Chick needs HELP with buying a Classic Car

So my better half has said he wants nothing to do with this purchase. He says I'm not to call him for breakdowns, jump starts, tows etc and that all I will be doing is putting money into reconditions and maintenance, not to mention to the price of full lead petrol. I am aware several forrests will die each time she is turned on.

That said, I dont care, she's soooo pretty

This car I want as just a weekend car like going to Bondi Beach as I have a new car for day to day.

Can someone talk me into it please? Give me the pointers to go ahead and win the arguement to buy. Also should I be looking at anything particular, my last classic was because I was a poor student, more of a old bomb and I knew nothing about it.
I want to discombobulate the current owner and make them think I know all about a classic.

I'm happy to put some money into reconditioning the engine if needed or interior retrim. Though it looks pretty good. I have no idea how much something like that would cost. The most important thing as a girl is to test drive the colour and make sure it suits me but the rest I need help with.

This is her :

















[edit on 13-4-2009 by zazzafrazz]

reply to post by zazzafrazz

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First of all, what model and year is it?

Secondly, how many k's are on the odometer?

Thirdly, is there any way you can get a history on the car, ie has it been in an accident or had damage in any other way?

Fourhtly, do we get to see pictures of you lying along the bonnet in a seductive pose?

LOL!
Of course!
After I "BUY it" and get it on the train from Melbourne
Bikini NOT!!!


Make: Ford
Model: Falcon
Year: 1963
Registration: unregistered
Body: 2 dr Convertible First Registered: 1964
Engine: 289.0 litre Petrol
Transmission: Automatic
Mileage: MAx 70 000 miles reached
1 Same owner


[edit on 13-4-2009 by zazzafrazz]

Bikini NOT!!! Meaning you will be naked right

Fingers crossed..

Anyway, it appears to be a fairly good buy on first looks, but you never know if the seller is being honest or not. I would suggest you take a very close look to see if any paint looks shinier/ newer than the rest of the paint. I would suggest taking a magnet with you if possible. If you see an unusual spot on the body of the car, check it with the magnet. If the magnet sticks, then its ok, if not, then a filler has been used to cover up damage.

Also remember to check the tyres and under the hood. Make sure you check the oil condition, and also try to establish if there are any leaks. Also check the automatic transmission fluid. It should be clean, and almost clear, and not dirty. Dirty transmission fluid is a very bad thing

Here's something else I pulled off another site, about transmission



Hope this helps a bit

reply to post by OzWeatherman

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Haha

NO rudey toodey noodey shots
I aint that kinda girl.

But I wll post the Miss Futura in all her naked shiny silver glory if I get her.


Im laughing at me putting on a white labcoat and walking around the car with a magnet, ONLY a ATSer! I'm suprised you forgot to advise a tinfoil hat too!

Now another question does this mean its just got the fan thet blows the same oily smelling air all year round with no air temp control?

"Factory aircon, but no under bonnet condenser or compressor"

Thanks for you help
Zazz F


[edit on 14-4-2009 by zazzafrazz]

You already got a name for it



Pfff, tinfoil hats are only good for conducting lightning in thunderstorms



Not sure to be honest..... sorry cant help you there

I have owned a couple of Falcons. They were the stripped down 6cyl, 2brl economy class, and I loved them. But I would be all over that beauty in a heart beat. With the proper tune, that V8 mpg might surprise you.
63 was when Ford used real steel and took pride in quality design and workmanship.

I drive a vintage 450SL hardtop convertible and driving a classic is one of the things that makes life worthwhile. Call it ego, call it vanity, I don't care. I call it class.

But when making an investment in a car have it throughly checked out by a mechanic that knows his ****!

The 289 is a great engine, I had one in my 64 1/2 Mustang Convertible.

It's easy to work on and still easy to get parts in the US.

Plus, you have to be able to go topless Down Under!

I wouldn't care about the mileage, just have it checked for rust and do a compression check on the engine. One week spot in that engine was the oil pump drive shaft. If you're inclined, drop the pan and see if there's any play in the shaft. It's easy access, you may just want to change it out when you have a chance.

Looks good, BUY IT!!!!

[edit on 4/13/2009 by wookiee]

That's a nice, clean looking falcon. I'd be on that in a heartbeat if I could find one.

My advice:

Bring:
- good flashlight
- mirror onna stick
- magnet and a piece of cloth (don't put the magnet directly on the car and start sliding it around - you can find yourself scratching the car up fairly quickly that way)

Advanced:
- mechanic's stethoscope
- IR camera (hey, it's ATS, never know what people have kicking around. A couple of IR shots will show you immediately if any bodywork has ever been done on the car. Plus, it scares the living crap out of the sales guy. If you don't have one, use the magnet and cloth to check for bondo, if that's important to you).

1) The "bubble rust". This stuff can be nasty. It means the metal is corroding from the backside. One good poke with a finger can often break right through the metal, depending on the size of the "bubble". Use the mirror and flashlight to get a look at the backside if you can.

2) Check the frame for rust and rot. Get 'em to put it on a hoist if you can, so you can walk under it. If there's a bit of surface rust, that's fine, but if there's actual scaling, flaking rot - that'd be a dealbreaker for me - or a significant discount. Also check the condition of the engine mounts while you're under there. If they show signs of crumbling, or signs that they've been moving around at all, make a note of it and either deduct a few hundred from your offer or budget for replacements. It's a fairly simple backyard job if you've got a few friends and beer.

3) The transmission: check the fluid. Make sure it's clear. Any used car dealer worth their salt knows that you can temporarily fix auto transmission hesitation and stutter by adding AT conditioner to the AT fluid, and you won't notice for a few thousand KMs. If it happens, add more. Most auto parts places will stock it.

4) The horn. Simple enough. Pay them to do it, just on the off chance that it's connected to an electrical fault somewhere along the line.

5) Check for evidence of water damage, flooding, etc. Poke the mirror under the seats and look for mould. Look behind the dash for anything that looks like mud. It's a US import, and a lot of problem cars - ie flood recoveries - get bought from the insurance companies, cleaned up, and shipped out of the country. Not likely, but worth the few seconds it takes you to look.

6) Wheel bearings: while they've got it on the hoist, give each wheel a spin and listen. If you hear it grinding, you'll have issues fairly soon. Also try to rock the wheel back and forth (ie. towards and away from the car). If you've got significant movement there, you will have repairs coming (ball joints or bearings or both).

7) take the flashlight and check the springs for breaks (again, while on the hoist)

8) Engine: Use the mirror and flashlight to check for evidence of leaks. If they've shampooed the engine bay, they will be hard to spot, hence the mirror. Check the hoses and belts for wear.

9) If you've brought the stethoscope along, turn on the car and use it to listen to the bearings in the engine. For the love of god, don't use a medical stethoscope, or you'll never hear anything again. A mechanic's stethoscope has a long pin connecting to an oil filled chamber, to which the hearing tubes are attached.

10) As them to preform a compression check. That involves running the engine, and removing one spark plug at a time, and measuring the compression of each cylinder. I can't remember where they were supposed to be stock, probably around 140 psi, but that doesn't really matter. What you're looking for is one or two numbers that are significantly higher or lower than everything else. Like - 140 - 210 - 140 - 61 - 140 - 75. That's probably the best heads up you can have to future engine troubles. Means you've got problems with the rings, usually. It'll equate to lower gas mileage and lower power over the short term, and a fairly expensive job down the line.

If you've done all of that, without saying much, and making notes carefully to yourself into a portable tape recorder and frowning a lot, your salesman will probably be sweating profusely and ready to deal just to get you out of there, providing he doesn't have someone else on line for the car.

I'd pass on it if there was significant frame rot, if the compression was showing nearly dead cylinders, or if it looked like it'd been flooded. Anything else, I'd probably use as a bargaining point. But that's me.

After that - and regardless of anything, really, check your local area for courses in basic auto mechanics. Take one. Take another. First, it'll give you some valuable knowledge that you'll always find a use for. Second, it'll give you a place to take your car and fix it yourself, if anything goes wrong down the road. That'll take care of the other half in a hurry. Make a point to buy better tools than he has, and especially to buy specialty tools that he wants, but doesn't have. Then paint them pink, and refuse to lend them out.

wow voxx can't you come out from Japan and do this for me....thanks so much everyone I have decided yes, except one thing....spare parts....US car, I need to find out somehow how easy they are to get here, ie do the Aussie Futura's do the trick?
hhhhmmmm...anyone?

reply to post by zazzafrazz

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Zazz, she sure is a prettyful car. Can't blame you for wanting her.
I think you'd make her look good traveling down the road.
Best thing you can do is research girl.
Hit up the google button for any and all info on your future purchase.
All the inner workings, parts and how to get them....you name it.
Educate yourself to the point where you make a mechanic bow down to your knowledge.
A beautiful woman who drives a classic car is hot.
A beautiful woman who drives a classic car and knows all it's specs and can fix it too, is VOLCANIC.
Good luck!

Spare parts are a PITA with vintage cars, regardless of where you are in the world. Best bet: credit card and the internet. I'm helping a friend with a ground up restoration of a vintage alfa romeo ( Giulietta Sprint - it's a basket case, but someday it'll look like this ). Finding parts online is actually relatively easy, which surprised me. Lucky thing, too. I'd be surprised if there's more than a dozen of these cars in all of Japan. You may find yourself with the odd week of downtime waiting for a part, but I wouldn't let that stand in the way of buying it if it all checks out.

Besides, it'll give you a week to read through the Haynes Manual to figure out how to fix it when it arrives...

My gosh yes..A HAYNES Manual is a MUST!!!!

AD, coming from our resident ATS BABE-arella, I will take that advice seriously

Vox, the manual is being dowloaded as we speak, so I should order parts myself online rather than get the mechanic working on it because they will just charge a fortune (mark up)
I think I need to swap my fella for you. Every girl needs a mechanic around.

You know Fords are my Forte

I'm a little concerned with a couple of things mentioned:



I would make sure you can actually get it registered in your state since it's left hand drive.


I would also recommend a full inspection before you buy.

If you have any more probs this forum is the place for any Ford enthusiast:

www.fordforums.com.au...

Good luck!

WHAT?? you CAN'T print a Haynes Manual! That's just... wrong. Blasphemous, even.

It's got to be a proper copy, so that you can get it properly grease stained and smudged and dog eared and beer soaked and blood splattered. Your Haynes is like a badge of honour when the car has been and gone. Especially your first one. That book is where you cross the line from mere driver to proper petrolhead.

Use the manual to figure out what you need, and do it yourself as long as you can find/beg/borrow/steal the tools. I usually get a quote on parts locally and then see if I can get the parts online, and then judge it myself from there. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

Oh, and I'm flattered, but you wouldn't want me around - I'm the type of guy who sees no problem with turning the shower into a spray booth or rebuilding a carb on the kitchen counter or doing a bit of woodworking in the living room. Oddly, I'm not married.

Unreal!
Y are you in WA and not MEL??? very selfish of you Chaddy.

Its not registered now, but it WAS registered in VIC, I am NSW, why does the LHD make a difference when reregistering? Will it cost more? Or do you have to take it over the pits at the RTA?

Maybe I should stick with a Aussie model, I'm keen on the Futuras though

I will defn pay an expert to inspect first before any cash changes hands. That's a promise..cross my heart.

Zazz

reply to post by vox2442

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SIR yes SIR!!!!

I will then get the real thing, i actually handn't gotten round to downloading it anyway, it was getting complex...oh dear and I think i'll be able to manage a complex car....

Sorry for being in WA, it was an honest mistake!

I'm not too sure of NSW road worthy laws, so it's worth checking out.

If it's left hand drive it won't be Aussie either.

Yeh its defn US imported 5 years ago. I will investigate with the RTA tomorrow the LHD rulings and let you know. Cheers Hon
Zazz