Scott, I own a 67.5, which I do love--the main quirk is, you really
do need to become an expert on this car & they're somewhat higher
maintenance. Not nearly as high as an MG or Triumph, but high.
The 1600 is somewhat underpowered. I live in Denver, so the altitude
really kills me here--when I make a trip to Kansas City, the engine
become much more acceptable, so you may be fine in California.
$500 for this car is a very nice price, even in poor condition; your
main red-flag will be rust. The cars are weak here, make sure the
frame is OK, the fenders & other panels are acceptable--if you have
to replace a couple front fenders, it'll cost some, but that's very
acceptable at that price--if the chrome is far enough gone, you may
have to re-chrome every 2-3 years, so that's a factor too.
The second concern is, how is the general condition? If the car's
over 150K miles, you may end up restoring not just the engine, but
the tranny, the rear end, the wheel bearings. Again, $500 is a very
low price, but if you have to go thru the whole drive train, your
costs will mount up fast.
Welcome to the club, and hope this helps!
BTW, caliper seals gone bad isn't necessarily a problem, but if the
clinder/piston inside those seals are pitted, grit your teeth & be
prepared to double that $500 purchase price just on getting the front
brakes fixed. Don't mean to scare you off, but you need a dose of
reality, too. (Yes, there are cludgey work-arounds on the cost &
parts, but be prepared to spend time.)
See ya...
Tom in Morrison
At 08:21 PM 1/22/01 -0800, you wrote:
>Hello, my name is Scott Simpson. I don't own a roadster yet, but i've
>joined this list in order to increase my awareness of this spectacular
>automobile. I am currently pondering the purchase of a 67.5 1600
>Roadster and am curious of what to look out for. The seller tells me
>that the caliper seals are gone, but that can be fixed. he says it
>runs, but the seats and carpet are kinda tore up. i'm probably going to
>go take a look at it this weekend. he wants $500. (anyone in southern
>california want to help me out?)
>
>i currently own a 92 Volkswagen Corrado SLC. it is a very quirky car
>(thats putting it nicely), but i love it for the spirit. i haven't been
>into the roadsters for very long, the car is mainly a restore for my
>dad, who loves them. i also need to know about the quirks of the
>vehicle and any "special" features :). the list for my corrado has been
>extremely helpful and thats why i've turned to you.
>
>thanks for your time and patients!
>
>Scott A. Simpson
>
>--
>-----------
>-={scott}=-
>-----------
>'92 SLC
>slcvr6.com
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