I have the opportunity to go back to my hometown and purchase a Firebird that I have loved since I was a kid. It has been left sit for several years and is starting to rust. The guy insists that it runs but I highly doubt it. Is it work saving? I see so many getting junked it makes me sick. I would like to get this car, however it would have to sit for a few more years before I will be able to afford to restore it. It is sitting outside and unprotected right now with weeds growing up through the engine. It used to be a real looker. Hard-top so no worries about interior damage from leaks. Nothing to write home about, just a car that is special to me for all the dumb reasons. What would I offer for a car like this? I know people are buying parts cars for $150 right now... not sure if this car would even be a candidate for that. I was thinking of lowballing the seller and offering to haul it myself. Any thoughts???

Also, I have two or three weeks to decide. Getting some work done in my current Firebird and have to make sure that it doesn't break the bank before I get another one.

 

To me it depends on the condition of the floor pan. If the areas on the bottom of the car just inside the rocker panels are rusted badly, I would steer clear. The first third gen I bought I didn't look underneath the car thoroughly enough and regretted it. I couldn't find a car in the upper midwest that didn't have quite a bit of cancer underneath the car. I ended up finding one in Tennessee that had a solid floor pan. If you're looking for a long term project, I'd get it up on jackstands and look it over real well before I made an offer.