1970 Toro in GA

[Drachen]

Salutations!

I am seriously considering purchasing a 1970 Toronado and would like to
know what issues I should be looking for when I give the car the once-over
this weekend.

My first brief look showed that, with the exception of the bottom edge of the
vinyl top, the body was pretty much rust free, I didn't notice any oil stains
under the pavement (the car had been sitting in the same spot for several days)
and the interior looked to be in OK shape. The only issue I could see from the
outside was that the rear bumper had been pushed in slightly on the driver's side.

I am meeting with the owner on Saturday and we are going for a test drive.

The guy seems to be a motivated seller, so I'm on high alert for any potential problems
(i.e. anything expen$ive) but my initial impression is that he's fallen on hard times and
needs some fast cash.

I'm hoping to conclude the deal within the next week, so I would apprciate any input.

Thanks.
JM

[toro_mike]

Sorry JM, I just saw this post!

The things I look out for are as follows:
* Frame - Does it look good all the way around. Is there heavy rust or heavy scaling anywhere?
* A-pillar - these were prone to rusting, especially down towards the bottom part.
* Vinyl top - these hide all sorts of nasties. Look for bumps everywhere the vinyl is. Also feel around for squishy sections that indicate rust-through.
* Engine/Transmission - verify that the engine matches the car. You can find the VIN on the block on a pad on the driver's side, at the front. Most of the time, it's difficult to see due to the alternator bracket. So, make sure the heads are the proper letter and the block has the proper codes. The transmission is also stamped with the VIN. It is on the Driver's side up high on the bell housing printed vertically.
* Final Drive - Check the half shafts and boots. Listen for any noise while driving to judge the bearings. That's a long shot, but if it makes noise, be careful.
* Interior - The better it is, the happier you will be.
* Trunk - make sure the drain hoses are okay and are not clogged. If they are missing, badly damaged or clogged, the trunk may have serious rust issues.


Other normal things like heavy bondo, badly gapped body panels, etc. also apply. Good luck! Hope it is the one!

[Drachen]

Ok, just got back from checking out the Toro, here are the notes I made:

Exterior:

-Body straight, no major dents, some minor rust in rocker panel behind front wheels. Floors solid. Front valance panel under grille broken, will need to be replaced.
-Crappy red paint job over factory original mustard yellow - definitely a total re-do.
-Chrome: all trim there and in pretty fair condition, except the driver's side window surround which is showing signs of rust. Front rubber bumper guards will need to be replaced. Mismatched hubcap from a Cadillac on passenger side rear. Rear bumper pushed in on driver's side. Overall not bad for an unrestored 40 year old car.
-Glass: all there, no cracks or delamination. Driver's side door glass jiggles inside door.
-Weatherstripping - horrible condition, will need to be replaced.
-Tires - Dry rotted and nearly bald including the spare. Replace all.
-Vinyl Top - faded and cracked, will need to be removed or replaced. No signs of major rust underneath

Interior:

-Front seat: repad and reupholster
-Rear seat: fair condition.
-Dash: Factory radio removed and sitting in trunk. Cheap Radio Shack AM/FM/Cassette player c. 1985 installed, huge gap left around radio. Under-dash panel on driver side missing, exposed wiring, a real amateur wiring job on radio. Buttons and switches all there, but chrome mostly pitted. Needs a really good cleaning.
-Headliner: dry rotted and appears someone tried to repair some time ago. Replace.
-Door panels: good shape, need to fix window switches on driver's side.
-Carpets: nonexistant. Rubber mats on floor.

.

Mechanical:

-Engine starts immediately, idles smoothly, revs well. No smoke. Mufflers seem to be in good shape.
-Transmission: A bit of slop in the gear selector, but goes into gear smoothly.
-Electrical: all electricals seem to work except radio.
-Steering and brakes: horrible by 2010 standards, felt like I was piloting a tug boat. I will have to find someone more familiar with cars of this era to judge. No unusual sounds or vibration though, however definitely room for improvement.

[Drachen]

(cont.)

Engine compartment:

-Dirty, some loose wiring which I suspect was added by the same person who installed the radio.
-No smells of burning oil, no leaks from radiator or hoses. All hoses and plug wires will need to be replaced. Cheapo battery just a few months old.
-Spring on passenger side hood hinge missing, hood is heavy as hell without it.
-No fluid leaks evident, owner admitted to topping off transmission fluid "a few days ago"
-Sound of a vacuum leak, somewhere.

Trunk:

-Dirty but dry. Original trunk liner long gone. Some rust under rubber padding.
-No jack or lug wrench.
-Drain hoses look to be in good shape, owner didn't know what they were for.
-Interior trunk lid shows original color (yellow) of car.
-Weather stripping: shot, needs to be replaced.

I'm going to get some prices on stripping and repainting the car, redoing the vinyl top, weatherstripping and front seat, as these seem the four major issues with the car.

[toro_mike]

Looks to me like you really went over it with a fine-tooth comb. No mention of the condition of the frame, so hopefully it is fine.

Other than that, it sounds like a typical daily-driver. Keep in mind, you will have to find a good parts car for the front-end parts that need replacement. Getting it to a nice car is going to be expensive. So, hopefully it is priced fairly low.

Let us know how you progress, if you do!

[Drachen]

Sadly, I have had to pass on this Toro.

The three estimates I got for stripping the car down to bare metal and repainting the body started at $3500.00 and went up sharply from there.

My entire budget for this project is $5K, and with the cost of the car and immediate repairs
(tires, belts & hoses, etc) taking a huge chuck out of that, I've decided to look elsewhere.

However, if someone is looking for a good parts car, contact me and I'll put you in touch
with the owner.

Thanks.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Sadly, I have had to pass on this Toro.

The three estimates I got for stripping the car down to bare metal and repainting the body started at $3500.00 and went up sharply from there.

My entire budget for this project is $5K, and with the cost of the car and immediate repairs
(tires, belts & hoses, etc) taking a huge chuck out of that, I've decided to look elsewhere.

However, if someone is looking for a good parts car, contact me and I'll put you in touch
with the owner.

Thanks.

Is there a reason it all has to be done at once? The paint could wait a few years... At least, that's my philosophy on cars. Get the mechanicals in order, and paint follows. I'm going to go over my '66's mechanics pretty well this winter (hopefully) but painting will wait another few years more than likely...

[toro_mike]

Is there a reason it all has to be done at once? The paint could wait a few years... At least, that's my philosophy on cars. Get the mechanicals in order, and paint follows. I'm going to go over my '66's mechanics pretty well this winter (hopefully) but painting will wait another few years more than likely...

Same here on the paint. It's just going to have to wait!