I was given a 1985 vanden plas. With no title and no record at the DMV. It has been sitting in a garage for a long time. There is slightly over 10,000 miles. Almost 100% original. It even has the original tires. My mechanic said the break calipers are frozen, possible head gasket is leaking, and he suspects that the rings are rusted because it takes a lot of effort to turn over. His advice is that it will cost as much to get it running as it is worth ($8,000-$10,000). He has offered $1,000 cash. Should I take it?
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It is hard to answer because the question has two components to it - Logical and emotional. I couldn't begin to gauge your passion for the car. Strictly on the logical side, the answer would be yes, take the $1,000.
If all of the tech's diagnosis is correct, there are going to be other mechanical issues once the car is running. Could be a transmission, differential, electrical gremlins, or numerous other engine issues etc, etc. The head gasket alone is a nightmare on an SIII that has been sitting for years. You could probably do better than $1,000 parting it out, which is probably what the tech is thinking, but then you have to have the room to do that.
If all of the tech's diagnosis is correct, there are going to be other mechanical issues once the car is running. Could be a transmission, differential, electrical gremlins, or numerous other engine issues etc, etc. The head gasket alone is a nightmare on an SIII that has been sitting for years. You could probably do better than $1,000 parting it out, which is probably what the tech is thinking, but then you have to have the room to do that.