Hey, it’d be great if your grandfather—or uncle the priest—drove a ’57 T-Bird and willed it to you, even a clapped-out one. That’s definitely worth fixing up. But not aunt Meg’s 4-door Corvair, or the family ’75 Suburban, or much of anything else made in the ’70s or ’80s, for that matter. There are exceptions, of course, which price guides can help you understand. But if you want to put a whole bunch of hours into fixing up some 4-wheeled stray dog primarily because it has “personal attachment” (or, worse, just because it followed you home), fine. Just plan on being personally attached to it for a long time. If you really do love the car, for whatever reason, and you really do plan on keeping it indefinitely—go for it. Give it the personal attention and loving care only you can.
I got this ’62 Grand Prix convertible from a college friend for $100. I rebuilt the radiator and heads, and did the little bodywork it needed. It had the good wheels and all the trim. But I had nowhere to keep it. So I rented a little compressor, painted it light blue primer, and tried to sell it. No luck. So I gave it away. Ugh.
I saw this convertible at a swap meet. If it were just a ’67 Fairlane ’vert, even apparently complete and running, it probably wouldn’t justify the $4,500 asking price. But this is a GTA with a “numbers correct” 330-hp 390 big block. Yet, that’s Midwest road-salt rust showing in the wheelwells, so you know there’s plenty more you can’t see underneath.
This is a ’36 or ’37 Ford Tudor body I saw at a swap meet in Kansas. Even if it were a ’32, I’d question trying to save this one. As it was, I didn’t even ask the price.
For example, here’s a ’55 Olds that looks straight, with only surface rust…until you start poking around down under the chassis, where the road salt has been eating it away. Not only do you have to deal with rust rot on such cars, but every nut and bolt down there has to be removed with a cutting torch.
More important and more serious is trying to assess the true condition of the vehicle you plan to spend some real time fixing up and painting. Since we’re concerned with the exterior surface here, we have to leave it to other sources (and your trusted mechanic) to determine its mechanical well being, but that of course should be taken into strong consideration. In the case of straight restorations, you must consider the rarity of the vehicle and the consequent availability (or unavailability) of replacement parts. In other cases, where originality doesn’t matter, one good option is to transplant newer mechanical components that are fresher or rebuilt, are readily available, and fit the chassis directly or reasonably easily.
Even on relatively new cars, like this Honda, this is the stuff to watch out for: big bubbles in the paint and holes through the sheetmetal, especially around wheel openings. This isn’t surface rust. It can’t be fixed by a paint job. It’s coming from the inside out, and like cancer, it will grow back if you don’t cut it all out and replace it with new metal. Is the car worth it?
Our concern is the exterior of the car. Check two things first: the originality and completeness of the vehicle, especially an older one. If the car still has its original paint job, even if it’s faded, chipped, cracked, or peeling, good. The worse the paint, the less the car costs. That’s a big part of the point here. But look closely to make sure it’s really the original color (there’s usually a “color code” number on an I.D. tag on a doorpost, but that’s hard to verify on the spot). If the car’s been repainted, you can usually see where masking wasn’t perfect, overspray got on non-painted parts, or areas didn’t get fully resprayed, such as under the hood, trunk, or wheelwells and rockers. Next look for areas that might have been touched up or spotted-in. If the paint is old, these areas might be shinier or a slightly different color. This is an indication that bodywork has been done. Then the question is: how much, and how well? If the panel looks straight (not wavy or bumpy) and fits properly, you can at least assume the job was done well. If so, such areas can be sanded and repainted without further work. If you can see ripples, waves, pinholes, bubbles, or grinder marks—or worse, if it’s already cracking or even falling out, you know it’s a problem area that has to be stripped of filler, cleaned, straightened, and re-worked. Also check the gaps and fit between body panels and parts such as doors, hood, and trunk. If any of these are uneven or don’t fit properly, some part of the car has probably been crunched and replaced. That’s no big problem as long as the replacement part or panel is good, and can be realigned properly, and the frame is straight. But beware of things such as doors or windows that don’t open and close smoothly.
We look at this one again next chapter, but here’s another perfect example from my neighborhood. The ’57 Nomad is a highly desirable, collectible car, and it looks like all this one needs is a new paint job. We know the paint isn’t original, and there’s been some less-than-perfect bodywork done (the sides are wavy). But the fact that the top is crazed tells us this paint has been on the car a long time, and no rust, filler cracks, or peeling have occurred. If it were for sale, the need for a full paint job should lower the price substantially. And if you painted it yourself… but, of course, it’s not for sale.
Another good example, this little Mustang project is following our Chapter 2 “How to Build a Car” sidebar well. It has a new EFI V-8, 4-speed, and 4-wheel disc brakes already installed, along with new performance wheels and tires. The primer spots tell you some minor bodywork has been done. Now all it needs is a good sanding through the peeling clear coat, and a fresh home paint job.
On the subject of red Mustangs, here’s exactly what you don’t want. This car looks fairly good and straight at first glance. But all it’s had is a quickie “resale” paint job, covering who-knows-what bodywork and prep. In fact, the close-up shows not only a poor fast-mask job, but the recent paint is already starting to peel and flake. Very bad. Worse, close inspection shows much of the car is missing. Bottom line: don’t pay for a paint job you don’t want, especially a recent one. Buy a car that needs a paint job, to save on the price, then paint it yourself—partly to know that it’s done right.
Completeness is another concern, especially on older or rare vehicles. Make