So as of today, I am the proud owner of a manual 240 wagon. In gold.
The car in question has been sat around for a long time (looks like it was last registered in 2009, and VicRoads seem to have no record of it, though has been driven on private land semi-regularly).
I'm current unsure whether to restore the car or... remove the good bits and plant them into a better auto wagon.
The good:
- It's manual
- Mechanically looks ok at first inspection:
- Seats are good
- It has the shiny factory roof-rack that I wanted
- Very straight body and never been seriously dinged
- External trim all present and correct, sah
- Most of the fluids are in the places they're supposed to be...
- One good headlight reflector
- Headlining surprisingly clean
The bad:
- The engine bay is full of spiders
- Not running (for various reasons at the moment, the most prominent of which is the fact that it has no battery)
- Rust - around front windscreen mount notably, but also minor surface corrosion in other places - will take a closer look tomorrow
- Paint is totaled on roof and bonnet
- Interior other than seats is poor - most of the usual plastics are broken (door pockets, console)
- Carpets need replacing. All of it. Especially in the boot.
- Leaking clutch fluid - not yet sure where from
- Engine oil is a very unhealthy dark brown
Tomorrow I'll grab a battery from AutoBarn and see if there is any life in the ol' girl. Then waiting on the Haynes manual before I start into anything major.
So whaddya reckon - worth restoring, or a moneypit that will be better repurposed as a manual conversion for a good auto?