Tell tale signs to avoid a project car?

You don't need to know how to weld, but you absolutely need to know the difference between a good weld and a bad weld.
If you don't, take someone who does.
Also, make sure that all the panels ( if they're loose ) fit the car. I got burned buying an old TR4 that the guy had planished all the dents out of without fitting the panels to the car. The bonnet [ hood ] was 3/4" too long

 

this..

i have a friend with a chopped car thats been windshield less for 5 years now..

i wish him luck finding a shield..

almost everything else on the car is DONE..

 

looked at many unfinished project cars and insulted many owners of unfinished projects also. don't let your emotions overide your budget. buying one from a picture is dangerous,they can hide many flaws and after the money has changed hands your stuck with what you got. with fuel costs soaring buying one across the states or even the state you live in is a consideration. caution!,caution!,caution! is your best friend.

 

Never go look at an old car while driving a hotrod (the bargaining factor just went down).Always bring a knowlagable friend with you for a second opinion.Steer clear of a guy that seems too eager to sell it .I always ask how long they have owned it .If they just recently got it and or they have several old cars for sale and they are obviously just flipping it ,be extra cautious of hidden surprises.Floor pans are easy to fix ,but the braces can be a bitch if they are rusted out as are the body mounts.As others said be real cautious of fresh paint and cheap chrome dress up on a shitty running engine.I always look underneath at the botton of the engine (oilpan,tranny,etc.) if it looks like the top of the motor has been cleaned to be past off as rebuilt.Most fakers wont bother to clean the bottom of the motor well .You can also look at the freeze plug condition and tell, if they are scaley or oxidised looking they are old and so is the motor .I too would rather buy a project with a straight body , good glass and no engine than one with a shitty running wore out engine that was a rust bucket...

 

Make SURE that the body parts are straight and not bruised to crap. I have a '40 Caddoo (I'm in Boston, too) that I bought sight unseen with OK paint- strip the paint off the fenders, and what have we here- more bondo than sheet metal! And it's a real pain to find clean sheet metal especially in the NE- salty air and moisture will do it in really quickly.

Also run over a car with a magnet to check for spots where it doesn't adhere. That indicates Bondo.

 

1. Title as said before. Make sure the numbers on the title match the numbers on the car. (got burned like that once)

2. For a first project, I would buy something that runs and drives, or is at least close. If it is a long way from being able to take out for a ride, it might get old quick.

If possible have a competent shop or friend check it out. I also have the problem that when I see a car that catches my eye and I have cash I get stupid and loose my brain. Been there and done that many times.

TopHat

 

Absolutely buy the best (condition) car you can afford. It will always cost lots more to bring a lesser car up to the condition of a better one, than to have bought the better one in the first place. Just ask the restorers on this one.

Even if you have the garage space to store it, if it's your first "project" make sure what you buy is a runner that you can drive to keep your interest up. Avoid heavily rusted and/or primered cars. Finding one with a reasonably decent paint job that you can "wax up" and drive, even if you plan to repaint later will hold your interest far longer than something you are always apologizing about the appearance of.

Unless you are single, the family pressure to get rid of a non driving car can be unbearable. Even garaged, a "leaner" at the very least it will become a storage shelf with things piled up on it so heavily you'll never work on it. Having a car that moves under it's own power becomes doubly important if you need to leave it outside where the neighbors can see it.

Unless the satisfaction of driving something you built yourself is the supreme reason for having a "project", buy something that needs little or no "fixing up", that way you can enjoy it from the get go.

If you're a tool junkie (most of the people on this forum probably fit that category) and half the reason for a "project" is an excuse to buy more tools, forget most everything I just said.

 

i always end up looking at cars that are "75% done" and its the the last 25% thats the most expensive and hardest to do !

 

unfinished projects are usually the cheapest way to start. especially if the car is solid, but in a million pieces

 

Amen. The other point to make is if you dont like the 75% that is complete you have an issue. A car built from scratch will always be exactly what you want. It gets expensive paying for things twice...

 

My dad always said to buy the most complete one you can & then he would also mention that if you can buy one that is already running then you can drive it and enjoy it while you fix it up. My thought train though is, if you can buy several cars that have enough of the parts to make one complete, that works too!