What the wife is looking at buying

Oh my, we have friends who would think we finally found sanity if we showed up with one of these, and others who would shake their heads in embarrassment for us. Never had an Audi.

 

Thanks Joe. We had our '79 from new till it was 4 years old so none of the gremlins were showing up at that new/early stage of the game so this is good info to have. I do know that a friend who had an 81 had problems with leakage into the passenger side from somewhere he was never able to totally stop. He has cautioned me about checking the floor on that side as he spoke with other owners who had the same issue. Living in such a wet area the problem may be more visible to us here than to those in drier climates.

Also, I keep getting feedback that if the vacuum lines have been played with at all make sure that everything that is supposed to work on vacuum does so I'll check that out as well.

I keep going back to the pictures and thinking if it really is in this nice condition and the mileage really is what is stated the DW will likely sense my enthusiasm and go ahead with it. So I have to not get too visible as I want to ensure that my rose colored glasses don't cover over issues I will have to explain to her down the road.

I feel a 400 small block in my future. I know, almost defeats her purpose, but I can't remember any car other than her Beemer that we haven't hot rodded and at my age I'm just a tad too far in the tooth to quit doing it now. Isn't that what keeps us all young at heart?

 

Hi Safari,
The car thing isn't a womans ultimate dream...Unless she can have one for every season!!! Kinda, like the purse thing... Mine hated the Durando, when she drove the Rx300, but now I can't get her out of it(Durango=gas hog). She will now 'ride' in the BU and is OK with it, but doesn't want to drive it.
Butt now...We just found a '83 Regal wagon with low km.s that looks like new inside and she actually drove it!!! And liked it!!!
But still won't give up all the creature comforts of the '06.
Myself, I LOVE what I drive(the Bu), but that is about to undergo some changes, so I'll be LOVING the Regal...for awhile...
Good luck,(it's hers so let her pick-it, kinda like your nose)...
PERSONAL CHOICE...
Later,
Bruce

 

I'm more and more in love with G-bodies every day. That said, my wife isn't so much. She'll probably never drive an "old" car... But I don't mind... She just bought a Hemi Ram, so now I have a truck whenever I want it...

Life's funny...

 

Well, Saf...the 2.5 Suby engine has had its problems. It's not the same old long lasting engine. At least in SOME years. Somewhere around 99 up through 2003 or so they had head and head gasket problems with over heating. Big problem...look it up on line. Oddly....Suby never owned up to a problem but then came out with a coolant "conditioner" (read, stop leak) that they said you had to use or the warranty was no good. IMHO they simply bored that boxer engine out too far to try and catch up with the HP game. SOME engines during these years never suffered from the problem but MANY did. Look this up before buying used.
EDIT:
Here is just one article I have sent to others that I just now found.....
http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/headgasket.html

 

That leak, I've seen happen before and as a matter of fact when it snowed here a couple of days ago then melted I had water (not much) on the passenger floor.

The heaters fresh air intake is just under the hood on the passenger side... the seals brake down over time, water gets under rather than disperced to the side, gets in the heater and drips out on the floor. I removed the intake from under the hood, cleand and resealed and with a garden hose test, bat boom bata bing no water entering the car. I'm luckey, the floor on my side is solid but like mentioned if years go by with it leaking the floor will rot.

My 65 truck is similar in design but the heater motor itself in on the engine side of the fire wall....some MAGOR heavy rains and water gets in the heater. It drips out in the engine compartment but I can have steam for a few minutes in the cab

 

I have to agree with the masses and say the Malibu looks great. As said by Fat Teddy the heater box seals tend to leak on the g-body cars. It is fairly easy to unbolt and reseal and you are set normally. We have 3 87 Turbo Regals and they have all done that.

The 267 is something you will definitely want to replace. They will run great but were very underpowered. The LSX motors are another option that can be had at the junk yards fairly cheap and make good power and you can still use fuel injection if wanted or convert to carb easy.

The interior as far as seats and consoles are an easy swap in the Bu. You will need a set of bucket seat brackets and you can bolt in any bucket seat that you want or you can make your own bracket to use a power seat and hooking up a heated seat should be easy. I have a set of 05 Chrystler Sebring leather buckets and an F-body auto console that were going in my 78 Malibu wagon until it got totaled. The F-body consoles fit really nice in the cars for what it is worth.

Keep us posted on the progress. Sorry for the book.

 

Great feedback folks and it is much appreciated. Lots of things to consider. Fox, the info on Subs is very helpful. I'll be spending some time reading up on those. I guess my leaning heavily toward the '82 is showing through at home as she's also seeming more interested and more untested. Keeping in mind that initially the whole idea of getting another car was mine if we sold her car.

In discussion with a buddy today we kind of came to the realization that no matter what we get the highway and ugly weather car is going to be the new truck, and she'll take it often regardless as she has always enjoyed the height and comfort of them since way back in the sixties. So that means what ever we get although it is "her" car I'm going to be the one using it most often and with that in mind I'm going to push for the Malibu. But I've got to work that price. I've been asking around here and the general consensus is that it is a grand or more too high although no one has been looking at one with as low a mileage as this one supposedly has. We'll get a chance to see it Friday evening and can make a decision from there what we are willing to pay and if it is really what the seller says it is. Of course my one overall concern is that between now and Friday someone else is going to snap it up but unfortunately that is the first time that the seller and I can come up with a mutual time. I don't know what he does for a living or his other commitments but he sure is hard to nail down to a time.

Again, thanks for the great input. It sure is nice to get the thoughts and ideas, stuff that I'd not thought of, or thought of and it turns out is not really going to be an issue, so it is very helpful.

 

I think the price would be about right around $3000 as long as there is no rust! The low miles has it's advantages but at the same time whether the parts have 50,000 miles or 150,000 miles the rubber and other parts are all 28 years old and have wear and tear just the same. The shocks/springs have had the weight on them and such so keep in mind there are things that may need replaced so make sure you figure that into the buying price so you are happy.

 

Saf, you just never know. I wondered the exact same thing with the Grand kid selling Grandmas car (our 83). Impossible to set a time and when a time was arranged it was days later. Turned out good for us as we were the first responders to the add. Nice guy, head chef who mamaged the kitchen in a swankey hotel...he just did not have the time.


Man I hope this turns out good for you

PS, it's anice looker BUT I hope you beat him down on price....I'd hate to see this one being another 4 sale 4 ever because of Burry it Jackstone dreams.

 

Saf....I edited my post and did include some info on the 2.5 Subaru engine. That Bu looks really nice although there are no interior pix and that means a lot. Nevertheless I think it is more than $1000 high. To me anyway. Depends on what you want. You will have to spend money on it even if it is cherry inside. And you won't be happy with that engine, I don't believe. Although, if it runs real good and you use it for a run about DD....maybe you won't care about the lack of power. What happened to the Roady deal? Get hold of the new owner? Rev has one.

 

Thanks for the info on the Suby Fox. No response on the '96 Roadie. Darn, it was a heck of a deal. Rev and I have conversed. My prob is ultimately the DW is writing the check (even if a chunk of it was/is my car fund - which she replenishes so hard to complain) and she wants input into what ever we get. Her input isn't going in the direction I was hoping. I think if I had her Chevelle on the road instead of close we'd be having a whole different discussion, but the way it is now she wants me to end up with a driver that may need some stuff down the road but if I had to hop in it an hour from now and drive some distance there would be no concerns. She knows that heated seats are very helpful for me when riding in a car with my probs so she was thinking hard about something that has that and she's harbored this thing about Suby's for a long time. But she knows me and knows I won't be happy with one even if she were the sole driver of it. It's just not me. So, if it comes down to the Malibu, or a B-body that's not as nice, and the 'bu is priced a bit high, she'll push that way because it is a drive it home, wash it, and use/enjoy it and if I want to swap the engine out down the road fine because the Chevelle will be done and the Safari is always there. And she'll have the truck to take. But I know her, she'll be driving the truck, and the wagon, and the Chevelle - she loves cars just as much as I do. But these women talk you know????:banghead3: They get it in their heads that these Legacy wagons are the greatest thing for women, designed just for them and the way they drive and use them, and then they want one. And a few friends get them and then it's "oh, you bought something that you are going to drive and it isn't a Legacy?" type of talk at the bridal showers and diet meetings and you know the rest.

If the wagon is what he says it is I'll offer what I think it is worth and if he takes it fine. If he doesn't then I may be in trouble if you get my drift

Darn, life was SO simple when I just went out and bought the cars and she drove them. Then along comes Starbucks and the ladies go out for coffee and get talking and the next thing you know they want to be a part of the decision process, and they get coaching over finger cookies and lattes' and the poor husbands are in trouble. I think they learn this in Home Ec in school

 

What do ya think we're doing here? Pass me a chocolate chip with almonds, that big mother on the other side of the plate...

Speaking of chocolate chip cookies...

I knew Uncle Gus online when I lived in Mexico, and he sent me his recipe. If the wife is making them, tell her not to change a thing. Mine did, and they never come out right, after 12 years.
http://unclegus.150m.com/Cookieman.htm

http://unclegus.150m.com/Cookie1.htm

http://unclegus.150m.com/Cookies2.htm

http://unclegus.150m.com/CookieComments.htm

 

So we went and had a look tonight.

It is very nice, but not as nice as the advertisement suggests.

The interior looks brand new and it has been really well kept, very clean, couldn't find anything that was even remotely a concern or not as you'd expect a low mile car to be.

The engine is quite noisy while warming up (the cherry bomb mufflers don't help) but when it comes off fast idle it is not too bad. It sure seems that for an engine with less than 60,000 miles it is pretty rattly (is that a word?).

New trans to replace the 250, new shocks, wheels, tires and exhaust. Deep wine interior goes okay with the beige exterior.

The wood grain is in almost perfect condition as is the trim, bumpers are good, glass is good. The lift gate doesn't stay up on its own. One rear inner wheel well has rust, not a lot, but enough to be noticeable when looking behind the wheel. The frame appears to be sound and rust free. There's some rust just starting in the front passenger door, along the bottom, edge on the inside. in a few places and it needs to be addressed pronto or the issue will be a lot bigger. Same goes for a spot of rust under the rocker chrome on the drivers side and I suspect they'll be some on the passenger side rocker as well.

We found where there had been some body repair in a rear quarter in the past. It is not visible at all but can be found by looking/feeling in the rear quarter area from underneath.

It's a nice car. The wife liked it. we stumbled on the price. He wasn't concerned about the body rust issues saying they are for the most part hidden so why worry about them, focus on what can be seen and not what can't. That's scary. So he's pretty firm on his price. I've done a ton of looking on the net and figure max for that car is mid threes.

So, I'm going to offer him a mid three number and see what he does but I'm pretty sure he's not going to budge. He has the idea that the car is worth a lot more than he's asking, why he has that idea I don't know. In my view the engine is in need of replacement sooner than later, the body needs that work done sooner than later, and then it will be a nice little hauler.

So I'll keep you posted on what transpires when I make my offer. It may take him a week or two to come to grips with the offer although someone else may come along and like him ignore the hidden stuff and just buy it because it looks pretty.

 

Sounds like you made a good decision, Saf. I have dealt with that type of seller in the past and failed at keeping the incredulous look off my face. Stick to what you know and don't bend from your empirical senses. I hope it works out for you no matter which way it goes.