WWGRMD: Car Trade Edition

I've come to an agreement with an old friend on selling him my CSX project. I've basically lost interest in the car, and he is a Turbo Dodge guy from way back, and wants to finish it so he can autocross it. He was 100% cool with my price, but he did throw a wrench into the works: He offered me a car in trade as an option. It's one of these:

1986 Lincoln LSC "White Lightning Edition". It's an aftermarket conversion that predated the monochromatic factory SE cars. These came with real BBS wheels (not the later Lincoln ones), were all white (no chrome), and had the Mustang's 5.0 HO. They are very rare cars.

It runs and drives and is in decent shape, but it needs a few small things. The air suspension is having issues, but the car comes with all of the parts to fix. He also said the driver's seat has a small tear. It is currently being driven by his daughter, and has 170k+ on the odometer.

Normally, this would be a no-brainer for me, but I have two issues:

-I'm selling the CSX to have one project: my Trans Am

-SWMBO wants less stuff around the house, and that means less cars (we have 5 vehicles right now between the two of us, and 2 are not on the road)

Part of me wants to snag this LSC and drive it all summer and then sell it for a decent profit, but that will take up all the wrenching time I had planned for my Trans Am. The plus is that I could potentially sell it for way more than I can get for my CSX a little down the road, but I have to keep from getting attached to it, as I often do. Also, SWMBO is not a fan of me getting yet another project, and she would like me to just focus on one at a time.

WWGRMD?

Trade and then immediately sell the car if you think it is worth more than the sales price of the CSX.

+1 on having too many projects, and not enough time. Especially if it's not a project you are in love with from the beginning.

I'd make that trade.

IndyJoe wrote: Trade and then immediately sell the car if you think it is worth more than the sales price of the CSX. +1 on having too many projects, and not enough time. Especially if it's not a project you are in love with from the beginning.

I think it would be kind of a "faux pas" to sell it immediately. I'd feel pretty bad. Plus, I'd want to enjoy some fox-body goodness for at least a little bit.

You have to look at the profit to hassle ratio. Is it high enough? If not, pass. If it's well above, do it.

Id do it but i have a deep seated love for the fox chassis. Thats a top of the line version and heavier then i like but its a neat car and should be fun anyway.

SilverFleet wrote: Normally, this would be a no-brainer for me, but I have two issues: -I'm selling the CSX to have one project: my Trans Am -SWMBO wants less stuff around the house, and that means less cars (we have 5 vehicles right now between the two of us, and 2 are not on the road)

You have your answer right here. Sell it for $$ and get that Beautiful Trans Am back on the road.

Well, I have 2 weeks to decide. The CSX's new owner will be taking the car then. He's going to get me some pics and a full list of what the LSC needs in the meantime.

Part of me says, "Go for it! Get the LSC! It's everything you wanted you old high school ride, a 1987 Cougar XR7, to be!"

The other, more sensible part of me says, "Focus on ONE car at a time! And your wife is going to kill you! What are you thinking man?"

Pic overload time:

After seeing the pics I'd take cash.

Cash. Run away from the Ford.

The Good:

-Less rusty than the CSX

-Runs and drives

-Brand new tires

-New Flowmaster cat back exhaust

-It's basically all there

The Meh:

-Has 187k+ on it

-Has some dings and dents here and there

-Stereo dead

-Foglights are MIA

The Bad:

-A/C not working

-Has surface rust near sunroof (see pic)

-Has slight door rust on P/S door (see pic)

-Driver's seat is a little ratty (see pic)

-Rear trunk lid, bumper, and filler panel are rough

-needs a tail light (see pic)

-one of the rare BBS wheels has been seriously chunked

-Trunk gets water sometimes

-The car needs a tune up and the suspension gone through. It comes with the parts to do both.

In order to make it work in your favor you need two things.
1. You need to do the work to put it back together, at least suspension and tune up and other little things.
2. You need to keep it long enough to do those things and also give it a chance. If you don't love it, like you think, then there's no harm in passing it down the line in 3-4 months because it just didn't 'fit' with you. If you slap all the parts on and list it for sale immediately, expect your friendship to strain just a bit.

Go Cash. If your buddy doesn't want this thing, let HIM sell it.

In reply to mazdeuce:

Correct on both counts. This is a car that I can pick at while driving it. I wouldn't be selling it for at least a few months.

I'm not a fan of the looks of the Mark VII to be honest. I prefer the Cougar and Thunderbird, but the Mark VII gets all the good stuff, like 5-lug axles, the 8.8, 4 wheel discs, the 5.0 HO, etc. I did however want one bad in high school, so there's that. It would fit the "drive around in it all summer and listen to 80's Metal" mold.

Do you have a fur coat to wear while driving the Lincoln?

In reply to IndyJoe:

It's not that he doesn't want it, it's that he wants my CSX more.

He is one of us, a true GRM'er. He has extreme "automotive ADD" like we all do. He also has a Fiero, a brown/tan 4x4 AMC Eagle wagon, this LSC, a turbo Saab 9-3, and a MGB GT. He's also had a number of Turbo Dodges and Alfas over the years.

In reply to slowride:

Not yet.

Also, I've realized that I will have to change my name to WhiteFleet. I will have 3 white vehicles if I do end up with this car.

Sorry, cash. I don't see enough profit to warrant the amount of time you'll spend.

I'm leaning toward the cash myself. I think it's cool, and I like rare stuff, but I really need to focus on having one project at a time. I'm still going to take a look at the thing anyway. Chances are, he's not going to sell it anytime soon, so I can always buy it off of him if I change my mind.

And SWMBO didn't say no when I texted her the pics earlier, which is really surprising.

He also offered me an AMC Eagle 4x4 wagon that needs brake lines for the CSX (as much as I like them, gonna pass), and a free Saab 9-3 Convertible no matter what happens (also pass, needs a top and I have no use for it).

Woody wrote: I'd make that trade.

Somehow, I missed the cash option. Always take the cash.

Id be more interested in the AMC myself.

This is one of those cars that pretty much defines the thought that rare does not always equal valuable. It may be rare, it may even be interesting, but it does not and will not have a market. Run, take the cash, or the AMC ;)

Oh...and FREE SAAB? Thats a nice start on a challenge entry ;)

What is wrong with the saab? I'd it's good to go, I'll give you 50 bucks and do a fly and drive.

I think the one person who would be interested in buying this from you is the person you got it from... Seems a very limited market.

After talking it over with the wife, I'm going to take the cash. It doesn't make a ton of sense to get another project, as the whole reason I'm getting rid of my CSX is to only have one project car. While I do like the LSC, I like my Trans Am a lot better. If this were a Mustang or even a Fox Cougar or Thunderbird, it would be a much harder decision.

And no to the AMC and the other cars too. AMC needs rust repair and brake lines, and it would also need a Jeep 4.0 EFI swap to really be what I would want. I have no time right now for that unfortunately, although I really do like these.