Thoughts on this ZD Fairlane..

[markrenee08]

Hi Guys,

im a novice at old classics and iv been looking at buying a classic for a few months now...had my heart set on XB sedan but this came up locally...anything i should look out for

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kirwa...1c-/1091821345

Thanks
Mark

[66FAIRLANE]

Look out for rust in the sills (inner and outer), rust in the doors, rust in the boot, rust in the torque boxes, rust in the lower radiator support. In general look out for rust.

[mik]

If it was for myself Mark, rust would be a big concern on a 44 year old car, not so much the easy stuff in the doors but the stuff that you cant see or is hard to see, the last of the hydraulic ram power steer models i think , oil leaks , general mechanical condition, any mods done to the car.
any mention of a rwc ?
No air conditioning is a bit of a bummer.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by 66FAIRLANE

Look out for rust in the sills (inner and outer), rust in the doors, rust in the boot, rust in the torque boxes, rust in the lower radiator support. In general look out for rust.

I think all the rust has transferred to the Thames Trader in the background.

[damo76]

Take a magnet with you when you go look at it

[markrenee08]

Thanks for your input guys...will do a bit more research and have a good thorough look.

Also what does it mean re. motor being "warm"?? lol

Thanks
Mark

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Hi Guys,

im a novice at old classics and iv been looking at buying a classic for a few months now...

First thing is to make up your mind whether you actually want a "Classic"?

Or a "Hooner" like you have linked?

Nothing wrong with either choice, provided you know what you want and understand what you are looking at, and the limitations implied.

$13k actually seems very cheap, considering the amount of money that has supposedly gone into the engine and gearbox. If all is legit you could probably part it out for a lot more than what he's asking.

As a minimum, get the engine and tranny checked by somebody that knows what they're looking at.
And check the body thoroughly. Low price could be indication of hidden problems.

I don't know how the rego transfer laws work in QLD, but be sure you can actually rego the car, and that it doesn't need an inspection.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Thanks for your input guys...will do a bit more research and have a good thorough look.

Also what does it mean re. motor being "warm"?? lol

Thanks
Mark

To me it means 'tinkered with to gain extra performance'.

[marty351]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Thanks for your input guys...will do a bit more research and have a good thorough look.

Also what does it mean re. motor being "warm"?? lol

Thanks
Mark

Mildly worked. It's not factory spec.

[grey_esp]

Originally Posted by markrenee08

Thanks for your input guys...will do a bit more research and have a good thorough look.

Also what does it mean re. motor being "warm"?? lol

Thanks
Mark

only half the parts are stolen :-)

[wodahs]

^^^ haha was where my mind went as a laugh

but yer as some said its been slightly improved from standard specs , and a term just to say we've done some thing but nothing specific

also as others have sai check the rust and the repairs to rid it esp in places not common to see inner outer sills torque box so on and the restore was it a cheap quick fix for sale and full of filler , take a fridge magnet try around car if it has probs staying in place its been filled thickly lots of areas in these older that are now prone to the steal white ant

then the usual checks wether its prier ben bent or still on finance or even theirs to sell

[Polyal]

That price is way to high for its condition and "modifications".

[snowcone]

With the "bits" added it wasn't rebuilt as weekend driver. It's been hooned for sure

[Polyal]

The shaker on a fairlane IMO is a clear sign its not been babied.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Polyal

That price is way to high for its condition and "modifications".

This is an interesting question...
Personally, I would not be interested in it because it's a Hooner.
Furthermore, the modifications he has made add little value for me, and ultimately if I was looking, I would want to pay less because I assume it's been thrashed and is hiding a lot of potential problems.

BUT, if somebody is looking for such a car, then the money he has spent on working the engine and tranny would have some value.

Hence my comment to the OP.

[Zdfanatic]

Best of luck mate

[Zdfanatic]

I agree with a lot of the comments below. Thrashed & trashed! I personally would not touch it if you paid me, very iffy on the body work too & nothing original with the interior either. Certainly not a classic in my way of thinking. Happy hunting

[pottery beige]

bog..

[Morexbs]

The first thing I noticed in the first pic is that the tail lights don't appear to be sitting evenly,which could indicate previous repairs to the rear or quarter panel.

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I think all the rust has transferred to the Thames Trader in the background.

It's a J6 Bedford

[Streets]

Walk away from this one imo. There's plenty of better cars out there that are much less iffy.

Oh and if you are buying any 351C, pull a spark plug out. Stick a piece of dowell or dipstick or something in there and crank the engine by hand until the piston is at top dead centre. Mark the dipstick. Crank the engine by hand until it's at bottom dead centre. Mark the dipstick. If the distance between the marks is 3 inches it's a 302. If 3.5 inches it's a 351.

If you need more info on this you can search on this forum or google. But it's worth doing (or getting the vehicle inspector to do) because you don't want to wind up paying for a 351C and getting a 302C (the 302C looks identical to the 351C from the outside so you can't tell by looking at it).