Theres a 68 Fairlane just sitting, shielding weeds, behind a body shop here in town. Its got the original 289 engine, but it doesnt run, needs all new tires. It was ditched by a customer a year ago. Guy said he'd sell it, but told me to make an offer. Buyer would need to deal with the lack of title, plus the mechanical issues. Body is good, interior is original and so clean - its almost unreal. What would YOU offer?
Shop needs to file for a mechanic's lien on the title before selling it otherwise I wouldn't touch it
I own a 1968 Torino. Should be a 302 V-8 in the car. Hard to say what is is worth without more info, pictures, condition, etc. Bottom line. If you have a Maverick and a 1968 Fairlane/Torino in the exact same condition....the Fairlane/Torino will be woth more. In my opinion.....a lot more. Saying it is a $100 car is not realistic. Fairlane/Torino's have a HUGE following. They also have aftermarket support that Maverick people can only dream about.
It's a cutie. Can't find a way to get a cell phone pic to the forum here, but it's in nice shape on the outside. I saw very minimal rust on the underside, and zero on the outside in plain sight. I didnt look in the trunk. Seems a shame that someone just ditched it there. The guy who owns the body place has a borderline junkyard going in back of the place...he didn't seem concerned or even motivated to get rid of it? It might be a year or two older. I couldnt find the stats plate under the hood, though I didn't spend much time poking around since it was raining and windy. I've seen a few Fairlanes on Craigslist in similar exterior shape, going for $1500-$2500,....though they were all road-ready. Might go back and just offer him a few hundred to gauge a response. Even if all I did was sit it in the garage for a while until I can budget pulling the engine and figuring out it's problems, it seems a terrible crime to let it sit out there and rot.
I'm not well versed in title procedure. Is it illegal to do a cash sale on a vehicle without a clear title in hand? I thought that there was some way to go about it where you place an ad in the paper for 30 days, stating where the vehicle was found + description, in order to give the owner a chance to claim it. If unclaimed, it would be legal to persue a new title? Or am I just reallllly overtired?
Each state is different. Need to check with your BMV. Another thing to keep in mind.....Fairlanes and Torinos are expensive to restore compared to a Maverick. Even if you get the car cheap.....chrome trim, body panels, etc are a lot more money than Maverick stuff. Fairlanes/Torinos also suffer rust issues in many of the same places as a Maverick.
Is it a fastback or a sedan like Craig's? I think the fastbacks are worth more, just like a fastback Mustang is worth more. Hey, they put big blocks in those cars too. 390's and 428's I think.
Not to discourage you, but it's a real b*tch in TN trying to title a vehicle that doesn't have one. My Maverick never did have a title; it was an Alabama car and they didn't start issuing titles there until '74. I grew up in Jackson, MS and had dealt with this before. It's not a big deal in MS, so it never occurred to me what a pain it was going to be in TN or I might not have bought the car. (In retrospect I'm kinda glad I was uninformed about it.) If I had it to do all over again, I'd sell it to my brother in MS for a pack of smokes, let him get a clean, bonded MS title in his name then buy it back from him for a six pack.
I'll get a photo up this evening. I asked the guy if he's take $300 for it. He nibbled his lip and said, "let me think on a while. Call me back monday." Not attached to any outcome in particular. But heck, even if I didn't restore it, I could make $300 back just parting it out. The interior is unbelievable. It MUST have been an older person's vehicle. It's too clean and well maintained, and totally original. A teal and ivory color scheme.
If u decide not to get the car, u may consider posting it on one of the Torino forums. Likely it will not go to waste if people w/ Torino intrest know it's available.
