LI Olds

I am looking for opinions on this 72 convertible, I'm not close and would have to ship the car to me(cost around $700)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oldsm...item3f01ca7469

let me know what you think

inthedirt

Pictures always look better than reality. I would want to see pics of the bottom of the doors, inside the trunk and underneath. Based upon the one pic of the door bubbling, more investigation is needed. Ask the seller to send you the additional pics

Oldsmaniac

The door already has bondo in it and its not sealed or there is rot thru again because of the bubbling. The doors are usually the last to go so I would bet there is bondo in the fenders and quarters. Trunk lid is rotted so who knows about trunk floor and the frame surely needs to be looked at for rot. His ad says body work and paint needed. Those simple words could cover major work needed. Seats need to be redone and back bumper looks not so shiny. If it only needs a tuneup why doesnt he do it to get it running right. It is only what he thinks is needed...... Last chance to buy his POS? I hate sellers who make light of things.... I would not buy this one without an inspection by you or an appraiser.

MJAKS462

My bet is that it is a old restoration that was done with all filler and no new metal.
He says it needs trunk so I would plan on replacing , trunk , inner and outer wheel wells , 1/4s , doors , deck lid , maybe rockers and frame work.
My guess is that you are looking at a 4,000 car at most.
If it was as nice as some of the far away pics look he would be asking a lot more for it.
Being he only has 1 feedback he has nothing to lose.
Ebay does not do much with buyer protection , I lost 7500.00 on a piece of crap and all ebay did was call him and try and convince him to give a refund. No such luck.
If I was closer to New York I would go teach the the SOB a lesson that lied so bad about the car.
GET BETTER PICS !!!

jaunty75

I think his price is reasonable. I like the black/yellow color scheme, but I agree with what's been said. There are enough obvious problems that I would need to see the car in person before spending what he's asking.

You appear willing to spend $700 to ship it to you. You can spend less than that to buy a round-trip plane ticket, fly down there and look at it, and drive it back yourself if you end up buying it. You'll forfeit the return half of the plane ticket, but you'll still come out ahead, even after you pay for the gas plus a night in a hotel on the way back. If you don't end up buying it, hop on the plane and go home. Yes, you're out the cost of the plane ticket, but that's small compared to the investment you're talking about making, and you'll have satisfied yourself that you didn't let one slip away.

citcapp

X2 on this idea

jrsixx

Am I being too picky or did it annoy anyone else that the air cleaner lid is crooked?

gearheads78

Its a rust bucket. Run don't walk away unless you are real good at metal work and he will take $3500.00 for it.

Allan R

It's more than the doors. THe lower fender can be patched with a panel repair. The doors? can't tell. I did notice the TRUNK deck was in really crappy shape. There is a ton of bubbling on the edge of the deck. How about the floor boards or trunk floor? Now most of the issues with rust are pretty standard on these old cars and if its spent most of its life in Florida I'm thinking I'd be cautious about buying the car. Its a pretty basic Cutlass vert with AC. Other than that it really doesn't have any options to speak of. Its a basic vert production car with an appealing color combo. You'll obviously need to redo some of the interior.

I'd also like to know if this is documented 81k miles or if its on the second go around. Where are the maintenance records? Documentation of whats been done and when is important. Granted its a nice looking car, but there's nothing actually in the auction that says how the car runs. Engine is clean and good to go? The price won't go any lower. Gosh, if that car is worth 7600, I should advertise mine for 30,000 and that's not gonna happen.

I'd ask for more pictures that show where more of the problem areas aren't a "problem" anymore. Unlike some others, I won't spend 700 bucks to fly down and look at something that can't be properly represented or validated in the auction. But it's up to you.

LI Olds

reply from the seller
".i dont think there is a lot of bondo.lower right and left door.right worse than left.right wheel well little rust under trim.i have had the car since may 98.the car is always out of the weather in the garage.just have not had time to work it. work two jobs10-12 hours a day.thanks john"

my72vert

I've looked at about 20 cars in the last year before I bought mine last month. Everyone that has given advice is right on the money. You really must see it in person to make a educated decision. To me the car looks rough but thats not to say she cant be made a beauty. Go look at the car and estimate what you are willing to spend to get the car to your liking. Then you can make a offer based on that. I cant tell you how many times a seller has told me how nice the car was until I saw it in person. Theres a lot to look at very closely. Some people have found ingenious ways to make a car look good. A friend of mine told me to be patient and the right one will come along. He was right. Good luck

sworthy555

It is always better to look at it yourself or have someone in the area take a peek at it. I took me over two years to find a SX but when I did I spent a few more dollars on it but it was well worth the extra money! You have to question what a little TLC means and many ads have "just needs freon". If it is "just" a "little" work then the owner should get it done and scratch that off the list. If you can't or don't have the time or experience to work on it then the $'s can add up if you end up taking it to a mechanic or body shop. Keep searching you'll find what you're looking for.

joe_padavano

The car has obviously been bondoed and painted at least once. Expect to find lots of rust under that yellow paint. A proper repair with metal and repaint will cost well over the purchase price of the car.

LI Olds

so got an email from the seller today.. he sold the car locally for more than $7500.....

my72vert

Dont be disappointed. I lost 2 cars I was looking at trying to figure out if they were a good deal or not. Like my friend said, be patient and the right one will come along. I did and found a real winner. Good luck, there's one out there with your name on it.

LI Olds

i'm not disappointed at all, I was just pointing out the irony that everyone here thought it was a $3000 car and he sold it for more than his asking price.

my heart belongs to the 69 anyway as that is what my father drove before my sister and I came along

ent72olds

Count it as a blessing in disguise! Everyone's advice was on the money, and being in the biz, the only appealing option is the drop top.....other than that a major project.....unless you just want to" clean the car up", meaning more bondo over rust, new paint and drive the car! There is a difference between that and repairing the car properly! It would be a shame to "clean it up", and then in 2 years the work you did comes right back!

LI Olds

i see you on LI and 'in the biz"
I am always looking for advise and help, it would be helpful to have a local source.. PM me and let me know your location and shop if you don't mind

joe_padavano

All that proves it that he found a buyer with more money than brains. More power to the seller. I have no problem separating stupid people from their money.

jaunty75

Er, not quite everyone. Go back and read my post. I said I thought his $7500 asking price was reasonable, even with the problems the car has. Seems I was right, but I'm used to that.