Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2257863
02/22/17 07:32 PM
02/22/17 07:32 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,146 Mesa, Arizona
dart4forte
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,146
Mesa, Arizona
|
What are some of the usual trouble spots to examine and explore on these cars?
I plan on going over the car with a fine tooth comb, documenting as much as I can, and wanted to ask others advice with some things to look for.
I surely will bring a refrigerator magnet for hidden bodywork, and go over the car from tip to tail with pen and pad in hand.
Thanks for the advice Moparts! Main areas that seem to slip by, Lower quarters, check for bonds. Beware some alleyway body shops use steel wool to fool magnets Trunk floors and extensions. Look for excessive coating Left and right passenger floors. An awl works good for finding pin holes. Again look for excessive coating On the engine, pull the oil filler cap and run your finger inside the VC. If you come out with sludge on your finger, walk. I'm side there are other things other members can suggest.
“So if it’s on the internet it must be true”
Abe Lincoln
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2257984
02/23/17 12:13 AM
02/23/17 12:13 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,096 Australia
ozymaxwedge
super stock
|
super stock
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,096
Australia
|
The only rust I can find in my 71 is lower quarters right behind the back wheels, it is a [censored] spot having the inner panel up against it.
1963 Plymouth Max Wedge 1971 Barracuda
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2258027
02/23/17 01:22 AM
02/23/17 01:22 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157 Mass
DAYCLONA
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
|
I plan on going over the car with a fine tooth comb
I surely will bring a refrigerator magnet for hidden bodywork
Sounds like a restored car?, if it's been done on the west coast, the trend it seems for most of the shops there is to lather the entire body in bondo/putty then block/carve it out, so it'll be a bondo buggy regardless of the panels integrity underneath, I'd suggest you take along an individual who knows E bodies inside out, not a paint daub/numbers guy, but a hands on individual who has actually restored a number of E bodies
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#2258043
02/23/17 01:50 AM
02/23/17 01:50 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,551 Eagle, Idaho
Neil
The Doctor is in.
|
The Doctor is in.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,551
Eagle, Idaho
|
My brother and I inspected a car for a member on here last spring. We just put horse blinders on and looked at the car piece by piece.
Bring along some cardboard so you have something to lay on so you can look at the bottom for rust, patch panel work, etc.
Bring a flashlight, pen, paper, mirror, and a camera.
Use a mirror or stick your fingers up inside the tops of the wheel well lips to make sure the inner wheel wells aren't rusty, which usually means the quarter panels were once rusty too.
Look at the tail panel from inside the trunk for collision damage, and the bottom of the doors and trunk lid seams for rust separation.
If you stick your head in the trunk you can get a good view of the bottom of the rear window channel - a common rust spot on any old car.
Check the k-frame, frame rails, gas tank for dents or creases. Seen a few pretty clean looking old cars that were ran off the road, hit a tree stump or something like that some time in their life and the bottom of the car was never properly repaired.
Last edited by Neil; 02/23/17 01:51 AM.
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2258273
02/23/17 06:42 PM
02/23/17 06:42 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,322 St. Louis, Mo
318 Stroker
master
|
master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,322
St. Louis, Mo
|
First thing I'd check is the numbers. First look at the dash VIN. Then look on the drivers side core support and the top of the drivers side cowl. Both should have the last 6 digits of the VIN stamped into them, and match the dash VIN. Of course those can be faked, but it's a good place to start. An authentic fender tag, door VIN tag, and broadcast sheet are added bonuses. If your comfortable that all of the above is legit, and checks out, proceed with the advise others have given you in this thread.
One last thing, and check it out FIRST. Make sure there's a good, clean, legit title.
GOOD LUCK!
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2258565
02/24/17 05:09 AM
02/24/17 05:09 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,445 Missouri
68KillerBee
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,445
Missouri
|
I am a b body guy, but when my sister found her dream car, I had to learn real quick. I was told cowl, window corners,hinge areas to check for rust. When it came down to it, she threw down the money and now has her 71 barracuda project. I don't know what body style you're used to messing with, but get ready to step up in prices with an e body. Dad and I picked up an aar a couple months later so I'm learning quick. Like they said, first and foremost- check the numbers. Common body area issues. And then check your bank account
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2258677
02/24/17 01:34 PM
02/24/17 01:34 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,481 Outside
thedriver
pro stock
|
pro stock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,481
Outside
|
Front floor pans get crappy when the wiper pivot seal goes bad. Lower 1/4's behind wheel are collectors of crud. Rockers, bottom of doors....inner fenders can crack if the car is raced with good traction. Tops of fenders can be bad in the rust belt.
1973 challenger Dana. 4 speed. Low deck.
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2258719
02/24/17 02:34 PM
02/24/17 02:34 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468 So Cal
autoxcuda
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,468
So Cal
|
Take a lot of pictures of the underside. Inside fenders, quarters, spot weld join lines.
Same basic process if it was an A or B body.
Then get home. Take a breath and review the photos on a decent screen.
Some pictures of a known unrestored clean 71 or any ebody would help to compare. stripped shell pics might help too.
Last edited by autoxcuda; 02/24/17 04:08 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: onebadfish]
#2260368
02/27/17 11:39 AM
02/27/17 11:39 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,066 Eugene, Oregon
minivan
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,066
Eugene, Oregon
|
Nobody mentions "gut feeling" on the seller? I have dealt with the public for over 25 years (own my own motorsports dealership - Kawasaki, Yamaha , Honda). I can usually tell if a person is honest or not. Been burned on maybe two deals and I am talking MILLIONS of dollars - we currently do over 12 million a year in retail sales. I bought a 71 Cuda clone back in 2012 - didn't know what to look for. Took it for a drive then stroked a check for 50 grand. Went and bought a car hauler and picked it up. Couldn't be happier with the car. The guy stuck me as a straight shooter and we are great friends to this day! Not everybody is a lying cheating SOB! 99 percent of the people in this hobby are good honest hard working folk!I find the people who complain all the time are the idiots. You wouldn't believe some of the people I have dealt with in my business! Good points here.. The "slick willies" do stand out....
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2373651
09/19/17 11:39 PM
09/19/17 11:39 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,479 On the run…
BloFish
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,479
On the run…
|
Is this the car you have listed now?
It really doesn't matter whether you win or lose… as long as you look good doing it!
‘65 A100 ‘69 ‘Cuda ‘73 Vega GT ‘06 Mega Cab ‘14 Mercedes SLK
|
|
|
Re: Advice on inspecting a 71 'cuda for purchase
[Re: 69CudaFan]
#2373711
09/20/17 01:13 AM
09/20/17 01:13 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,395 Highland, MI.
Sunroofcuda
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,395
Highland, MI.
|
If the owner claims the car was never rusty, just look for areas of repair. Look at where the hood hinges bolt on to the inner fenders - look for any bulging rust areas there. Look at the rear quarters from inside the trunk - look & feel for any seams where the quarter skins may have been overlapped & replaced. Then look closely at the door jambs for where the lip of the quarter overlaps there - LOOK FOR SPOT WELDS! Look at the rear wheel lips & look for two layers of metal - the outer wheelwell lip & the quarter skin lip - they should both be visible & there should be very visible spot welds. Also down low behind the rear wheels where the trunk extension lip is overlapped by the quarter skin - you should see both & very apparent factory spot welds. Whenever a body shop or restoration shop replaces quarters, they almost NEVER spot weld the panels together or even try to duplicate the spot welds, & most places will short-seam the quarters along the top sides & never into the sail panel areas like factory. EXCEPT for really great bodywork, everyone else does it half-ass. I can look at 500 cars with quarters replaced & there might be one or two with spot welds & done right.
No Man With A Good Car Needs To Be Justified
|
|
|
|
|