what's the biggest turnoff for you when looking at a car or project?

Chevy Small Block Transplants & any part from an S-10 or Explorer.

 

All of the turn-off stuff, bucket seats, astro-turf, tilt-column etc..I try and turn to an advantage in driving the price down..I've actually made deals where we (seller) put a value on that stuff, I took it off and gave it back to him, driving the price down and hopefully him digging up any stock stuff he had laying around the garage..I guess the biggest turn-off is looking under the car and seeing angle iron and funky welds holding a rusty frame together, that and the nimrod seller not coming to a realistic price for what he actually has rather than the picture in his mind...

 

Lime green wheels, skulls, spiderwebs ,iron cross, flames, grey tweed , fake stuff that does'nt work put on the car for show.

 

Any a##hole that cant take the time to remove or atleast tape off the wiring harness when painting the engine compartment and then telling you that its factory paint....what else have they cut corners on?

 

The availability of small block chevys have probably saved more cars from the crusher than any other engine in history if you think about it.
Myself being a amatuer mechanic I would rather have one than anything else I have ever worked on.
I also cant think of anything 64 back that would look that wrong with one in it.
Sure a flat head V8 or nail head etc is going to look a lot cooler in a model A etc but I wouldnt Not like it because it had the more common sbc in it

 

"it's in great shape, paint, mechanicals, etc."-then you see it and it's a real piece of s%&t!

 

Worst of all anything that is 'laying the frame'. Not traditional and airbags are a triumph of fashion and marketing over common sense and sound and correct suspension engineering.

Recently my girlfriend, who likes old cars but is not the least bit technical, asked me out of the blue "What's with these cars at car shows laying on the ground?" I explained airbags to her as being like riding around with a basketball at each corner of the car and how they can puncture just like a tire, but that some people think it looks cool when they let all the air out. She looked at me and said "It looks really stupid to me - why would you want to make it look as if your suspension has collapsed?". Then I explained that they are certainly illegal in many states where the scrub line requirement does not allow any part of the car to hang below the bottom of the wheel if an airbag blows you could cause a major accident as the frame or other components hit the ground and rip up the asphalt. She was even more dumbfounded.

 

SBC haters
SBC Cry Babies
People who dont know how to take out the SBC they dont like, and replace with something they do..so they bitch about the SBC in some cars..Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.Mommy i dont know what to do..its got an SBC in it..sniff sniff

Hurry folks get your new SBC Cry Baby Dolls..complete with over blown ego,And "Got my ass spanked by a SBC" , ball cap. Offer is limited..to only those who think they are better than everyone else, because they made a different engine choice.

 

Damn somebody understands! And ya I've had flatheads,blown flatheads, Hemi's etc. & liked them all but I would never pass on a car because of a motor. Guess my car must be a haters delight sbc,airbags & a newer dash (49 ford)

 

Rust and more than 2 doors..

 

I agree.....Or giant modern wheels.

 

The only thing I look for is a good body and chassis.

 

Let' see. Rust, fresh paint that's just covering up screwups, do-dads (mass produced billet, neon lights, fake blower scoops, spiderwebs, skulls, etc.), bad welds, and bad workmanship. Sometimes you're better off starting with something someone hasn't messed with, then you don't have to undo what's wrong (for you) before you start.
Larry T

 

first real turn off, is when the money adds up(i keep a book/log of things i buy and the prices)
then runners up is
rust and metal fab work....

 

Scrubline. It seems this is ignored by everyone these days.

After spinning a car on the freeway at 80 and almost hitting an abutment with just a flat, a person realizes how important the steering wheels can be.......

 

I hate it when someone primers the whole car trying to make it look better. Most of these people have never heard of masking paper and tape nor do they realize that primer does not cover up rust holes.

 

You mean like the one on my dash?? Don't forget the "If you value your life..." decal as well.
The stickers were put on in 1979 when the truck was built. Everything but my alliance tag will get removed when I go through it this summer.

 

Pieces of crap justified by calling it a rat rod.

Black primer, throw a decent coat of paint on it.

 

My big turn off is keeping track of what I spend on a car. I'll stash the receipts and never add them up.
If I don't know, how can I tell the wife what I spend?

 

No shit. This entire thread is like an Oprah episode. Instead of crying - build it yourself.

 

huge thumpin stereos HATE EM GOT NO PLACE IN A HOT ROD OR ANYTHING MAKING ANY KIND OF HP PAY ATTENTION TO THE MOTOR AND THE GAUGES,,,

 

it didn't come out in one nice piece, it was ripped out with pliers and a knife. and i was not worried about offending the guy, serves him right for putting that goofy shit all over it. even if it were out in one piece, the guy wasn't going to buy it back, it was worth about $10 as it was all walmart special stuff, and he would have probably been offended that i was trying to sell him something that i was going to just literally throw away.

 

ANYTHING that doesn't work, fake carbs, stacks, etc always piss me off. Otehr than that bad wiring and bad safety are a huge turnoff.

 

Blinged out Kragen engine compartment with corroded battery terminals.

 

Shitty wiring, or bad body work will turn me away from anything in a heartbeat.

 

Same here. Lots of little ones but usually an aftermarket sunroof kills the deal for me.

 

When I look at a project I am looking at the body and frame. Everything else is going to change so the price I am willing to pay is based on the basics.

 

Wheels. The wrong wheels and tires will ruin the look of a perfectly good car

 

I usually get turned off but not entirely put off by the previous owners attempt at body work or mechanical work and it is terrible when they think its good.It makes me wonder what kind of mess is lurking underneath he has hidden.

 

Agree to disagree: I would WAY rather see a car in primer than paint. You never know what paint is covering up: some people are master bondo sculptors. Usually bodywork is not done or completed if it's in primer and you can see the problem areas.

If someone "throws a decent coat of paint on it" they usually want whatever they paid for the paint job PLUS a percieved increase in value of the car, I'd rather take the discount and paint it/ have it painted myself.