1979 Mercury Colony Park

351 V8. 98k miles.

Needs more and better pics, but this one could be a decent deal.

http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/3247011381.html

 

It's always neat to see the earlier models of the final gen CP's. Too bad this one doesn't have a roof rack.

 

Nice looking car. Not many of the very early ones like this around. The roof rack could be added easily, too.

 

looks a good gigga for not much money

 

I'm into it, I wonder if the roof rack was removed at some point? Did not all colonys come with one?

 

When I bought my CP, he had another earlier model, '86 or so along with it he said he'd "throw in" for 200 bucks, but it needed a fuel pump. Wish I would have been able to take it, but had no place to go with it. Anyway, I digress. That one was also roof-rack delete.

 

This one is back with some better pics. Even has factory CB.

http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/3272771300.html

 

Wonder if this is the same seller or if he's flipping it for a few hundred quick bucks. Fast turnaround. When I buy cars for resale, which is to say, the few times I've ever been able to, I drive them for a couple months and work out any bugs so I can get the most for it. There have only been a couple good money makers over the years, usually I break even, but I enjoy it in the meantime.

1996: 1985 Olds Delta 88 coupe, pd $500, fixed timing chain at shop for $350, sold $1200, profit $350

1997: 1982 Datsun 210 wagon, pd $65, front brakes and used radio and other bits $100, set of 4 new $99 weekend special tires $140, sold $600, profit $295

2000: 1994 Chevy Cavalier sedan, pd $1000, plugs-wires-clean-detail-etc $150, sold $2600, profit $1450

2005: 1979 Olds Delta 88 coupe, pd $400, fuel pump $80, sold $550, profit $70

2009: 1990 Pontiac Trans Sport minivan, pd $250, cleanup and detail $0, sold $500, profit $250

edit: I suppose the tax/title/licensing costs of these five negate the smaller profits but the Cavalier was probably my best effort yet. It was a low mileage, clean car, it just ran poorly, the plug wires burned against the back side of the engine and were arcing BAD and the college kid just didn't know, so I bought it, cleaned it up real good, and put it on Excite Classifieds (remember those? they changed names to Classifieds2000 for awhile then disappeared) and got another college student from California at TCU who wanted a car for $3000 that was less than eight years old and was automatic in a cute color. The Cavalier was a light metallic greenish silverish teal, she LOVED it. Got her mother to wire her $2000 in her account to go with her $800, I met her at the bank, she pulled it out in cash and I took a taxi home.

Figure about a dozen others that I broke even or lost $50-$100 on. About two dozen more I spent less than $500 on including buying them that got scrapped for chump change or impounded for nothing in my pocket, but all of them I got use out of for at least a few weeks to a few months. The rest I lost my rear end on or traded them for something else equally as wallet or pride draining.

This wagon is fun. You didn't see a lot of the 351-powered Panthers. Most were cop package sedans or Canadian models. This is pretty rare for that alone. I worry about that rust, and what you can see hides PLENTY more you CANT see.