Need a bit of advice/opinions.

[kornball426]

Been a while since I posted on here, how's everyone doing?

So I checked out this 87 El Camino roller today that's on Facebook marketplace...

The good: It's super solid not a single serious bit of rust that I could find in the body or frame and if it was ever patched before whoever did the work was professional because there's no filler I could really detect. 2 inch fiberglass cowl hood, Regal T Type aluminum wheels with nice center caps. And this is a big deal, an 8.5 ten bolt with either a genuine or Kirban replica GNX diff cover, but whoever hooked it up is running it as a traditional three link with a panhard bar (not GNX torque arm) using one of the stock upper fork link arms as the upper link, and what appear to be home fabricated box tube lower control arms much like UMI or Hotchkiss, etc. Looks like it would work pretty decent but since it's a roller not able to test.

The bad: Needs paint due to places it's been dinged and chipped. The interior is ugly, it has a regal limited dash in it which I don't mind I actually like it, but the blue velour seats the upholstery is bad. It has an aftermarket sunroof which I don't like at all. And while the guy does have the title for it, it's not in his name and it's in a really rough neighborhood (there were guys dealing drugs right there on the corner where it was).

He seems to be firm on $4,500 and I don't want to go past 3,500... And the title not being in his name worries me.

What do you guys think? Think it's worth it? I honestly think it's a car you could drop an engine and trans in and drive.

 

[pagrunt]

it's not in his name and it's in a really rough neighborhood (there were guys dealing drugs right there on the corner where it was).

 

[Ribbedroof]

Walk away. Caminos are too common to deal with those kind of problems for that money, ESPECIALLY a roller. 8.5 is the only positive from what you've described..

Hacked roof would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

I would pass over the mix matching name on the title, does it match the car's vin? A rough neighborhood with open drug dealing is a bad sign. The car could even have hidden drugs or wrappers in it, so it would need a good interior tear down.

 

[TURNA]

3500 for a roller with a hacked up homemade rear suspension that provably don't work right

with no gut, no paint and a hole in the roof

I would pass

 

[kornball426]

Walk away. Caminos are too common to deal with those kind of problems for that money, ESPECIALLY a roller. 8.5 is the only positive from what you've described..

Hacked roof would be a deal breaker for me.

Maybe in Oklahoma they're common... Here in the Northeast everyone wants a ton for them, or they're a rusty pile of crap.

I agree the sunroof is a pretty big detractor for me. I don't even really like them when they're factory (I have a CF5 sunroof Grand National).

If I got it, when it got painted I'd have the roof put back to stock. My buddy is an excellent body guy.

 

[kornball426]

3500 for a roller with a hacked up homemade rear suspension that provably don't work right

with no gut, no paint and a hole in the roof

I would pass

For what it's worth the guy selling it didn't do the work with the suspension and it didn't look like a hack job. It looks like it was sick at one time but has been sitting in the city unloved for at least several years. This same car was for sale like a year ago and I wanted it then, the guy who has it now I know paid 2k or less which is where I'd like to be at with it, but he won't deal. Barely speaks English was using his son as a translator.

 

[kornball426]

I would pass over the mix matching name on the title, does it match the car's vin? A rough neighborhood with open drug dealing is a bad sign. The car could even have hidden drugs or wrappers in it, so it would need a good interior tear down.

I'm not worried about the drug dealing he didn't strike me as a bad guy he was an older guy probably in his 60's. I'm 95% sure it's not stolen, Vin did match the title...

It really confuses me why he didn't get it swapped into his name... That's a really bonehead move.

 

[lilbowtie]

Your guts telling you what to do or you would have bought it. Way to much for me.

 

[kornball426]

Your guts telling you what to do or you would have bought it. Way to much for me.

You're pretty much right. The title issue and price is what kept me from doing it. I'd pay 3 I offered 3 and he said no.

We'll see if he sticks to his guns on the price if it was cheaper I would have bought it. He claims someone offered him 3K for the rear alone... Which is definitely BS... You'd have to be crazy not to take that much for the rear, he could put a cheap 7.5 in it for next to nothing and sell the car that way. I wouldn't be surprised if he calls me in a week or two and wants to sell it cheaper.