TheSamba.com :: View topic - I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 4:48 am

Welp it's worse than it looks and worse than what I thought before I got it.

It is way far beyond my build skills. So the thought of a prius swap is out. I guess then the plan is to pull the motor and tranny and rear suspension and sell off the rest. SOO really, what is it worth. I want fair for all really. So the motor and the tranny will be used in the street rail shown on the bottom.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 7:58 am

Ya, you win for sure.

The best way to find comparable prices for parts is looking right here in the Classified section.

The front bumper looks good, for example, and should be fairly easy to sell. Soooo much weird rust and damage (fire damage?) that it looks like there won't be a ton of good parts to salvage but everything has some value.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 8:07 am

If you were located within an hour of me, I'd be willing to pay up to $200. Any further than that, I couldn't justify the transport costs.
The bumpers look salvageable, but I don't see a whole lot more. Maybe brake drums and front beam? But that would all be a gamble if they are any good. There could be a few other odds and ends, but who knows?
I don't see a world in which restoring that car would make even a little bit of sense. You can get a decent Thing for a fraction of what it would cost to do that. They are fairly rare, but not overly popular or crazy valuable compared to other cars.

Then there would be the hassle and expense to get rid of the carcass once it's been stripped of usable parts.

Honestly, you might be better off stripping the few usable pieces yourself and listing them for sale here.

I don't mean to be a downer, but if you can find anyone who will offer you any amount of money to pick it up, I'd say take it.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 11:23 am

At a glance the bumpers, wheels and front turn signals would be worth something. The front beam (assuming it is a Thing beam) would also be worth something if it is not a rusty mess like the body. The rest of it is rusty, burnt trash.

Not sure about the extent of the damage from the apparent engine fire but I would guess that the engine is toast (pun intended) and the transmission may have been exposed to the heat from the fire too.

Hopefully whoever you acquired this from paid you to take it and not the other way around. Good luck.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:15 pm

Slammed with Air ride, narrowed beam, chrome Porsche Fuchs, and drive that that pig as-is! :)

Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:26 pm

If the fire didn't ruin it, the fan housing could be worth something.

Tue Jan 14, 2025 8:57 pm

The car was next to a structure that burned. The engine bay and such are ok. Yes the front beam is in good condition. It will for sure be someone local. There is NOOO way it could even be close to a rat rod as it sits. I lost 50lbs of weight driving home from loosing all my iron oxide out the trailer.

Wed Jan 15, 2025 6:51 am

germansupplyscott wrote: Ya, you win for sure.

The best way to find comparable prices for parts is looking right here in the Classified section.

The front bumper looks good, for example, and should be fairly easy to sell. Soooo much weird rust and damage (fire damage?) that it looks like there won't be a ton of good parts to salvage but everything has some value.

The front beam is good from appearances. And the engine tranny and rear bits and title are good. And the rear bits and title are all I want.

Thu Jan 16, 2025 4:38 am

Remarkably the front and rear bumpers look very nice !

Thu Jan 16, 2025 4:12 pm

A black and white filter with some old army clothes on your helpers and you have yourself a good WW2 photo with that one

Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:34 pm

sportin-wood wrote: Slammed with Air ride, narrowed beam, chrome Porsche Fuchs, and drive that that pig as-is! :)

YESSSSSSS

Tue Jan 28, 2025 6:18 am

SO I have decided. I will ratrod it out. Kind of. Try and picture the thing body shortened and cut to fit around my tunnel rail.

That is what I am thinking.