Purchase Advice

Discussion in 'Maverick/Comet Projects' started by Scoot110703, May 17, 2016.

  1. Scoot110703

    Scoot110703 Member

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    I have a 1973 Maverick. It's a 2-door with the 200 I6 motor and 3-speed column shift, non-AC. It has been in the family since 1975 and was my mother's first car at 16 as well as my first car at 16. It has not been driven since around 2001 and has been garage kept for the past 15 years. The motor is believed to have a cracked block. The gas tank is sludgy but I'm about to do the KBS or POR-15 tank kit on it. The floor has a rusted out area under the driver seat and under the pedals and the battery tray area (fender apron) is rusted out. I currently have the car almost fully dismantled and have been casually working my way through a restoration of it.

    All that being said, I have found another 73 Maverick about 100miles away for sale that is a factory 302 with the automatic transmission and factory A/C. The seller says that he believes it needs a new fuel pump and that it hasn't been driven in four years. He claims the transmission is fine but the A/C is not currently working. He thinks it may just need a compressor or something. The car appears to have some rust in the trunk lid and a bit in the floor. It has both seats, good dash and interior body panels, all the glass and trim appears to be in good shape as well as the bumpers and most of the rest of the body.

    My thought is that I could buy this car, take the 302 with all the correct factory original frame stands and engine mounts and crossmembers, take the C4 and the automatic steering column, and take the A/C and the A/C dash and install them all into my Maverick. I could keep all the glass as backups on hand in case I ever get a broken windshield or something. I suppose I'd need to take the radiator and fan shroud as well.

    I have not yet gone to see the car in person. I am planning to do that either this weekend or next weekend. What types of things do you think I should be looking for in particular? Is there a way to verify that the motor is not crap without being able to crank it up and run it? Is the A/C relatively easy or inexpensive to restore/repair? Would this task even be worth undertaking? What do you think this is a fair price for this car? He is asking $1300 for it and has offered to deliver it via his car trailer to my house for $200-300. That would cover his fuel costs for the ~200mi and the 4-5hrs of round trip it would cost him. U-Haul has quoted me around $300 to rent a truck and car dolly for a trip of that distance so I'd break about even there.

    So, should I go see it and possibly go for it or should I keep looking?
    I did look up the VIN on the car and it is apparently a Canadian built car that did come with a factory 302. I have no reason to suspect at this time that it is not an original motor.
    Any and all advice is welcomed and appreciated. Thank you!!
     
  2. mojo

    mojo "Everett"- Senior Citizen Supporting Member

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    Is there any reason to take all the stuff out of the v8 car to put in the car you have? Seems a lot less hassle to change all that stuff if the purchase car it already. I don't see any conclusive way of telling if the motor has no real issues w/o running it. As far as AC, look to spend in the area of $1000.00 -$1200.00 to convert to later 134a aftermarket setup.
    That is what I have in mine and that's w/o replacing the evaporator. I don't know what it wud cost to restore the original style AC, but wud think somewhere in the range of $700.00+.
     
  3. Scoot110703

    Scoot110703 Member

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    The only reason I'd move it over is for sentimental purposes. Kind of "This is MY Maverick, there are many like it but this one is mine...".
     
  4. William623

    William623 Member Supporting Member

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    You can take a socket and turn the motor over by hand. But make sure to check the cowl...if there is rust on the floor boards that is a concern. Also check the trunk and the quarters. They are really bad about rusting out. Is the 73 a grabber? If so that isn't a bad price...but I would be wary of not hearing it run. But that being said you can pick up a decent junkyard motor for 400 and be fine.
     
  5. 71gold

    71gold Frank Cooper Supporting Member

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    "sentimental purposes" that's where the time and money is spent.
    the motor/trans will need rebuilt anyway.

    if this isn't going to be a daily driver...

    "for sentimental purposes" I would restore the car as is. if not you will always describe the car as...one like Mom and I had...but it had a 200 6 cyl, etc. etc. I hear it all the time, My mom, Uncle, Brother had one like it except their's...was blue, green, a 4dr, Boss 302, 4 speed from the factory...
    if you are not going back original, build the other car and tell people...it's like the one my Mom and I drove back in the day except it was a 200 6 cyl, 3 speed and no air.


    JMO
     
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  6. COMETIZED

    COMETIZED Member

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    Hey Scoot :
    Just reading these posts .. Why not offer the guy $800.00 " AS IS " .. YOU haul it to your house and take your chances on being able to salvage enough out of the car to be worth your trouble. You'll have V8 Motor Mounts.. and 302 block (if not cracked) ..and a lot of other parts you can salvage. If the motor RUNS like he said .. it's STILL going to be a 1973 and most likely you're looking at a rebuild .. ( maybe not ) .. depends on what kind of power you want for the 'finished' car. Just my opinion.
    Cometized
    (Chip)
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2016
  7. Scoot110703

    Scoot110703 Member

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    Follow Up:
    I made the two hour/100mile (each way) journey to his house to see the car yesterday. Amazingly the engine would turn over but would not fire up and run due to the failing fuel pump and absence of quality gas. Overall, the car was in significantly worse condition than I expected. Every single metal panel had holes rusted all the way through. He had four wheels of varying sizes and types on it and two had dead flat tires and two had no tires. He thought it would be fine to load the car on the trailer and then into my garage on the bare rims!
    He was a stone wall on the price. He refused to accept a dime less than $1300 for the car so I thanked him for his time and walked away. It's my suspicion that his wife wants him to get rid of it and he doesn't want to but who knows...
     
  8. COMETIZED

    COMETIZED Member

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    Hey Scoot :
    Good move ! Keep looking .. you will probably find something with a lot more possibilities than what you have
    described with this one . Sounds like this guy will have this car a loooooong time . Glad YOU didn't buy it .. There
    are STILL some nice cars out there .. Don't give up .. Good hunting !
    Cometized
    (Chip)
     
  9. junrai

    junrai Member

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    WOW you ALMOST made a horrible buy good thing you had the will to walk away. alot of times people get in over there head thinking oh well thats not TOO BAD but its worse than I thought.

    well sometimes you spend a little gas to go check em out and theyre a bust. but then again it could be a grandma car thats been sitting in a nice dry garage since 1974 on jack stands and under several layers of a cloth cover to keep the moisture out

    like that 4.1 mile silver anniversary corvette that was put away since new
     

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