so one guy thinks it isnt too bad (which is what i thought) and the rest that have seen pics think its un savable.. i wanna see if this thing runs first before making a decision

 

If it runs and drives well, doesn't need a ton of mechanical work, and you can get it for less than $500 american, it's probably worth it. That's a lot of if's though!

Kev

 

The storage bins are behind the seats. If the car had rear seats, they would be located right where the storage bins are. Have you looked at any other sevens or is this the only one?

 

this is the first one i've looked at i can basically figure what someone is going to say next is gonna be "look at some other cars before making a decision"

and ok i know what you mean by where the storages are now, yeah i would deffenetly talk the guy down almost a grand for this thing, so it wouldnt be a complete waste of money for me if it didnt go well or the project ended in rubble..

+it has to be safetied, thats another 500$ maybe, i tried to push down on the front end today (see about the suspension) but it didnt really move much, good? or bad? seized shocks (possible??)

 

Yeah, you really should be looking at other cars too. Really. If you can get the guy to go down to $500.00, well then maybe yeah...go for it. Hard to say at this end really. Regarding the shocks, they could be really good, or seized like you said. I'd go on the Canadian forum and see if you can get someone local to go with you to have a good look at this car. It's like novaboy009 said, that's a lot of if's.

 

Buy a good set of left and right sheet metal sheers, a $32 angle grinder from wallmart and attack that rust! My cars has a clean exterior but some underbody cancer, nothing a cheap angle gringer and a palm sander can't chew through and if you can't sand it, chop it out. If you buy it check you brake and fuel lines, the floor pan rust in my car ate through my brake lines and they look like they could blow at any second. If you can't weld like me you can get away with riveting in a piece of sheet metal (really cheap and easy) and then coating both sides and the suronding area of the sheet metal and rivets with epoxy. I know I'm going to get flamed for that one, but if your under skilled and under funded like me that is a good alternative for out of sight rust. As for the body panels you may get away with sanding and priming if the rust is very very light, but if not save up and take it to a body shop. She's got potential, but bargain him down, it will need lots of work to take car of the rust.

 

No more than 500. There is 1500 in body work alone, and that's before paint. It has been painted once before to cover up the rust, it came back because it was not done correctly.

I will be real suprised it the bins are not completely rusted through. While tin snips, sheet metal and rivets may work in a couple of places, it's a unibody car and very few parts of it are not structural.

I would probably walk away, or part the car.

 

trochoid, you think the car has been repainted? now that you mention it, openshot, from st.catherines , his car is a dull copper colour, where as this thing is brilliant copper, the colour on the bumper under the peeling paint and it was the same colour ... odd

heres the bumper and the colour beneath


oh, and guys my dad was like "oh yeah something for that little is worth it, even if it has a bit of rust, that can be taken care of" we were planning to use it as a track day car or just a car for me to drive next year but the thing is we dont have any room really and even if we could store it, things arent so grand at home right now. its a shame really, it would be a nice car for me to learn to do some maintenance stuff on, and a really nice race/street car too.

oh well, there'll be other ones, im still gonna continue my search or just hold onto the hope of this one for a bit just to see what happens and i'll have my dads AE86 to drive anyway i guess

 

The stock paint doesn't bubble and spider crack like that one has. It fades and flakes. The bumps and cracks indicate extra layers of paint.

 

i find the 12a very reliable, as trochoid said as long as you keep it maintained it'll last you a long time. mine is still original and has 260k+ on the clock still gos hard wen u want it to.
economical not really, you'll find if you put your boot up it you can watch the fuel guage go down. carbs choke works well for me in the cold mornings.
overall good cars as long as you look after them. good luck with the purchase.

 

I haven't had an issue with the New England winters, in fact she is peppy as all hell in the winter.

 

oh,, thanks for the tip on the paint trochoid, and thanks to the others who have just posted. yeah winter is a big thing here is canada, i didnt think a carb engine would fare well in the cold but from what i've read here i guess it does.