I'm sad that we still have not repaired our 82 Impala wagon. It needs a new engine. My hubby is ready to junk it! What is the best way to connect with folks who want a Vintage Fixer Upper? Any help out there?
This is sad. My first recommendation is for you to get a new hubby then a new engine. If these are not possible then check here--- Station Wagons & Parts for Sale Write a description of your wagon and add some photos. Good luck no matter which you decide to get rid of. Good wagons and good husbands are hard to find.
What else does it need? My point is this. Wagons of this vintage with working engines are easy to come by and not expensive. Anyone buying this wagon would have to also find and buy a replacement engine and then install it. The only way that's economically feasible is if the rest of the car is in otherwise very good condition. If the car is in just average condition for its age, then, without an engine, it is probably no better than a parts car, and your husband's idea is probably on the right track. We on this site like to see any and all wagons saved as much as possible. But sometimes you just have to let one go now and then. Seeing some detailed photos of the car would help us evaluate it.
No, not at all. But people don't automatically think to look to see if there are any photos in someone's gallery. I know I don't. It would probably help to simply mention that photos are in the gallery, which you have now done. Having looked at the car, I think you're going to having a hard time selling it with no engine. In spite of the car's overall decent exterior appearance (though missing trim on the passenger door here as well as right behind the front wheel) the front seat area and doors look rough from both directions. As I said earlier, the biggest thing working against you is the competition. One can go out and buy a car of this vintage in the same general condition this car is in WITH a functioning engine for not a terribly large amount of money. So why should some buy this car? Unless it's for parts. One question: you say it needs a new engine. Why? This is actually a very unusual thing. Is the old one beyond repair? What, exactly, is wrong with it? Unless it's seized up solid or has a cracked block, there's almost nothing that can't be repaired on an engine. Or is the engine missing altogether because it was removed for use in another car? It would be much easier to sell this car WITH a functioning or at least repairable engine than with no engine or a non-repairable engine. Just moving a car like this around to put it up on a trailer or whatever needs to be done for a buyer to take it home is not easy and makes the car less attractive. In its current, non-running, needs-a-new-engine condition, I'd say it's worth $500.
One more comment (and not meaning to continue to rain on your parade!), but this car is an Impala wagon. That was the lower-end full-size Chevy wagon that year (and other years), which generally means that it was likely less well equipped than the higher-end Caprice Classic wagon. We can't tell very much from the photos in your gallery about what options the car has because there are no views of the dashboard, but we can tell from the photos of the doors that it does not have power windows nor locks. Does it have air-conditioning, cruise control, power seats, tilt wheel, AM/FM radio, etc., etc.? As rough as this car is, it would stand a better chance of finding a buyer if it were generally well-equipped. But if this car is what I suspect it is, a low-end, bare-bones Chevy wagon with no engine, it will be a tough sell.
The engine is there. It has 2 cylinders that are bad. We considered replacing the engine, but didn't want to sink anymore money in this vehicle, since we have many drivers now. All our data says Impala.
This is a little more information, but it still leaves us hanging. What, exactly, is bad about those cylinders? Low compression? If so, that can be fixed. Cracked head? Replace the head. Stripped spark plug threads? Those can be resleeved. Burned or damaged valves? That can be fixed, too. All of these can be fixed without chucking the engine onto the trash heap. My point is that, if the engine is at all fixable and truly not just junk, as a seller, you're shooting yourself in the foot by advertising the car as "needs a new engine" without explanation or without describing exactly what is wrong with it. You would be MUCH better off, in my opinion, in stating that the car has its engine (original, I presume) but that it needs such and such to get it running again, and explain in detail what such and such is. New rings, new head gasket, valve job, whatever. Let the buyer decide what to do about the engine. Heck, you might attract the interest of an auto repair class who is looking for an engine to work on. If you advertise the car as simply needing a new engine without mentioning that the car actually still has its engine, you would lose a potential customer like this right from the get-go.
My hubby knows about the mechanics. There's more info now on the wagons for sale forum. Yes, the engine can be fixed and we considered it. We didn't just want to sink any more money in this car, because we have lots of drivers driving around metro Atlanta. The kids drove it to high school and back. We're asking $450.
