has anyone seen this t type that's for sale in auto trader, in person??

[its turbo time]

Hey I was flipping through an auto trader today and found this 87 T type that I actually called on about a month ago and for some reason it still hasn't sold, I was just wondering if anyone has actually seen it in person because it seems like a pretty good deal to me but it's been in there for a while now.
87 t type

 

[daviss]

Nope, never seen it, and I lived in Florissant all my life until '03. Doesn't look like a bad deal though.

 

[its turbo time]

Yea it apparently only has 4,000 miles on tranny and engine. as far as stuff wrong with it, he said it has a bad ground, the bushing right next to the down pipe is melted because he doesn't have a heat shield, and it pops the dash fuse some times, I bet he would take less than he's asking too because it's been there a while now.

 

[daviss]

Throw him a number, all he can say is No. I offered a guy $900 for a T-Type and he said make it $800. There's no substitute for a motivated seller.

 

[its turbo time]

I better put my car back together and sell it before I start thinking about something else. Hopefully it won't sell by the time I can buy it.

 

[SinistrV6]

Doesn't look like a "deal" to me unless it can be had WAY cheaper than $6k. It's a total rust bucket! I'd rather buy one with a solid body that needed mechanical help.

 

[6SENSE]

WOW!? Way off base

Doesn't look like a "deal" to me unless it can be had WAY cheaper than $6k. It's a total rust bucket! I'd rather buy one with a solid body that needed mechanical help.

I know the guy who owns this car. He has been trying to respond to this thread to let everyone know a little more about the car but had trouble logging on. He is a member of the local Buick club. He is also a body tech at a reputable bodyshop (along with another local TR owner and club member) so he knows the shape of this car. It is by no means a "rust bucket". It looked great and caught alot of attention participating in the Hotrod power tour last year when it came through. I have seen the car on a somewhat regular basis and just saw it again today. The trunk lid has rust on it where the trim is like many do. Another trunklid is easily had around here if a simple replacement is the route of choice. Also like many of these cars have you can see in the pic(s) the rust spot on the 1/4. These spots shown in the pics so everyone DOES see them. There may be a spot on the other 1/4 but Im not sure. The rust is pretty much concentrated and not all over the car which would indicate a "rust bucket". Car cleans up well and looks good. The car is very solid, mechanically sound, runs strong, and has a very nice interior. It DOES NOT have 4000 miles on the drivetrain. That must have been misinterpreted. The bottom end was checked and freshened up 4000 miles ago with new (STD) rod bearings. Mains looked great, rods had some wear so decided to swap out. How do I know for sure?? Because I did the work.
He does not really want to sell the car but is trying to buy a house and needs to clear up some bills. As most of us who are in the automotive industry he has at least one too many cars and unfortuneatly unless something changes this one has to go.
Hopefully he can get back online soon and answer any questions that anyone has and not have to deal with cheapshots.

P.S. there is a club meeting next week, hopefully he can make it there and if anyone has questions, come see the car in person.

 

[SinistrV6]

Sorry, I wasn't intending to bash your friend's car but rusty quarters are an expensive fix if you want it done right. Just my .02 You're right about the decklid being an easy replacement, but with that much rust showing, I'd have to look at the bottom of the doors, floorpan, trunk seal area, etc. REALLY closely. Of course, if he's a body man I'm sure he's already checked all that.

I guess I'm just scared off by visible rust-through.

If the visible rust is all there is, it's probably priced right at $6k.

Again, I didn't mean to offend. The pictures may look worse than the real thing.

 

[kmarino]

grey t

this is my car and yes it does have some rust. i have a lower quarter section that i got from 6sense's brother. the rest of the car is managable to work with. the floors and rear frame rails are in good shape. being a body tech that were main things i looked at. i already did floors on my 88 monte ss. this is also an 18 year old car that has been driven. the entire drivetrain as far as the mtor n tranny go have around 90xxx. the car has made a strange griding noisefor a while, so i had 6sense check it out for me. it just happened to be the water pump. thanks again justin. i have no idea why it took this long to actually poop out on me. the car will be worked on tomorrow. so if anyone has any q's i will have it at the next buick meeting. i will gladly tell you anything you need to know about the car. it is still mine so i wont hold nothing back. i would really rather not sell it but the house comes first. i have always wanted a turbo regal, and if this ones sells i will have another when the time is right.

 

[jdpolzin]

I remember seeing this car while I was on the Power Tour. Not a bad car. Needs some definate resto on the body. One thing we need to remember is that rust is like CANCER. Bondo is great but only a cover up. For that amount of rust, QP and deck lid replacement requires an extreme amount of techincal labor. I priced out 2 QP replacements with out paint a year ago. The labor was going to be done by my bodyman, who is a good friend of the family. Barebones minimum of $1400 plus the cost of quarters and paint. Not trying to offend anyone because I believe every Turbo Buick should be restored and well cared for. In my opinion, "it's turbo time", keep looking. Find a straight GN with no rust. I do a lot of searching for these cars and they can be had with some patients. KMarino, you may expect to get $3800-$4000 for your car. Only because of the labor to replace the rusty panels. Good luck with the sale and I hope you understand that I am DEFINATELY NOT trying to offend anybody. Only trying to put things into perspective!!!!! ----Jeremy

 

[kmarino]

hey no problem. like the add says, best offer. everytime someone calls i go through the pages of mods then someone offers to trade. unless you have a 67-72 chevy and some cash! anyway the drivetrain was rebuilt by mike christianson and i am sure most of you around stl with these cars has heard of him. but the car is worth checking out. and if you replace quarters yeah it might cost that much but only drivers side has rust. the pass side has a funny haze to it. looks like it was egged at one time and someone rubbed it around. i have the skills and access to section that drivers side q and that is what i planned on doing. if i dont sell soon my house comes w a 4 car garage and a nice big air compresser so i will probably end up doing the work and paint myself and have a great looking driver. try to sell it again after that but the price might change after that.

 

[kmarino]

by the way the 67-72 chevy is a truck i would like! another thing, i know what these cars go for finished up or original w low miles, i bought this car w rust knowing i could fix it properly and what it would take. but also when people look at cars if it is in primer or finished most un trained eyes dont have a clue what is underneath that glossy finish. i my self would not buy something in primer or a "fresh" paint job unless it was well documented w pics. if ever someone buys my car they can see for themselves what they are gettin into. maybe i am digging my own grave but i will be very honest w a serious buyer. i know most of you who try to sell these cars deal w a lot of people who think it is just a regal w dual exhaust. or people that dont have a clue what they are and ask if the "supercharger" works!

 

[BandAid]

Did I read that the owner is a Body Man ,and has yet to fix it for cheap to make some $$$ on the car--what gives...

 

[jdpolzin]

KMarino, I would have to say that it is definately true about buying a car wish fresh paint. My car is going in for paint and I will definately be taking many pictures of the car stripped to bare metal and the condition of the doors, quarters, deck lid, etc. After doing research on paint jobs recenlty and talking to different painters, one guy sais "yeah I'll just paint over the laquer" and the next guy sais " no way, never paint base/clear over laquer." I have heard that paint can look good for a couple years and then start to fish scale as the sealer dries over the years. I respect your honesty and wish you good luck with the sale!! ------Jeremy

 

[kmarino]

well there really is no cheap way to fix bodywork. i work for a high production shop that is 45min to an hour from where i live right now. i dont think the owners would be to thrilled to see me here working on my car. anyway i have been as honest i can be about my car. i guess it is just wrong to try to sell a muscle car that is not perfect. thanks for everyones input. much thanks to 6sense for all your help.