

If you already put a deposit on it, only YOU will know if it's a good deal or not. If they want about 8-10K less than a solid example, then maybe it's a wash. If the difference is less than that, hold out for a more solid example and pay a little more upfront than paying more down the road to fix that thing. That's what I would do. Your experience may vary. The way it sits, I wouldn't give you over 8 or 9K. Lotta rust, but that's subjective too, sometimes.

 

If you put a deposit on it, you have already agreed on a price. Will you lose the deposit if you don't take it ? It looks to me like a lot of rust and "bondo" has been painted over and its beginning to bubble up. Check around the windshield. The interior looks reasonably good, except for the headliner. The engine is the wrong color (1970 or later 455), so I am guessing the engine is not original.

 

^^^THIS! That car has already been bondo'd and painted once. There is far more rust under there than is visible at the moment. Run, don't walk, away.

 

X2 Joe, on this buggy....Run Forest Run...

 

Hopefully you have more history relative to the drive train, the engine may or may not be correct as it is the wrong color for the year... The rust issues are somewhat apparent, but there sure could be a lot more then is visible to the eye... However, it does go without saying, throw enough money at it and anything is most likely repairable...

 

Brian, I hate rust. It is like an iceberg in that what you can see is only a small part of the whole problem. From what I see in the pics, I would not take the car if it was free if I had to fix it right and keep it. Life is too short for those kinds of problems.

Cut your losses and keep looking.
tc

 

As everyone has pointed out, this car will require a lot of metal work to repair, and quality aftermarket steel replacement parts are not all available for the 68's.

 

Are you willing to put a lot of your time into bodywork? Or are you willing to a pay a shop to do it?

Car looks rusty, and that means $$$$ and time to fix it.

A 68 442 is not a super desirable model, so sinking a ton of cash into it is probably not a good move.

Any paperwork, build sheet, other documentation?

Is the drivetrain matching to the car?

"Buy the best body and frame you can. Much cheaper in the long run"

 

Are we absolutely sure it's a 4-4-2? Did you check the VIN?

Agree with the others -- even if it's legit, it may be too far gone to ever make economic sense as a resto project. I see a lot of wavy surfaces.

 

This is the Danger Will Robinson photo. Since the car has been patched and painted once already, expect to find a lot more like this. Fixing this correctly is very expensive and time consuming, especially if you lack the welding skills and equipment to do it yourself. Few shops know how to fix this properly, and the ones that do will be very expensive. I suspect that there is similar rust under the trim around the windshield.

 

All that’s been said, but, it’s reasonably complete and besides the obvious issues buckets and console are decent, if it runs good and has a big block I wouldn’t pass it up for 4-6k. It is rusty and it is far easier to start w a much nicer example.

 

I negotiated the price down to $9k. Deposit is refundable pending me seeing it in person. The overall consensus on this forum is to RUN...I'm definitely conflicted.

 

Engine is 396026 G...seems like it would be the original, or at least from a '68. Starting to lean towards passing on the car...

 

$9K is only about twice what that car is worth with that much rust. It will take $20K to make that a $15K car. Keep looking.

 

Joe's right (I know, I was shocked too).

Even the nicest ones don't usually fetch much over $20K. That leaves you $11K to get a whole bunch of work done.

 

The body and paint alone will be well over $11K. Yeah, I'm sure we'll get a lot of stories about how someone's milkman's sister's husband was able to paint a car for $3000. Good luck with that.

 

Brian
You have to ask yorself what your goal is for this car.
But, as everyone has mentioned, this particular car will take a ton of time and money to restore properly
If you want a fun '68 to cruise in, look for a solid car to start with, this car, to me, looks like the seller scored it out of someomes back yard and is trying ti flip it and make a killing. At most its a couple thousand dollar parts car.
Spend $20k and get a car you could drive now, not 8 years from now
Good luck

 

That is ALOT of rust. For 9k I would expect a lot less. I would run as well .

 

I am known for buying rust bucket project Oldsmobiles. This one has very little going for it, coolness factor, rarity. For sure not a 9G car... If I really wanted this car and was doing all the work myself it would have to be less that 4 G's. And really one cannot negotiate a price without an in-person look unless you really know what it is.

 

Brian, unless you are a paint and body guy doing your own work; I’d pass. I’m finishing up paint and body on mine right now. When I started, I thought I only had a couple of spots to cut out (front lower fenders, window channels) I grossly under estimated! I’m scared to even think what lies beneath the paint of your pictured prospect.

Bill

 

My theory is always find the least amount of rust and pay up for it..I once bought a 1965 gto post car, looked good, until I stripped it, even the frame was compromised. Most people have no idea the hours that go into cutting, welding grinding, prepping etc. Run the hell away from this bondo buggy..

 

A lot of great points, but didn’t see anyone highlight the thrill of resurrecting a car well past it’s prime! How many folks on the forum have actually bought a car that they (or had someone help) restored and not have at least double what the car was worth on the open market? I think most of us have all had that experience. It doesn’t mean it’s a good idea or great investment, but hard to put value on spending hours in the garage busting knuckles, searching for hours to find parts that no longer exist, or burning your bank account dry. But you know what, the first time you fire up your 1-year project that took 5-years to complete none of that matters. Ask the member who restored his dads 65...how many of us would have had the courage to tackle that car? At the end of the day it is what it is. Agree, price is too high, car not the most desirable, and much less to the car than it appears (Rust is double what you see and probably more). Personally, I’d pass on the car because the seller is asking way too much, not because of the challenge it presents. Car is a $4-5k car...unless it is numbers matching and then maybe a little more. Your looking at about $20k in paint and body work to be done correctly. Then add mechanicals.... If you have the skills, tools, and facilities to do the work yourself then you can pay a little more upfront if the challenge is what you’re after....

 

The whole point is for the buyer to be informed, allowing him to make an educated decision.

 

Brian,
I would take Joes advice.

Guy

 

"The most expensive car I ever bought was a cheap Mercedes."

The same applies to restoration projects. Just pay up for a better car. It'll save you a lot of money and heartache.