history and reference 1976 CA Car - Worth it or gutless?

['76mintgrün'02]

I have never used a factory jack, but carry one, just because it came with one.  I also carry a Honda-Yota-Subi style scissor jack, to use instead, if needed.  The problem with the factory jacks is that they lift the car under the rockers which can rust thin... and DO.  Plus they are one foot and can pivot, so I guess I am not a fan.  Mine is just trunk jewelry.

 

PPI stands for Private Party Inspection (or is it Pre Purchase Inspection?), where you pay someone who really knows these cars to go over it.  I suspect the previous owner did that with my car before passing it along to me.  My list was LONG, when it came time for repairs... so I feel like I sort of know where to look now, even though this is my first 2002.

 

A fresh coat of paint hides a ton, but if prep sucked, it will blister and peel.  Seeing the under hood shots of the one you are looking at shocked me.  It does not look loved under there.  Complete looking, but not clean.  Don't let the shiny paint make the sale... even though it does look pretty good, from what little I can see.

 

Did he have a history of service?  How old is all the rubber?  Mounts and bushings and seals are available, but the cost adds up and while you are in there you might as well do springs, struts, control arms, tie rods, ball joints, center link, rebuild the shifter, distributor, weber, steering box... and stuff.  That is some of the fun I have had... which I did not see coming.  It has increased my attachment to the car.  The initial infatuation took a bit to sink in, honestly.  I did not have the '02-itis', but just thought it was kinda cool.  Now I got the 'itis' bad.  Real bad.  One's enough though.  Still so much to do.

Edited February 19, 2016 by '76Mintgrun'02

[Conserv]

If I lived in CA, and wasn't the original owner of a '76, I probably wouldn't look to buy a '76. There are SO many good '02s in CA, why would you want to fuss with biannual emissions certification when 10 years of '02s ('66 through '75) are exempt from emissions testing?

But....if you were really wed to the stock configuration of your '02, owning a '76 in CA probably doesn't create an issue, because you would be maintaining the emission system anyway. I've owned my '76 49-state version since new. A '76 49-state version has no thermal reactor exhaust manifold. It has a smog (air) pump. Period. Just like every '02 since '68. And I've run my '76 with the air pump operating and with the air pump disconnected. I've never been able to detect a difference in power. So I operate the car with full factory emissions -- everything operating. When the car is correctly tuned, it might have slightly less "punch" than a '70 I owned, but I freely admit that that difference might be entirely in my mind, or it might be a car-to-car difference rather than a '70-versus-'76 difference.

I don't know what a thermal reactor does to '02 performance -- never owned one. What I do know, from 40 years of experience with this car, is that the fuss over removing the emissions system from the non-thermal-reactor cars is far more about (a.) personal freedom or (b.) a psychological "boost" than it is about actual horsepower. I've driven lots of '02s since my first '02 in '73 and this '76 -- with full 49-state emissions and factory Solex -- is a great and un-fussy '02!

Regards,

Steve

Edited February 5, 2016 by Conserv

[catlin]

Don't like this forum sometimes, I see a car a like on Cl and it's instantly posted here; soon as I contact the seller he tells me he's been getting lots of offers and is raising the price or something of that nature. This is probably a huge part of the reason of why there is a big price increase on 02s lately.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Catlin Customs

[rstclark]

Haven't even  read all the comments but In California there no reason to own a 76.  I had one that had been in storage since 1997.    It was beautiful and solid, but had to sell it out of California.  Go Back and read what Mark 92171 said

Even if you have no interest in improving performance by deleting the emissions equipment  and building a performance motor  DON'T GO THERE in California  Get as rust free a car  from 1975 or earlier   and do what you want. That's were the value is in the Golden State 

 

Don't fall in love with a 76 in California      There will be another bus coming along soon   Be Patient

  

 

[arminyack]

Were I you, living in California, I'd find a 75 or earlier car so I wouldn't have that emission inspection-by a state agency with an avowed goal of getting all those old cars off the road--hanging over my head every two years.  

 

Someone outside CA would love to have that '76, and it'll escape the CA  smog inspections.

 

IMHO

 

mike

 

Were I you, living in California, I'd find a 75 or earlier car so I wouldn't have that emission inspection-by a state agency with an avowed goal of getting all those old cars off the road--hanging over my head every two years.  

 

Someone outside CA would love to have that '76, and it'll escape the CA  smog inspections.

 

IMHO

 

mike

^^ This. 

No reason at all to deal with the arbitrary 1976 and later smogged car rule in CA. (thanks Arnold for taking away the 25 year rule)

[Mark92131]

As long as this car doesn't have any significant rust and runs, drives and stops, I don't see how you can lose at $5500.  The Seller must provide a Smog Certificate as a condition of the sale, and the 49 State is the easiest car to smog in CA, so you should have 2 years of driving before you need to deal with it again.  From the pictures, it looks like the owner installed a new check valve between the Exhaust Manifold and the Air Pump, so the only parts that might need attention during the next smog test are the Air Pump, Diverter Valve and 2 Magnetic Valves.  Even if it failed the smog test in 2 years and you didn't want to deal with fixing it, you could throw it on eBay for out of State purchase and make your money back, plus interest.

 

If this car was in San Diego, I would be all over it.

 

Mark92131

[Vicleonardo1]

As long as this car doesn't have any significant rust and runs, drives and stops, I don't see how you can lose at $5500.  The Seller must provide a Smog Certificate as a condition of the sale, and the 49 State is the easiest car to smog in CA, so you should have 2 years of driving before you need to deal with it again.  From the pictures, it looks like the owner installed a new check valve between the Exhaust Manifold and the Air Pump, so the only parts that might need attention during the next smog test are the Air Pump, Diverter Valve and 2 Magnetic Valves.  Even if it failed the smog test in 2 years and you didn't want to deal with fixing it, you could throw it on eBay for out of State purchase and make your money back, plus interest.

 

If this car was in San Diego, I would be all over it.

 

Mark92131

 

What he said. Buy it. Drive it. If you love it, keep it. You can always find another, that doesn't need smog and put this one up for sale, and use that $$ to invest in your new one. 

 

Cheers. 

[rover1]

if it really is a clean CA 76 2002 buy it and then buy a complete rust bucket 75 for $500  swap the VINS and be done with it. sounds sketchy but it works.

[silasmoon]

Spoiler Alert - I took it to get it put on a stand today to inspect for rust, leaks, tie-rods, engine mounts, etc. The car needs: 
 

• New Oil Pan and Final Drive Seals
• New Tie Rod Bushing (and possibly ball joints)
• New Engine Mount Bushings
• New Sunroof Gasket
• One new tire

It had basically zero rust as far as myself or three people at the automotive place could see on the lift. The drains from the roof into the wheel well looked solid. The paint has minor bubbling around the window, but the seal got changed 4 years ago from when someone cracked the glass and they had it replaced. The previous owner also had 10+ years worth of paperwork in general maintenance on the car. 

So long story short:

[hynrgee]

Congratulations...I would be surprised if you later regret your decision. What you saved on the budgeted purchase cost should be applied to getting the car properly sorted out. Have fun with it!

[Simeon]

Congratulations. It's like having a special child, they have needs but you love them anyway.

[Conserv]

Congratulations...I would be surprised if you later regret your decision. What you saved on the budgeted purchase cost should be applied to getting the car properly sorted out. Have fun with it!

+1

Congratulations! Now enjoy!

Steve

[Stevenc22]

Congrats super clean looking car

[DerekZ4]

Congrats, looks like a great buy.

Seriously jealous right now. As someone else said, if this car was in SoCal I'd been on it too.

Edited February 7, 2016 by DerekZ4

[tashakes]

Congrats. Looks like a great purchase. Now all you have to do is follow previous advise and make your physical address one in a non-test county and your mailing address your current home or office and you will get renewals and tags in the mail. Easiest way to do it is on the DMV website, no questions asked and no time wasted.

Enjoy!

Edited February 7, 2016 by tashakes