What would you do?

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

After much seaching I have found a Charger in Melbourne. Seems and has
107,000 original ks on it. It's not a VH which I really want. But I can
change the front on it so I am not too worried. Guy wants $8500 and tells
me the thing is immaculate and has had a roadworthy on it 12 months ago. I
tell him I'll buy on the condition it has an RACV check and it checks out
ok.

So it goes off to RACV today and the report comes back.
Engine and driveline are perfect.
Front end needs ball joints and tie rod ends which isn't the end of the
world.
Needs new front tyres. No big deal. It's on the original rubber it left
the factory with.
Interior is mint

And the bit that worries me:-
Evidence of bog all over the car.

The last thing I want is a rusty shitbox so I call the mechanic. He tells
me that there is evidence of bog and it looks like it has had a respray. He
said he can stick a magnet to all the panels but when he taps it some of the
panels sound a bit funny. He can't get the boot open so he can't tell me
what it looks like inside the boot. He said when he put it on the hoist the
underside is like brand new. So now I am in a quandry. This car looks ok
in photos but may be rusty. Mechanic can't give me a definite answer other
than "Be careful". I can't see the car because it is 3000ks away. I'm
thinking I should offer the guy 7 grand and if the car is a rusty heap I can
easily sell it over here for that. People are dying for Chargers in WA.

Thoughts?

Fraser

[Ext User(Diesel Damo)]

Back when I was in the market for my Val, the body was the only thing I
cared about.

Why won't the boot open I wonder? Did the whole car get knocked about
in a really bad way and things are a bit out of alignment?

Buying a car that has just had a respray always gives me a sense of
doubt.

If you're sure you can get rid of it for 7Gs, then I'd go for your
$7000 plan.

[Ext User(diesel_fuel)]

VH Charger on ebay but is also in Melb
Item number: 4575278804

In article <3osmakF7io38U1@individual.net>, fraser@jcis.com.au says...
> After much seaching I have found a Charger in Melbourne. Seems and has
> 107,000 original ks on it. It's not a VH which I really want. But I can
> change the front on it so I am not too worried. Guy wants $8500 and tells
> me the thing is immaculate and has had a roadworthy on it 12 months ago. I
> tell him I'll buy on the condition it has an RACV check and it checks out
> ok.
>
> So it goes off to RACV today and the report comes back.
> Engine and driveline are perfect.
> Front end needs ball joints and tie rod ends which isn't the end of the
> world.
> Needs new front tyres. No big deal. It's on the original rubber it left
> the factory with.
> Interior is mint
>
> And the bit that worries me:-
> Evidence of bog all over the car.
>
> The last thing I want is a rusty shitbox so I call the mechanic. He tells
> me that there is evidence of bog and it looks like it has had a respray. He
> said he can stick a magnet to all the panels but when he taps it some of the
> panels sound a bit funny. He can't get the boot open so he can't tell me
> what it looks like inside the boot. He said when he put it on the hoist the
> underside is like brand new. So now I am in a quandry. This car looks ok
> in photos but may be rusty. Mechanic can't give me a definite answer other
> than "Be careful". I can't see the car because it is 3000ks away. I'm
> thinking I should offer the guy 7 grand and if the car is a rusty heap I can
> easily sell it over here for that. People are dying for Chargers in WA.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Fraser
>
>
>

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"Diesel Damo" <Diesel_4WD@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:1126769981.944556.86350@g43g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> Back when I was in the market for my Val, the body was the only thing I
> cared about.
>
> Why won't the boot open I wonder? Did the whole car get knocked about
> in a really bad way and things are a bit out of alignment?
>
> Buying a car that has just had a respray always gives me a sense of
> doubt.
>
> If you're sure you can get rid of it for 7Gs, then I'd go for your
> $7000 plan.
>
Boot won't open because Mechanic didn't have the key. Not sure if that was
on purpose or not.

Thanks for the advice. What Val did you buy?

Fraser

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"diesel_fuel" <diesel_fuel@SPAMISCRAPvolcanomail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d93d23f5e2bf1b09896c1@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> VH Charger on ebay but is also in Melb
> Item number: 4575278804

Saw that one. Looks great but another respray with mysteries lying
underneath. I'm thinking I might have to jump on a plane with the cash and
look for a few first hand.

Fraser

[Ext User(Diesel Damo)]

Fraser Johnston wrote:
> What Val did you buy?

VG Regal. The reason I only cared about the body was because I put in
an engine, box, diff and brakes of my own choosing =)

[Ext User(diesel_fuel)]

Did you see the 1974 VJ CHARGER in the Trading Post
its in WA but is asking $10,500

In article <3osnqaF7ghnoU1@individual.net>, fraser@jcis.com.au says...
>
> "diesel_fuel" <diesel_fuel@SPAMISCRAPvolcanomail.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1d93d23f5e2bf1b09896c1@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> > VH Charger on ebay but is also in Melb
> > Item number: 4575278804
>
> Saw that one. Looks great but another respray with mysteries lying
> underneath. I'm thinking I might have to jump on a plane with the cash and
> look for a few first hand.
>
> Fraser
>
>
>

[Ext User(Bugalugs)]

Fraser Johnston wrote:

> After much seaching I have found a Charger in Melbourne. Seems and has
> 107,000 original ks on it. It's not a VH which I really want. But I can
> change the front on it so I am not too worried. Guy wants $8500 and tells
> me the thing is immaculate and has had a roadworthy on it 12 months ago. I
> tell him I'll buy on the condition it has an RACV check and it checks out
> ok.
>
> So it goes off to RACV today and the report comes back.
> Engine and driveline are perfect.
> Front end needs ball joints and tie rod ends which isn't the end of the
> world.
> Needs new front tyres. No big deal. It's on the original rubber it left
> the factory with.
> Interior is mint
>
> And the bit that worries me:-
> Evidence of bog all over the car.
>
> The last thing I want is a rusty shitbox so I call the mechanic. He tells
> me that there is evidence of bog and it looks like it has had a respray. He
> said he can stick a magnet to all the panels but when he taps it some of the
> panels sound a bit funny. He can't get the boot open so he can't tell me
> what it looks like inside the boot. He said when he put it on the hoist the
> underside is like brand new. So now I am in a quandry. This car looks ok
> in photos but may be rusty. Mechanic can't give me a definite answer other
> than "Be careful". I can't see the car because it is 3000ks away. I'm
> thinking I should offer the guy 7 grand and if the car is a rusty heap I can
> easily sell it over here for that. People are dying for Chargers in WA.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Fraser
>
>

My boss had a Mustang. left hooker, auto, hard top. Wife used it as a
daily driver. Wifie decides a soft top would be nice so they flog it off
and buy a soft top from the states. Even had a mate who was over there
look it over.

The car arrives and it looks great. Then they have a detailed look
around and in the boot it has serious rust problems; in the back
guards/wheelwell area. Road legal over there but noway here.

There are thousands of dollars worth of parts now on the water and the
doors, bonnet, bootlid are all stored in my back garage. He's looking
for a certified welder to stitch it all together and luckily he's a
spraypainter by trade so he can give it a good paint job when finished.
It'll be on the market soon after.

So my advice on the valiant.........run away as fast as you can ! !

Cam

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"diesel_fuel" <diesel_fuel@SPAMISCRAPvolcanomail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d93d5f0fc0520fe9896c2@news-vip.optusnet.com.au...
> Did you see the 1974 VJ CHARGER in the Trading Post
> its in WA but is asking $10,500

It was sold. Guy got 10k for it.

Fraser

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"Bugalugs" <bugalugs67@netscape.net!> wrote in message
news:BW9We.11783$iM2.1036419@news.xtra.co.nz...
> My boss had a Mustang. left hooker, auto, hard top. Wife used it as a
> daily driver. Wifie decides a soft top would be nice so they flog it off
> and buy a soft top from the states. Even had a mate who was over there
> look it over.
>
> The car arrives and it looks great. Then they have a detailed look around
> and in the boot it has serious rust problems; in the back guards/wheelwell
> area. Road legal over there but noway here.
>
> There are thousands of dollars worth of parts now on the water and the
> doors, bonnet, bootlid are all stored in my back garage. He's looking for
> a certified welder to stitch it all together and luckily he's a
> spraypainter by trade so he can give it a good paint job when finished.
> It'll be on the market soon after.
>
> So my advice on the valiant.........run away as fast as you can ! !

Fair call. The thing is that this thing is immaculate underneath and you
can stick a magnet to the body. The last one I was looking at I wouldn't
touch.

Fraser

[Ext User(grumpy@mailinator.com)]

On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 15:31:17 +0800, "Fraser Johnston" <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote:

> And the bit that worries me:-
> Evidence of bog all over the car.

Avoid the car at all costs.

Tyres sound very sus too if it is claimed they are original after 107,000 km.

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

<grumpy@mailinator.com> wrote in message
news:m6cii1pjkst676h92cv2jusd1jje4sake4@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 15:31:17 +0800, "Fraser Johnston"
> <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote:
>
>> And the bit that worries me:-
>> Evidence of bog all over the car.
>
> Avoid the car at all costs.
>
> Tyres sound very sus too if it is claimed they are original after 107,000
> km.
>

The mechanic reckons they are original as well. The bog worries me.

Fraser

[Ext User(Diesel Damo)]

Fraser Johnston wrote:
> The bog worries me.

Been thinking about this a bit more... how many Chargers have you been
finding that aren't total shit boxes?

Because I'm thinking, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably let this
one go and keep looking if there was a reasonable chance I'd turn up a
good one soon(ish).

[Ext User(_Scott_)]

Go book a cheap Virgin flight etc and check it out yourself, it may have had
a series of blends touching up the paint work making it look like that.
We had a inspection guy come to look at a car we were selling once, he told
the person interested not to touch it, later he come back to buy it. I
really would jump in a plane and check it out first hand.

scott
"Fraser Johnston" <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote in message
news:3osmakF7io38U1@individual.net...
> After much seaching I have found a Charger in Melbourne. Seems and has
> 107,000 original ks on it. It's not a VH which I really want. But I can
> change the front on it so I am not too worried. Guy wants $8500 and tells
> me the thing is immaculate and has had a roadworthy on it 12 months ago.
> I tell him I'll buy on the condition it has an RACV check and it checks
> out ok.
>
> So it goes off to RACV today and the report comes back.
> Engine and driveline are perfect.
> Front end needs ball joints and tie rod ends which isn't the end of the
> world.
> Needs new front tyres. No big deal. It's on the original rubber it left
> the factory with.
> Interior is mint
>
> And the bit that worries me:-
> Evidence of bog all over the car.
>
> The last thing I want is a rusty shitbox so I call the mechanic. He tells
> me that there is evidence of bog and it looks like it has had a respray.
> He said he can stick a magnet to all the panels but when he taps it some
> of the panels sound a bit funny. He can't get the boot open so he can't
> tell me what it looks like inside the boot. He said when he put it on the
> hoist the underside is like brand new. So now I am in a quandry. This
> car looks ok in photos but may be rusty. Mechanic can't give me a
> definite answer other than "Be careful". I can't see the car because it
> is 3000ks away. I'm thinking I should offer the guy 7 grand and if the
> car is a rusty heap I can easily sell it over here for that. People are
> dying for Chargers in WA.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Fraser
>

[Ext User(Noddy)]

"Fraser Johnston" <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote in message
news:3osmakF7io38U1@individual.net...

<snip>

> Thoughts?

My own experience has shown me that cars of that era will *always* have a
degree of rust, no matter how well they're cared for, as it's simply
impossible for the ravages of time to be halted.

One of the unfortunate things about older cars is that they simply had no
weather protection compared to current models, and areas like boot wheel
wells, sills, doors and lower guards & quarter panels will gather a
significant amount of crap over time that will invariably hold water, and
that will eventually kill the sheet-metal. Some cars suffered from this
worse than others of course, and are known to be problematic in particular
areas, but they will all have such problems to a degree, and it becomes a
question of what lengths you wish to go to to ensure it's taken care of. Of
course, there's always the possibility that this particular car has little
rust but a lot of accident damage, but either way it means the same thing
when it comes time to do the repairs.

Personally I think people in your (and my) position face one of two possible
scenarios: If the car looks okay then give it a lick over in the colour you
want and enjoy it now, or spent a few thousand hours (and many thousands of
dollars) doing a complete restoration.

I'm pretty fussy, so when I bought the XP I knew I would be going down the
total rebuild path. Still, I looked for the best car I could find, and like
you that meant an interstate trip. However, it wasn't till I'd owned it for
6 months or so and had it completely dismantled down to the last nut & bolt
that it became evident how bad a "good looking" 40 year old car can be.

The moral of the story, I guess, is that it's incredibly difficult to find a
genuine plump car of that age that you're going to be completely satisfied
with, and it really becomes a question of how much input are you prepared to
give it.

Good luck,

--
Regards,
Noddy.

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"Noddy" <dg4163@dodo.com.au> wrote in message
news:4329468d$1@news.comindico.com.au...
>
> "Fraser Johnston" <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote in message
> news:3osmakF7io38U1@individual.net...
>
> <snip>
>
>> Thoughts?
>
> My own experience has shown me that cars of that era will *always* have a
> degree of rust, no matter how well they're cared for, as it's simply
> impossible for the ravages of time to be halted.
>
> One of the unfortunate things about older cars is that they simply had no
> weather protection compared to current models, and areas like boot wheel
> wells, sills, doors and lower guards & quarter panels will gather a
> significant amount of crap over time that will invariably hold water, and
> that will eventually kill the sheet-metal. Some cars suffered from this
> worse than others of course, and are known to be problematic in particular
> areas, but they will all have such problems to a degree, and it becomes a
> question of what lengths you wish to go to to ensure it's taken care of.
> Of course, there's always the possibility that this particular car has
> little rust but a lot of accident damage, but either way it means the same
> thing when it comes time to do the repairs.
>
> Personally I think people in your (and my) position face one of two
> possible scenarios: If the car looks okay then give it a lick over in the
> colour you want and enjoy it now, or spent a few thousand hours (and many
> thousands of dollars) doing a complete restoration.
>
> I'm pretty fussy, so when I bought the XP I knew I would be going down the
> total rebuild path. Still, I looked for the best car I could find, and
> like you that meant an interstate trip. However, it wasn't till I'd owned
> it for 6 months or so and had it completely dismantled down to the last
> nut & bolt that it became evident how bad a "good looking" 40 year old car
> can be.
>
> The moral of the story, I guess, is that it's incredibly difficult to find
> a genuine plump car of that age that you're going to be completely
> satisfied with, and it really becomes a question of how much input are you
> prepared to give it.

Thanks mate. It's a lot of heartache. This is the second car in as many
days that is beginning to scare me off. After a lot of rebuilding jobs that
have skyrocketed I'm now of the belief it's a lot less time and money to buy
a decent one to start with. I'm looking at the ebay one now and waiting for
the guy to call me back. All the local ones go in 2 mintues if they even
get advertised. Wifey is getting sick of the word "Charger".
; )

Fraser

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"_Scott_" <scottl@NOSPAM.westnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:432943e4$1@quokka.wn.com.au...
> Go book a cheap Virgin flight etc and check it out yourself, it may have
> had a series of blends touching up the paint work making it look like
> that.
> We had a inspection guy come to look at a car we were selling once, he
> told the person interested not to touch it, later he come back to buy it.
> I really would jump in a plane and check it out first hand.
>

The inspection guy sounded full bottle. He was even a Valiant enthusiast.
The problem is without stripping back paint you don't know what you'll find
underneath. It's a quandry.

Fraser

[Ext User(Fraser Johnston)]

"Diesel Damo" <Diesel_4WD@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:1126773355.002647.206090@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Fraser Johnston wrote:
>> The bog worries me.
>
> Been thinking about this a bit more... how many Chargers have you been
> finding that aren't total shit boxes?

0 so far.

> Because I'm thinking, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably let this
> one go and keep looking if there was a reasonable chance I'd turn up a
> good one soon(ish).

I'm beginning to think that way. I really want a VH so it is worth the
extra for me to buy one from the start. The one on ebay looks pretty good.
I'm calling the guy. Either way $215 for an RACV inspection is money well
spent.

Fraser

[Ext User(Gonz)]

> Wifey is getting sick of the word "Charger".

Unbelivable

[Ext User(Noddy)]

"Fraser Johnston" <fraser@jcis.com.au> wrote in message
news:3osvrdF7im5uU1@individual.net...

> Thanks mate. It's a lot of heartache. This is the second car in as many
> days that is beginning to scare me off. After a lot of rebuilding jobs
> that have skyrocketed I'm now of the belief it's a lot less time and money
> to buy a decent one to start with. I'm looking at the ebay one now and
> waiting for the guy to call me back. All the local ones go in 2 mintues
> if they even get advertised. Wifey is getting sick of the word "Charger".
> ; )

Wifey??

You're not *the* luckiest cunt in the world who's married to that chick from
Wifey'sworld are ya? :)

--
Regards,
Noddy.