The ultimate score... The $500 SRL311... pair.

[Tomakze]

I am a lucky guy. As a kid, I fell in love with roadsters, and vowed I would own one some day. Several years ago, I made that come true and bought a rusty POS '68 1600, and started working on it. It has it's own build thread, and quite a story, as many of you know. Well, next year I'm getting married, and that rusty Datsun played a large role in my fiance and I getting together. So, she suggested we should make it the "getaway car" for our wedding, and drive away in it! I knew it was a HUGE undertaking (As it needed mountains of work), but I decided to try.

Since the running car was a total rust bucket, I had acquired a clean, but empty shell. Vin SRL311-14375. Unfortunately, just as I was getting underway to do a body swap, I discovered it would be tricky to get that car titled since it was missing the vin plate in the engine bay. Not impossible, but tricky. I also found some light body damage to the front end, and started feeling overwhelmed. It needed more than I had thought, and time was short. At that same moment I was figuring this out, the facebook page for the local club popped up on my phone with a notification. It had been inactive for a year until then. It said:

 

A friend of mine ran across these two roadsters and the guy wants to get rid of them quickly (this week, or they get scrapped). I believe primer'd one is a 70 that is disassembled and no engine. Red one is a 68 with 2L engine (condition unknown). $500 takes the two as-is. PM me if you want contact info.

I was beside myself! There it was, the solution staring me in the face. The price was unbelievable, and at least one of those cars had to be titled, or easier to title at least. I called the guy immediately, and set up a time to meet him that same day. It was only 40min from my house. When I got there, I couldn't believe it. The cars were 100x better than I'd imagined in my wildest dreams! The red one was rusty as hell, and battered, but complete. The primered one though... was pure treasure. No rust could be found. Even the body mounts seemed solid as can be. When I walked around with a magnet, it stuck to every part of the car. it had tons of junk in it, sure, but also parts galore.

The guy didn't care about making money, he just wanted the cars off his property ASAP. His son had a friend that originally owned the cars, and had asked to keep them there a while. Then, the friend completely disappeared. This guy had been trying to reach him for years, with no luck. The cars had sat for 4-5 years and the guy had vanished. Now he wanted to sell the house, and the cars needed to go. Earlier I had called the state patrol, and asked if I could legally buy the cars. they said if a car was abandoned on private property for more than 90 days, it became the property of the land owner. All I would need to do is get a bond title, which is exactly what I had done when I bought my other project, an '85 300zx.

So, the owner and I rumaged around in the junk being stored in the primered car, and found brand new front and rear bumpers, still wrapped up, a brand new but filthy convertible top, an old tonneau cover, the original hubcaps, a bunch of rubber seals, an old top and frame, all the lights, brand new doorhandles, and more. Leaning against the house was a really nice hardtop, and all the fenders, hood, and trunk lid primed and dent free, along with some boxes filled with more parts. And when we pulled the cover back further, I saw that the ad had been wrong. BOTH cars had U20's under the hood! The one in the primered car looked amazingly clean... too clean...

After seeing what I'd seen, I knew I was buying the car. Several pieces in that lot were worth more than $500 by themselves! I gave the guy $100 to hold them, and took one of the unubtainium 2000 grills that I'd been pining after for years, and left.

The very next day, I borrowed my parent's help, and we loaded the cars up and took them home. I'll pick up the story in the next post.

 

[Tomakze]

So, I took the rusty car to my parent's house to be stored, and the primered car replaced the tan car in my garage, ready to be cataloged and have work begin.


You can see the ONLY damage on the car in this pic. The windshield frame is mangled pretty badly. It is twisted, and crumpled at the bottom edges. I think I may steal the frame out of the rusty red car, as it is in great shape. I just have to figure out where to cut it out so i can get the alignment just right. If anyone has any suggestions or wants to help, I'd be SUPER appreciative! Luckily the red car also has a really nice piece of glass that will be going into this monster.

I haven't gotten much done yet, but I have had crazy fun finding more nuggets in my treasure trove! Here are a few:

As I said, BRAND NEW BUMPERS!!!


Electronic distributor? It's dirty, but it also looks new. Let me know if I'm right.


KYB GR-2 shocks... new, of course.


And the motherload... You know how I said the engine was a bit too clean? Well, it is clean for a reason. It's recently rebuilt!




The car's odo reads 41k. I believe that. The blue paint under then hood is the original paint, and it is spotless. Hardly a scratch. No way it would still look that good after 141k miles. I think I've found a real treasure!!! I don't even think I deserve it.

[MikeRL411]

Go for it!  You have anyone' dream's there! 

[wayno]

Get it done and make the get away, with the wife that is. :lol:

[Ranman72]

nice score the cars look great 

 

[wayno]

I got lucky once, bought a rebuilt U20 for $500.00, to bad it had sit for 15 years, one of the cylinders had to be sleeved because it got water in that cylinder, but it was still a deal, new everything, and it had never been started.

[r0p0doe]

Nice score dude, kind of jealous  :rofl:

[mcordero8]

Cool score, you, Looks like you and your fiancé are off to a good start.

[kaptkaos]

Take care of the title ASAP.  

 

Great score! 

[Tomakze]

I'm cleaning it out, and going to try to get a VIN inspection next week. That's step one in getting a "Rebuilder's Title" in Colorado. Then it's legally mine.  It just needs to be a rolling chassis, which is exactly what it is.

[wayno]

Get a title for every vehicle before putting time and money into it, just when you get it going good, the real owner will show up and take it from you, other threads on here are a testament to just this. 

[carterb]

congratulations on the cars and the marriage!

[Tomakze]

Get a title for every vehicle before putting time and money into it, just when you get it going good, the real owner will show up and take it from you, other threads on here are a testament to just this. 

 

I haven't seen those threads, but it does keep me up at night. I've done this before, without trouble. In Colorado, if a car has been abandoned for 90 days or more, it becomes the property of the land owner. Technically, the original owner can't legally take it from me, but it would cause legal trouble. I'd have to prove it is mine and fight for it, which I do not want. Hence, I'm starting the process next week!

[wayno]

There is a thread on here where a kid bought a 720 from some other kid/guy on the assumption that when the kid/guy got the title, it would be sent to him, not sure what happened, but when the kid/guy got the title he went to the kids house and said the truck was his after the kid got it running, well the kid went to the guys parents and told them what had happened, and even they could not get the kid/guy(their kid) to relinquish the truck/title to the rightful owner that he sold the truck to, that is why you don't do anything to a vehicle before you own it, you need to have the title in your hands, and that isn't even enough in Washington State, in WA you need to wait till you receive the first renewal before you know for sure that there are no liens against the vehicle you bought.

The kid did finally get the truck with title, after the kid/guy blew the engine up, the kid had to go get it on the side of the road where it sat, the kid had fixed it up real nice before the kid/guy stole it back from the kid, you don't put a dime into a vehicle till it is free and clear in your name.

I haven't seen those threads, but it does keep me up at night. I've done this before, without trouble. In Colorado, if a car has been abandoned for 90 days or more, it becomes the property of the land owner. Technically, the original owner can't legally take it from me, but it would cause legal trouble. I'd have to prove it is mine and fight for it, which I do not want. Hence, I'm starting the process next week!

[hobospyder]

There is a thread on here where a kid bought a 720 from some other kid/guy on the assumption that when the kid/guy got the title, it would be sent to him, not sure what happened, but when the kid/guy got the title he went to the kids house and said the truck was his after the kid got it running, well the kid went to the guys parents and told them what had happened, and even they could not get the kid/guy(their kid) to relinquish the truck/title to the rightful owner that he sold the truck to, that is why you don't do anything to a vehicle before you own it, you need to have the title in your hands, and that isn't even enough in Washington State, in WA you need to wait till you receive the first renewal before you know for sure that there are no liens against the vehicle you bought.

The kid did finally get the truck with title, after the kid/guy blew the engine up, the kid had to go get it on the side of the road where it sat, the kid had fixed it up real nice before the kid/guy stole it back from the kid, you don't put a dime into a vehicle till it is free and clear in your name.

this is the exact reason that i titled and registered a vehicle with no motor. i trust the guy i got it from, but have never met or even talked to the person who's name was on the title.

[izzo]

this is the exact reason that i titled and registered a vehicle with no motor. i trust the guy i got it from, but have never met or even talked to the person who's name was on the title.

 

 

 

I would have been concerned if I was you too.  Hell I am concerned even when I do have the proper paperwork lol.

[hobospyder]

I would have been concerned if I was you too. Hell I am concerned even when I do have the proper paperwork lol.

still waiting on my paper title on that one. Plates for it are in my car

[izzo]

still waiting on my paper title on that one. Plates for it are in my car

 

 

 

haha. you got the plates and the reg.. You know she is all yo's!   Glad it all worked out man.  I need to find your thread then bug you about updates and shit lol

[wayno]

In Washington it's not a for sure thing, you see even though you will get a title in the mail, if the vehicle has a lien against it, the state will not re-register the vehicle for the road the next year till the lien is taken care of.

It kinda sucks, it's like a carrot, they give you a title and one year registration, then after they have the money, they take it away from you.

[Tomakze]

That's terrifying! I have an appointment to get a VIN inspection in a couple weeks, and then I can get a rebuilders title. The DMV assured me if I do that, there is nothing the PO can do.

[wayno]

I am talking about a lien, like if someone used the title to get cash at one of them quick loan outfits, this is usually an issue with a running vehicle that someone needed some quick cash, or maybe they were going to lose it because they defaulted on a loan that the vehicle was put up as collateral, that would be one of them "the vehicle is in my name, here is a bill of sale, I lost the title, but it will be all right", then a year later, SURPRISE!!!

This is not likely going to be an issue if a vehicle has sat a long time, but there are lots of ways to have a lien on a vehicle.

That's terrifying! I have an appointment to get a VIN inspection in a couple weeks, and then I can get a rebuilders title. The DMV assured me if I do that, there is nothing the PO can do.

[Tomakze]

Stop scaring me, man! lol! Hopefully it will be fine. The car has been sitting for at least 4 years, probably more. I found a reciept in the car from 1992, so... :D

We will find out soon enough. If the lein is small enough, I would take care of it. It would be pretty amazing to actually loose money on this gig. Worst case scenario, my rust rocket just gets a major upgrade. lol! I'm pulling the motor before the inspection, just in case. ;)

[wayno]

If it has sat that long, and looks like it does, you likely are going to be just fine, it's the running cars that are a great deal that are usually the problem, that's why they are a great deal.

I could have bought a running Camaro from a guy with a tuned port injection manifold(TPI), and it had a roller cam with a 4 speed auto for $1200.00 with the wiring and ECU, I wanted the TPI, but that price scared me, he ended up removing the engine from the car and putting it in a truck as I recall, no one would buy that car, and he showed me the title signed off, but the signature was just a wavy line, I walked away with the wiring, ECU, and the TPI for $500.00 from a running engine.

Old roadsters like that without a title are just a hassle sometimes, you have to go to the DMV several times to supply all the required paperwork, I have done it, I got a title for a NL320 that had not been on the road for 30 years, I was about the 3rd person to take possession of that vehicle without anything other than a bill of sale and a few pieces of paper, lucky for me, one of the mentioned pieces of paper had an officers signature on it, it was an official abandoned vehicle document that the owner of the land had procured, that piece of paper got me the title, it was signed by the officer in the 90s, the gal said that paper was the only reason I could get a title in Washington without waiting for 3 years. 

I just get a little carried away sometimes, I just hate seeing good folks getting screwed.

[Tomakze]

If it has sat that long, and looks like it does, you likely are going to be just fine, it's the running cars that are a great deal that are usually the problem, that's why they are a great deal.

I could have bought a running Camaro from a guy with a tuned port injection manifold(TPI), and it had a roller cam with a 4 speed auto for $1200.00 with the wiring and ECU, I wanted the TPI, but that price scared me, he ended up removing the engine from the car and putting it in a truck as I recall, no one would buy that car, and he showed me the title signed off, but the signature was just a wavy line, I walked away with the wiring, ECU, and the TPI for $500.00 from a running engine.

Old roadsters like that without a title are just a hassle sometimes, you have to go to the DMV several times to supply all the required paperwork, I have done it, I got a title for a NL320 that had not been on the road for 30 years, I was about the 3rd person to take possession of that vehicle without anything other than a bill of sale and a few pieces of paper, lucky for me, one of the mentioned pieces of paper had an officers signature on it, it was an official abandoned vehicle document that the owner of the land had procured, that piece of paper got me the title, it was signed by the officer in the 90s, the gal said that paper was the only reason I could get a title in Washington without waiting for 3 years. 

I just get a little carried away sometimes, I just hate seeing good folks getting screwed.

 

Yikes! Sounds like it is a real bitch to get a title in Washington. In Colorado, you get a VIN inspection, you do a records search (To see if there is a lein), fill out some paperwork, wait for approval, and voila. I bought my other roadster with no title, and aquired one easily. The 300zx I bought was the same way, and now it is titled as well. This will be my third one.

[wayno]

Not really, you just have to know what you need, if you don't have what is needed, don't buy it.

They don't do lien searches here that I know of, at least I have never heard of it, but I do have a friend that bought a truck, got the title and tags, then they would not register it the next year because it had a lien on it, he had to take care of the lien to get tags for it the next year.

Yikes! Sounds like it is a real bitch to get a title in Washington. In Colorado, you get a VIN inspection, you do a records search (To see if there is a lein), fill out some paperwork, wait for approval, and voila. I bought my other roadster with no title, and aquired one easily. The 300zx I bought was the same way, and now it is titled as well. This will be my third one.