1978 with 1600 miles

[Mike Mercury]

YouTube

[gs568]

Wow.

[Rikki Z-06]

Sad.

[Steve_R]

Owner of those cars isn't too smart. I note the guys in the video didn't make any attempt to get it running, just cleaned it.

[jw38]

That car is a piece of junk. It needs a complete restoration that would cost 10 times the value ofvthe car. Sell the interior parts and junk the rest of it.

[Onebadcad]

When I see these stories, two things to conclude:

1) Too rich, spent money on something they did not need, or use
2) Too dumb, failed to realize they could have done more with their money, letting it rot away WAS NOT a strategy

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by jw38

That car is a piece of junk. It needs a complete restoration that would cost 10 times the value ofvthe car. Sell the interior parts and junk the rest of it.

I disagree. I think this thing just needs fuel system and braking system work. Maybe some electrical work if the mice did some chewing. I would take this all day long over something like the mrvette car.

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by ptindall

I disagree. I think this thing just needs fuel system and braking system work. Maybe some electrical work if the mice did some chewing. I would take this all day long over something like the mrvette car.

Perhaps, but it may need a LOT more than fuel system and braking system work after sitting for decades. All rubber bushings will be brittle and rotted, lots of wiring, some hidden and hard to get to, may need to be repaired/replaced, all hoses need to be replaced, radiator may need work, shocks need replaced, tires need replaced, etc, etc, etc. I helped a neighbor get a mid-70s Ford pickup running after sitting for 15 years, and it needed a lot of this stuff. That Vette has sat for far longer, and definitely had mice in the interior.

Unless you can do all the work yourself, it may cost more to restore than it's worth since it's not a chrome bumper C3.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by jw38

That car is a piece of junk. It needs a complete restoration that would cost 10 times the value ofvthe car. Sell the interior parts and junk the rest of it.

RONG. Clean out the fuel system, rebuild the brakes, new brake hoses, rebuild the carb, squirt some WD-40 in the cylinders and turn by hand, flush the oil system with kerosene, prime with new oil, new plugs, rotor and cap. Maybe a fuel pump. Change the diff and transmission fluid.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

Perhaps, but it may need a LOT more than fuel system and braking system work after sitting for decades. All rubber bushings will be brittle and rotted, lots of wiring, some hidden and hard to get to, may need to be repaired/replaced, all hoses need to be replaced, radiator may need work, shocks need replaced, tires need replaced, etc, etc, etc. I helped a neighbor get a mid-70s Ford pickup running after sitting for 15 years, and it needed a lot of this stuff. That Vette has sat for far longer, and definitely had mice in the interior.

Unless you can do all the work yourself, it may cost more to restore than it's worth since it's not a chrome bumper C3.

Obviously people who cannot do basic work like that themselves should not buy a car like this. All the parts you listed are cheap and widely available. That's a very long way from needing more than the car is worth.

BTW, my '67 Falcon has a 1978 inspection sticker on the windshield and had 55,000 miles when I got it. It had run on occasion since 1978, but had not been used as a road car since then. Yes, it needed tires, belts, shocks, the radiator rodded out, and radius arm bushings. Maybe $500? I've now put 10,000 miles on it. Car is perfectly healthy.

[Aerovette]

Some things shown look to have more than just 1600 miles.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by Aerovette

Some things shown look to have more than just 1600 miles.

Like what?

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by jw38

That car is a piece of junk. It needs a complete restoration that would cost 10 times the value ofvthe car. Sell the interior parts and junk the rest of it.

THIS. Car would be much better if it had 160k miles on it. At this point, it will need: engine overhaul/reseal, transmission overhaul, Differential reseal, new brake hydraulics, possible steel lines, new fuel system, new shocks, new rubber throughout car, new tires, and new battery for starters. The work, if you hire it done, will range from $110 to $350 per hour. So you're looking at spending probably 80k or more to end up with a 12k car.

Even if the car was stored in a bubble, same would apply simply due to father time.

Moral of the story: Move it or lose it.

[ricks327]

Impressive detailing job and their attention to detail of the small jobs is great.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

THIS. Car would be much better if it had 160k miles on it. At this point, it will need: engine overhaul/reseal, transmission overhaul, Differential reseal, new brake hydraulics, possible steel lines, new fuel system, new shocks, new rubber throughout car, new tires, and new battery for starters. The work, if you hire it done, will range from $110 to $350 per hour. So you're looking at spending probably 80k or more to end up with a 12k car.

Even if the car was stored in a bubble, same would apply simply due to father time.

Moral of the story: Move it or lose it.

Did you watch the video? You saw the inside of the air cleaner and think this car needs an engine and trans rebuild? We may find out. If you watch the video, they say there are plans for one of the cars to be made road worthy again by another youtube channel.

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by ptindall

Did you watch the video? You saw the inside of the air cleaner and think this car needs an engine and trans rebuild? We may find out. If you watch the video, they say there are plans for one of the cars to be made road worthy again by another youtube channel.

Maybe not a rebuild, but likely new seals, which means the engine & trans may have to come out. Not a typical job for a DIYer.

The pace car edition may be worth enough to get it back running, but there's nothing special about the white one to make it worth much.

I will never understand why anyone would buy cars like these, drive them a few miles, and then store them uncovered and not maintained for decades.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

I will never understand why anyone would buy cars like these, drive them a few miles, and then store them uncovered and not maintained for decades.

Dude really picked the wrong car. There were lots of used cars the guy could have spent the same money on in 1978 and done fine. Disco C3s might have been among the worst possible cars to do this with. There are way more than enough museum quality '78 Pace cars out there.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by ptindall

Like what?

How would valve covers have paint missing? It looks like oil vapor blowing by the PCV, which is not all that uncommon, but at 1600 miles, I would only expect oil residue or slight paint discoloration.

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by ptindall

Did you watch the video? You saw the inside of the air cleaner and think this car needs an engine and trans rebuild? We may find out. If you watch the video, they say there are plans for one of the cars to be made road worthy again by another youtube channel.

No. Didn't. My mechanical experience tells me that seals and gaskets that sit for 4 + decades harden and fail. The engine will likely run, but will soon start leaking from every seal and seam. The transmission, if an automatic, will need all new piston seals and rubber parts. The brakes, same thing. The parts themselves likely OK, but they will need to be taken apart and re-sealed. If you are a mechanic, not a big deal. If you aren't, a big deal.

I bought my '61 after sitting for 25 years in an airplane hangar. It needed an engine overhaul, transmission overhaul, new brake system, new fuel system, and new cooling system. It cost me less than $5k to do all of this, doing all the work myself. If I had paid someone to do the work, it would have been $45,000 or so, at our labor rates. So not worth it, considering the purchase price of the car.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by Aerovette

How would valve covers have paint missing? It looks like oil vapor blowing by the PCV, which is not all that uncommon, but at 1600 miles, I would only expect oil residue or slight paint discoloration.

Looks the same as the distributor cover, air filter lid, and cruise control servo to me. Basic surface rust. I would expect oil residue to prevent surface rust, not cause it.