New Member, Looking for a T Bucket

[rodder17]

Hello everyone, new member here. I come from the Mustang/muscle car world, looking to get into some hot rodding. I found a tbucket for sale local. It is a total performance kit with a chevy 350 and turbo 350 trans. Headers starting to rust and rust on the rear coil overs. Im figuring i can polish out the headers for the most part and do something with the coil overs. (Plus and over all cleaning/ painting of parts.) He says it runs and drives perfect. He told me 10k is the best he can do on it. Here are some pics. Does this look like a fair deal?
<a href="" title="SANY2924 by wgladitsch, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5349/6936319778_4e49e3c386.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="SANY2924"></a>

 

[rodder17]

SANY2924 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

 

[rodder17]

SANY2921 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

SANY2919 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

SANY2927 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

SANY2917 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

SANY2923 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

SANY2918 by wgladitsch, on Flickr

 

[blyndgesser]

Whether or not the deal is a good one depends entirely on how well it's put together and how it drives. If it is as described, and there are no other issues, then the price sounds good to me. But then, you should take my opinion with more than a grain of salt, since I don't own a bucket.

 

[lincolnuT]

I would think if it had a little more Bling 10 grand would be about right 'IF' it was built with safety first and bling second....Maybe.......In New Mexico that car would sell for around 8 grand.....My.02 worth...

Mike

 

[Chief-T]

In this area, it would go for 10 to 12 grand with a good title.

 

[Francis Blake]

I am with mike on this it looks like a good bucket but hard to tell with just pics, I would think just a little high but there may be things that we don't know that would make it worth more, like who built the engine ,how many miles, and how old is it.

 

[rodder17]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I am going to look at it Sat morning. I will let you know more details after I see it. Ive bought and sold alot of cars, but this is my first "hot rod". So im not sure of the price ranges.

 

[T-Odd]

Well, I have no clue as to where my reply disappeared to, so I'll try to re-type it.

I don't think that is a Total Performance kit. Look at the front shot. Spring perch is not typical Total type mount. Look at the steering, not like every other Total kit I've seen. From there - looks like a little extra space between Dizzy and Firewall - more than most buckets.

Might be a Total Performance body, but something makes me a little hesitant about the frame.

If I start guessing about the frame, I get really REALLY focused on safety. Who built the frame? Is it square? Good penetration on the welds? ETC. Then I start wanting to put the car on a lift and inspect it from the bottom. IFFY frame? I'd pass on it. That's the whole thing to me. Nice paint and shiny engines can't make up for a $#!++y frame. That's where I start.

Some guys can build a good bucket frame and some guys can't. I can design and cut and twist wrenches but I cannnot weld.at.all.period. Stick, Mig, whatever, it's just a mess. Dad and big brother make it look easy. That might be why I always look at the frame first.

Back to this bucket now. What's this bucket worth? (based on looking at a few pictures, please keep that in mind)

Using Don's hotrod (that went for 13.5 and what I'd call a great deal) as a gauge, this bucket for ten grand? I don't see it. Not in this economy. I've watched far better cars go for less.

Not trying to be negative, just offering a slightly different opinion. When guys like RPM or Spirit offer something like a Stage III kit that only needs a little work and some parts not included to complete - you could build something built well, that is brand new, build it the way you want it, for only a few dollars more than what this seller wants... but that means you're not driving immediately.

Just an opinion...

 

[rodder17]

Thank you for the information. I will have to ask him, and find out more about it. Anyone else notice anything?

 

[T-Odd]

Here's a great pic of a Total Performance chassis, and it's for sale.