I need parts car advice!!! Please help!!

[zeewhiz]

Here's my issue guys:

I am rebuilding my '77 280Z (which is a super solid car, the floor plan is perfect!) and i need to replace some sheetmetal (front fenders, rocker panels, and lower rear fenders behind the wheels). I have the dough right now to buy all sheetmetal I need except front fenders from Motorsport. I am buying my fenders from www.zbarn.com. However, I found a guy close to the house that has two Z's that he would sell together, but not separately. They are both 280's and one is a 2+2. He will NOT separate. The 2 seater is a good car, but it has been sitting for about 5 years without a drivers window, and the floor is completely gone, but the body is solid. The only thing I am interested in the car for is the right fender,motor/tranny, and some small interior pieces. THe 2+2 is a total shitbox, it has sunken down in the soft ground all the way to the floor pan and all sheet metal besides the hood is crap. PLus the roof looks like somebody fell off of a house onto it. HOWEVER it does have some bad-arse 14" mesh wheels of some sort, plus it does have a motor/tranny I could use as a spare set. He only wants $600 for both cars.

Here's the question:

Should I wait on this deal (even though I need the tranny for an auto-to-manual swap), and buy my sheetmetal first, or go ahead and spring for the parts cars now and put the sheetmetal on the back burner? I need some opinions quick! THanks!!!

[Fun_in_my_z]

Buy the parts cars. You can always sell whats left.

[hls30.com]

His price is high. If he wont sell them individually, he wants them both gone.

Take $300 cash and a trailer to his house-put $200 in one pocket and $50 two other pockets before you get out of your car.

Pull out and wave $200 cash under his nose to take them both right that moment, if you feel like it, work up very slowly to the $300. Remember there are only some parts you are interested in, and remind him...those parts are your value of the cars-the other parts will be gravy-and/or a storage headache.

If he really wants the cars gone, he will negotiate-they have been sitting how long with no takers? Use his needs to get yours-if he really cared about Zcars, he would have at least covered the window-the cars are not important to him.

If he won't negotiate, leave your number, and get his, let him store the cars until he is really ready for them to go away. Check back every so often, no more than every couple of weeks. When he gets more tired of the yard art, and being reminded that the cars could easily go away, you will have to find a place for them.

Will

[a7dz]

I agree with Will. The price is too high for the work envolved to get them get the parts you need and then either scrap or sell the rest. Plus do you have a place to store them in the mean time, with out upsetting your neighbors? BTW New front fenders are still available from Nissan. Sounds like the second car is a total liability. No real value there. If the rockers are bad on yours look real closely at the right floor panel where it joins the rocker at the forward edge.

[kenz240z]

I'd follow Will's advice, and attempt to negotiate a lower price. Hopefully you and the seller will come to an agreement and you'll have a couple of parts cars. Depending on storage space, I'd take all the usable parts off both cars.

Try and leave tires on both cars, so that they are at least rolling shells. Then you can hopefully find someone who will come and haul them off for you. There are always 2 or 3 advertisements in the want ads here in the Longmont, CO area for people who will tow cars away. Not sure if they pay anything for the cars or not, but hey, if they tow them away for free you can't beat that! Take a look in your local paper, hopefully you'll find the same kind of deal.

Another option is to tow them to a local scrap metal yard yourself. I've done that with rolling shells before, and even gotten paid a few bucks for the scrap metal!