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This car popped up on my radar about a week ago while I was looking for old American muscle that would make a good project car. It needs a lot of work and has a lot of character, but I’m up to the challenge. The ad was sparse – 2V 289 V8 complete with automatic transmission.
On the phone, I found out more and more about the car. He explained it has sat the better part of the past ten years and definitely needs a lot of TLC and a new owner to care for it. Everything was in satisfactory or okay condition – the engine starts and runs fine, the transmission operates as it should, and the brakes/suspension are both in fair shape for a car this age. The paint needs a bit of work and the body/frame definitely need some attention.
When I saw the car in person, I quickly fell in love with it. I knew the work it needed, but really felt that I could build something really special out of this car. I made him a good offer that was under his asking price and included a few perks like a fresh battery, a new fuel pump, and some budgeting and service history documentation.
I’ve been working hard to prep for ownership of this car. I joined some forums, found a full service manual, and hunted down a lot of electronic resources. I’ve got everything from this car’s VIN number to its option list and paint code. On the equipment front, I picked up a new compression tester, timing light, and vacuum gauge.
For the exterior, I’ve tracked down a source for perfect-matching paint in a spray can and some vinyl patching for the rear section of the top that needs some repair. The driver’s door definitely needs serious work, but there’s a local place that can apparently do any panel start to finish for $175. Maybe they will want to do the whole car for cheap, I don’t know.
On the inside, I need some brackets, a turn signal switch, and a window regulator fix for the rear driver’s glass. The front seats are a bit shoddy with duct tape, but that will work for now. Also, it will need some wiring/speaker work for the lone speaker in the dash. I haven’t decided whether to spice up the audio department or just live with the tail pipe symphony yet.
Under the hood, I plan to do a lot of preventative maintenance given Rock Auto’s amazing prices. 289’s look ridiculously easy to work on (much like B3’s but without the electrical wiring everywhere). It shouldn’t cost much to replace all of the wear items and get her completely tuned up into good shape.
The hardest repair will be tackling the mild body rust, trunk corrosion, and damage to the driver’s side torque box and frame. It will apparently run and drive just fine in its current condition, but it’s definitely going to need some professional help a la welder.
Goals remain uncertain for now. I may opt to spice it up with a big carburetor, some high flow pipes, and an overdrive transmission... or just restore it to original condition. Pictures to come soon, I promise. Thanks very much for reading!
On the phone, I found out more and more about the car. He explained it has sat the better part of the past ten years and definitely needs a lot of TLC and a new owner to care for it. Everything was in satisfactory or okay condition – the engine starts and runs fine, the transmission operates as it should, and the brakes/suspension are both in fair shape for a car this age. The paint needs a bit of work and the body/frame definitely need some attention.
When I saw the car in person, I quickly fell in love with it. I knew the work it needed, but really felt that I could build something really special out of this car. I made him a good offer that was under his asking price and included a few perks like a fresh battery, a new fuel pump, and some budgeting and service history documentation.
I’ve been working hard to prep for ownership of this car. I joined some forums, found a full service manual, and hunted down a lot of electronic resources. I’ve got everything from this car’s VIN number to its option list and paint code. On the equipment front, I picked up a new compression tester, timing light, and vacuum gauge.
For the exterior, I’ve tracked down a source for perfect-matching paint in a spray can and some vinyl patching for the rear section of the top that needs some repair. The driver’s door definitely needs serious work, but there’s a local place that can apparently do any panel start to finish for $175. Maybe they will want to do the whole car for cheap, I don’t know.
On the inside, I need some brackets, a turn signal switch, and a window regulator fix for the rear driver’s glass. The front seats are a bit shoddy with duct tape, but that will work for now. Also, it will need some wiring/speaker work for the lone speaker in the dash. I haven’t decided whether to spice up the audio department or just live with the tail pipe symphony yet.
Under the hood, I plan to do a lot of preventative maintenance given Rock Auto’s amazing prices. 289’s look ridiculously easy to work on (much like B3’s but without the electrical wiring everywhere). It shouldn’t cost much to replace all of the wear items and get her completely tuned up into good shape.
The hardest repair will be tackling the mild body rust, trunk corrosion, and damage to the driver’s side torque box and frame. It will apparently run and drive just fine in its current condition, but it’s definitely going to need some professional help a la welder.
Goals remain uncertain for now. I may opt to spice it up with a big carburetor, some high flow pipes, and an overdrive transmission... or just restore it to original condition. Pictures to come soon, I promise. Thanks very much for reading!
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