Try to look at some other Bricklins before you buy one, preferably some at
restorers' shops or ones that have placed in Bricklin meeets. To someone
unfamiliar with Bricklins, appearance can be deceptive. Even if the engine
and transmission are completely shot, it is a finite cost to replace them and
relatively inexpensive. On the other hand, doors and body panels might look
"almost good enough" yet could require much more work to repair/replace and
cost 2 or 3 times as much as the original purchase price of the car. Almost
any competant restorer can do the drivetrain, but specialized knowledge and
skills make a world of difference in aligning body panels and rebuilding
doors so that they fit correctly. Ask Bob or Terry how many people buy a
$3-8k Bricklin thinking it just needs a little work and then hear it will
cost $10-15k to make it look good at less than 50 mph and 50 feet away.
Try to find out what work was performed on the car, and by whom. An
acquaintance of mine bought a fairly decent Bricklin and then got a super
nice paint job, but he didn't know to have the doors rebuilt and the roof
replaced first. Naturally there are huge gaps between the body panels, the
doors are bent and stick up from the roofline, and cracks in the roof and
hood are starting to show. Unfortunately that situation is not uncommon.
George
#670, 220
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