Is it bad that I'm sorely tempted to try and get this? (S130)

I'm in the middle of trying to button the El Camino up to the point it can be hauled off to a storage lot while my house is for sale & I find a new one (with a big enough garage to properly work in). I will shortly not really be able to work in my current garage as I'll be clearing it out to try and sell the house. And I already have one major project (the Elky) with a lot to be done on it to get it ready for both the Challenge (sadly now looking like 2014...) and normal use... but I still find myself very interested in trying to pick this thing up:

http://www.copart.com/c2/classic_auction_search_results.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e4s7&lotId=18316243

I've always loved those long, sleek Z's- and getting one cheap at an auction (and a turbocharged no less according to the VIN) would absolutely make my day. Would probably have to make my year for that matter given the amount of grief I'd get from the GF about it- especially if it ended up camping in her driveway .

Notice the chalk on the tires? Been autocrossed recently, I'd guess.

jstein77 wrote: Notice the chalk on the tires? Been autocrossed recently, I'd guess.

Oh, I'd been assuming it has been beat on pretty hard and put away wet (very wet, given all body rust...). With the primary damage as 'All Over' and secondary as 'Mechanical' I'm assuming it will need a LOT of work- but I also think it could a whole lot of fun to fix up and beat on some more...

As a beater, it could be fine, but I'm not sure I'd touch one that rusty for a restoration project.

Trivia: Jeff Foxworthy's line "You might be a redneck if you have to get a tetanus shot to drive your car" was inspired by a Datsun Z car he owned.

In reply to MadScientistMatt:

I don't consider myself good enough to being to 'restore' something in that condition... the most restoration I'd likely do would be fixing it up to be Challenge-worthy (even if I don't ever take it...) and having fun with it. Fix what I can, spray-bomb it so it doesn't rust any more as fast, and take it back out to the track. :)

I'd bet I won't win it anyway- I'd have to get it for really cheap, and the reserve is likely higher than I'd bid on it even before taking into consideration others who might want it...

http://www.copart.com/c2/individualLot.html?lotId=14578133

That caught my eye.

Turbo with a 5 speed is quite rare. (It's a T-5) They are almost all automatics. Grab it.

Two tone turbo with a five-speed = GOOD

Rusty all over = BAD

Hopefully it is mostly surface rust. Can you inspect it in person first?

SEADave wrote: Two tone turbo with a five-speed = GOOD Rusty all over = BAD Hopefully it is mostly surface rust. Can you inspect it in person first?

Yes and no... I believe you can go out there and look at the cars during normal business hours before the auction, but I don't think that I'll be able to make it out there DURING said business hours to do so. I may try and duck out a bit early from work today to run out there (ironically I was just out there last night another auction on the same road, though it was after Copart was closed) but may not get there in time if THEY leave early or don't want to let anyone in that late.

Frickin' sweet! Get it! As long as the underside is still solid...

far too much rust, lol.

Buy it and a S30 shell and swap the engine/trans over.

btw thanks for this site, another place to browse

Are you sure its a turbo? Its hard to tell for sure, but the AFM and intake manifold look like the N/A model to me. I also tried to look for the turbo oil cooler line - it would go from the sending unit left towards and firewall and around the back of the motor - and I don't think I see that either.

I bet that car has an interesting past - maybe its high compression N/A or has some suspension upgrades from back in the day?

Gee! I was just enjoying a thread on the most outdated look of the 80's. This and the IROC Z-28 were both mentioned there. But then so was the Fox Mustang. People around here scoop those up all day long.

Did you get this thing yet?!

Looking at the engine, that does not actually appear to be a turbo. S130s rust even worse than the early cars, particularly in the frame...which is the part that matters.

I'd walk, personally.

A slick-top 5spd turbo would be a rare find indeed. I'm betting it's N/A, but if it's really a Turbo I'd grab it on the off chance that the rust is not so pervasive as to make the chassis a write-off. For the right price you'd get your money back on the motor and the scrap value of the rest.

Auction is in progress now- it's supposed to hit the block shortly. Sadly, I'm going to have a hard time going very high on it since my storage for the El Camino has fallen through so I've got to worry about where to put it too, so another car to deal with will be even more challening... assuming the reserve isn't higher than the $1k I'm limited to (and wouldn't pay that much anyway...)

scratches head So, the auction apparently closed for $200, and I wasn't even able to put a bid in on it (I would easily have paid more than that...) during the live auction portion. Looking into things a bit deeper, I'd have to go through a broker to buy anything from them. Something to keep in mind for next time. Given this auction went for the opening bid and theoretically had a reserve, I suppose it's possible that it will come back up at a later auction...

edit: Did some quick research, and one of the brokerage places has a fee of 'The greater of $200 or 4% of the purchase price'. Berkley that!