quote:Originally posted by jeff6559:
With that kind of mileage, how much do you think it will take to bring it back and make it a safe car to drive? $10k?
Here is an old post of mine that I did after buying my car (with minor revisions to bring it up to date). All told, I think I have about $15K into it. Most of the work was done by a shop, so I'm sure others could have saved a bundle.
---------------------- Old post:
I once thought I could fix up a project Pantera for $10 grand. Several people told me it wasn't possible, and I am eternally grateful for their advice, and that I took it.
Instead, I paid a lot more and purchased a 72 Pantera GT5 conversion that ran and looked great. It already had all the important upgrades and previous owners had put a LOT of money into it. I knew it would need some work as it had been sitting for four years. I drove it for a few weeks, had a few expected problems and then sent it to the shop to work out the bugs.
Turns out that "working out the bugs" of a good car costs what I thought it would cost to work on a project car (did I already say "THANKS" to Coz and everyone that said "don't buy that beat up GT4?)
I went through the car and worked on/replaced things that were dead or dying. It was a (mostly)labor of love. Here is the list:
Check motor compression (perfect, runs great)
Motor tune up (new plugs etc.)
New distributor, cap, rotor
New carburetor
New electric fuel pump
New starter
Check ZF (already safety wired)
Change all fluids
New hoses
New filters
New fuel lines
New belt
Adjust valves
Remove, clean and lube seat rails
Front and back wheel alignment
Check all tires for leaks and rebalance (until I get new ones)
New tires (tires for a widebody are expensive)
Fix minor fluid leaks
Weld plates under car to fix prior towing damage
Replace rear engine lid seal – adjust latch
Fix small dent – top driver-side fender
Fix front air dam cracks – blend paint
Flush evaporator and expansion valve on AC
Recharge AC (worked for about a week)
Two new 1350 cfm fans and new relay
New stainless coolant pipes
New thermostat
New water pump
New battery
Clean and tighten all fuses (already has new panel)
New flasher switch (so turn signals work)
New alternator and voltage regulator
Get headlights to open (and aim lights)
Get horn to work
Adjust shift linkage
Get AC fan switch to work
Pay extra for wild motor to pass smog
Window tint
Put original seats back in (bad move)
Put aftermarket seats back in
Dynomat inside firewall (working on rest of cab)
Remove L bumpers
I may have left some stuff out (clamps and little things, plus whatever I have blocked from memory).
It still needs things: new engine lid shocks, ZF gound strap, motor mounts, maybe tank the radiator, change intake manifold gasket, fill holes from bumper removal and paint.