Car on my mind...

-
Valiant63

Valiant63

Early A-body Valiants
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
1,515
Reaction score
547
Location
eastern, PA and central Florida
It's like a love affair with a woman that I never really met. I have this dang car on my mind that is out in California and I don't really have any way of getting it here to PA. The guy wouldn't sell it to me since I am out of state, and I am not sure I really want to buy it and then transport it here all the way to PA, but I really like the early A, and it is affordable. It isn't drivable right now, but it could be easily repaired. I keep thinking about it. Dang. What do I do???
 
I just had a PA trucking company pickup a 2500 diesel dodge here in Vegas and it went to Pittsburgh. Don Farr trucking. This is #4 that was sent to Pittsburgh by them. From what I understand they run to California twice a month. Cost was less tha 50 cents a mile. That is VERY cheap as most charge a $1 or more. It's worth a call. Just a thought.
 
I agree, try as best you can to get the car if you really want it. I passed on a real nice low miles 66 Dart 270 late summer 2009 and always regretted it. However, by a stroke of luck I saw another very similar low miles and condition 66 Dart just after Thanksgiving 2011. Upon talking to the owner I found out it was the same car I had previously passed on in 2009. It had gone to NH and the girl that bought it had a friend that was letting her sell it front of his house in the next town over from me here in Mass. It took 6 weeks to finally get her to sell it to me as she was on the fence because she really didn't want to sell it. I have it now and don't plan on letting it go for a long time.
Paul
 
depending on where in Cali it is, maybe someone from the board here will go look at it for you and give it a look. If it realyl could get running easily, maybe they'd get it for you and you could fly out, get it running, and drive it home....

or have it shipped... that is cheaper than having it break down in the middle of nowhere and having to deal with that... as well as time off work to get it home etc...
 
If I knew of someone on the bord here who was near Ventura, CA south of Santa Barbara and north of LA and could go look at the car and maybe get it running, that would be great. It is too far for me to want to drive home with troubles with my disability. The guy who has it is not a car guy and can't work on it. It is a simple fix (to me ) and just needs a freeze plug put back in on the 273.
The company that ships at 50 cents a mile sounds like a good option to me. I would do that! Hmmm. Anyone near Ventura? If I coudl get it running well, I may be able to find someone who will drive it to me, or at least get it half way. I'd drive it from Kansas City to PA. :)
 
I guess the question is - if it was down the street from you and the guy was asking $2,500 - would you buy it? If the answer is yes - then it makes sense to buy it and truck it back. But, I would sure feel better about it if a fellow member put eyes on it first.
 
It's really cool when you find a car you really want but you need to remember there are thousands of cool vintage cars around - so there is no rush.
On any early A body you will always have a lot more money into it than it's worth, this is ok since they are so inexpensive it usually won't be a fortune.
So I think you should let the "red mist" clear and take your time. Make a post that you are looking for some help from a California member to check it out and go from there.
 
I guess the question is - if it was down the street from you and the guy was asking $2,500 - would you buy it?
Click to expand...


thats the question right there. if its not worth $2500 i can't see it being too clean of a car.

what freeze plug is it?

what would it cost you to fly out to ca and drive it back? whats your time worth? what happens if something happens whats that going to cost?

to me $1400 sounds like a bargain if the car is really clean.

if its meant to be you'll find a way to get it.
 
Valiant63 said:
Geesh. I looked and even at 50 cents a mile it would cost me $1400 to get the car here. . . almost twice the price of the car. Is it worth it?
Click to expand...

Is it worth it? Only you have the answer to that.....But I can say that the $1400 it will take to transport it, if it rust free, will get swallowed up in doing rust repair on a car that needs it....
 
69B-Cuda said:
depending on where in Cali it is, maybe someone from the board here will go look at it for you and give it a look. If it realyl could get running easily, maybe they'd get it for you and you could fly out, get it running, and drive it home....

or have it shipped... that is cheaper than having it break down in the middle of nowhere and having to deal with that... as well as time off work to get it home etc...
Click to expand...


First thing I EVER bought on e-bay was my 68 Barracuda. Car was in San Jose and I was flying out for Spring Fling anyway so it seemed like a good idea. Hitched a ride from LA to San Jose with Max after the show and ended up spending 4 nights at his house. There was a list of some 34 items that was wrong with the car and we fixed most of them over 3-1/2 days. The turning point was Tuesday which was the date of my return flight. Once past that, there was no looking back. Left late Thursday afternoon from Mountain View and got home Monday night, the day after Easter.

Drove through NV, UT, and CO mountains w/o heater, radio, instrument lights, almost bald 255-60x15's on the rear through rain, sleet, even snow in Vail on Easter morning. etc. Even a windstorm in Kansas complete with tumble weeds. Only had a handful of tools that I carried on the plane, primitive cell phone w/o a charger and roaming charges that I kept turned off. Pulled over by cops in three different states. Had a slight overheating problem East of Sacramento and charging problems in Western Nevada. Slept in the back for two nights at rest areas. (fold-down seat) Almost quit in Indy Monday afternoon when I hit a huge construction zone and the traffic was bumper to bumper backed up to forever.

Called ahead when I was a few miles away and my wife and kids had the garage door open with the regular car parked outside. Rolled in at 11 PM and got up and went to work the next morning. One bad thing was my son drove the car out of the garage Monday and washed it before I had a chance to take pictures of the battle-worn carcass. Over $300 for gas and maximum cruising speed was only 62 MPH due to a crushed rear shock that I didn't see.

Yeah, I'd do it again in a minute.
 
Wow, that's an adventure!! I passed on what I thought could turn out like that and I'm mighty glad I did.
BIG shout out for the family!! Had the garage empty and the door open - WOW! And THEN the kid washed it for ya.
Sure not much to complain about my friend.

BC
 
Valiant63 said:
It's like a love affair with a woman that I never really met. I have this dang car on my mind that is out in California and I don't really have any way of getting it here to PA. The guy wouldn't sell it to me since I am out of state, and I am not sure I really want to buy it and then transport it here all the way to PA, but I really like the early A, and it is affordable. It isn't drivable right now, but it could be easily repaired. I keep thinking about it. Dang. What do I do???
Click to expand...

Where in CA?.... I live ,on the central coast. If near central Cal (Bakersfield, Modesto ,Visalia,) odds are a good one. Let us know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top