1975 Buick Estate Wagon

But... if no one with a sense of heritage wants it for a modest price, what is a guy to do? Refuse to sell it to someone with cash because they might derby it?

 

I see both sides. Seller wants it gone and will take best cash offer. Other side, anyone who knows what this wagon represents, mourns it being sacrificed to a derby. Like I posted previously, I would have bought it had I though it possibly could be a derby victim.

 

Are Derbyists known for giving out thousands for a car they're soon going to wreck? If so, they'd have to pull in quite a crowd, charging high ticket prices, in order to not make a loss, even.
I visited a scrapyard, yesterday, to try getting a plastic headlight, in order to replace the one inspection condemned. The cars in there are getting ever more flawless and newer. There were plenty of Diesel Audis of which all of them were newer than mine, in there. Most of them wagons, also. Because, it's been recently legislated that Diesel-powered vehicles can be temporarilly banned from urban areas, upon communal wishes, due to high emissions measurements. Dealers have been offering rebates for Diesel cars which eventually end up in scrapyards. A dealer offered me 8,000€ rebate, on a purchase of a new VW and it's been known that Audi offers up to 12,500€ rebate for one of their new ones.
All a Derbyist would have to do is to buy one of these wrecks in separate parts. For example, having the engine pulled and then buying that separate from the body. For what one would pay for that Buick, he could get maybe 10 Audis for the same price and than pack them into containers for shipping

 

Yes, yes they are. $1,000-$2,000 isn't unheard of and if a car's solid and not rusty they'l probably pay more for it, they'll probably pay $4,000 for one that's like this.

The seller could have gotten closer to $7,000 for this if he did any research on it.

As for the Audis you mentioned, the 71-76 G.M. Clamshell Wagon is famous in Derby communities for being THE strongest car in a derby and I don't imagine the derbyists are going to look for new cars with crumple zones at all.

 

Have any of you seen more pictures of this car???????? I’m going to venture to say no.

It was a good car but nowhere near a $7,000 car.

The left dogleg was completely rusted out, rust over the left tire and into the woodgrain, lower fenders were gone like most Buick’s are, and it needed carpet, the door panels all needed refinished, A/C didn’t work, and multiple other problems.

It could be fixed at an expense or it could be driven as is for awhile. BUT, it wasn’t a great car. I have a lot of pictures of the car. I offered $3500 knowing I’d have another $400-600 in it by the time I got it home. I have bought and sold at least 25 of these cars in the last 5 years. At that price I could drive it and enjoy it some and if it was worse then the pictures showed I could salvage the good parts and help others with parts to save worthy cars.

And guys are spending $3500 everyday for these cars to derby. So don’t think your logic of buying a clapped out Audi wagon from a salvage yard to derby is going to save these wagons.

 

I know it's sold but maybe you could post a few of the rust pictures? That way a lot of us who are still in shock that this classic is going to the derby will see what you are talking about. I understand the potential of hidden rust on any eastern vehicle. I bought a used pickup out there ( because it was a hard to find 5 speed ) with a decent body but then ended up replacing brake lines/tank etc.. Also wood grain can hide a lot of body issues.

 

I will post this one for now and the rest in a little while. It has rust inside the rear pillars in the back, drivers floor pan, and there’s one of the frame rails in the rear by the bumper mounting boxes and there a lot of rust there. That is impossible to repair. I try and save as many as possible. Again at $3500 it was a good buy, I should have bought it at $3800 but I can’t have $30,000 worth of wagons here just to save them. LOL. Some people need to step up and help

 

Yes that one picture means you'd have to most likely pull the wood grain off and see whats lurking underneath. Seeing what you mean now. If there's bad rust on the frame, then probably gas tank and brake/fuel lines need to be redone. Thanks I agree $3500 is reasonable to have it just as a driver and figure out what to do from there. Otherwise someone could be in it for 10K before you know it unless you do all the body and mechanical work yourself.

 

Bottom edges of the doors are rusty and almost to the “floppy” stage. Yes they can be fixed but at what cost

 

This picture is the scary one to me. Look at the frame and the “dark” flecks in the frame mean there is serious rust on the frame rails. If the frame is rust colored and evenly rust colored I’m not scared of them. BUT, this has multiple dark deep areas and that’s bad bad bad. I usually won’t even buy cars with this type of frame discoloration. On a bright note it has a 12 bolt, bolt in axle posi rearend.

 

Rust discoloration at the top edge of the rear pillars means there is window lip rust, The water intrusion is most likely from the raised roof rack back left corner It’s raised up because some one dropped something on the roof of the car on the right side bending the roof rack

 

If you look close at the rear wheel arch you will notice the trim is loose at the bottom and some of the wheel well trim is actually gone. Again, serious issue that needs addressed. None of these fixes are impossible but cost money. IMHO I would rather pay another 5-6 Grand and get an all original car in better shape. But that’s me and I’ve been fortunate enough to find those kinds of cars.

 

Once one starts peeling the vinyl off, imagine how much scale you'd have sticking onto the adhesive. That's one reason to be anti-fake woodgrain. Well, okay. I guess, this one can get written off and someone will eventually enjoy the 12-bolt axle. But, I still wish that Derbyists would go for non-classics, instead