1978 volare road runer survivor for sale

[80 Aspen RT]

What's the red flag?

I bought a car from him before.

 

[Jack Meoff]

I bought a car from him before.

What's the deal?

 

[80 Aspen RT]

Ok......My experience with the seller,

Back in 06 I was REALLY wanting a Super Coupe, so of course Ebay is the place to go. Found one way up in Iowa (I'm in Kansas), This one had a buy it now price, and after discussing with the wife we decided to go for it. I know, I know, I should never buy with out looking but I'm a all too trusting dumb ass. I talked to the seller a couple of times on the phone prior to and after the sale, to which I asked .....

1.Will it make the drive from Iowa to Kansas?
2. Is it wore out?
3.Rusty?

Answers....
1.Yes
2.No
3.No

So instead of driving up there either with my truck and hauling it back or driving two seperate cars there and back, a great deal was made for a delivery. I couldn't have gone there for what I got it delivered for.

Anyway picked it up off the delivery truck. Jumped in fired right up and drove it across town home. Didn't really run good but not terrible, thought it just needed tuned up. So we drove it around town for a couple of weeks, and it had a little pull in the steering, so I took it in for alignment. Got it back later that day and was driving it home, I decided to "get on it" and about the time it hit the passing gear downshift it about took the steering wheel out of my hand with a right turn ...Oh S***

So I started digging around the front end and heres what I found

Lower control arm bushing so far gone it wore into the control arm! All the other bushing were trash too, even had to replace 2 upper control arms due to wear.

Well I rebuilt the whole front end and started driving it again ....Next up timing chain took a dump...Ok the motor was acting tired so a buddy had another 360. I pulled the motor and look what I didn't see while doing the front end. (Its cleaned up for the pic)

Also while taking the driveshaft out the caps fell off with no bearings inside them. It really wasn't making any noise either!
But it will make it to Kansas!
So I've ranted on long enough.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Hey man.. You said your piece.
Good for you.
Good sh*t for people to know.

 

[bremereric]

See through front sub-frames?

 

[ramenth]

Ok......My experience with the seller,

Back in 06 I was REALLY wanting a Super Coupe, so of course Ebay is the place to go. Found one way up in Iowa (I'm in Kansas), This one had a buy it now price, and after discussing with the wife we decided to go for it. I know, I know, I should never buy with out looking but I'm a all too trusting dumb ass. I talked to the seller a couple of times on the phone prior to and after the sale, to which I asked .....

1.Will it make the drive from Iowa to Kansas?
2. Is it wore out?
3.Rusty?

Answers....
1.Yes
2.No
3.No

So instead of driving up there either with my truck and hauling it back or driving two seperate cars there and back, a great deal was made for a delivery. I couldn't have gone there for what I got it delivered for.

Anyway picked it up off the delivery truck. Jumped in fired right up and drove it across town home. Didn't really run good but not terrible, thought it just needed tuned up. So we drove it around town for a couple of weeks, and it had a little pull in the steering, so I took it in for alignment. Got it back later that day and was driving it home, I decided to "get on it" and about the time it hit the passing gear downshift it about took the steering wheel out of my hand with a right turn ...Oh S***

So I started digging around the front end and heres what I found

Lower control arm bushing so far gone it wore into the control arm! All the other bushing were trash too, even had to replace 2 upper control arms due to wear.

Well I rebuilt the whole front end and started driving it again ....Next up timing chain took a dump...Ok the motor was acting tired so a buddy had another 360. I pulled the motor and look what I didn't see while doing the front end. (Its cleaned up for the pic)

Also while taking the driveshaft out the caps fell off with no bearings inside them. It really wasn't making any noise either!
But it will make it to Kansas!
So I've ranted on long enough.

Good info.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but as a professional I make money off a the same problems you're talking about, from even the most experienced drivers. And this is on daily drivers.

Part of my shop's courtesy check is the look for worn suspension components. You'd be amazed at how bad a ball joint or something will be, that I can feel just driving into the shop, that most people don't have the where-with-all to feel on the commute back and forth work.

As you've pointed out, you drove the car for a couple of weeks and noticed just a "pull." The pro's at the alignment shop, who shouldn't do an alignment without looking the car over thoroughly even missed it. (Unless you took it to a box store, then I use the term "pro" loosely.)

You also had the car in your possession for a few weeks, deciding to go over the entire suspension and missed the hole in the rail, until you made the decision to change engines.

As for the timing gear, unless it was previously replaced, it should have had the nylon gear set in it. Those can go bad in the snap of the fingers. Surprisingly without a lot of tell-tale.

In this case you said the engine felt tired. Yet you kept driving it.

You missed some things even while you were driving around in the car. Like I said, these things can go missed - or ignored - by even the most experienced driver driving the car all over hell and back.

Like I said, just playing devil's advocate. I have no dog in this fight.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Unless it's a professional rotisserie job
There IS no such thing as a "rust free" F,M or J.
You just gotta find it.
That is a nice air conditioned frame rail.

 

[pink71demon]

hi guys this car is not like that super coupe was i advertised in the ebay listing that the frame rail had been caped at some time so that was known by the buyer. i also drove the car for over 1000 miles and no isues to speak of. i talked to the buyser a whyle after he bought the car and he loved it and had no issues so no idea what is going on here thanks

 

[pink71demon]

hi guys this car is legit and a beautiful car the super coupe was a nice car but it said in the ebay add that the front sub frame had been caped at some time before me. and i also drove the car for over 1000 miles before selling it and had no issues. i talked to the buyer of the super coupe over a year later after he bought the car and he had no complaints about it to speak of. i sold the super coupe because i needed money and thats the only reason i dont have any idea what is going on with this sorry

 

[bremereric]

I will play devil's advocate just like Robert and say any car your considering to buy is worth a long drive or a plane ticket.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Agreed.
If you're the guy putting out the money.
Then you should be all over the car yourself before you hand over any coin.
Learned that one the hard way.
Won't be doing it again.

 

[80 Aspen RT]

hi guys this car is not like that super coupe was i advertised in the ebay listing that the frame rail had been caped at some time so that was known by the buyer. i also drove the car for over 1000 miles and no isues to speak of. i talked to the buyser a whyle after he bought the car and he loved it and had no issues so no idea what is going on here thanks

Ok, honestly I don't remember if I was told the frame rail had been capped, I seriously doubt that would have changed my mind about buying it. But just FYI, the side that was capped looks great, this pic is of the other side after I ground off the flaking rust that was covered with I assume POR-15.

I understand things happen, things break, and so on. Maybe the seller didn't know of the issues, I'm not going to point anymore fingers and say that I love the car and I'll fix it.

 

[Jack Meoff]

As long as you're happy with what you got for what you paid
Then it's all good. If not..
Then you have an issue.

 

[pink71demon]

hi guys this is a beautiful car and will not be disappointed the price has been lowered to $7800 and please come and inspect and drive the car before buying or have the car inspected i know you will be happy with it thanks

 

[Jack Meoff]

That would be the way to do it.
She does look like a very nice car.
Good luck with the sale.

 

[bnichols]

well i bought the car and now wish i had taken a plane ride to ia darren says he knows body work and can spot work that know one else can what a joke i asked about certain areas on the car and was told oh no nothing perfect without going into a long detailed explanation never never never by anything from him without going to look at it first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i paid 5800.00 for the car and 500.00 to ship it and honestly if someone would take it for 5000.00 i would send it down the road, i was wanting a very clean car as promised not what i got, all the issues are in the rear 1/4's and not what he showed in the pics the underside, rails etc are nice though lol

 

[efriedrich]

This story gets stranger by the minute.

 

[Superpac Ninja]

just talked with the new owner and theirs rust issues not said in the add,,the new owner will be posting pics tonight of the hidden issues hes found so far..i new there was something up with this car,u dont own it for 2 months then ditch it btw it sold for 5800$
oops i see he beat me to the post

 

[bremereric]

Wow!!!!!!

 

[YY1]

I have to say that there's some prevously fixed quarter rust very evident in one pic.
Is it 1/2" wide or 4 1/2" wide?
Hard to tell from just a pic, but you can definately see its rusted, fixed, and rusted again.
Is that the only spot? Possible but not likely.

Just my observations from following the thread.

There's a car on another board that photographs GREAT, but the seller hasn't mentioned anything about a prety serious cowl repair that's starting to come back out.

If you buy without a personal inspection, you're gambling.
I've done it before. Won some, lost some, paid fair for what it was once or twice.
Just be prepared.