Jeff asks:
> (I) am interested in the Roadster... One just came up for sale in my area.
> It is a '69 fairlady 98% complete yet partially disassembled.
Depends on which 2% are missing :-)
To me, a major point is if you can find another owner to compare notes
with and help you figure out where all the parts go back. Having a
car in a bunch of boxes is pretty difficult to deal with if you don't have
a reference as to where all those bolts and wires go! And forget the
shop manuals as a good reference :-)
There are actually several variations of the Roadster. Each one is
put together a little bit differently, and each one has its plusses and
minuses. You mentioned that this is a '69. Is at a 1600 (SPL) or
2000 (SRL)? Financially, the 2000 is worth more, and is much
more sought after. So your assignment is to learn exactly what
you found, consider if you seem to have most of the parts (and that
they are in good shape! Four corroded brake calipers are as expensive
to replace as not having any at all). Was this a resto project started on
a good running car, or was it a dead car that someone started to part out?
Whether or not $1200 is good depends on overall condition of parts
and what the basic car is. If it's an original 67.5 2000 BUY IT.
But it's 'only' a late model 69 :-) [I can say that - I have a 68!]
A 2000 with a GOOD drivetrain is more exciting than a tired 1600.
The sad (yet in a way, good at the same time) truth is that most of these
cars aren't worth big bucks. You'll quickly spend more on bandages
for your scraped knuckles putting one back together - as so many of
us can attest to first hand!
But we're all glad that the Roadsteritis bug seems to have caught you :-)
-- John
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
p.s. Where are you located? By giving a location, other owners in
your area may announce themselves to you and give you a chance
to see an assembled Roadster up close and personal!
|