Tax time, decision time

[79cutlass_on_crutches]

Anyone else excited about tax time? I have several young'ns, so this is the part of the year that I rename my son "Tax Credit" and my daughter "Deduction." My other daughter? She's "Cha-Ching" at the moment.

Well, we're not the "rich for a minute" types, but we agreed to spend a decent bit of money on my Cutlass (!), which needs an engine rebuild, new tires, an 8 kilowatt sound system...well you know...the list is endless, although it wouldn't take that much to make me feel better about the car.

However, the old car has rust issues. First, horrible frame rot. Second, 30-YO vinyl top. Third, rear QP's and bumper. Fourth, I don't know how much else. The more I look at it, the bigger the job seems. I see now that I bought this car on emotion, not sense.

So, I'm thinking...I've seen more recent, decent, body-rust-free G-bodies around here for sale lately at really good prices...hmmm...

 

[Blake442]

I'd buy a cleaner one for a project/cruiser, and keep your old one for a daily driver/bomber.

Rust can be fixed, but with the values of these cars, it's usually easier and cheaper to just start off with something thats still solid. Clean cars are still out there, you just have to put in the time to look for them.

That's why instead of fixing up my '79 Malibu wagon that was rusting to pieces, I bought my '83 Cutlass wagon from Texas.
Now the only body work I'll have to do is a hand full of parking lot dings and one little scab the size of a nickle... instead of getting new doors, rockers, front clip, 1/4 patches and frame rails which is what the Malibu needed.

 

[StreetDogg316]

^^ +1. You should get a better one and start from there, And keep the one you have now as a DD or a beater.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I also say get a better one. There are very few G bodies that have actual value (or potentially do). Unless it is one of the rare performance models (vinyl top precludes this), you are better off buying another car. It will take far less time and money to fix it up. Even if you had to fly to California and drive the new one back, I would still say get a rust free car to replace it. Rust and body work will cost you far more to fix than everything else-combined. As someone who did about 20 patches in their V6 G body, I know what I am talking about!

 

[79cutlass_on_crutches]

85--Yup, I've read all about your bodywork adventures! I understand your perfectionist ways about the car's body; and, although I believe in "good enough," I have nowhere near the experience you do. My Cutlass is what you might call a lot to deal with, for a novice.

Thank you all for the replies!

 

[sids83ho]

alot of times you can find a good solid gbody for a thousand or more(in my area anyway).trying to redo one that has major rust and other problems will run yo alot more.its always better to find a solid car to start out with.

 

[Blake442]

Unless you know how to do it yourself, a solid body is worth it's weight in gold. Having to pay people to do it can get expensive fast.

For an extreme example, at the restoration shop I work at, we did a '67 442 convert a few years ago. This car looked decent from 30 feet, and had a bondo slathering resto sometime in the '80's. This would've been a good parts car, instead, it was decided to go ahead and restore it. The rust was so extensive, that the owner had spent $30,000 by the time the car was in primer. Sure, it was an original 442, but for that price, he could've bought a nice car that had already been restored.

 

[srercrcr]

Cars are hard to sell now so you should be able to find something cheap. The ones listing on ebay weren't selling, now it's so bad people aren't even bothering to list them. Everybody is retrenching. Why pay a listing fee if it's not gonna sell?

 

[StreetDogg316]

I picked my 78 Regal up for $475, It needs a little work, Not really a whole lot, I figure maybe $1,500 from a bodyshop or about $400 if I do it myself. The motor is worth what I paid for it, It looks like it's brand-new, It only has 105k original miles, And has a new exhaust system, New tire's, New rear shock's Etc. It even has the original paperwork in the glovebox, And the original sticker's in the trunk. You can find some pretty cheap if you know where to look, If you see one in someone's yard that looks like it's not being driven, Don't be afraid to go up and ask about it(if possible go during the mid-day to talk to the guy's wife, That way hopefully she will whine and complain to him to get rid of it cheap just to get it out of the yard).

 

[sids83ho]

I picked my 78 Regal up for $475, It needs a little work, Not really a whole lot, I figure maybe $1,500 from a bodyshop or about $400 if I do it myself. The motor is worth what I paid for it, It looks like it's brand-new, It only has 105k original miles, And has a new exhaust system, New tire's, New rear shock's Etc. It even has the original paperwork in the glovebox, And the original sticker's in the trunk. You can find some pretty cheap if you know where to look, If you see one in someone's yard that looks like it's not being driven, Don't be afraid to go up and ask about it(if possible go during the mid-day to talk to the guy's wife, That way hopefully she will whine and complain to him to get rid of it cheap just to get it out of the yard).

sounds like you got a good deal.concrats on your find.