Post by Peter on Aug 17, 2014 15:02:49 GMT
Buying an Eagle, (RV, SS, etc.)
You have seen it, loved the look and think you can do something with it, or can you?
Price is usually the last consideration as prices for fixer uppers tend to be low, under two grand as a rule but it doesn’t end there, in fact it doesn’t even start there. You need to go back to the beginning and ask a few questions.
Is there anywhere for the next couple of years I can work on it?
Do I really want it or is it just a passing fad, like me and Andrea Osvart (Transporter, TV series), I wish, my definition of perfection.
Like a dog, a kit car is not just for Christmas or a summer holiday, it is a long term commitment.
A good inspection is called for as if the car is too far gone then you are looking at a new chassis, engine, transmission etc, thousands of pounds.
What is it really like? Chassis and floors sound, on a VW that is an easy fix for about £90 a side IF you can weld, on the Ford cars it is fibre glass so again an easy fix with some matt and resin but the ladder chassis might need some work.
Brakes any good? An overhaul can run into a couple of hundred with discs, drums, pads, and shoes needed.
Suspension OK? On the VW that is basically down to a set of dampers but the Fords can be expensive. Both could need bushes and an upgrade to poly’ ones would be a good idea.
Is the screen intact, on the SS thanks to MellOrman we can buy screen from Pilkington’s but allow £370 plus shipping plus VAT.
Wheels and tyres, you will usually find the tyres are shot, way past their scrap by date and have cracked walls and hard as nails rubber, allow £300 a set of 4 and as for the wheels, well, the sky’s the limit, you might be lucky and like the ones it has and get them cleaned up, £30 a corner is about as low as it goes.
Paintwork, depends on the state of your purse in the long run, if it needs a full strip, fill , prime and paint job £1,500 up.
Interior and ancillaries, most neglected area when it comes to the budget, seats from £150 a pair new and carpet, wiring, gauges, trim, etc another £200 at least.
Engine, is it a runner? Ford or VW it’s the same story, if it needs a rebuild it has to have one and the cost depends on the state of the motor, VW air cooled are cheaper than Ford in the long run but anything from £100 to £2,500.
Can you afford it? No, not just the heap needing TLC, but when finished, tax £240 a year, insurance £150+ a year, MoT, service items etc, it all adds up.
If it registered and has got a V5 you are lucky, if not you could be looking at another £450 for a SVA before you even drive it, certainly for the Ford based cars. This where things can lead to all your work being passed on or stuffed in a barn, that final financial crunch of £450 or £900 with SVA.
Saving one of these great 80s icons is very rewarding and satisfying and certainly as far as the SS goes, the response from the public will always put a grin on your face, guaranteed, but try not to make it look like it was built from bits from a junk yard.
You have seen it, loved the look and think you can do something with it, or can you?
Price is usually the last consideration as prices for fixer uppers tend to be low, under two grand as a rule but it doesn’t end there, in fact it doesn’t even start there. You need to go back to the beginning and ask a few questions.
Is there anywhere for the next couple of years I can work on it?
Do I really want it or is it just a passing fad, like me and Andrea Osvart (Transporter, TV series), I wish, my definition of perfection.
Like a dog, a kit car is not just for Christmas or a summer holiday, it is a long term commitment.
A good inspection is called for as if the car is too far gone then you are looking at a new chassis, engine, transmission etc, thousands of pounds.
What is it really like? Chassis and floors sound, on a VW that is an easy fix for about £90 a side IF you can weld, on the Ford cars it is fibre glass so again an easy fix with some matt and resin but the ladder chassis might need some work.
Brakes any good? An overhaul can run into a couple of hundred with discs, drums, pads, and shoes needed.
Suspension OK? On the VW that is basically down to a set of dampers but the Fords can be expensive. Both could need bushes and an upgrade to poly’ ones would be a good idea.
Is the screen intact, on the SS thanks to MellOrman we can buy screen from Pilkington’s but allow £370 plus shipping plus VAT.
Wheels and tyres, you will usually find the tyres are shot, way past their scrap by date and have cracked walls and hard as nails rubber, allow £300 a set of 4 and as for the wheels, well, the sky’s the limit, you might be lucky and like the ones it has and get them cleaned up, £30 a corner is about as low as it goes.
Paintwork, depends on the state of your purse in the long run, if it needs a full strip, fill , prime and paint job £1,500 up.
Interior and ancillaries, most neglected area when it comes to the budget, seats from £150 a pair new and carpet, wiring, gauges, trim, etc another £200 at least.
Engine, is it a runner? Ford or VW it’s the same story, if it needs a rebuild it has to have one and the cost depends on the state of the motor, VW air cooled are cheaper than Ford in the long run but anything from £100 to £2,500.
Can you afford it? No, not just the heap needing TLC, but when finished, tax £240 a year, insurance £150+ a year, MoT, service items etc, it all adds up.
If it registered and has got a V5 you are lucky, if not you could be looking at another £450 for a SVA before you even drive it, certainly for the Ford based cars. This where things can lead to all your work being passed on or stuffed in a barn, that final financial crunch of £450 or £900 with SVA.
Saving one of these great 80s icons is very rewarding and satisfying and certainly as far as the SS goes, the response from the public will always put a grin on your face, guaranteed, but try not to make it look like it was built from bits from a junk yard.