ok, another one...

[jason_r83]

I have more details this time. My neighbor is selling a 1974 chevy nova, 2 door sedan, 350 2bbl v8, made in van nuys, CA(I got that from a vin decoder) 78,000 miles, a/c, automatic... anyhow, I'm wanting to know if this is a good price or is it too much? He's asking $2,000
good:
glass is great
chrome bumper and trim is all like new
interior is great, like new seats and headliner and dash
only one small spot of rust on whole car


bad:
it's been sitting for about 8 years, so the transmission will need to be rebuilt or replaced
the motor siezed up from sugar in the gass tank
tires are flat and rims dont match
a couple of small dents, with two big dents


so...take it for 2,000(he asked 2,500, but I talked him down) or ask for lower? thanks

[Maxturbo]

I guess it's an O.K. price. Not a huge "bargain" IMO. Mileage sounds low for the age. It's may be a 178K or a 278K car FWIW (unless documented).
A/C...good. Tranny may be O.K. as well. Just sitting won't necessarily ruin it. If so another $1K.
Plan on $1500-$2000 to just get the engine up to stock (or minimum HiPo standards) with your labor.
Body and paint another $3-4 K minimum for a decent job.
How much rust? Any pics?

Add up a this speculative estimate and you've got $6-8K into it already. Now what can you get in a "turn key" decent ride for $6-$8K?
Probably a pretty nice Nova. ;)

[jason_r83]

I can try to get some

[batman09]

That doesn't sound like a great bargain to me.Plan on investing minimum $10,000 to get it up to par.I would offer him 16 $100 bills.Say its alls you have...take it or leave it.Just my opinion.bm

[taz3]

I agree with Max I paid almost double that for parts car.If the body is solid (no rust) the bolt ons tend to be easier to find many GM's use parts that fit for the mechanical end.350's,trans are reasonably easy to find and change compared to 1/4's,fenders,doors & parts like that especially if the numbers are not a concern.It can only go up in value IMO.

[jason_r83]

well, I dont want to buy a car outright. I want to work on it with my dad so we can spend time together.( sorry if that sounds stupid)plus, that way I dont have to fork out all the money at once. I can buy parts a little at a time.

The one rust spot there was is only about the size of a quarter, and it's on the outer most lip of the fender, so I can easialy fix it.

[Maxturbo]

I want to work on it with my dad so we can spend time together.( sorry if that sounds stupid) Man, NOT AT ALL! :)

Just wanted to give you an objective opinion on what you may be up against. Remember...we're going off little info and
no pics here.

We're not talking HUGE bucks here either way on the initial price. ;) The FINAL resto price will be significant is all I'm trying to imply.

If you're happy with several opinions, and you feel that this is the car for you, then go for it. :)

[footbrake68]

well, I dont want to buy a car outright. I want to work on it with my dad so we can spend time together.( sorry if that sounds stupid)plus, that way I dont have to fork out all the money at once. I can buy parts a little at a time.

The one rust spot there was is only about the size of a quarter, and it's on the outer most lip of the fender, so I can easialy fix it.

Now that sounds great to me ... talk with your Dad and find out how much you both can commit to the project - not just $$'s but time as well. Cash talks volumes when you get down to final negotiations and if you can get it for less than $2K ... I say go for it and don't look back.

I will caveat and say that the '73 and '74 are difficult to find "all" the parts for. But the search is sometimes half the fun - you have the support of everyone here on this site.

Shane (my son) and I have been working on his (ours :D ) '74 for almost two years now. Yes we probably paid a bit much for the car initially, have spent more money than we thought - but the time we have spent together has been priceless.

It's a great experience ... here's to more "quality time together" on your Project !!

[jason_r83]

I'm going to get a $4000 or $5000 dollar loan(he will co-sign) I wanted to do this so I can build credit(I'm almost 21 and have no credit whatsoever) and this should be enough for a good start of the project

[72VenturaII]

Hey Jason welcome to the site from someone just south of you.

Just a point of view, but according to Mythbusters, sugar in the gas tank won't seize the motor. If it is truly seized there is an alternate reason.

By the way, I have a 402 big block that will fit in there just fine that I'm looking to send to another home (one to many big blocks in the garage and I need the room).

GOOOOO GATORS... Final Four bound.

Bruce

[NOVACA1N]

its not a super good bargian, but its okay....i got my '73 with a 250I6 and virtually no rot, just some rust, straight body, 26,000 ORIGINAL MILES for $500. granted, it has a 6 and its the cheapest cheapest nodel, but its still very clean....all it needs is a fresh batch of gas, an oil change, and to soak the carb over night and it will run..... it was the project car, now its the parts car thanks to my '71:rolleyes: :D :cool:

[Maxturbo]

this should be enough for a good start of the project
It sure will be, and enjoy a most rewarding trip. :)

[jason_r83]

Ill be moving to gainesville in january to go to UF...

[Joe]

Jason,
Offer 1500 but,if you want it pay what it takes.One thing I will say,be prepared to find more Rust when you get into it.

Joe

[taz3]

Never sounds stupid to work with your dad.I love it when my 12 yr old son asks to help work on my Nova with me.

[NOVACA1N]

Never sounds stupid to work with your dad.I love it when my 12 yr old son asks to help work on my Nova with me.


im 15, and im currenty building my nova with my dad...but ive been working on cars since day one, because my dad always had fast cars and he owns an autobody shop, and his dad owned an autobody shop and on and on. i enjoy working with my father b/c he knows his ***** and hes NOT a pain in my @ss:eek: :rolleyes: ....now my older bothers a different story:rolleyes:

[jason_r83]

well, I was disscusing it with my dad, and he will loan me the money to buy the car.Then we'll get it to the house, clean it up, and strip it down and see what all needs to be replaced or worked on. Then I'll see how much I will need, and then take out a loan for the parts.

[taz3]

im 15, and im currenty building my nova with my dad...but ive been working on cars since day one, because my dad always had fast cars and he owns an autobody shop, and his dad owned an autobody shop and on and on. i enjoy working with my father b/c he knows his ***** and hes NOT a pain in my @ss:eek: :rolleyes: ....now my older bothers a different story:rolleyes:
That's cool to read my dad and I have different intrests kinda sucks he lost his taste for cars a little before I started playing with them and we just do our own thing so it's great my guy likes it.

[Nova_Guy]

I think that if I found a 68 Nova from California and they were only asking 2K, I would be all over it. It sounds like you found a great starting point.
glass is great
Glass isn't real expensive, but it's great you won't need it.
chrome bumper and trim is all like new
NOS chrome and trim are hard to find and expensive if don't need them that's a money saver
interior is great, like new seats and headliner and dash
Interior parts are expensive also and 74 parts are hard to come by.
only one small spot of rust on whole car
It doesn't need rustyfloor pans, quarter panels innner and outer, wheelwells, dash, hood fenders and doors replaced. You just saved about 5-6 in replacement parts and the labor to install all of it.

Picking up a used 350 and T-350 or getting a new GM crate motor and a rebuilt T-350 is cheap compared tp rebuilding and entire car body and then doing the engine and trans also. Look on e-Bay at the total rust buckets selling for 3-5K, makes me think a Cali car would be nice.

[jason_r83]

ok, I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. I'll see at the last minute how much I can talk him down, even though I'm sure the price was firm. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. I'll take some as soon as I get it, and some after I clean it.

[jason_r83]

well, he wont go any lower than 2 for it. He's getting a copy of the title tomorrow(he lost the original) So I should have it tomorrow(today actually, it's 1:25 in the morning) or wednesday. I cleaned out the glove box and under the seat to make sure he didnt leave anything behind. I found some interesting receipts...the car last ran in 2001, because that was when the tow truck was used. So it hasnt been sitting as long as I thought. I saw receipts for many small items, like brake lines, gaskets, oil pump, etc...so maybe I wont have to do too much work. But he said he was driving it and the motor seized, so I hope it's salvageable and we can rebuild it...

[68chevyll]

There you go kiddo sounds like a nice project to do with your father. Oh welcome to the site. Later.

Mark!

[72VenturaII]

Don't invest any money in the car until you have the title in your name in your hand. Lost title issues are a pain at the DMV.

Let me know if you need any close by help.

Bruce

[DAVES7DNOVA]

Hey Jason,
I just wanted to wish you good luck on this car or whatever car you end up with. I think it's great that you and your dad are going to work together on this project! You're a very lucky kid to have your dad's help. You guys will not only be building a classic car, but also memories that will last a lifetime. HAVE FUN and keep us posted with info and pictures!

[jason_r83]

i'm not a kid!...lol and this isnt my first car. I'm almost 21(still a young person though)... and this is what I drive now. A mini-truck.(pics can be found here)--->

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=6941139&MyToken=7dde6d56-6ed0-49b3-a5b5-83a385aefb80

I like to customize my rides. With me being a college student, I dont have very much time or money to work on my projects. So it's a slow progress. I'm wanting to change to a car because I hate not having enough room for passengers. Anyhow, I got into a arguement with my dad today because he keeps telling me I shouldnt pay more than $1500 for it. Even though two of my uncles said I should pay $2000. I thought everything was good yesterday, until I woke up this morning and he said he wont loan me anything more than $1500. I can come up with the other $500, but he doesnt want me to do it. So now I'm trying my hardest to convince him to buy it...any ideas on how to convince him? thanks

[taz3]

Let him read my thread here about the fact that I paid double that for a parts car that will never make it to the road.If that doesn't workshow him some of the stuff we buy in Canada from USA CA. at www.early-birds.com I think it under projects they sold 63 ChevyII $7800.I can get $5000 all day long up here for southern SHELLS no drive train or interior.Heck I'll send $2000 and truck just to make money on it.Another place is www.autabuy.com there is 69 nova needs full resto for $2999,that might help.Good luck!Oh yeah your younger than a kid cause that's what I am and I'm a touch over 21 by 18yrs I'll never grow up.

[DAVES7DNOVA]

Do your homework by searching the internet for similar cars. If you search eBay for completed transactions, you can see what cars actually sold for. Maybe you could convince your dad by showing him what other cars are selling for. You might even find another car that is a better deal. Work with your dad on this, and ask him why he feels the car is not worth $2000. I'm a dad too, and sometimes (not always) we actually know best. Keep us informed Jason.
DAVE

[chevynuts88]

I wish I had a chance to do it over! I didn,t involve my son in the rebuild of anything.What a mistake! He is now grown and has his own house. We don,t do a lot together probably because we didn,t earlier in life. Don,t miss the boat! You will soon forget the extra $500! Lend it all to him [and forget the loan later]. He will never forget it and neither will you. You have a one time chance to " do it right" .

[jason_r83]

well, my dad is set on 1500. The guy said he is going to post it for sale in the paper, and I hope that after awhile and if nobody buys it, he will take the 1500 instead of 2000...I guess i'll have to wait and see...

[chevynuts88]

Well if you lose out you both lose out over a measly $500

[jason_r83]

UPDATE: I am getting the car, but I have to save up for it in full by myself. The guy is holding it for me, so nobody else will buy it. I should have it in about 3 months.

[sthole]

UPDATE: I am getting the car, but I have to save up for it in full by myself. The guy is holding it for me, so nobody else will buy it. I should have it in about 3 months.

great news for you. don't worry about the $5oo, money doesn't last long anyway so spend on something that you want. then you have something that will last a long time. yes parts can be hard to find for 3's and 4's, but they can be found. get good w/ ebay and make sure you ask plenty of questions and request numerouos pictures. this is a good site to ask for help and also to find parts. best of luck.

[jason_r83]

I asked the owner if I could wash it and clean the inside and he said sure.It's still at his house, but is basically mine...anyhow, I could see some more blemishes after I cleaned the layers of dirt off of it.

1) First off, there is chrome/black side moulding that goes all the way down the side of the car. One part of it is bad and the chrome is coming off. Do most people just take off all the moulding, or should I replace it?

2) The weather strip that goes in between the top of the passenger door and the window glass is missing some chunks and I can see where water can get in. Hopefully that is cheap.

3) There is a scratch on the rear bumper and rust has filled the scratch. Is there someway to repair it or do I need to rechrome it or paint it?

4) Other than some dents, there are several areas where paint is flaking off. I'm worried that it may have been a crappy repaint job, and is there a way I can tell if there is much bondo in the car?

5) The interior door panels are like a semi-soft plastic or something. What's the best way to get mildew off? The interior is almost flawless other than the mildew on the dash and doors.

ok, thats about it for now. I'm going to go do some more cleaning on it sometime next week.

[72VenturaII]

A 25% bleach/water solution will take mildew off. Don't get the car too clean before you take possession of it or he may want to keep it.:eek:

[Nova Research]

There is sponge like clearer call the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Works excellent on vinyl! It should tackle the dorr panels very quickly.

[macs1970nova]

Jason. I think its great that you and your dad want to work together on the car. We bought our Nova with the same idea in mind when my daughter was about three months old. She's two now and has claimed the car as hers. She already wants to start working on it.

I think it a great idea for young adults to put some sweat equity into a vehicle. I had a buddy in high school that restored a pick up with his dad. He and his dad started when he was 12. By the time he was 16 he had a very sweet, show winning ride. The funny thing was you never saw him hot rodding around town in it.

I say go for it with your dad. It will be something you'll both enjoy and remember for the rest of your lives.

[heyy]

thats not a bad deal, i got a 74 with a 250 for 1700 cash, but the car was in really good condition and i am a bodyman so i saved some money so far including the car, interior, paint, and engine...im about 5 in and the car just needs to be reasembled, i also converted it to a 68 front end so i spent some money there, i was 16 at purchace, im turning 18 in augest and me and my father have had alot of good times working on it, good investment... altho if i could go back in time i think i would have spent alil more money finding a pre 72 nova....

[jason_r83]

update: well, it turns out the owner has been lieing about alot. I have been told that there was a lein put on the car a long time ago by some insurance company that he supposedly owed money to. He said he payed the money, but the company went out oif business. So, I told him he needs to go down to the tax collector/court house and see what he can do. So I may have to wait a little while longer for him to get a title or worse case scenario, he cant sell it because the title is in someone elses name. I should find out in the next couple of weeks what the status is. anyhow, here are some pics I took

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b127/jason_r83/nova/nova4.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b127/jason_r83/nova/nova3.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b127/jason_r83/nova/nova2.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b127/jason_r83/nova/nova1.jpg

[Tims74]

Just wanted to say hello. I am a Live Oak native who recently moved to the Augusta, GA area. I bought my 74 from a guy in Live Oak and it looks a lot like the one you are looking at. I paid 1400 for it, but it has a little more rust than the one you are looking at. It did have a nice running 350 and was in driveable condition. I bought it as a father/son project for me and my son. He drove it for his senior year of school in Branford and has since moved here as well to take a job. I hope the 500 bucks do not mess it up. Would be a shame. Welcome to the site.

Tim

[chevynuts88]

Make sure you can have clear title ..no liens before doing anything! When he can give clear title give him a deposit [in writing] with the total amount to be paid less the deposit you give him and make him sign and date it.Is your dad still going to help you even though he does want you to have the car? The car looks great..go for it.

[jason_r83]

he will loan me the money to buy the parts to fix the car, but I have to buy the car myself. The owner keeps changing his story, so I can only hope for the best and at the end when I have the money,that he gets a clean title...

[72VenturaII]

I would be very careful buying a car from someone who "keeps changing his story". To avoid a big disappointment in the future I would start looking for an alternative vehicle as a fallback position should the first deal not work out.

[jason_r83]

how can I look up the status on this VIN number? I tried using carfax, but there are not enough digits in this older vin number. Here it is if anyone can help me out.

1X27H4L157635

thanks


p.s. what do you think about me buying it for real cheap to use as a race car, or even sell it for parts if I can't find a clear title?

[Gates72ss]

I wish you the best man,but the seller sounds shady to me...I would keep my eyes open for another car .It's not like it has a running motor and working trans,you should be able to find another roller for around what youre looking to spend..IMO...

[Igosplut]

how can I look up the status on this VIN number? I tried using carfax, but there are not enough digits in this older vin number. Here it is if anyone can help me out.

1X27H4L157635

thanks


p.s. what do you think about me buying it for real cheap to use as a race car, or even sell it for parts if I can't find a clear title?

If you or your father knows any local cops, take the Vin to them and have him/her run it. That way you'll find if there's any bad things (stolen, ect) in it's history. Be very carefull giving money twoards any car with a suspect title no matter how bad you want it, or how good of a deal. Someone could show up at any time and claim ownership if they have the right paperwork.....