Need help, purchasing first car

[Suicidehummer]

Well I've been scouring Ebay and Craigslist lately in search of a rough-but-running muscle car of some sort to fix up as my first car. I have about $1600 now. There are two cars in particular I'm interested in, and one is a '73 Satellite on Craigslist.

Here's the ad: http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1851987599.html

My question I guess is whether that's a good deal or not, and am I getting in over my head with that car?

I would be working on it at my brother's house because he just built a new garage and has plenty of tools, not to mention I helped him work on his '73 Challenger when he bought that.

As far as I can tell, the Satellite never came with a 360, but the ad says this has one. Am I wrong?

I appreciate any help you guys can give me.

 

[Joe Mopar]

I looked at the ad and although it says nothing about rust issues I'm sure it can't be worse than any other car out there for a grand. Good luck to you if you buy it. You can get lot's of help here from the members.:yes:

 

[Suicidehummer]

Well I called the guy and left a message. My dad thinks I should get a reliable newer car and is very much against me getting an old fixer upper. That'll be the hardest part, getting him to agree although it shouldn't matter because it's my money.

 

[gocubzgo]

Body and bumpers look pretty good for the year. I believe the hood is probably worth about $200 if it is clean underneath. Offer about $750 and take it home if he will go $850 or less. Be prepared to walk away if he won't budge on the price. Seller needs to move and wants it gone, so time is on your side. Best of luck with whatever you get.

 

[69clone]

Doesn't look too bad. If you do get it hopefully your dad will change his mind when he see's you with it. You'll know if it's the right car or not when you look at it. I got my first car back in May. Spent 3 years searching and looked at so many cars before i saw this one and as soon as i went to look at it i knew this was it. Don't forget to ask questions here. There are aton of guys that are more then willing to go out of there way to help.
Best of luck!
~Nick

 

[Suicidehummer]

Thanks guys.

Well, he dropped it to $900 OBO so I'm sure he'd take $850, he said the town is bothering him about having an unregistered car sitting around.

I called him and he said he'd send some pictures of the car, particularly the bottom of the quarter panels where there was rust that was cut out and patched by a previous owner.

Once I talk to my brother and get the pictures, I'll try to arrange a meeting. He lives about an hour from me, but he's pretty close to my dad and stepmom so maybe I could get my dad to come along (although maybe that would be a bad idea). Problem is, my dad has my money invested in gold so i have to go through him to get it. If I want to go with cash in hand, I have to get him to agree.

He relisted it saying it originally came with a 318. So where do you guys think the 360 came from? I would assume it's from a similar Plymouth/Dodge from that era.

Here's the new listing with a little more info: http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/1876937898.html

69clone: Nice car! Man, that must have been in rough shape when you got it because it seems like any coke bottle style car is wicked expensive these days.

The biggest question I think would be how much would I have to sink into this car to get a workable daily driver to and from school and such?

 

[69clone]

If he needs to get rid of it i would offer him like $600-700 and work your way to a price. The 360 could be any year they all inerchange, someone correct me if i'm wrong. If your worried about that ask for the engine vin or look for it when your there then post it here or google will help you figure it out. As for the money needed to invest into it, I'm not sure i'm pretty new to this myself. The listing says the hose to the tank is dry roted, I'd imagine thats only like 10 bucks to fix. Unless it needs some special line idk. The body work all depends on how bad it is and the quality you want.

Btw thanks, the pic in my avatar was the day i bought it. It is in pretty good shape supposedly sat in a garage for 20+ years after the original owner died.

~Nick

 

[74sundance]

If I were you, I'd buy it and take the bus until it's done lol.

Here is how I would present the idea to my dad ;)

Any car you buy for $1600.00 will end up with problems and no matter how much money you put in it you will never get it back!

Sooooo,why not buy a car thats worth investing money in?
It could be a father son project creating bonding time as well as a great learning experience

Put it this way,if you buy the car for $900.00 and add another $300.00-$350.00 replacing all the parts related to safety and reliability you would still have $400.00 left over and you would also have the piece of mind knowing the car is safe rather than hoping you bought a $1600.00 car with no problems.

Here is a list of the most common parts you would need to replace they only total about $300.00

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/racatalog.php?carcode=1241637&parttype=15595&tab=cart

I'll also add that it would be a very good idea to have a mechanic look the car over for you before you buy it...Here in Canada it's called a pre safety check...It lists all the safety problems. A good investment for around $70.00

 

[Suicidehummer]

Haha, yeah that's the plan 74sundance.

Well, it wouldn't be a father son project because he has no more tools or knowledge than I do. He didn't help my older brother work on his '84 Cougar so I don't expect any. I would be working on it at my oldest brothers house. He has a '73 Challenger I helped work on and a big new garage to work in.

I figure having my oldest brother come with me to check it out will be a free pre-safety check of sorts.

BTW, whatever you put in your shopping cart (in that link) doesn't show up for me because I'm a different customer (I figure).

69clone: Wow, so that's all/mostly original, huh? What a catch.

I'll try to remember to ask for the engine vin. Assuming it came out of a Fury of a similar vintage (because he calls it a police motor, and Furys were used as police cars I believe), it should have had 175 HP new (who knows how much now).

She'll definitely need a refinish, but I'm not going all out on a restoration for a daily driver, so I figure Maaco should be cheap and passable although my dad says they suck. Is a flat black finish cheaper? I'm considering that...

 

[MRHWS]

The car appears to not be a rust bucket and a decent buy for under a grand. Don't forget taxes, tag and insurance to get it titled and on the road. Find out when it was last driven, since the rubber fuel lines are rotted. Probably junk in the tank and sending unit. Change the oil, tranny fluid if owner hasn't done recently and fuel filter. Just remember these things are 30 plus years old and anything can go bad at any time. It's frustrating and fun all at the same time.

 

[Suicidehummer]

Thanks for the advice.

I'll add "when it was last driven" to my list of stuff to ask. ;)

Yeah, I have more than enough to cover taxes, but I'll need a job before I think about driving it anywhere because insurance will be a LOT being I'm 17. But I don't even have my permit yet so getting my license is another thing that will delay me.

I just drove my brother's '73 Challenger around his house... god I love muscle cars, lol.

Edit: Forgot to mention I was looking for '73 satellite fuel lines and I found "fuel sending units". I assume that's what I would need (maybe a fuel filter too as you mentioned)?

 

[RTSrunner]

I agree with the low-ball offer,500-700 dollars,it's gotta go and you are willing to take it with you.He has to sell,you don't have to buy so it;s your call what to pay.I remember looking for my first car,looked at about a dozen till my dad liked one.Everything from a '69 'runner -rough but i loved it-but a no.An early Econoline van,clean-but a no.A '70 'Runner,would have been a yes but it sold an hour before I arrived to look at it-I did buy it many years later from the guy who beat me to it!Finally got a '71 El Camino SS ,dad liked the truck idea.Never drove the Chevy personally,dad did though,I was only 15 no license yet! I had already started building a 383 so I knew what make car I really wanted!My next car was a '74 charger Rallye,still got it and that was 1983!I think dad liked the elco better though.Your dad may not like it but he may just keep you from buying a pile too!Don't jump on it if it's too rough,there are plenty out there.
RT

 

[Suicidehummer]

Yeah, I don't want to get in over my head but I figure if it's running and not rusting away, how bad can it be? Maybe that's a dumb question, lol.

My dad is actually on vacation until friday so I'll have to wait until next week before I can check the car out. That especially sucks because time is of the essence in this case.

 

[dave755]

I just checked some printed material about 1973 RR's and Satellites. I used the Roadrunner "Source Book". In 1973, the 340 was an optional engine for the RR only. This book doesn't show the 360 for 73 at all. In 1974, the 360 was an optional engine for both the RR and Satellite.

There were over 51,000 Satellite Sebrings built in 1973.

Hope this helps.

 

[Suicidehummer]

Thanks. Once I see the car in person I'll write down the VIN from the body and engine to determine what the story really is. The seller says it was originally a 318 which would make sense for a 1973. Although he could be wrong, and it could be a 1974 with a 360. It might not even be a Satellite Sebring, I wouldn't know the difference. If he ever sends me those pictures (he still hasn't, and doesn't seem very easy to deal with) I'll ask for the VIN before setting up a meeting.

Can you tell me how much horsepower a '74 with a 360 would have had?

 

[74sundance]

It depends, in 1974 this is what was available.

Engine Carb Bore/stroke Comp HP rpm HP RPM Oil pres
V8-360 2-bbl 4.00 x 3.58 8.4:1 180 @ 4000 290 @ 2400 45-65
V8-360 4-bbl 4.00 x 3.58 8.4:1 200 @ 4000 290 @ 3200 45-65
V8-360 4-bbl 4.00 x 3.58 8.4:1 245 @ 4800 320 @ 3600 45-65

 

[gocubzgo]

Thanks guys.

Well, he dropped it to $900 OBO so I'm sure he'd take $850, he said the town is bothering him about having an unregistered car sitting around.

I called him and he said he'd send some pictures of the car, particularly the bottom of the quarter panels where there was rust that was cut out and patched by a previous owner.

Once I talk to my brother and get the pictures, I'll try to arrange a meeting. He lives about an hour from me, but he's pretty close to my dad and stepmom so maybe I could get my dad to come along (although maybe that would be a bad idea). Problem is, my dad has my money invested in gold so i have to go through him to get it. If I want to go with cash in hand, I have to get him to agree.

He relisted it saying it originally came with a 318. So where do you guys think the 360 came from? I would assume it's from a similar Plymouth/Dodge from that era.

Here's the new listing with a little more info: http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/1876937898.html

69clone: Nice car! Man, that must have been in rough shape when you got it because it seems like any coke bottle style car is wicked expensive these days.

The biggest question I think would be how much would I have to sink into this car to get a workable daily driver to and from school and such?

Perhaps the most important thing you've mentioned in this post is that he is having trouble with the town about car being unregistered. It is probably just a matter of time before the town steps up the pressure. Some communities issue fines for non compliance issues, and it sounds like he is getting close to that situation. If he gets hit with one fine, more will follow every week or so. He definitely wants this car gone before it starts costing money to let it sit. $700 to $750 will probably take it home. Be prepared to leave if he won't deal. Give him your phone # and tell him to give you a call if he changes his mind.
But keep in mind, you may face a similar situation if you don't get the car registered and running in your own community within a reasonable time. If the car is garaged, or you live in a rural setting you won't need to worry about that stuff, but if it sits in a yard or driveway in a town and doesn't move, you may hear from the authorities.
There is just no way of knowing what it might cost to get the vehicle running reliably, or where the 360 comes from without an ID #. 360's were available in cars from about 1970 to the mid 80's. They were also put into a huge number of pickups up until the early 2000's. It really doesn't matter where it came from. The important thing is what it will take to get it to run. Count on replacing fuel filters, fuel lines, and having the gas tank cleaned. It is also a good idea to rebuild the carb. Best of luck bringing this one home. From the pix, it looks like there's a lot of life left in her.

 

[Suicidehummer]

I'm just hoping I can get to it before he parts it out because it sounds like he's close to that.

I would be keeping it in my brother's garage until it was running so I guess that would be okay?

How hard would it be to rebuild the carb? Would it be worth it not to just get a new one?

This guy still hasn't emailed me the pictures. He seems to be a pain to deal with so far. When I talked to him on the phone he sounded rushed and somewhat abrasive.

 

[rav440]

just remeber your probably not the only one looking at it so you should act fast the car looks good for a grand but like others said he needs to be rid of it so low ball him and work up from there .
maybe join AAA not sure how it works up there but if you join you may get AAA to tow it home for free plus a discount on title transfer .

either way id get your brother to take a ride with you to look at ASAP .

GOOD LUCK i hope it goes well for you

 

[dbowperson]

AAA typically won't tow an unregistered car. Your best bet to get the car is to show up with cash in hand and a trailer, if this is what you really want.