Mopar B-Body Restoration. Kevin Shaw
Also many Mopar clubs sites have a “cars for sale” section.
Each of these sites has pros and cons and it is best to use the ones that have some kind of buyer protection built into the buying process. When using these sites to buy a car or parts for your project it is good to use a PayPal.com account; it has a built-in protection process in case the purchase does not go as planned.
Always remember, “if it is too good to be true,” it probably is. The Internet is a great place to find the car of your dreams but it also has some pitfalls to be aware of when making a purchase. Do your homework, and if at all possible, view the car in person and follow the guidelines listed later in this chapter for documenting a car.
eBay.com
This site is by far the most popular and the safest place to go for cars and parts. When you link a PayPal.com account to your eBay account and you purchase a car through the two sites you have buyer protection and a recourse process to protect the transaction. You can see the seller’s history, read feedback from all of the people who have purchased from the seller, and ask questions through your account that give you documentation of all of the communication about the purchase.
Purchasing a car through eBay has a few negative aspects. It is an auction site where you are bidding against many other buyers, and you can get caught up in the last-minute bidding and pay much more than the car is worth. Another shortfall is that the car may be on the East Coast while you are on the West Coast and the auction is only five days long. So unless you are able to inspect the car in person before the auction ends you are basically buying the car sight unseen. Pictures are good, but nothing is as good as seeing it for yourself. When you do buy the car you have to arrange for shipping through a trucking company, then pay for the car before you can even see it.
This site works very hard to protect those who use it, but there have been instances where someone’s account has been hacked and a non-existent car is listed. An uninformed buyer wires the payment for the car up front and the hackers have your money and you have nothing. Never wire funds until you are sure the car is what you think it is and the seller is legit!
CarsOnLine.com
This site is a modern classified ad section. You can see cars listed for sale from all over the country. It is not an auction site but a site where a car can be listed “for sale” with a full-length description, at least three or four good pictures, an asking price, and the seller’s information. The seller has the option to post many more pictures and even a video of the car running. This site is well organized so you can search for the exact model you are looking for without the pressure of having to make a decision whether or not to purchase in a short amount of time.
The transaction is between the seller and the buyer so there isn’t any information about the seller or his/her selling history, and there isn’t any recourse if the car is not as advertised. The purchase price, arrangements for delivery, and all aspects of the transaction are up to the buyer just as when you look in the local paper for your project, but on a national level.
Craigslist.org
This is a very popular site simply because it is free. It is a bare-bones classified ad site with sellers from all over the country. It is a good online venue and for finding a really good deal on a car that has been tucked away in a garage and hasn’t seen the light of day in many years. You can also find a freshly restored $100,000 car. Buying parts and cars through this site is just like using the classified ads. All of the transaction is between the buyer and the seller and there isn’t any real protection for a deal gone bad.
Online Auctions
Outlining the parameters for finding the right car can literally constitute its own book, so we’re going to only touch on this subject here with more hints and suggestions throughout the entirety of this book.
As stated earlier, spending more money upfront for a more complete car, even one in running or near-running condition, can save you immense time and labor. Of course, not everyone has the capital to purchase such a car, so a vehicle in rougher condition or in need of substantially more repair lowers the initial asking price.
Suitable Chrysler B-Bodies for restoration can be found nearly everywhere, although in lesser numbers. The observant eye can still find the occasional 1970 Super Bee tucked away in a rural backyard, a 1967 Plymouth Satellite down an urban alleyway, or the familiar C-pillar of a 1968 Dodge Charger in the back of a crowded supermarket parking lot.
Before resorting to online auction sites, I strongly suggest combing your local trades for listings, swap meets, and even large car shows. Many bring their unfinished projects to the shows to sell, and many a good deal have been made there. Obviously, online sites including Craigslist or major Mopar forums (Moparts.com, Allpar.com, etc.) as well as a variety of Facebook pages also host large swap meet sections where cars are listed on a daily basis.
I even suggest joining your local Mopar club, as many of these members are avid collectors and enthusiasts who in addition to knowing where a potential project car might be, can also lend a hand and some much appreciated expertise in helping your restoration.
I only suggest resorting to online shopping if the local scene appears to be thoroughly picked over, as purchasing a car “sight unseen” is less than ideal and shipping a car across the country is expensive, particularly if it doesn’t run.
The best place to begin your search for a good shop is the local car show or cruise-in. Also check with local Mopar club members about who they have used. Look at as many nice cars as possible and talk to the owners. By talking to the car’s owner you can find out if he recommends the shop, how long it took to get the car finished, and even how much it cost. Word of mouth is always better than a blind search on the Internet. By doing this you can form a good opinion of that shop’s work and overall experience from other customers.
When you do find someone with a car you admire, find out how extensive the repairs were. If the quarter was replaced ask the owner if you can look in the trunk and see how well the shop did on the welds. Check the car overall for good fitment of doors, fenders, and correct body panel gaps. Look for waves down the side of the car and examine the finish of the paint. With luck you will find a shop that speaks Mopar. If not remember that you may have to educate the shop on the differences that make a Mopar correct and stand your ground if you want them to do the work like Ma Mopar did.
If the shop assembled the car after painting, check all the windows, glass, interior, and engine compartment for correct appearance. Look at the car as if you were judging it at a car show. Also check other projects by the same shop and find out if the shop is consistently turning out good cars.
After you have talked to several owners, narrowed down the prospective candidates, and have answers you are comfortable with, drop in and get to know the shop up close and personal. For example, when you arrive, do you see 10 or more cars sitting in a row waiting for work to begin? Your car has to get in line and that could mean a lot of time before the work even begins. Check out the condition of the shop. Watch for good workflow, notice how many employees work there, whether the tools are in order, etc. A body shop is often a dirty place but you can tell if professionals run the shop. Some of the best restorations come out of one-man, one-car shops, so don’t let the size of the shop be the deciding factor.
Review the Budget
Before you sit down with the shop, make sure that you know your available budget. You need to know the level and quality of paint job you can afford, and it’s best to have your spouse on board. More than one marriage has had problems over a restoration project.
The individual shop determines how you pay for and monitor the progress of your car’s paint