@@johnpossum556 That's right. He doesn't try to be anyone other than who he really is. His knowledge is what is impressive! I also like his style and he doesn't try to impress anyone in that regard. He just wears a hat, t-shirt, bluejeans and shoes. What else, does a man need to wear anyway? He reminds me of a younger version of my Uncle who also knows what he is talking about when it comes to automobiles. I hope I get the opportunity one day to shake his hand and let him know how much he has helped me learn about cars through his videos. Take care John and I hope you and yours enjoy this day! Peace 🙂
Our Uncle Tony is from New York, and also a Old Punk Rocker, sort of explains a lot of see where I'm coming from, I'm not young, but the older punks in my area Southern California, are very much like Uncle T, Casue being A Douche Bag isn't aloud, my Two Pennies on the floor.. Oi oi oi my brothers..
@@AtZero138 I hear ya. I'm in my early 40's and if I had to guess I would say he is about 10 years older than me. Fortunately, I had a decent childhood and grew up in the Southeastern USA. The music was cool and I listened to punk and thrash metal for the most part. When the early 90's came around, grunge exploded as you know. I miss that time in life and I'm really thankful that I grew up when I did. Peace
@@aramondehasashi3324 Oh Hell yeah.. ever seen a Classic Dog Legging or Tracking side ways.. it will feel like the alignment is off, but it's actually the rear end has some how misaligned.. Buddy system Always..
yes very important! all my friends asked me to look at cars... mostly bc i did this for a living...had a classic car dealership when i was 21 y/o back in the 80's... Back then it was a lot more fun to do this lol
Find someone to bring with a skeptical and investigative nature. A friend or companion along can influence you to buy something you may be siding towards avoiding! Side note, that steering wheel just doesn't fit that car!😄
Also: Never forget not to have a bath or shower for several months, to grow a scraggly beard and wear your local tramp's clothes when you go to see the car. These guys are the worlds best con men ever.
Nice find! Even if its a 2 barrel car,it's a big block a slick rebuild mild mannered 383 and have a low 12 second 1/4 mile daily driver with 3.23 gears that's tame,low compression,pump gas it is and has been done! My buddy is a damn good engine builder,he does my engines and they all run 12.0's and quicker with 3.23 gearing and street tires...A few are strokers a few not,I usually test them for him as I am a animal with my cars! If they hold up with me,he knows he can sell them to his customers lol.. Remember they had 3 different 383's..the 2bbl was lower compression different heads/cam etc than the 383 4bbl that used single or duel exhaust,then the high performance 383 4bbl Magnum/Super Commando don't know what Chrysler called it in their C bodies but anyways,the 383 4bbl had 330 hp ,410 torque vs 383high performance 335 hp with 425 torque (yes it made more than that) it had better heads,camshaft for sure I know..They also had 3 different 440's..440 4bbl holley carb non h.p,the 440 TNT,Magnum,Super Commando and the 69-71 440 6 bbl (and the few 72 6bbl that snuck out).. Anyways that's a sweet ride in 2bbl,or 4bbl!! ?Sorry for the babble you got me going...
01trsmar It’s the 2 bbl. All big block Mopars had the 906 heads in 1968, including the 383 2bbl. The “confusion” comes from Plymouth ad guys saying the Road Runner had “440” heads. The Road Runner had a different cam, pistons and valve springs. All 383’s had the same forged crank.
Nice. I had a 66 Fury four door that I used as a "nice weather" daily (Ie, it went away at the slightest hint it might rain or snow) for about 4 years. That had the poly 318, not a big block, but it got along fine. It wasn't a bad daily for what it was. Kept up with modern traffic, 75-80 MPH on the freeway just fine. I ended up selling it because my commute got extended by several hundred miles a week, and 12 MPG and an hour commute don't mix. It was a fun car though. I loved how many thumbs up I got. I miss that. It wasn't an unreliable vehicle either. People always say "oh old cars make horrible dailies because they always break down". Not true. Not once did I get stuck on the side of the road in the 4 years I owned that car. I got stuck only one time- in a fast food parking lot with a dead battery- but that could happen to a new car too. I made a point to change the oil every 3k, to put in an ethanol treatment to prevent damage from the E10 fuel, changed the transmission fluid every 30K, changed the coolant out every year, greased the chassis every other oil change, adjusted points every oil change, changed brake fluid once every year ( Previous owner converted to power disc up front). If you don't take care of your car, it won't take care of you.
Awesome.. being understated is my hahaha life project.. in my life, My Girl has the twin of my Car.. Both California Cars 68 Dodge Dart model 270, both had Slant6.. except mine is now a 318.. drive them everyday.. not perfect, but driven, and nothing's more fun then Passing some body who didn't know the old granny Car with White Walls and a single flowmaster just put you in the rear view.. Peace..
I'm the guy people normally bring with them to look at something like that. I scrutinize every part I know to.... But even after watching Uncle Tony I've learned more. I've went with people to look at a car who were enamored by a nice paint job. I've seen so many people get sucked into buying junk because of a shiny paint job. Even with my knowledge of vintage stuff, i always bring a vehicle savvy friend with me. Sometimes that extra pair of eyes will catch what yours wont..
Good point.I bought my 1960 Studebaker because it had a pretty nice paint job.Once I had it,I looked at it a bit harder and I found that there was 'fuckery afoot',lol.
What you said, so true! I bought an 04 Grand Am, clear coat was pretty much gone, but looked ok, not really pretty. Mechanically, it would go anywhere with no issues at all! In this case, pretty paint job car and weak mechanically, or weak paint and strong mechanically? No brainer decision!
I love This channel, but today is the first time I learned, that car with lots of visible damage, doors, and wipers that dont work, with steering wheel thats at an angle to drive it straight, misfire, weak braking,striped roof, crocked hood, rusted back window frame, deadly tires is an honest car :) All joke aside, I would love if I could repair this things like You do. For You this is probably awesome car that will be in very nice state in no time at all.
No fluid checks? I always like to check the oil and coolant to make sure they’re separate. And trans fluid to make sure it doesn’t smell too burnt. Very informative video tho. Definitely learned a lot.
Not a dying breed, I see alot of comments from kids, I call them kids because I'm 50, that watch these video's. I used to worry about where the direction of classic car building was going but over the last several years and watching these video's and just paying attention to things around me I see alot of kids getting into these classic car daily drivers. out here in the Southwest and West I see alot of classics being driven by high school and college kids. I have a community college just down the street from my shop and the parking lot is about a 50/50 mix of daily driver classics and the "beater" cars.
The bit about honest damage vs 'too perfect' really made me rethink all the times I felt like I missed out on the "perfect" car buy. Great mentality. Thank you.
Tony didn't mention it in the video but the main cause of trunk floor rust was due to the rear window channel rusting out first. The two go hand in hand and it's common on GM and Ford products as well. It can be dangerous in a fastback Mustang especially if you smoke seeing the top of the gas tank served as the trunk floor.
Yeah, and people flipped out on the Pinto because part of the filler neck went through the trunk to the tank under the trunk. (had a '66 coupe) I saw a Dodge Dart get rear ended that had just parked, the occupants were so lucky in that they were about 10 ft from it, walking away. Huge fireball and would not have been survivable had they been in it. I always watched my 6:00 after that in the 'Stang.
@tomdavidson9939 stangs had over 40k + people burnt death from its cheap drop in fuel tanks worst were the fastback tank would rupture from rear hit & slosh into passenger compartment & explode Ford kept things quiet paying out insurance settlements To keep it's cash cow rolling But killed many people due to its cheapo design flaw
I just bought a 73 Lincoln Continental Mk IV site unseen about 2 months ago. Got it from a really good friend of mine, so I trusted him. Was his dad's car and it sat for about 2 years after his dad passed away. He told me to tow it but I'm stubborn. The hour drive on the freeway back home on the maiden voyage was sketchy with the tires and not knowing how the suspension was. It's a miracle it made it home, but slowly getting it road worthy again.
12:30 it's hilarious how beautiful the paint is under the trunk lid compared to the exterior of the car, this is so much fun looking at a completely honest vehicle. Thanks for the tour uncle Tony!
When I was about 14 or 15 I learned all of this by watching people come and look at old cars for sale at a shop I worked at, they'd bring a fridge magnet with fishing line tied to it to look for bondo watching old farmers taught me alot about what to look for
You and your buddy did a great instructional course, practical information that will serve a buyer well. Do NOT get emotionally attached; buying cars is a lot like dating: You know it's going to cost you something but is it going to be worth it? Cool regular-guy neighborhood, too.
I would agree with you on most of that statement, however there is the occasional once or twice in a lifetime opportunities that would be with cars and women, maybe you run across your ultimate dream car and the first one you have seen for sale that is in your budget and I say unless it's a steaming pile of dogshit go for it, because in my case I can fix about anything and I like fixing up cars , now lets get to the dating of a woman, same thing in my opinion, every so often you get the opportunity to let's call it date a woman who is clearly above your pay grade, and again I say go for it, because life is to short to pass up great memories, you just have to keep it in prospective and only ""date"" her as you put it.. I would prefer calling it what it is, but I will keep uncle tony's family friendly as I'm sure he would like.. so you see in my opinion their are always exceptions to the rules in life...
I love your lack of an intro or outro, nothing more pleasing than the video going to the last second then “that’s it, see you tomorrow” to end off with. I think this goes for any car, old or new
When looking for my dream car I finally came across one 315 Miles away from me. It was one of the best car buying experiences I had. Guy had it on a lift so I can easily inspect it and the keys to test drive it. It was an honest car and the previous owner wasn't shy about it. So I was far more comfortable with the purchase. All Im saying is that I got lucky. Uncle Tony's advice is pure gold for someone looking for that one special car.
There are still honest people in this world. The 2 people I normally avoid buying a car from are Mechanics and Car flippers, Mechanics don't have time to work on their own stuff and just fix stuff when it breaks and Car flippers will fix stuff but they will fix it the cheapest way possible and try to say nothings wrong with it when it's got half the hardware aisle from Wal Mart on it to get it running.
Thank you Benny for letting Tony use the car to show everyone How its done. Tony, You did very well. Pretty much how I would do it. Please keep up the good work. Jesus loves you both.
Solid advice. If Im setting up a meeting I will ask the seller not to run the car/bike beforehand, and that I want to start it from cold. I also inspect all the fluids before cold starting. If anything feels shady TRUST YOUR GUT, don't get attached/be prepared to walk away.
yep, beware of the "Has fresh oil/transmission fluid change" guy for the most part, that's shady signal #1, if your just selling a car why would spend the money changing the fluid if there wasn't something going on because that's something that adds no money to it on the back end. If the oil and tranny fluid don't have atleast a couple hundred miles on it after a fluid change that sets off my spidey senses.
Tony, I would add that you should check to see if the parking lights, low beams, high beams turn signals and the hazard lights all work. That would show me there was no hidden electrical problems that will come up later.
Went a couple years ago to go look a 76 d200 2wd, 400 auto for a pulling truck for the wife’s horse trailer Truck looked absolutely great, ran great, interior was very good. Price was right and was about to pull the trigger when I saw a bit of rust by my left foot driver side. Pulled the carpet back and there was almost no floor! Buddy swore he knew nothing about it. Bought a 95 3500 v10
Tony, thank you for making these, it really helps! Oh, and for the record: your wife is the most patient, sweetest and "best sidekick a man can get" camerawoman on this planet!
i know what you mean, i once call a guy about a honda 750 and asked him not to start the bike before i got there and he said ok, well i showed up and hour early and when i got there it was sitting in the driveway running, needless to said i turn around and left
never thought about checking basics like windshield wipers, then I bought my C5.. the dealership did good replacing high dollar stuff, BCM, Seat memory module, AC compressor and re filled the system, then driving home in the rain, no wipers, no horn :( check the basics if you're gonna use it as a work, daily driver !
Another little thing... We used to call the little Pentastar on the passenger side fender a repaint indicator. Most body shops didn’t bother to mask it or remove it.
On many cars in this condition, you can buy yourself lots of time by cleaning the trunk floor rust with a wire wheel, and getting all the loose pieces of rust out...Then paint the entire trunk floor and wheel housings with a quart of POR-15 paint...It dries epoxy hard and won't allow any further rust to happen...You can put off any sheet metal replacement for years if necessary.
With the prices of coupes of this era off the charts, a good solid sedan is a great alternative for those who like the classics, but don't want to pay top dollar for a Road Runner, Charger, Super Bee Coronet, etc. Even a wagon is a cool option.
Oct 2018, I got a 68, 4 door survivor just like this one (in much better shape). 318 automatic, all original, (air conditioning was removed by someone, but I have all the parts) no rust, just under 80,000 miles. I replaced missing or dried out rubber bumpers under the hood, license plate etc. I put all new exhaust, new rear bumper (old one was dented) I'm having front end steering parts all replaced, (have the parts, just waiting on a back ordered steering gear box. and I will get the front seat re-upholstered in the original fabric (which is available through SMS auto fabrics) Original has a couple small rips from old age on the left side and the foam is broken down a little. Original California car. I have the owners manual with the original owners name and found the build sheet under the front seat springs. Someone put Craiger's on it and wide tires, but I do have the original hub caps so it could go back to stock. ( I don't have the original rims) Paid 7,500.00 compared to 2 doors starting at 25,000 and up for a Satellite, and way more for a Road Runner. I get lots of looks and compliments.
I got a little static for buying a nice 4-door survivor but actually the response is almost all positive. I say I can't see the back doors when I'm enjoying the drive anyway.
@@olneyjt4526 Absolutely, because of the prices of 2 doors and the "popular" cars being absolutely outrageous people are now building 4 door cars and the "Unpopular" cars. Out here in the Southwest/West the mid to late 70's from all of the big 3 are the "HOT" build out here simply because they are a shitload cheaper to buy, sure a 71-72 Malibu/Chevelle is the car everyone wants but you can't even look at a roller for less than 10k but you can buy a running and driving and ready to pass state inspection 74 or 75 Malibu/Chevelle for 3k, 4 doors and Wagons are even cheaper. I bought a 73 Buick Regal (Same body as the Monte Carlo) for $1200 and drove it 50 miles home, after putting new tires and wiper blades on it it passed inspection and and I'm now daily driving it while I fix it. I had the interior professionally detailed because it was in fantasic shape, I cleaned up and repainted some IROC Wheels off a 86 IROC (We think) that my neighbor sold me for $50 for the set of 4 because they were just taking up room in his shop, cleaned the engine bay and rattle can black painted the things in the engine bay that sould be black, cleaned and repainted the engine, oil pain, heads, intake and air cleaner with all new gaskets and cleaned up and sprayed some truck bed liner on the truck floor, it's still needs some work and definately needs a paint job but I don't think I've even hit $2000 total yet and if I have it's certain not much over and I have a REALLY cool daily driver classic/muscle car. 4 dorrs and the mi-late "Smog" cars are going to be what saves the classics and the car hobby but the "Popular" cars have gotten out of reach for most people.
It has been my experience that shady dealers have found the secret: a shiny, undriveable turd sells faster and for more money than a rusty, but mechanically sound driveable car. I'd rather drive a car that has dents and chipped chrome cross country than look at a beautiful paint job with chrome wheels that overheats after 3 minutes of running.
Thanks for your hard and caring work Tony. Some of us younger guys out here are working hard to get out of young and stupid lol, can be hard when you weren’t alive for any of these things. I’ve got a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Holiday. I bought it from my grandmother when papa Jack passed. It has a built olds 350 and built trubo350 trans. And maaannn that big girl looooves you hahaha! -Thanks again
I check the doors(locks, latches, windows up and down) heater, air conditioning, lights, radio,windshield wipers,etc) anything that does not work you have to fix. Love this video.
You can look at an unrestored car like this to find it’s rust prone areas. Then when looking at a pretty painted car (same make and model), look very closely at these areas. Any bubbles, cracks, blistering, wavy lines, etc in those areas are a good clue that the car was a cheap flip repair.
I love 4 doors n wagons most pple like 2 doors n yea 2 doors are sweet certain cars just have to be 2 door ht but a 4 door road barge makes a great sleeper!
Picking up orphan cars is my favorite thing to do. That would be slant six or small V8 cars. Usually sedans, but I think I actually like sedans better. The only thing that stops me is lack of money and space to put them. That Plymouth is beautiful, and they are still cars, and should be driven like normal cars, after all, they were once. A running driving, unrestored car is much more fun than a show car. I love big blocks and tons of power but I would rather have a sedan that gets 24mpg than a 440 powered intermediate to drive every day.
Love older orphan sedans like this, got the right look from the front and back and more seats to take all your friends along for the adventures. I would patch up the small body issues, a $500 special paint job at local paint guy and some black steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps, and daily the hell outta that thing.
I would LOVE to have a slant 6 in anything it came in ( if I could afford $$$ ) I've had 3 or 4 over the yrs. Fav. was a 62 lancer w/ 3 on th tree @ 4 doors ( must have been grandma car it was almost like new!!!!
I got a really good suggestion from an old friend that I'd like to share. When inspecting an automatic car, let it get good and hot, like 20 mins or more, then do a low rpm brake stand in every gear, this is a great way to know for sure if the transmission is going to slip. Thanks for the informative video, as always. Much appreciated.
Thoughts on this...look for puddles under car. Grass hides leaks. check oil, coolant and ps while cold. Look for metal in oil. Look at rotors for grooves. Start it yourself to learn any tricks it needs. After warm, check trans fluid. Gun it and have a buddy look for smoke. Have a buddy verify all lights. Dont put all your faIth in oem wiring....its old enough to go any time. Note steering wheel cocked about 10 deg to keep it straight. This was a 200 dlr car in the 80s. Guessing now its 1200, scaring off many buyers because mpg is probably about 18 on a good day.
I got into flipping 55, 56, and 57 Cadillacs. I'd always buy something somebody else would want. As a seller I would run into several different kinds of buyers. There's the Nitpicker, he just does this to get you down on price. The guy is a bully. There's the guy who's just buying it to flip it. He's just trying to get you down on price. There's the guy that wants it for himself. Recognizes and appreciate flaws, he either wants it or he doesn't. He actually recognizes you. There's The Fanatic, He is a professional restorer. He shows up with cash and will send the guy out with a car carrier to pick it up. He's going to take it back to his shop. He's got money, this is his hobby and he is on a Vision Quest. Don't get out of the boat unless you're going all the way. People are a trip.
I don't like flippers. I would cut the price in half to a kid wanting to fix it up before selling to a flipper.( That's if the right person really wants the car) But that's just me.
Hi Uncle Tony, back in the 70s, my dad went to check out a 74 Dart Swinger for our neighbor, well,dad stepped in dog shit, sits in the car, pushes on the brake pedal, smears it all over the pedal and floor mats, tells our neighbor don't get the car it stinks
Tony keep making these Buying Classic Car videos. Someday your tips will help me to get my dream car, 57'/58' Plymouth Belvedere and not getting ripped off
Great video. It's nice to have a set of oil change ramps, flashlight, and magnet with you . . . but I don't carry those things every day and interesting cars have a way of appearing for sale on people's yards while I'm traveling for some other purpose. One thing you had going for you in this video was obvious, but also something a lot of people overlook--it was a clear, sunny day. That makes it so much easier to see things, both good and bad. If possible, I try to avoid looking at stuff later in the day or if it's raining, snowing, etc.
Ehhh. When you build a hot rod and race engines. That's a different story for someone like me. I like to go fast. lol. Factory suspension is not enough sometimes.
I'm a Die hard Chevy guy. My friends on the dark side, Ford Mopar owners always take me with them when they look at a car. I respect fords and mopars, I have seen the tail lights of both. I show up with my mekanik clothes and loudly announce "I already see the problem. It ain't a Chevy.". The seller hates me, loves my friend, but that's my job.
Great summary of basics. For all others, keep in mind this is a general and overall quickie. Things like tire wear and other things he pointed out could have been "quick fixed'just to make it sellable. There are a lot of car flippers around nowadays, and they're good at making them sellable. Have some money aside for non-obvious. Like he said, "this is how you discover stuff"...using it and driving it and hope you can notice obvious stuff.
Going back to see the ‘84 Nissan because the first time there was an oil leak, that he apparently didn’t know anything about, now he says he fixed it so we’ll see, when I first thought about buying that car I tried coming to uncle tony to see if he had a buying guide, great video!
Man, I used to work with Tony's doppelganger who's named Kurt. I used to go to him for magnum V8 advice. He explains things in a very similar fashion to Tony. Crazy resemblance.
I’ve been buying 60’s and early 70’s Mopars since the 80’s, and the trunk area rust is from leaking rear window seals on a lot of them. The water gets under the trunk mat... and just festers.
and with a name like dripping glass, i am guessing you would know...lol... i have a 66 polara and i cant get in the trunk...key goes in, but wont turn.....other than crawling thru- any advice? is this common? Its possible i have the wrong key too...came this way. btw its a 4 door 383 2b torque flight....67k miles....very nice car
@@drippinglass Hey bud, thanks for the reply..Yes, the 383 purrs like a kitten...quiet and smooth and plenty of pep. car runs and drives like it is brand new,cept the flat spots...i got 4 new white walls on the way.. ( hankook is making a 14" whitewall 58.00 bucks at wallmart!!!) I pulled the back seat and the space I need to crawl through is pretty small and the trunk is aproximately 6 and half miles long,so I bailed...lol...I had a feeling I mite get stuck- need a spotter...lmao....I will likely give it another shot, or the locksmith is getting the call..After the tires the only thing left is a fuel tank replacement ( nicely varnished and a leaker- aint fed her from it yet) ,and a key cylinder for the trunk...other than lower body rust, car is beautiful...if you dig these mopars,i got 20 pics of mine under barter on craiglist Michigan Yooper.. ( upper peninsula) ...shes a beautiful car drives like new...I am likely to keep her ,at least for a season or two...
After watching this, i memorized it and put it to use. This video likely saved me thousands on a few cars i passed over. Thanks UTG! Finally found one thats "honest".
Another great video Uncle Tony ! I am wondering how many times you have told people not to buy a car but they go ahead buy it anyway. I've been a journeyman mechanic for 35 years and it is amazing how many people ask for help with buying cars but in the end don't listen.
If you want to listen to the radio without the key you turn on the hazard lights, step on the brakes and turn on either the left or right signal light. My brother and I discovered that trick while waiting for Mom shopping at Safeway back in 1973.
When I'm looking at a car like that I bring at least spark plug tools and a compression tester. I also like to bring a multimeter and a battery tester as well.
Great video, Tony! You keep raising the bar on educating everyone with your expertise! Keep up the excellent work... been a fan of yours since your magazine days in the 80's!
Bottoms of front fender tend to rot from the inside alot due to organic material build up (leaves and pine needles breaking down with added moisture). I look at these places from the inside of the engine compartment as it is cleaned the least.
The only thing you didn’t check for a daily driver that I personally make sure of opening all the doors. Because my kids haven’t found the puddle they can walk around!
I find this very interesting and impressive. I know very little about classic cars, but I, like many others, have tried to examine regular vehicles prior to a possible purchase. I feel I do ok at that, however, it's interesting to see how much I've missed (usually minor stuff) after a purchase, after it's home and I'm lying underneath or sitting inside it just taking some quiet time and staring at stuff. I can see it takes skill and experience to do such a thorough examine in a short amount of time.
Man what I would do for a 68-70 satellite. Growing up my dad had a 70 satellite 2 door w/383. Prefer a 70 but ill take a range of years even a 4 door. Ive just never run into anything that wasnt to far gone unless I was broke. That car is a great starting point. I hope someone that really has a love for that car gets their hands on it and makes it something special. Thanks for everything uncle tony !!!! You remind me alot of my ol man. I sure miss that guy. He was, for several years, the vice president for the "Hoosier Mopar Association".
Speed Queen, Maytag and Kenmore is as far as you need to look for trunk floor. Old fridges too. Beat some stiffening ribs w/ a ball peen on an old table saw base miter slot and you're good. Cost: Just the MIG wire and gas and grinding wheel and electricity. Seal the seams w/ metal flashing caulk.
In 1995 right before I first started driving I bought a running and driving 1977 Porsche 924 and also a non running but solid body 1979 Porsche 924 and got both of them together for $1,000 and I kept those cars going for years. I did end up removing the fuel injection on the 1977 and just put a carb on it and it carried on as a solid car for years. One of the things when I first got it that had problems was all the wiring had been spliced into like running from the front of the car to the tail lights and yet when I removed all the splicing and repaired all the original wires there were no lighting issues at all. Some people do crazy things like spice into perfectly good wires, and if it's too much of a mess it's best to just start all over with it. On these older cars before computers when you really just had wires running to the lights that isn't the worst job in the world. I'd still take an older vehicle over a brand new one. Been seeing too many new ones broken down after just 2-4 yrs with thousands needed to fix them and repairs only the dealership can do. Then the dealership gets these new hunks of junk as I call them and they have to sit for weeks to months because they can't get the lil computer electronic BS needed to fix them. It won't get any better with EVs hell go look at a nearby insurance auction and look at how many Teslas just sit there with minor body damage yet have been completely totaled out due to not being able to get parts to repair them. Then the rest of us wonder why our insurance rates climb sky high!
At 1:19 "You probably are gonna watch this video, a few times...." I watch every UTG video multiple times. Not only are they entertaining, but there is just so much info I pick up a new nugget of wisdom on each viewing.
Excellente!!! I appreciate these treasures of info...bought a car recently and found out its was 4 sets of tires and a paint job that cover/distracted the many other issues. 🤜🏾🤛🏽
But I would really like to do an NY precinct car from a 88 or 9 diplomat .. all my favourite movies like Death Wish, Warriors, Serpico etc were done in that era and places and those cars just bring me right back to it
@@matakaheru6341 Do you know how impossible it is to find an original squad car? after the 3 or 4 years they were in service they would be almost destroyed. and then the taxi companies would buy what was left of them and take several cars apart to make one good one and keep doing that until they ran out of good cars. The actual original squads that are left I guarantee were kept by the PD as legacy items and is why they are around today and still owned by the state. Many of the cars you see at shows were converted from civilian cars, I never saw that TV show either.
👍Good stuff right here👍Thx “UT”, this channel continues to prove itself & that you sir are just a regular guy trying to help your viewers. We appreciate ya Sir✌️
that's what we like to call rusty but trusty.. good torqueflite trans and 318 seems to be pretty damn good.. definitely above beater stage. one of those project cars you could drive and work on. what was the custom decal across the windshield I couldn't quite read what it was.. it's also cool she in the old school Amber lensed inside lights
Great videos! I was into classic minis for awhile and like mopars they are notorious for rust. One thing I would say for beginners is start with the best structural car you can afford. Rust is a time consuming and money eating problem that just keeps spreading. If you're looking at a DIY project and don't have much experience start with a solid foundation. All the mechanical bits and cosmetic stuff is pretty easy compared to replacing an entire floor.
absolutely agree, i started with a 75 eldorado as a teenager thinking it would be a great project. 2 years later i sent it to the junkyard, the rust was just waaay beyond my abilities and the value of the car didn't justify the amount of work it needed.
The advice I give to anyone is to attempt to buy the best possible car that you can find. If you can't afford that, wait it out until you can. Buying a car that has a proper, documented, restoration is about 50% the price of restoring one. That trickles all the way down into daily drivers too. If you could buy a car like the one in the videos without any rust at all for even 50%-100% more money, you'd be saving thousands in the long run. I'm with you on your opinion of the mechanicals. The absolute worst possible outcome for any car is total drivetrain replacement. Shipped to your house, on a pallet, with a warranty, that's generally not gazillions of dollars, so it only gets better from there. Body work? It generally can only get worse...
Hey that's 1 nice old daily driver , I like how he check for rust , how to check for wear and tear , I also like how he checked all the accessories and every lil detail, uncle Tony is a very wise man , Ppl get stuck with other people junk just because they don't know how to purchase cars. Great video uncle tony !
My stepfather bought a new 1958 Pontiac station wagon, because, as a doctor with a maternity clinic, he sometimes needed to drive to a home and pick up a woman who was in labor. It had the Pontiac Tri-Power setup, although he did not really understand what that meant at the time of purchase. He sold it fairly quickly, as it "went too fast," and used a lot of gas in a very short time.
The only thing you didn't cover, that I would suggest, is checking the level and condition of all of the fluids before you fire it up. Engine oil, radiator, power steering, brake fluid, etc, etc. I've gone to look at several things that were just about completely out of oil.
In all fairness he probably glossed over that step, since it should be checked regardless of what type of vehicle your looking at, think he was more aiming at hitting the key points were problems can be hidden on older cars due to dodgey repairs / neglect.
@@TheBrokenLife I've been doing what Uncle Tony does for a bit longer than he has since my father would take me to his service center when I was a young young kid. I've been helping people buy used cars since 1980. I never look at a car without doing a compression test, even on a car lot. If they don't let me, I presume they're trying to hide something.
@@mikeaguilar7648 To each their own and all of that, but I've never done a compression test on an otherwise fine running engine. I've not been burned yet, but, I guess there's a first time for everything. I also admit, for what I typically pay for my junk, I'm not expecting miracles anyhow. If I were paying big money for a collector car, I can see your side a lot more easily.
Nice instructional video Uncle Tony on what to look for on a car like that. Like you say, that was an Honest car because it didn't have a shiny paint job hiding a nightmare underneath.. Seems like a straight up guy to deal with and glad you saw how bad those tires were and didn't take it on the Interstate. Thanks......
A condition report writer has only 1 job , and that's to check for / frame / uni body damage / prior repairs , then ppr / poor prior repairs , water damage , and structure damage , mismatch tires , and engine starts ,or will not start , and "o d" for mileage,. Nothing can keep a buyer from selling or a buyer from buying the vehicle, it just goes to a separate lane . I wrote 4 restored jaguars up as junk cars for uni body damage .
Dash needs a voltage limiter (something I neglected to mention) Electronic ignition was not available until 72...that was an add on from a previous owner
this car reminds me of my 1994 f150 4x4 its even the same color too. I like cars that are cheap good daily drivers that have a few cosmetic issues but the mechanicals are almost 100%. yeah my truck isn’t the prettiest, but she’s 30 years old but only has 108k miles and runs and drives perfect! I wouldn’t hesitate driving it accross country right now!
I would buy that car for price asked. A daily no, i would not subject it to that. A 727 with lock up yes. Pull all the trim sort the body. Get under it and find all the issues - trunk. Pull the mats, see what you have under them or what you do not have. just go all thru the car fix what needs it. If it's fine leave it that way. The weekend car, use it like that 20 years later it will be fine. But you have got to find all the stuff that needs to be fixed or welded. Spring mounts are a trouble spot, darts dusters belvederes fury 2 and 3 and others. They tacked in on the rail, water gets under it and it all goes soft, then the spring goes into the trunk floor and the car drops on one side. The stress of that will make the other side prone to the same thing. It happened to my '73 dart 318. Torsion bar bushings - new ones. While there clean the bar well removed from car. inspect for cracks, hard to see them. But if you do find cracks, replace them both. They can be found new still. And the list goes on and on. You'll have a nice car when done. At that point it's a family member, not swap and trade bait.
The owners love it when you pick away at the bondo and peel it off.
Hahaha.. like when its just Bondo holding Hands 😅.. ah man, you made the whole bigger.. 😐
@@AtZero138 it gets real classic when the chicken wire starts showing through😜
My dad would always do that. He’d take his pocket knife and cut it out, then tell the seller he can cut it all out if he wanted.
@@jasonm9264 Please! stop that Sir.. that Bondo is for the guy who Doesn't notice it😒.. geez...
@@DontCryAboutIt you gotta use aluminum magnets.
Much respect for Uncle Tony and his wisdom. I like how he doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body. One cool dude! Peace
@@johnpossum556 That's right. He doesn't try to be anyone other than who he really is. His knowledge is what is impressive! I also like his style and he doesn't try to impress anyone in that regard. He just wears a hat, t-shirt, bluejeans and shoes. What else, does a man need to wear anyway? He reminds me of a younger version of my Uncle who also knows what he is talking about when it comes to automobiles. I hope I get the opportunity one day to shake his hand and let him know how much he has helped me learn about cars through his videos. Take care John and I hope you and yours enjoy this day! Peace 🙂
Our Uncle Tony is from New York, and also a Old Punk Rocker, sort of explains a lot of see where I'm coming from, I'm not young, but the older punks in my area Southern California, are very much like Uncle T, Casue being A Douche Bag isn't aloud, my Two Pennies on the floor.. Oi oi oi my brothers..
@@AtZero138 I hear ya. I'm in my early 40's and if I had to guess I would say he is about 10 years older than me. Fortunately, I had a decent childhood and grew up in the Southeastern USA. The music was cool and I listened to punk and thrash metal for the most part. When the early 90's came around, grunge exploded as you know. I miss that time in life and I'm really thankful that I grew up when I did. Peace
I second that.
@@AtZero138 I'm an old school LA punk too...I can relate. Those who are cool, have nothing to prove...
Always bring a buddy. My friends have found all kinds of things that escaped my notice.
A friend can also follow behind you to see stuff you can't see while test driving it.
@@aramondehasashi3324 Oh Hell yeah.. ever seen a Classic Dog Legging or Tracking side ways.. it will feel like the alignment is off, but it's actually the rear end has some how misaligned.. Buddy system Always..
yes very important! all my friends asked me to look at cars... mostly bc i did this for a living...had a classic car dealership when i was 21 y/o back in the 80's... Back then it was a lot more fun to do this lol
Find someone to bring with a skeptical and investigative nature. A friend or companion along can influence you to buy something you may be siding towards avoiding! Side note, that steering wheel just doesn't fit that car!😄
Also: Never forget not to have a bath or shower for several months, to grow a scraggly beard and wear your local tramp's clothes when you go to see the car. These guys are the worlds best con men ever.
My daily is a ‘68 Satellite 4 door, got it from a 96 year old woman.
Factory 383.
Nice find! Even if its a 2 barrel car,it's a big block a slick rebuild mild mannered 383 and have a low 12 second 1/4 mile daily driver with 3.23 gears that's tame,low compression,pump gas it is and has been done! My buddy is a damn good engine builder,he does my engines and they all run 12.0's and quicker with 3.23 gearing and street tires...A few are strokers a few not,I usually test them for him as I am a animal with my cars! If they hold up with me,he knows he can sell them to his customers lol..
Remember they had 3 different 383's..the 2bbl was lower compression different heads/cam etc than the 383 4bbl that used single or duel exhaust,then the high performance 383 4bbl Magnum/Super Commando don't know what Chrysler called it in their C bodies but anyways,the 383 4bbl had 330 hp ,410 torque vs 383high performance 335 hp with 425 torque (yes it made more than that) it had better heads,camshaft for sure I know..They also had 3 different 440's..440 4bbl holley carb non h.p,the 440 TNT,Magnum,Super Commando and the 69-71 440 6 bbl (and the few 72 6bbl that snuck out)..
Anyways that's a sweet ride in 2bbl,or 4bbl!! ?Sorry for the babble you got me going...
01trsmar
It’s the 2 bbl.
All big block Mopars had the 906 heads in 1968, including the 383 2bbl.
The “confusion” comes from Plymouth ad guys saying the Road Runner had “440” heads.
The Road Runner had a different cam, pistons and valve springs.
All 383’s had the same forged crank.
Nice. I had a 66 Fury four door that I used as a "nice weather" daily (Ie, it went away at the slightest hint it might rain or snow) for about 4 years. That had the poly 318, not a big block, but it got along fine. It wasn't a bad daily for what it was. Kept up with modern traffic, 75-80 MPH on the freeway just fine. I ended up selling it because my commute got extended by several hundred miles a week, and 12 MPG and an hour commute don't mix. It was a fun car though. I loved how many thumbs up I got. I miss that. It wasn't an unreliable vehicle either. People always say "oh old cars make horrible dailies because they always break down". Not true. Not once did I get stuck on the side of the road in the 4 years I owned that car. I got stuck only one time- in a fast food parking lot with a dead battery- but that could happen to a new car too. I made a point to change the oil every 3k, to put in an ethanol treatment to prevent damage from the E10 fuel, changed the transmission fluid every 30K, changed the coolant out every year, greased the chassis every other oil change, adjusted points every oil change, changed brake fluid once every year ( Previous owner converted to power disc up front). If you don't take care of your car, it won't take care of you.
@@DontCryAboutIt ,I'd say that claim was dubious at best.
Awesome.. being understated is my hahaha life project.. in my life, My Girl has the twin of my Car.. Both California Cars 68 Dodge Dart model 270, both had Slant6.. except mine is now a 318.. drive them everyday.. not perfect, but driven, and nothing's more fun then Passing some body who didn't know the old granny Car with White Walls and a single flowmaster just put you in the rear view.. Peace..
I'm the guy people normally bring with them to look at something like that. I scrutinize every part I know to.... But even after watching Uncle Tony I've learned more. I've went with people to look at a car who were enamored by a nice paint job. I've seen so many people get sucked into buying junk because of a shiny paint job. Even with my knowledge of vintage stuff, i always bring a vehicle savvy friend with me. Sometimes that extra pair of eyes will catch what yours wont..
Like my mother always told me not everything that shines is gold !
Good point.I bought my 1960 Studebaker because it had a pretty nice paint job.Once I had it,I looked at it a bit harder and I found that there was 'fuckery afoot',lol.
Jerry Navarro Lol I can hear her saying it !
What you said, so true! I bought an 04 Grand Am, clear coat was pretty much gone, but looked ok, not really pretty. Mechanically, it would go anywhere with no issues at all! In this case, pretty paint job car and weak mechanically, or weak paint and strong mechanically? No brainer decision!
I love This channel, but today is the first time I learned, that car with lots of visible damage, doors, and wipers that dont work, with steering wheel thats at an angle to drive it straight, misfire, weak braking,striped roof, crocked hood, rusted back window frame, deadly tires is an honest car :)
All joke aside, I would love if I could repair this things like You do. For You this is probably awesome car that will be in very nice state in no time at all.
No fluid checks? I always like to check the oil and coolant to make sure they’re separate. And trans fluid to make sure it doesn’t smell too burnt. Very informative video tho. Definitely learned a lot.
The crafty ones will change the fluids and not run the engine.
@@Nsixtyfourlink true but you can “tell” the difference in color and viscosity of brand new vs clean used. If it looks too new, walk away.
Tony, you’re the last of a dying breed. Thank you for sharing your wisdom
Not a dying breed. I’m learning from these guys and sending it to my little guys. Great work men.
Not a dying breed, I see alot of comments from kids, I call them kids because I'm 50, that watch these video's. I used to worry about where the direction of classic car building was going but over the last several years and watching these video's and just paying attention to things around me I see alot of kids getting into these classic car daily drivers. out here in the Southwest and West I see alot of classics being driven by high school and college kids. I have a community college just down the street from my shop and the parking lot is about a 50/50 mix of daily driver classics and the "beater" cars.
The bit about honest damage vs 'too perfect' really made me rethink all the times I felt like I missed out on the "perfect" car buy. Great mentality. Thank you.
Tony didn't mention it in the video but the main cause of trunk floor rust was due to the rear window channel rusting out first. The two go hand in hand and it's common on GM and Ford products as well. It can be dangerous in a fastback Mustang especially if you smoke seeing the top of the gas tank served as the trunk floor.
Yeah, and people flipped out on the Pinto because part of the filler neck went through the trunk to the tank under the trunk. (had a '66 coupe)
I saw a Dodge Dart get rear ended that had just parked, the occupants were so lucky in that they were about 10 ft from it, walking away. Huge fireball and would not have been survivable had they been in it. I always watched my 6:00 after that in the 'Stang.
@tomdavidson9939 stangs had over 40k + people burnt death from its cheap drop in fuel tanks worst were the fastback tank would rupture from rear hit & slosh into passenger compartment & explode
Ford kept things quiet paying out insurance settlements
To keep it's cash cow rolling
But killed many people due to its cheapo design flaw
I just bought a 73 Lincoln Continental Mk IV site unseen about 2 months ago. Got it from a really good friend of mine, so I trusted him. Was his dad's car and it sat for about 2 years after his dad passed away. He told me to tow it but I'm stubborn. The hour drive on the freeway back home on the maiden voyage was sketchy with the tires and not knowing how the suspension was. It's a miracle it made it home, but slowly getting it road worthy again.
Can't believe I ran across this,Seth.
@@bobsisson7849 woah that's crazy. Kinda cool though 😎
12:30 it's hilarious how beautiful the paint is under the trunk lid compared to the exterior of the car, this is so much fun looking at a completely honest vehicle. Thanks for the tour uncle Tony!
I bet an afternoon with some compound would have that car shiny again!
doghearder nah that paint is 50 years old and is sunbleached to hell , needs a new paint job
When I was about 14 or 15 I learned all of this by watching people come and look at old cars for sale at a shop I worked at, they'd bring a fridge magnet with fishing line tied to it to look for bondo watching old farmers taught me alot about what to look for
You and your buddy did a great instructional course, practical information that will serve a buyer well. Do NOT get emotionally attached; buying cars is a lot like dating: You know it's going to cost you something but is it going to be worth it?
Cool regular-guy neighborhood, too.
Good analogy!
I was taking notes as the video was playing.Good advice again,Uncle T!
A car is better than a date, car isn't going to f@ck your friends
I would agree with you on most of that statement, however there is the occasional once or twice in a lifetime opportunities that would be with cars and women, maybe you run across your ultimate dream car and the first one you have seen for sale that is in your budget and I say unless it's a steaming pile of dogshit go for it, because in my case I can fix about anything and I like fixing up cars , now lets get to the dating of a woman, same thing in my opinion, every so often you get the opportunity to let's call it date a woman who is clearly above your pay grade, and again I say go for it, because life is to short to pass up great memories, you just have to keep it in prospective and only ""date"" her as you put it.. I would prefer calling it what it is, but I will keep uncle tony's family friendly as I'm sure he would like.. so you see in my opinion their are always exceptions to the rules in life...
@@mikehoncho9344 😂 You fuckin' A right about that.
So nice to see a solid original car. Living in Wisconsin, it’s almost unheard of, unless it’s sat in a barn or garage for the last 30 years.
Salting the roads in winter makes for fewer solid classics.
I love your lack of an intro or outro, nothing more pleasing than the video going to the last second then “that’s it, see you tomorrow” to end off with. I think this goes for any car, old or new
The outro is usually to give people time to leave a thumbs up after the videdo is over. I think a short outro would be good.
When looking for my dream car I finally came across one 315 Miles away from me. It was one of the best car buying experiences I had. Guy had it on a lift so I can easily inspect it and the keys to test drive it.
It was an honest car and the previous owner wasn't shy about it. So I was far more comfortable with the purchase.
All Im saying is that I got lucky. Uncle Tony's advice is pure gold for someone looking for that one special car.
There are still honest people in this world. The 2 people I normally avoid buying a car from are Mechanics and Car flippers, Mechanics don't have time to work on their own stuff and just fix stuff when it breaks and Car flippers will fix stuff but they will fix it the cheapest way possible and try to say nothings wrong with it when it's got half the hardware aisle from Wal Mart on it to get it running.
Thank you Benny for letting Tony use the car to show everyone How its done. Tony, You did very well. Pretty much how I would do it. Please keep up the good work. Jesus loves you both.
LOVE THE WAY THAT TONY IS READING BRAILLE ON THE FLOORS
Solid advice. If Im setting up a meeting I will ask the seller not to run the car/bike beforehand, and that I want to start it from cold. I also inspect all the fluids before cold starting. If anything feels shady TRUST YOUR GUT, don't get attached/be prepared to walk away.
yep, beware of the "Has fresh oil/transmission fluid change" guy for the most part, that's shady signal #1, if your just selling a car why would spend the money changing the fluid if there wasn't something going on because that's something that adds no money to it on the back end. If the oil and tranny fluid don't have atleast a couple hundred miles on it after a fluid change that sets off my spidey senses.
Tony, I would add that you should check to see if the parking lights, low beams, high beams turn signals and the hazard lights all work. That would show me there was no hidden electrical problems that will come up later.
Went a couple years ago to go look a 76 d200 2wd, 400 auto for a pulling truck for the wife’s horse trailer
Truck looked absolutely great, ran great, interior was very good. Price was right and was about to pull the trigger when I saw a bit of rust by my left foot driver side. Pulled the carpet back and there was almost no floor! Buddy swore he knew nothing about it.
Bought a 95 3500 v10
Tony, thank you for making these, it really helps! Oh, and for the record: your wife is the most patient, sweetest and "best sidekick a man can get" camerawoman on this planet!
I never like buying any car where the owner has already started it before I get there. I like to start it myself from cold.
i know what you mean, i once call a guy about a honda 750 and asked him not to start the bike before i got there and he said ok, well i showed up and hour early and when i got there it was sitting in the driveway running, needless to said i turn around and left
never thought about checking basics like windshield wipers, then I bought my C5.. the dealership did good replacing high dollar stuff, BCM, Seat memory module, AC compressor and re filled the system, then driving home in the rain, no wipers, no horn :(
check the basics if you're gonna use it as a work, daily driver !
Another little thing...
We used to call the little Pentastar on the passenger side fender a repaint indicator.
Most body shops didn’t bother to mask it or remove it.
On many cars in this condition, you can buy yourself lots of time by cleaning the trunk floor rust with a wire wheel, and getting all the loose pieces of rust out...Then paint the entire trunk floor and wheel housings with a quart of POR-15 paint...It dries epoxy hard and won't allow any further rust to happen...You can put off any sheet metal replacement for years if necessary.
Except for that big giant hole where you can see the grass on the ground. POR-15 isn't going to seal that one.
@@slayer5813 No it won't seal any holes, but it'll prevent more holes.
If it is epoxy, epoxy will let in water to the metal. If it is anhygroscopic, that's something different.
With the prices of coupes of this era off the charts, a good solid sedan is a great alternative for those who like the classics, but don't want to pay top dollar for a Road Runner, Charger, Super Bee Coronet, etc. Even a wagon is a cool option.
Oct 2018, I got a 68, 4 door survivor just like this one (in much better shape). 318 automatic, all original, (air conditioning was removed by someone, but I have all the parts) no rust, just under 80,000 miles. I replaced missing or dried out rubber bumpers under the hood, license plate etc. I put all new exhaust, new rear bumper (old one was dented) I'm having front end steering parts all replaced, (have the parts, just waiting on a back ordered steering gear box. and I will get the front seat re-upholstered in the original fabric (which is available through SMS auto fabrics) Original has a couple small rips from old age on the left side and the foam is broken down a little. Original California car. I have the owners manual with the original owners name and found the build sheet under the front seat springs. Someone put Craiger's on it and wide tires, but I do have the original hub caps so it could go back to stock. ( I don't have the original rims) Paid 7,500.00 compared to 2 doors starting at 25,000 and up for a Satellite, and way more for a Road Runner. I get lots of looks and compliments.
Hell i prefer wagons anymore
I got a little static for buying a nice 4-door survivor but actually the response is almost all positive. I say I can't see the back doors when I'm enjoying the drive anyway.
@@olneyjt4526 Absolutely, because of the prices of 2 doors and the "popular" cars being absolutely outrageous people are now building 4 door cars and the "Unpopular" cars. Out here in the Southwest/West the mid to late 70's from all of the big 3 are the "HOT" build out here simply because they are a shitload cheaper to buy, sure a 71-72 Malibu/Chevelle is the car everyone wants but you can't even look at a roller for less than 10k but you can buy a running and driving and ready to pass state inspection 74 or 75 Malibu/Chevelle for 3k, 4 doors and Wagons are even cheaper. I bought a 73 Buick Regal (Same body as the Monte Carlo) for $1200 and drove it 50 miles home, after putting new tires and wiper blades on it it passed inspection and and I'm now daily driving it while I fix it. I had the interior professionally detailed because it was in fantasic shape, I cleaned up and repainted some IROC Wheels off a 86 IROC (We think) that my neighbor sold me for $50 for the set of 4 because they were just taking up room in his shop, cleaned the engine bay and rattle can black painted the things in the engine bay that sould be black, cleaned and repainted the engine, oil pain, heads, intake and air cleaner with all new gaskets and cleaned up and sprayed some truck bed liner on the truck floor, it's still needs some work and definately needs a paint job but I don't think I've even hit $2000 total yet and if I have it's certain not much over and I have a REALLY cool daily driver classic/muscle car. 4 dorrs and the mi-late "Smog" cars are going to be what saves the classics and the car hobby but the "Popular" cars have gotten out of reach for most people.
It has been my experience that shady dealers have found the secret: a shiny, undriveable turd sells faster and for more money than a rusty, but mechanically sound driveable car. I'd rather drive a car that has dents and chipped chrome cross country than look at a beautiful paint job with chrome wheels that overheats after 3 minutes of running.
Except that overheating is cheap and easy to fix. Dents, rust, and shitty paint are not cheap and easy to fix.
@@01Z06guy nah
Thanks for your hard and caring work Tony. Some of us younger guys out here are working hard to get out of young and stupid lol, can be hard when you weren’t alive for any of these things.
I’ve got a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Holiday. I bought it from my grandmother when papa Jack passed. It has a built olds 350 and built trubo350 trans. And maaannn that big girl looooves you hahaha!
-Thanks again
I check the doors(locks, latches, windows up and down) heater, air conditioning, lights, radio,windshield wipers,etc) anything that does not work you have to fix. Love this video.
That Plymouth is beautiful. I can see a mopar in my future after the chevelle is done.
You can look at an unrestored car like this to find it’s rust prone areas. Then when looking at a pretty painted car (same make and model), look very closely at these areas. Any bubbles, cracks, blistering, wavy lines, etc in those areas are a good clue that the car was a cheap flip repair.
I've been "googling" slant 6 blocks to do a build along with the 2 Mooks. Still might. Thanks for all the hard work, Uncle Kathy.
Uncle Kathy is the glue that holds everything together, its no secret.
Did you?
Once you replace the probably rusted-out battery tray and add hold downs, you'll also have a nice spare bungee cord!
Lol every old school guy 1/4 of a smoke left telling ya stuff you need to know not taking a single puff
I love 4 doors n wagons most pple like 2 doors n yea 2 doors are sweet certain cars just have to be 2 door ht but a 4 door road barge makes a great sleeper!
I agree 100%!👍😎
Road Barge. Instead of Road Runner. That's a good one.
I’d turn it into an Adam 12 replica, great candidate all it needs is body work, some 4 slit steelies and dog dishes with a b/w paint job.
My old man was a GM guy but still miss him haha love you pops
Come for the video, stay for the comments, both are outstanding.
Nice car I'm with you if it was mine id take all after market crap off
i must say i like the wheels and tars. next, the "crap" wood stay on, pleez!
Picking up orphan cars is my favorite thing to do. That would be slant six or small V8 cars. Usually sedans, but I think I actually like sedans better. The only thing that stops me is lack of money and space to put them.
That Plymouth is beautiful, and they are still cars, and should be driven like normal cars, after all, they were once. A running driving, unrestored car is much more fun than a show car. I love big blocks and tons of power but I would rather have a sedan that gets 24mpg than a 440 powered intermediate to drive every day.
Love older orphan sedans like this, got the right look from the front and back and more seats to take all your friends along for the adventures.
I would patch up the small body issues, a $500 special paint job at local paint guy and some black steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps, and daily the hell outta that thing.
I would LOVE to have a slant 6 in anything it came in ( if I could afford $$$ ) I've had 3 or 4 over the yrs. Fav. was a 62 lancer w/ 3 on th tree @ 4 doors ( must have been grandma car it was almost like new!!!!
Do you have a website?
I got a really good suggestion from an old friend that I'd like to share. When inspecting an automatic car, let it get good and hot, like 20 mins or more, then do a low rpm brake stand in every gear, this is a great way to know for sure if the transmission is going to slip.
Thanks for the informative video, as always. Much appreciated.
I absolutely love you and your videos, Tony. It's plainly obvious you are a great guy and super informative. Take care!
Thoughts on this...look for puddles under car. Grass hides leaks. check oil, coolant and ps while cold. Look for metal in oil. Look at rotors for grooves. Start it yourself to learn any tricks it needs. After warm, check trans fluid. Gun it and have a buddy look for smoke. Have a buddy verify all lights. Dont put all your faIth in oem wiring....its old enough to go any time. Note steering wheel cocked about 10 deg to keep it straight. This was a 200 dlr car in the 80s. Guessing now its 1200, scaring off many buyers because mpg is probably about 18 on a good day.
I got into flipping 55, 56, and 57 Cadillacs. I'd always buy something somebody else would want. As a seller I would run into several different kinds of buyers.
There's the Nitpicker, he just does this to get you down on price.
The guy is a bully. There's the guy who's just buying it to flip it. He's just trying to get you down on price. There's the guy that wants it for himself. Recognizes and appreciate flaws, he either wants it or he doesn't. He actually recognizes you. There's The Fanatic, He is a professional restorer. He shows up with cash and will send the guy out with a car carrier to pick it up. He's going to take it back to his shop.
He's got money, this is his hobby and he is on a Vision Quest.
Don't get out of the boat unless you're going all the way.
People are a trip.
I don't like flippers. I would cut the price in half to a kid wanting to fix it up before selling to a flipper.( That's if the right person really wants the car) But that's just me.
Hi Uncle Tony, back in the 70s, my dad went to check out a 74 Dart Swinger for our neighbor, well,dad stepped in dog shit, sits in the car, pushes on the brake pedal, smears it all over the pedal and floor mats, tells our neighbor don't get the car it stinks
Take a hard left turn and see if you can put the battery into the fan while blowing out the tires. Looks like bungee cord hold down for the battery.
Nice car good shape for a 68 . Nice peacefull way to check a car out how to keep things in perspective after all it 50 years old
My favorite is when they say the car has never been wrecked. Then you look down the side and it looks like it has bells palzi.
A friend of mine calls them friendly cars because it has a lot of vaves
Do you mean Bell’s Palsy?
I literally laughed out loud. Effin' awesome comment.
If that car was a two door I think i would be in LOVE!!
Tony keep making these Buying Classic Car videos. Someday your tips will help me to get my dream car, 57'/58' Plymouth Belvedere and not getting ripped off
Great video. It's nice to have a set of oil change ramps, flashlight, and magnet with you . . . but I don't carry those things every day and interesting cars have a way of appearing for sale on people's yards while I'm traveling for some other purpose. One thing you had going for you in this video was obvious, but also something a lot of people overlook--it was a clear, sunny day. That makes it so much easier to see things, both good and bad. If possible, I try to avoid looking at stuff later in the day or if it's raining, snowing, etc.
I hate seeing classic cars with chrome wheels, crazy paint jobs/suspension, I like the cars on how they looked when they came from the factory
Same, rather have subtle modifications if any at all. Nothing obnoxious or obvious. Things only a true enthusiast would notice.
Ehhh. When you build a hot rod and race engines. That's a different story for someone like me. I like to go fast. lol. Factory suspension is not enough sometimes.
hate it or not at least its some guy still keeping one on the road
Me to but i also like cutting laps soo.
I concur!
When your looking at a nice car sometimes the excitement can get the better of you. That's why I always bring a friend who has some knowledge as well
I'm a Die hard Chevy guy. My friends on the dark side, Ford Mopar owners always take me with them when they look at a car. I respect fords and mopars, I have seen the tail lights of both.
I show up with my mekanik clothes and loudly announce
"I already see the problem. It ain't a Chevy.".
The seller hates me, loves my friend, but that's my job.
"radd-iator" lol. great video!
Us east coasters call it a rad e ator. West coasters call it a ray de ator.
Great summary of basics. For all others, keep in mind this is a general and overall quickie. Things like tire wear and other things he pointed out could have been "quick fixed'just to make it sellable. There are a lot of car flippers around nowadays, and they're good at making them sellable. Have some money aside for non-obvious. Like he said, "this is how you discover stuff"...using it and driving it and hope you can notice obvious stuff.
Going back to see the ‘84 Nissan because the first time there was an oil leak, that he apparently didn’t know anything about, now he says he fixed it so we’ll see, when I first thought about buying that car I tried coming to uncle tony to see if he had a buying guide, great video!
Man, I used to work with Tony's doppelganger who's named Kurt. I used to go to him for magnum V8 advice. He explains things in a very similar fashion to Tony. Crazy resemblance.
I’ve been buying 60’s and early 70’s Mopars since the 80’s, and the trunk area rust is from leaking rear window seals on a lot of them.
The water gets under the trunk mat... and just festers.
Also the mat between the top of the gas tank and underneath the trunk floor helps speed up the rot process.
and with a name like dripping glass, i am guessing you would know...lol... i have a 66 polara and i cant get in the trunk...key goes in, but wont turn.....other than crawling thru- any advice? is this common? Its possible i have the wrong key too...came this way.
btw its a 4 door 383 2b torque flight....67k miles....very nice car
lucky haskins Get a long flat blade screwdriver. You can open it if you remove the back seat. Then just replace the key mechanism with another one.
@@drippinglass Hey bud, thanks for the reply..Yes, the 383 purrs like a kitten...quiet and smooth and plenty of pep. car runs and drives like it is brand new,cept the flat spots...i got 4 new white walls on the way.. ( hankook is making a 14" whitewall 58.00 bucks at wallmart!!!) I pulled the back seat and the space I need to crawl through is pretty small and the trunk is aproximately 6 and half miles long,so I bailed...lol...I had a feeling I mite get stuck- need a spotter...lmao....I will likely give it another shot, or the locksmith is getting the call..After the tires the only thing left is a fuel tank replacement ( nicely varnished and a leaker- aint fed her from it yet) ,and a key cylinder for the trunk...other than lower body rust, car is beautiful...if you dig these mopars,i got 20 pics of mine under barter on craiglist Michigan Yooper.. ( upper peninsula) ...shes a beautiful car drives like new...I am likely to keep her ,at least for a season or two...
After watching this, i memorized it and put it to use. This video likely saved me thousands on a few cars i passed over. Thanks UTG! Finally found one thats "honest".
Another great video Uncle Tony ! I am wondering how many times you have told people not to buy a car but they go ahead buy it anyway. I've been a journeyman mechanic for 35 years and it is amazing how many people ask for help with buying cars but in the end don't listen.
They're known as Ask-holes
Uncle Tony's Garage ... “perfume pick “now “ ask holes”... words of wisdom just keep coming from Uncle Tony..😂😂..
If you want to listen to the radio without the key you turn on the hazard lights, step on the brakes and turn on either the left or right signal light.
My brother and I discovered that trick while waiting for Mom shopping at Safeway back in 1973.
When I'm looking at a car like that I bring at least spark plug tools and a compression tester. I also like to bring a multimeter and a battery tester as well.
Bring a vacuum gauge and skip both.
cab drivers who owned their own cars loved the 318 automatic satalite. really worked good, effieient and long lasting.
I like the floor shift on a four door. More door Mopars have always looked cool to me.
Great video, Tony! You keep raising the bar on educating everyone with your expertise! Keep up the excellent work... been a fan of yours since your magazine days in the 80's!
I noticed the mint, uncracked, 68 dashpad.
Bottoms of front fender tend to rot from the inside alot due to organic material build up (leaves and pine needles breaking down with added moisture). I look at these places from the inside of the engine compartment as it is cleaned the least.
The only thing you didn’t check for a daily driver that I personally make sure of opening all the doors. Because my kids haven’t found the puddle they can walk around!
UTG consistently proves one of the top channels on TH-cam. Recommend you pay him to look over any classic cars you feel serious enough to purchase
i see your closing in on the 100k sub mark! been here since the 40’s keep it up uncle T!
I find this very interesting and impressive. I know very little about classic cars, but I, like many others, have tried to examine regular vehicles prior to a possible purchase.
I feel I do ok at that,
however, it's interesting to see how much I've missed (usually minor stuff) after a purchase, after it's home and I'm lying underneath or sitting inside it just taking some quiet time and staring at stuff.
I can see it takes skill and experience to do such a thorough examine in a short amount of time.
Top Gun Uncle Tony. This is a great guide to those like me that will be in the market for a classic pretty soon.
Man what I would do for a 68-70 satellite. Growing up my dad had a 70 satellite 2 door w/383. Prefer a 70 but ill take a range of years even a 4 door. Ive just never run into anything that wasnt to far gone unless I was broke.
That car is a great starting point. I hope someone that really has a love for that car gets their hands on it and makes it something special.
Thanks for everything uncle tony !!!! You remind me alot of my ol man. I sure miss that guy. He was, for several years, the vice president for the "Hoosier Mopar Association".
Awesome unc up early
Cut the roof panel from a van, it'll make you a good trunk floor.
Speed Queen, Maytag and Kenmore is as far as you need to look for trunk floor. Old fridges too.
Beat some stiffening ribs w/ a ball peen on an old table saw base miter slot and you're good.
Cost: Just the MIG wire and gas and grinding wheel and electricity. Seal the seams w/ metal flashing caulk.
Thanks Uncle Tony, great info. My search for a classic continues. I've learned a lot from watching your channel.
uncle tony really knows his mopars , awesome
In 1995 right before I first started driving I bought a running and driving 1977 Porsche 924 and also a non running but solid body 1979 Porsche 924 and got both of them together for $1,000 and I kept those cars going for years. I did end up removing the fuel injection on the 1977 and just put a carb on it and it carried on as a solid car for years. One of the things when I first got it that had problems was all the wiring had been spliced into like running from the front of the car to the tail lights and yet when I removed all the splicing and repaired all the original wires there were no lighting issues at all. Some people do crazy things like spice into perfectly good wires, and if it's too much of a mess it's best to just start all over with it. On these older cars before computers when you really just had wires running to the lights that isn't the worst job in the world. I'd still take an older vehicle over a brand new one. Been seeing too many new ones broken down after just 2-4 yrs with thousands needed to fix them and repairs only the dealership can do. Then the dealership gets these new hunks of junk as I call them and they have to sit for weeks to months because they can't get the lil computer electronic BS needed to fix them. It won't get any better with EVs hell go look at a nearby insurance auction and look at how many Teslas just sit there with minor body damage yet have been completely totaled out due to not being able to get parts to repair them. Then the rest of us wonder why our insurance rates climb sky high!
At 1:19 "You probably are gonna watch this video, a few times...." I watch every UTG video multiple times. Not only are they entertaining, but there is just so much info I pick up a new nugget of wisdom on each viewing.
Excellente!!! I appreciate these treasures of info...bought a car recently and found out its was 4 sets of tires and a paint job that cover/distracted the many other issues. 🤜🏾🤛🏽
Thank -you.
This is walk through, is the video I need to see.
As always, great video.
That'd be a perfect car to do a CHP squad car replica from
But I would really like to do an NY precinct car from a 88 or 9 diplomat .. all my favourite movies like Death Wish, Warriors, Serpico etc were done in that era and places and those cars just bring me right back to it
shoominati23 also look, at one of the older Law and Order TV show intros .
Don't turn that into an Adam 12 replica. So many of those already exist buy one that is already done and stop ruining the ones that are left.
@@matakaheru6341 Do you know how impossible it is to find an original squad car? after the 3 or 4 years they were in service they would be almost destroyed. and then the taxi companies would buy what was left of them and take several cars apart to make one good one and keep doing that until they ran out of good cars. The actual original squads that are left I guarantee were kept by the PD as legacy items and is why they are around today and still owned by the state. Many of the cars you see at shows were converted from civilian cars, I never saw that TV show either.
👍Good stuff right here👍Thx “UT”, this channel continues to prove itself & that you sir are just a regular guy trying to help your viewers.
We appreciate ya Sir✌️
that's what we like to call rusty but trusty..
good torqueflite trans and 318 seems to be pretty damn good..
definitely above beater stage.
one of those project cars you could drive and work on.
what was the custom decal across the windshield I couldn't quite read what it was..
it's also cool she in the old school Amber lensed inside lights
Trucker Kev The Paid Tourist Windshield says “sweet southern trouble”.
@@blueslurker1 oh okay..👍
Great videos! I was into classic minis for awhile and like mopars they are notorious for rust. One thing I would say for beginners is start with the best structural car you can afford. Rust is a time consuming and money eating problem that just keeps spreading. If you're looking at a DIY project and don't have much experience start with a solid foundation. All the mechanical bits and cosmetic stuff is pretty easy compared to replacing an entire floor.
absolutely agree, i started with a 75 eldorado as a teenager thinking it would be a great project. 2 years later i sent it to the junkyard, the rust was just waaay beyond my abilities and the value of the car didn't justify the amount of work it needed.
The advice I give to anyone is to attempt to buy the best possible car that you can find. If you can't afford that, wait it out until you can. Buying a car that has a proper, documented, restoration is about 50% the price of restoring one. That trickles all the way down into daily drivers too. If you could buy a car like the one in the videos without any rust at all for even 50%-100% more money, you'd be saving thousands in the long run.
I'm with you on your opinion of the mechanicals. The absolute worst possible outcome for any car is total drivetrain replacement. Shipped to your house, on a pallet, with a warranty, that's generally not gazillions of dollars, so it only gets better from there. Body work? It generally can only get worse...
Hey that's 1 nice old daily driver , I like how he check for rust , how to check for wear and tear , I also like how he checked all the accessories and every lil detail, uncle Tony is a very wise man , Ppl get stuck with other people junk just because they don't know how to purchase cars. Great video uncle tony !
Videos like this are going to save a lot of people, a lot of time, money, and headaches. Be thankful people bb
perfect daily driver , be a good hobby car something to tinker on rather than watching the BS on tv. ps you have a cool freind
I would also check the fluids, open all doors and windows, and check all lights and blinkers.
My daily driver is a 68 cutlass supreme.
My stepfather bought a new 1958 Pontiac station wagon, because, as a doctor with a maternity clinic, he sometimes needed to drive to a home and pick up a woman who was in labor. It had the Pontiac Tri-Power setup, although he did not really understand what that meant at the time of purchase. He sold it fairly quickly, as it "went too fast," and used a lot of gas in a very short time.
this is very important video. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. looking before you buy is very wise.
thanks for showing me the ins and outs of buying a classic car. i went from looking into a saab 900 project to a 1982 gmc caballero
The only thing you didn't cover, that I would suggest, is checking the level and condition of all of the fluids before you fire it up. Engine oil, radiator, power steering, brake fluid, etc, etc. I've gone to look at several things that were just about completely out of oil.
I was also surprised with no compression test.
@@mikeaguilar7648 That would be a little overkill when just standing on a stranger's front yard, IMO. Plus, it seemed to run fine.
In all fairness he probably glossed over that step, since it should be checked regardless of what type of vehicle your looking at, think he was more aiming at hitting the key points were problems can be hidden on older cars due to dodgey repairs / neglect.
@@TheBrokenLife I've been doing what Uncle Tony does for a bit longer than he has since my father would take me to his service center when I was a young young kid. I've been helping people buy used cars since 1980. I never look at a car without doing a compression test, even on a car lot. If they don't let me, I presume they're trying to hide something.
@@mikeaguilar7648 To each their own and all of that, but I've never done a compression test on an otherwise fine running engine. I've not been burned yet, but, I guess there's a first time for everything. I also admit, for what I typically pay for my junk, I'm not expecting miracles anyhow. If I were paying big money for a collector car, I can see your side a lot more easily.
Nice instructional video Uncle Tony on what to look for on a car like that. Like you say, that was an Honest car because it didn't have a shiny paint job hiding a nightmare underneath.. Seems like a straight up guy to deal with and glad you saw how bad those tires were and didn't take it on the Interstate. Thanks......
A condition report writer has only 1 job , and that's to check for / frame / uni body damage / prior repairs , then ppr / poor prior repairs , water damage , and structure damage , mismatch tires , and engine starts ,or will not start , and "o d" for mileage,. Nothing can keep a buyer from selling or a buyer from buying the vehicle, it just goes to a separate lane . I wrote 4 restored jaguars up as junk cars for uni body damage .
Things you only learn through time and experience. Tricks of the trade but for the buyer NOT the seller! Thank you Zio Tony!👍😁
Temp gauge didn't move, but it does have optional solid state ignition! Nice old ride.
Dash needs a voltage limiter (something I neglected to mention) Electronic ignition was not available until 72...that was an add on from a previous owner
Had gauges down on the floor. Dash gauges bypassed, I assumed.
this car reminds me of my 1994 f150 4x4 its even the same color too. I like cars that are cheap good daily drivers that have a few cosmetic issues but the mechanicals are almost 100%. yeah my truck isn’t the prettiest, but she’s 30 years old but only has 108k miles and runs and drives perfect! I wouldn’t hesitate driving it accross country right now!
I would buy that car for price asked. A daily no, i would not subject it to that. A 727 with lock up yes. Pull all the trim sort the body. Get under it and find all the issues - trunk. Pull the mats, see what you have under them or what you do not have. just go all thru the car fix what needs it.
If it's fine leave it that way. The weekend car, use it like that 20 years later it will be fine. But you have got to find all the stuff that needs
to be fixed or welded. Spring mounts are a trouble spot, darts dusters belvederes fury 2 and 3 and others. They tacked in on the rail, water gets under it and it all goes soft, then the spring goes into the trunk floor and the car drops on one side. The stress of that will make the other side
prone to the same thing. It happened to my '73 dart 318. Torsion bar bushings - new ones. While there clean the bar well removed from car. inspect for cracks, hard to see them.
But if you do find cracks, replace them both. They can be found new still. And the list goes on and on. You'll have a nice car when done.
At that point it's a family member, not swap and trade bait.
I think the nut holding the steering wheel was a little loose.