*PICS* the free 2002 that was offered to me

[FutureMan]

not sure if you all remember but i posted a few months ago about my aunt wanting to give me her '73 2002. it hasnt been cranked in approximately 10 years, but it had a restoration around 1992 so a lot of the parts are newer than the model year suggests. i just want to know from you guys, looking at these pics does it seem to be worth it? i expected there to be rust, and it seems to be mostly confined to a few areas (the doors mostly). it needs a few other mechanical things like a clutch, probably brakes and struts, but aside from that it was running when it was parked. the car is in NY and i am in Florida, so i'd have to spend some time and money getting it down here, that's my only concern. ok enough with the backstory, here are some pictures.

sorry theyre tiny, this is what she sent me:

[Cruzr]

Is this the car somewhere in LI? It's difficult to tell from the pics, but judging by the condition of the doors, it seems that you are looking at replacing the rockers. The roof seems to have just surface rust, and the front fenders don't seem to be a major issue. If the sunroof drains were not rerouted, you are definetly looking at a problem.

It will all boil down to the "structural" rust. If the rockers, frame rails and shock towers are good, I guess anything is possible with funds and will.

I would ask somebody to take a closer look for you, or perhaps go see it yourself.

[BillyRay]

I concur with 243tii, it is really difficult to say based on the photos provided. As a SWAG based on what I see 300 to 1500 depending on rust on the underside. The location of the car is suspect, rust is more than likely eating it from the inside out right now.

[FutureMan]

I concur with 243tii, it is really difficult to say based on the photos provided. As a SWAG based on what I see 300 to 1500 depending on rust on the underside. The location of the car is suspect, rust is more than likely eating it from the inside out right now.

$300-1500 for what exactly? to knock out the rust?

[FutureMan]

Is this the car somewhere in LI? It's difficult to tell from the pics, but judging by the condition of the doors, it seems that you are looking at replacing the rockers. The roof seems to have just surface rust, and the front fenders don't seem to be a major issue. If the sunroof drains were not rerouted, you are definetly looking at a problem.

It will all boil down to the "structural" rust. If the rockers, frame rails and shock towers are good, I guess anything is possible with funds and will.

I would ask somebody to take a closer look for you, or perhaps go see it yourself.

i can ask my aunt to look at those things, what kind of problems am i looking at if the drains werent re-routed? the car was covered so it wasnt getting rained on or anything, how can i tell what to look for though?

from what i can see in the pics the area around the rockers looks intact, i know they are small pics though.

[FutureMan]

110 views and 2 replies come on guys i need some advice

[BLUNT]

110 views and 2 replies come on guys i need some advice

well what is your end goal?? to be honest that thing looks like its pretty rusty. id guess the rockers are in need of replacement. but i bet you could make a decent driver out of it if you wernt looking to do a full blown resto. my car looked considerably better than that when i got it and it was rusty as a mofo underneath everything. but again, if your goal is to make a fun little cruiser and you arent a perfectionist it may be worth the 6-900 to get it down there. they always charge more for non running cars. if youre looking to do a bare metal resto id have a clean shell shipped to you from somewhere dry. its cheaper in the longrun

[FutureMan]

well what is your end goal?? to be honest that thing looks like its pretty rusty. id guess the rockers are in need of replacement. but i bet you could make a decent driver out of it if you wernt looking to do a full blown resto. my car looked considerably better than that when i got it and it was rusty as a mofo underneath everything. but again, if your goal is to make a fun little cruiser and you arent a perfectionist it may be worth the 6-900 to get it down there. they always charge more for non running cars. if youre looking to do a bare metal resto id have a clean shell shipped to you from somewhere dry. its cheaper in the longrun

yeah i'm not going to try any full restorations any time soon, i mainly wanted to fix it up and drive it for a while, but in a few years who knows. by rusty underneath you mean the frame and stuff?

[FutureMan]

i might be overly optimistic here, but for the car to have been sitting for the past 12 years in long island and still look that decent i have some hope left over that the frame and towers might be in good shape.

[BLUNT]

i might be overly optimistic here, but for the car to have been sitting for the past 12 years in long island and still look that decent i have some hope left over that the frame and towers might be in good shape.

i hope you are right. i have friends in long island if you want someone to take a quick look. im sure i could ask a favor

[a54atii]

Ok, here's my $.02...

First off, you can never know how bad the rust is by looking at pictures (unless the car is totally stripped to bare metal). So let's leave out the rust repair because that will cost anywhere from $500 to $25,000 depending on how much you want to spend. IMO, here are the two basic options you have:

1) Get on a plane and go look at the car. Then make a decision about what to do. Maybe you spend a couple of hours and see if it will start. If it runs and you replace the brakes and can make it a runner then everything else gets easier. If not, at least you can take a critical look at the body and see what you have to work with and decide what you want to do. Cost - $plane ticket + a few parts & a battery.

2) Call a transport company and get the car hauled to FL. Then you have the car at your house and can spend your time and money as you like. A few hours on rust removal, a rattle can for a little touch up paint, new brakes, etc. and maybe you have an 02 that you'd be happy driving. Cost - $800-1200 for transport, $1000-1500+ to make it driveable = ~$2500 total.

So, a likely scenario is that you end up with a driveable 02 for about $2500. Of course, you might spend less and you can certainly spend a lot more but that's my opinion based on how I look at the numbers. Now the question is "What's it worth to you?"

FWIW, I bought a '70 1600-2 for $900 as a non-runner and had it shipped from CA to OH. Currently, I have about $3k invested including the shipping cost. Not bad for a reasonably solid 02 in the rust belt...

Good luck!

Karl

[BLUNT]

well what is your end goal?? to be honest that thing looks like its pretty rusty. id guess the rockers are in need of replacement. but i bet you could make a decent driver out of it if you wernt looking to do a full blown resto. my car looked considerably better than that when i got it and it was rusty as a mofo underneath everything. but again, if your goal is to make a fun little cruiser and you arent a perfectionist it may be worth the 6-900 to get it down there. they always charge more for non running cars. if youre looking to do a bare metal resto id have a clean shell shipped to you from somewhere dry. its cheaper in the longrun

yeah i'm not going to try any full restorations any time soon, i mainly wanted to fix it up and drive it for a while, but in a few years who knows. by rusty underneath you mean the frame and stuff?

yeah i mean frame rails shock towers etc. just because a car has some rust doesnt mean it cant still be fun and safe. if this thing ends up being safe grab it and learn on this one. it looks like it has some decent parts and its all there. you may be able to use a lot of it on the resto youll do in a couple years on your next one. in the mean time have fun with it and learn

[Mike Self]

1. A 73 is one of the more desireable years, and this one's a sunroof. That's good. The fact that it was covered is also good.

2. If you want to make a presentable driver out of it (vs a high $$ show car) I would concentrate on two areas: structural integrity and mechanical condition.

A. structural integrity: look at the rear shock towers inside the trunk. If they're rusted through (look below where the shocks are fastened), while fixable, you're probably looking at a parts car. Second thing to check is the rocker panels. The outer rockers are merely trim; but serious rust there might indicate rusted inner rockers, which are structural. To be sure, you'd need to remove the back seat cushion and look at the exposed inner rockers, then follow along under the doors to the front cowl (peel back the carpet). If those two areas are sound, the rest of the visible rust is more or less cosmetic.

B. mechanical condition: if it runs, that's half the battle. If the brakes work, that's even better. Then there's clutch condition (is it stuck, are the hydraulics working etc), driveline (tranny, driveshaft, guibo, diff) and the "little things"--lights, wipers, heater, horn etc.

3. In an ideal world, you would pop a battery in it, change all the fluids and drive it home! You probably won't be so lucky, with it sitting that near the ocean for ten years. So...

decide if you have either the time to fix it yourself or the $$ to have someone else fix it to make it a worthwhile situation. More importantly, decide what you want out of it? A fun project that will teach you about cars? Daily transportation? Something you can gradually bring back to its former glory?

Based on all that, decide...

Hope you'll take it and have fun making it your car...

cheers

mike

(bought my first one in 1969...still driving it)

[FutureMan]

thanks for these replies guys

i'm definitely thinking more of the "presentable driver" look than a trailered showcar, even if the car was in pristine condition this would be my choice, i want the car to drive it. i'm having my aunt check the rockers and shock towers, i'll make my decision when i hear back from her about those things.

[Cruzr]

Futureman, your best bet is to try and ask a knowledgeable member of this board in the area that might be willing to look at it to go and give you an assesment.

I don't think you have to worry about someone trying to swindle you out of a deal and then buying it off from your aunt.

Why waste money transporting it to Fla or even flying up if it turns out that the body or mechanical condition will eat up your budget?

Just my 02 cents. BTW, I am too far away, but there are a few guys in NYC and surrounding areas.