Help with an "A" body.

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piratemike

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Hello everyone,
I am a new member here and new to "A" bodies as well. I am interested in buying a "project" but, I really do not know what areas are prone to problems and what to stay away from on these cars. So, could somebody try to bring me up to speed on what I should be looking for, what to stay way from and what areas are just beyond fixing?
I am currently looking at a 1968 Fastback. The car has a 318, 904 automatic trans,ps,manual brakes. The body has some rust on the rear quarters just behind the wheel openings( about the bottom 3 inches are shot). The passenger side floor pan is rusted through right where your feet would be and, there is a little rust starting on the hood where the hinges bolt on.
The interior is pretty much a basket case. It was originally black interior,bucket seats and a console. The console is there, appears to be complete and not damaged. The seats are shot.
Does this condition sound familiar? What would a car like this sell for in the this condition? Any info or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike
 
Take a peek under the car were the torsion bars go in to the cross member. make sure its solid. they tend to rust out/ Check in the trunk, Spare tire wells collect water and rust out. Then the gas tank falls out because its bolted to the floor there. Inner fenders also are prone to rusting. Check were the leaf springs bolt to the frame and the fraim rails them selves. All these areas are comman to rust. Most can be fixed but may be more work then your looking to do.
 
adam i think your spot on, but i think you should check out the area under the doors all the way from front wheel opening to the rear one, hope you understand my bad ennglish it can bee a pain in the butt to fix that area and get it to look realy good.. but it can bee done, hope i helped.
 
Adam hit the nail on the head, every area he described are key players in how much you really want to get involved in. One other area I would look at is where the torsion bars go through the "K" frame to the lower control arms, I had a 67 fastback that I had to change the "K" frame because of this, but it was no big hassle. Good Luck..Don...PS Welcome aboard Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
If the cowl drains are plugged the cowl area can become a problem. Look for any large bubbling at the leaded seams. If the bubbles are huge the seam could be badly rusted. Also the bottom edge of the deck lid. The rear trim can allow water to enter and if the drains clog, but you can't go wrong with a 68 fastback. I'm probably biased though.
 
it all depends on how much work your willing to do every car from this era has certain problems them it just depends on how much work you want to do and how much work has allready been done
 
Thanks everyone for the replies and the welcome. Another part of this same posting was....what do you think a car like this is worth? I know thats a tough question because of alot of variables. Basically this car, is a rolling boby. It has and engine and trans but does not run. The interior has been gutted(the owner says he has the seats). All the glass is there although it will need a windshield, and it will need the body work I mentioned earlier.
I guess my problem is, do I wait for a car in better condition and pay more for it or do I purchase one that is rough and hope for the best?
I am capable of doing most of the work myself(engine,trans,brakes,suspension,paint.). I will probably have to farm out getting the rust repaired as I do not have the tools or talent for welding. Anyway what do you think a reasonable price is for a car like the one I described?

Thanks,

Mike
 
There is one enemy you do not to fight, rust. My experience is that rust is like an iceberg, what you see is only the tip. It is very expensive to deal with, even if you do the work yourself. I would budget a little more money and get a driver. The car you describe would not be worth much in my opinion.
 
But if hes on the east coast like many of us, he doesnt have much choice.
 
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