Back when I was 14 and knew nothing about cars, I began looking for a project car that turned out to be my Regal. I bought it from a guy who I'm fairly certain had a drug problem based on the empty stamp bags that I later found under the back seats, and I had to go to Homewood to buy it and Homewood is not a particularly friendly or affluent part of town.
But I showed up, the car started right up, blue smoke out the tailpipe like a mother, valve covers leaked like crazy, but it ran okay and went through all the gears. Before I really began looking at the body the seller assured me there was "very little rust". Then I looked at the trunk lid-rot. The door bottoms-rot. Quarters behind the rear tires-rotted and patched with an old speed limit sign (that was probably stolen). Bottom of the driver's A-pillar- swiss cheese. Passenger rocker panel- gone. B- pillars at the corners of the quarter windows- holes. I looked underneath and it looked like the floors were solid, and they were, everywhere except where the heat shield for the cat was hiding the hole in the passenger floor pan.
At the time, all I knew about these cars was it was common for the rear frame rails to rot out. The rear frame rails were solid, and it ran and drove, and it had new (obviously lick and stick) inspection stickers on it. And I was 14 and knew nothing about cars and had no patience at all to go look at another car so I bought it. Leaked gas on the road the entire way home!
So knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't have bought it, but hindsight is 20/20 and in the end it all worked out. There was a huge learning curve and I had a lot of help from some good guys and learned a lot right here on the forum.
But I'll never forget that seller trying to assure me the car had "very little rust."
But I showed up, the car started right up, blue smoke out the tailpipe like a mother, valve covers leaked like crazy, but it ran okay and went through all the gears. Before I really began looking at the body the seller assured me there was "very little rust". Then I looked at the trunk lid-rot. The door bottoms-rot. Quarters behind the rear tires-rotted and patched with an old speed limit sign (that was probably stolen). Bottom of the driver's A-pillar- swiss cheese. Passenger rocker panel- gone. B- pillars at the corners of the quarter windows- holes. I looked underneath and it looked like the floors were solid, and they were, everywhere except where the heat shield for the cat was hiding the hole in the passenger floor pan.
At the time, all I knew about these cars was it was common for the rear frame rails to rot out. The rear frame rails were solid, and it ran and drove, and it had new (obviously lick and stick) inspection stickers on it. And I was 14 and knew nothing about cars and had no patience at all to go look at another car so I bought it. Leaked gas on the road the entire way home!
So knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't have bought it, but hindsight is 20/20 and in the end it all worked out. There was a huge learning curve and I had a lot of help from some good guys and learned a lot right here on the forum.
But I'll never forget that seller trying to assure me the car had "very little rust."
