[FWDLK] What to do ?

["Vincent Van Humbeeck" <vincent.vanhumbeeck@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Forward lookers,

I am confronted with a dilemna and I would like to have your advices. As I
said in earlier messages, I am searching for a 1958 Belvedere HT Coupe to
restore.

Well, I found one for sale in Europe, but :

- the car is COMPLETELY dismantled (body separated from chassis ...)
- the body is partially rusted thru (but what else to expect from those
  1958 Plymouth ?), notably the front fenders and the boot floor.
- the original 6-cylinder engine is missing (was replaced with a
  4-cylinder Mercedes engine somewhere in time), but the owner has a
  correct 1958 318 cid V-8 and a Torqueflite tranny to replace it. The
  transmission is broken though and the engine has not fired since 1994.
- the owner has a TRUCKLOAD of parts (windshields, hoods, Sportone trim,
  lights, instrument panel ... you name it ... he even have a Search-Tune
  radio) as well as documentation. Sadly, he does not have body parts to
  replace the fenders and the boot floor (as well as the front floor, were
  the Mercedes transmission stick was forced thru a badly cut hole).
- he has not touched the car since it was dismantled in 1988.
- he's asking $6,000 firm.

My idea is that he's asking too much for this basket case, but he won't
sell for less (he's been trying to sell it for the last 4 years). I think
though that I could possibly sell the parts in excess (I think he has four
windshields !). You have also to ponder that such a car is extremely rare
in Europe (this particular example having been sold new here - kph
speedometer for instance) and that for the same price he's asking I could
buy a car in the USA with a budget of $4,500.

Well, what do you think ?

Vincent Van Humbeeck (France)