Considering a CS: Feedback please!

[purplehaze]

Hello from the northern Bay Area,

I've been trolling for a little bit trying to get a sense of values, and just got clearance to post. You've got a great forum.

I have my eye on a 1972 3.0 CS and I'm considering buying it. I've always loved its classic lines, have owned a 633CSI, and yearn for something new; something to drive as-is for now, then maybe enhance later. I'd really like your feedback on potential issues, and price please.

It's a stock 3 liter, automatic, runs well despite sitting for years. All the repair efforts were done maybe 8-10 years ago, if not longer. It's not cherry, looks better from 30 feet, but it would make a good weekend car. And, when I'm ready I'd likely re-do the bodywork and paint. Mechanicals seem solid. Paint bubble near antenna, and trunk looks like the clear coat evaporated.

Owner rebuilt the engine, then welded in new body panels in most of the areas mentioned in this forum. Removed poor prior attempts at bondo and fiberglass, and painted it himself. Comes with a spare engine with head, 4-spd trans, A/C compressor, radiator, set of (5) OEM wheels, and (4) BWA alloys, etc.

These little pictures don't convey the paint, but it's a start. Please tell me how to get better shots uploaded.

He's asking $10,500

Your thoughts?

Thanks!

Glenn

http://s1358.beta.photobucket.com/user/odellconsult/library/

 

[rsporsche]

Glenn,

can't really tell anything from the images. a true .jpg format pic gets you the largest image at 97 kb ... compared to 19kb for other formats. the price seems reasonable if there isn't any rust or at least no terminal rust. the interior is an expensive thing - seats, carpets, wood and dash can easily cost you 5k to 10k depending on how much has to be done. automatics are typically worth about 3k to 5k less than manual tranny.

my advice, before you decide to buy, is to get the car on a lift and walk underneath it - look at
1. the rockers - the ends and the panels above it - misfit of panels and bubbles are something to avoid in these locations - especially in front of the doors.
2. look at the floors and drains (inside and out) and look for rust
3. front fenders - look behind the wheels and above the wheels - then look under the hood at the tops of the fenders.
4. look at e9-driven to find all of the other places to look for rust.

good luck and post some bigger pix

 

[sirshorty]

curious

The interior pic looks like a manual stick shift to me although you listed that the car was an automatic and it came with an extra 4 speed. if this is the right pic of the car you speak of then you don't have to convert it from auto since that looks like it was done. If the owner said it was an auto and sent you this pic i would be suspect . Never buy one of these cars without seeing it and if it is in the bay area there are lots of shops that will inspect it for you or even a norcal e9 board member might do the inspection. it will be the best small amount of money you can spend to either to find a potential gem or to avoid a costly nightmare. Just my 2 cents as i made that mistake once and will not do it again.

 

[Stan]

I would recomend a pre purchase insection. There are a couple of guys in the Bay area who are very knowledgeable and it would be worth paying for a PPI.

Try sfdon

 

[tmason]

I would take Stan's advise.If rusted areas were fixed, how were they fixed? Good Luck.

 

[purplehaze]

Thank you all!

My mistake: It's not an automatic, it IS a 4-speed. I must have been too tired.

This is an old friend's car who lives in NC, or else I'd take it for a local PPI. Good points though on getting the PPI, and where to look for more rust.

I've seen it, ridden in it, but it's been years.

Let me see about uploading some better pics, or use something like Photobucket

Thanks,

Glenn

 

[bwalvoord]

What part of NC is it in? I live in Greenville, SC so if it's in Charlotte or Western NC, I could take a look for you. I'm always looking for a reason to go drive a coupe since mine is still not in the garage. No business doing a PPI but there are a few more qualified people in NC who use this site who could probably help.

 

[purplehaze]

Better/bigger pictures - please review

Hello again-

Thanks to Photobucket, here are better shots:

http://s1358.beta.photobucket.com/user/odellconsult/library/

As I said, rough, not cherry, rear seats need fresh leather, needs carpet, eventually paint.

Your thoughts?

 

[purplehaze]

Thank you, bwalvoord. Very kind of you.

It's in Wilmington, too far.

Thanks,

Glenn

 

[bwalvoord]

No problem.

 

[Stan]

...it's been years - key phrase

Thank you all!

My mistake: It's not an automatic, it IS a 4-speed. I must have been too tired.

This is an old friend's car who lives in NC, or else I'd take it for a local PPI. Good points though on getting the PPI, and where to look for more rust.

I've seen it, ridden in it, but it's been years.

Let me see about uploading some better pics, or use something like Photobucket

Thanks,

Glenn

If your friend still has the car and it has been maintained or stored with care then it may be fine...but if it has been years, all the more reason for a PPI

 

[CSteve]

Is your friend the original owner? A paper trail?

 

[purplehaze]

No, he's not the original owner. Not sure about the paper trail. Is that important if he did all the work himself?

He's owned it since ~1999 I think. It had tremendous amounts of rust in the usual spots mentioned, and did his best to repair/weld/paint. He got a cheap Bavaria as a donor car for the extra engine, wheels, other parts, I believe.

The bubble near the antenna concerns me, as there's something brewing beneath it for sure. Seems to be the only active rust spot, but I'll ask that he look and photograph beneath the spots mentioned.

Price isn't too far out there for the condition?

Thanks,

Glenn

 

[jmackro]

Thanks to Photobucket, here are better shots:
As I said, rough, not cherry, rear seats need fresh leather, needs carpet, eventually paint. Your thoughts?

I found 12 pictures on Photobucket - was that it? I'm flattered that you think that guys like me can evaluate a car from shots like those, and I hate to disappoint you, but there just isn't enough detail to say much (other than it is blue, and has a manual transmission). I'll echo the suggestions to get an in-person inspection.

......he did all the work himself...... It had tremendous amounts of rust in the usual spots mentioned

The terms "tremendous amounts of rust" and "amateur restoration" don't always bode well for an e9 purchase. I understand that the seller is a friend, but unless he is also a very accomplished car restorer, you might be better off finding a coupe closer to home that was never severely rusted. Even if your friend is offering a favorable price, cross-continent shipping is going to offset some of the savings.

Heck, most people are buying coupes in northern California, and importing them to North Carolina - not going the other way!

 

[purplehaze]

Good points, Jay.

And your last line was pretty funny.

What you're confirming is that it's not a no-brainer deal, which needs more inspection.

Thanks

Glenn

 

[CSteve]

Reading all the posts, looking at the photos(which don't reveal the important point) I would accept nothing less than than a visual inspection, screw driver in hand, by one of the senior members of e9.

Buying almost any coupe can be an expensive surprise.

 

[arnie]

if you zoom into the picture of the engine bay it reveals a lot imho.

I think I can see the very poor attempts to repair the "tremendous amount of rust".

The strut towers, the connection of the inner wheel well extensions to the fenders and the areas right in front of the windscreen are looking horrible :cry:
and I think I know how it's looking underneath. The bubbles around the antenna should be your smallest concern compaired to all the problems sitting behind the "repairs".

There will be a lot waiting around all the common rust spots when every former repair was done like I can see it in the engine bay.

It's just my guess, but this car will be worth far away from what your friend is asking for it. A final judgment for sure only will be possible after a certain inspection of it, like all the others already mentioned.
Selling such a car to a friend is always tricky and risking the friendship at the end I would say.

cheers

Ingo

 

[Ed G]

+1 Ingo. Zooming in does show a poor attempt at upper fender remediation. If upper fender area was compromised then almost certainly, rockers are toast.

Better to be a glass half empty guy before going into what could be a 10.5 coupe ultimately costing 35k+ depending on how far you want to take this.

For 10.5, I think you could do much better (west coast), concentrating on a solid platform requiring interior and mechanicals which is much easier for a shade tree mechanic to tackle.

At best, I think this might be a 5k car you might have some fun with for a couple years before you spin it off into parts or sink AT LEAST 25k into.

Best of luck!

 

[dang]

I didn't think to download the images and look at them enlarged. There's WAY too many warning signs to consider the car at that price. Poor welding/fabrication under the hood, blisters in the paint, both near the antenna and on the right upper door area, and this is based on some very basic photos taken. Unfortunately, cars in that condition aren't that hard to find, no reason to go across the country for it.

Dan

 

[tmason]

Seems to be blistering on bottom of driver door as well.I agree with dang alot of cars on West Side to be had.IMHO I would look at the one in Berkley.You would be surprised at the cost to restore one of these cars if rusty and needing an interior.