12th Dec 2017, 00:23

You say eBay. Ok, search 1970 Oldsmobile 98 and take a look. No body or interior parts that I can see. Weatherstripping, an owners manual and a small amount of mechanical parts are not going to rebuild this guy's car. Again, he bought a donor for good reason, leave it at that.

12th Dec 2017, 09:20

No I will not just give up and leave it at that. Things change daily with cars and parts. That’s just one internet search. Try Craig’s List as yet another, and look up outside your state for specific auto parts. I have found distant swap meets, sifting through upcoming internet date postings. And got there early at 6 AM. Found a nice bumper at one. An entire box of trim parts at another. Have seen barn finds on flatbeds, but cannot bring them home with my deed restrictions, and a lack of additional indoor storage to keep out of view. That’s just the start of the process. It often takes even more time and patience with a restoration with minimal parts out of catalogs. You may not find what you are looking for immediately. The world is a lot easier today right at your fingertips with the internet. You have the entire country as a resource for parts sources, yards dismantling various parts without buying an entire donor car, or rare unusual boat or motorcycle parts. You pay the shipping to your door or workplace.

12th Dec 2017, 20:27

Evidence for (lack of) collectability of four door models: a low (39K) miles example that had its seats covered since new was worth more for parts than as a whole car.

Mostly because the previous owner was able to get $1K for it even after already selling off the engine and transmission.

12th Dec 2017, 22:41

Yeah, maybe you're right. I guess it would be a lot easier to go on a wild goose chase on dozens of internet sources and pay a larger amount part by part, instead of purchasing the proper donor at the right price and having everything right then and there. I will hand it to you that you are very persistent on this and many other threads on here, as far as replies and trying to get the last comment.

13th Dec 2017, 01:21

Some will put a lot of sweat, effort and dollars into a very low value car for various reasons. It could be a car passed down from a relative. I have a friend with a 57 Chevrolet 4 door in great condition. He calls it his rain car. If the weather turns on him at a distant show, it’s not a big worry. He can still attend and socialize. It is a very nice original and garage kept. But if the weather isn’t sketchy, he breaks out his highly restored C1, Not uncommon to get Best of Show over and over. Having a decent 4 door at low cost can have these advantages. I miss many shows over weather concerns, dusty show fields and the like. There’s so much work and investment that often limits its usage. I do not trailer mine. So if the guy is happy and not fretting over his personal time devoted to a low buck car, so be it. I’d rather start out with a low investment car in the beginning learning car restoration.

14th Dec 2017, 10:44

I am adding onto my earlier comment as I had to really rush yesterday.

I buy a lot online and it is not a wild goose chase. It’s fast, convenient, and I only order what I need when I am actually ready to install.

When buying, I really think out and inspect what’s really involved. It’s not impulsive or just seeing a cheap initial buy. I’d rather buy quality parts. Not just to get something. Buying online has made life much simpler today. Beside automotive, I buy a lot from Amazon. Some larger or expensive deliveries at work as well. It used to involve a lot of luck, asking around and going to various salvage yards. But it was also a great moment finding a better or missing part you were waiting to find. It took time, but finishing it up nicely is great. Driving it and winning your first trophy or two is a huge payoff for patience and persevering. But you can go underwater quite quickly with cars that need extensive restoration. Or do not carry much finished value at all as restored pieces.

Before anyone rushes out looking for a donor car, consider the following points:

You start out finding and then buying 2 cars. One likely needs transported or towed to your destination. So add that on. You need to have a physical place for 2 cars vs just 1 project. That’s not as easy any more. That means inside storage, not sitting a full parts car outside. Do you have the tools? You can’t leave cars like this outside for long. Being picked apart with missing body parts. Even rural areas in my state are now heavily subjected today to zoning issues. Years ago you just put a cover over it. Code enforcement in communities see this and check for current tags. Or give you a brief time to remove. Or they will and bill you for it. And leave a nice note on your door or a letter. Cars now must be legally tagged on property or hidden it inside. Not tagged inside; it’s not insured if you have your home damaged or fire. That means car insurance to do so. Cars cannot be parked outdoors on grass or you are fined. Do you really want to dedicate 2 full interior garage spaces to restoring a low value car? In the interim your newer cars are likely sitting outside in the rain. Acid rain in my area. I have lifts, but still limited floor space to effectively utilize. You need room to dismantle and restore. You might also want to check to see if you have a sympathetic wife for your 2 into 1 project. She may see a “heap”, not a donor that you may consider gold. The majority of storage units around me do not allow working on cars. Also paying a couple hundred a month eats into your donor car value.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to know when to walk away. You get caught up with excitement, not always realizing the depth of it all. I have been down this road a while. It may be easier to work at your job or take an added one to save up more money. I try to find ones that people have put in considerable expense done correctly. And negotiate down if possible. Buying this time of year when people are spending $ on holidays, fuel oil etc or have snow on the ground. With a lengthy time til Spring to bring them out. Today in my area that’s the case. A great time to search locally. Before you tie in a donor, consider what’s involved. If it's a high value car and it has potential high reward, go for it. I am off to work which I actually enjoy. I would rather save with that in a clean office vs getting a car apart and back together. Buy one and wait longer. It’s usually cheaper and better in the long run. I had one that took 2 years before I could even drive it. Many lose interest by then, sell and give up.

Off to work. Good luck on your restoration!