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Recently started looking for a '68 project 442. I stumbled across what appears to be all accounts an original, unmolested 442. Needs a full resto. Good news is that everything is intact. The engine stamp matches model year, plant & partial VIN. Cowl tag matches model, trim, & colors. Bad news is that it's a "rust bucket". I only have a couple of photos but it obviously needs new quarters & trunk lid. I'm sure rear window & windshield metal needs replacing. Looks" like rockers, doors, & fenders are repairable. Needs bumpers & trim. Interior is intact but trashed. Floors and trunk are unknown. Motor health is unknown. I obviously will go & see the car in person. Since it's 5 hours drive, I will have a conditional offer accepted before I go. I've been away from 442s for a long time so I need some input from the experts. Asking price is $6000 with "all reasonable offers considered".
What would be a "reasonable offer" with everything that's known? Thanks in advance.
I would keep looking. My .02 I see it as a $2000 parts car at best. Unless the floors and trunk are good and the motor is running, then it might be more. It looks like it needs everything.
Run, don’t walk away from this rust bucket. I wouldn’t offer $1000.00 for it, the rust has eaten all the hard to find body parts, bodywork alone would top 20k these days.
Holy crap. Where do you live? I am so thankful we don't know rust like that here in Colorado. You don't know what the floors look like? Yes you do. Damn that car is wasted. On the verge of junk. You guarantee that back window and the front cowl are equally as bad. Nevermind the drive train. That car looks like it has been sitting outside for decades.
As was said here you would be thousands deep into that car before you even started. I couldn't even see offering any price. That car is wasted. Such a shame. Does have the rare Chevy rally wheel option though.
Save your money for a better starting point. Six Grand?? Never going to happen.
Is that a rust hole thru the roof behind the rear quarter window? With a deck lid rusted like this and the rear quarters working as a drain you know that truck floor is gone.
This is the "good" side right. Poor car. Nothing but a parts car if that. Damn shame. Got his Ranger and other ford's though 👌👍
Damn look at that rust. Did Sponge Bob cruise that car.
Seriously where do you live? I may be able to hook you up with a 68 Cutlass up in Denver with a super clean body.
Last edited by no1oldsfan; February 7th, 2024 at 06:57 PM.
Recently started looking for a '68 project 442. I stumbled across what appears to be all accounts an original, unmolested 442. Needs a full resto. Good news is that everything is intact. The engine stamp matches model year, plant & partial VIN. Cowl tag matches model, trim, & colors. Bad news is that it's a "rust bucket". I only have a couple of photos but it obviously needs new quarters & trunk lid. I'm sure rear window & windshield metal needs replacing. Looks" like rockers, doors, & fenders are repairable. Needs bumpers & trim. Interior is intact but trashed. Floors and trunk are unknown. Motor health is unknown. I obviously will go & see the car in person. Since it's 5 hours drive, I will have a conditional offer accepted before I go. I've been away from 442s for a long time so I need some input from the experts. Asking price is $6000 with "all reasonable offers considered".
What would be a "reasonable offer" with everything that's known? Thanks in advance.
There is no reasonable offer that will not offend the seller. That car is a box for an unknown condition powertrain, and that is all. It is worth 500 bucks, including what you pay the tow guy to haul it to you. Unmolested means original and needs no bodywork. Rust counts as molestation. Do two things: 1. Save these pictures so you know what NOT to buy. 2. Walk away from this car now. It is not worth driving even 5 minutes to see. Hopefully, you have not started communications with the seller.
This was a lark for me. My first car in 1975 was a low miles, almost perfect '68 4-4-2, 4-speed that I bought for $600 (exactly like pic below). I got nostalgic when I stumbled across this junker. I'm actually a long time Chevy guy. I have a 1st gen Camaro. In that arena, cars in this crappy shape can easily go for $15k+. It's crazy but it is reality.
The basket case is in Georgia. I received a couple more pics and probably found out why it is so bad. It's a CANADA plant car. Probably spent its better years in the frozen tundra of Canada or the Northern tiers of the U.S. where winters are brutal & the roads were salted. If it wasn't garaged or maintained during that time, you see the result. Note the rust hole above the tag and all the Bondo-like crap below it.
Last edited by gearheadzgarage; February 8th, 2024 at 08:42 AM.
I have a 1st gen Camaro. In that arena, cars in this crappy shape can easily go for $15k+. It's crazy but it is reality.
Well- you CAN get a complete new Camaro body shell, and every other part you might want.
I've never understood 1st-gen Camaro pricing either, but in the 90s I saw a 69 pace car shell, worse than this 442 and missing a lot of essential parts including the front subframe and cocktail shakers, go for $5k. The buyer was buying the data plate, and yet another bogus Camaro was born. A running joke around here to this day is there were more 67 Z/28 in this county than Chevrolet built.
It's a CANADA plant car.
The advantage to that is GM-Canada still has all the production records. A Canadian-built car is ridiculously easy to document.
At least it hasn't melted into the landscape like our northeast cars! Ive seen much worse with stupid asking prices.
Correct. However, excellent deals are out there. I bought my California built '68 442 here in Vegas last year for under 8K...and yes, no rust! You can see my car/build on 'Newbie in Vegas' thread.
I feel out of touch with 442 prices. I bought a 67 442 with no body rust and in primer that didn't run for 4k in 05. It runs and drives now but that's about it. I guess it's worth 10 or 12 now with some of these rust buckets going for more now than my car did then.
The advantage to that is GM-Canada still has all the production records. A Canadian-built car is ridiculously easy to document.
Actually, any GM car built anywhere can be documented via Vintage Vehicle Services as long as it was sold in Canada. I got comprehensive packages for my Lansing built 4-4-2 convertible and my Norwood built Camaro SS through them.
I love 68's and I wouldn't touch that one. There's an all original 68 442 four speed convertible around me in similar condition for less money and I'm having a tough time trying to justify buying it...
What you can see on that car is bad enough, what you can't see would really concern me...
February 7th, 2024, 03:31 PM
