Me and 5 of my friends were planning on buying this junker 1987 C4.
Posted by bomontop@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 95 comments
Posted by bomontop@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 95 comments
aForgedPiston@reddit
Some of those friends will stop being friends eventually over this if you guys chip in like that on a car. Things get weird when money is involved, doubly so when it's spent on an object that has to be shared amongst everyone.
Everyone involved will have expectations, and those expectations probably won't all align the same. And it won't be an equal split-ONE of you will have to put a name on the title, and push come to shove, that person will have the legal right to say "fuck you guys, and fuck your money, this is my car now. My name is on the title." Just a possible scenario.
This isn't a knock on your friends, or you. This is a caution against decently large joint monetary ventures with friends. People are people.
I have friends I'd risk my life for, and who would do the same for me. Ride or die. And I wouldn't split a car with them. Wouldn't do it with family either.
ctennessen@reddit
Your anecdotal evidence of personal experiences doesn't have anything to do with the project car in question. Cry more
aForgedPiston@reddit
Hey man, are you doing alright?
Also unrelated to the post or comment, I hope you and yours are safe in the aftermath of Helene up in Tennessee. That storm was awful.
Took a sec to check out your profile, you do some really cool work with Land Rovers. Easily the best looking off roaders. Hope business has been good.
Whatever's got you bothered irl I hope it works out and things get better.
ctennessen@reddit
I've had some weird struggles lately with my bipolar and transportation, it just puts me over and I snap. I am truly thankful for my incredible job, thanks for reminding me of how lucky I am
And actually my little brother in Asheville took the worst of it, cut off from Knoxville for a week
taco_swag@reddit
Kill them with kindness
Ionlydateteachers@reddit
Not to mention when someone yeets it across a couple lanes of traffic and it's totaled. Can you count on the guy who only put in $500 and an alternator to cover the loss? It's just a bad move when young.
Sulipheoth@reddit
I don't understand why everyone is jumping down OP's throat for buying a car with consenting friends. I've done it before. Took a road trip in a co-owned Toyota Previa all the way to the west coast and back, with 5 friends. It was great! Sold it afterward and everybody got reimbursed.
ctennessen@reddit
Everyone that's talking down is salty from their own experiences and think they have some huge wisdom to impart on OP.
bomontop@reddit (OP)
I fr don’t understand what the big deal is, we are all good buddies and want to help a friend out, expecting nothing in return. We’ve always thought of buying a beater car and seeing what we could do with it. I wanted information about the car, not about “the people that I don’t know are gonna turn on you because me and my friends are always assholes to each other.” I’m not even supposed to be the main buyer, we all agreed to helping out one of the guys who was going to buy it for himself, we just want a project to waste some time together.
MechMeister@reddit
Ya it's less than $500 per person. Probably won't be that hard to get the car running and driving. If someone wants to buy everyone else out later, not a big deal. People are acting like it's 6 people cashing out their 401k to buy a C8 together......
Saint3Love@reddit
they are all 16. this would be all of their life savings to just buy it.
MechMeister@reddit
I seriously doubt that. When I was making $7.25 per hour I never had a problem keeping a few hundred bucks to my name. Now the McDonald's near me starts at $18 an hour. So $500 is just one paycheck working part time.
Saint3Love@reddit
its in his post history how hes excited about finally having 600 dollars....
Saint3Love@reddit
youre all friends for now. hows that gonna go when you are arguing over who gets it saturday when you all paid in.
If you do this expect to lose a couple of those friends forever
IGOR_ULANOV_55_BEST@reddit
You rented a car with extra steps. Not the same as buying a car that explicitly requires additional work and is something they plan on putting a lot of money and time into. It’s one of those things where it’s fine until it isn’t. Like one friend isn’t doing as much work or contributing much, and then decides they want to cash out and you fight over how much they get. Or someone gets in an accident in their own car and the insurance goes way up and you fight over how much people are paying. Or somebody crashes it and everyone is upset at everyone that their insurance company gave them $1,500 for an ancient corvette.
Money is the number one thing people in relationships fight over, and this is a great way to take a friendship and give them something to fight over.
RBuilds916@reddit
I don't know about buying a car with 5 other people but it looks like a good deal. Manual transmission, too! Sometimes electrical problems are a nightmare but it looks like the vast is in decent shape structurally.
bomontop@reddit (OP)
Would be mainly owned by one person, but we would all help out. We’re all good friends and think It would be a fun project. We all already have cars and jobs but kind of want a somewhat-beater project.
RBuilds916@reddit
If you can make it work that's awesome!
elementality_plus@reddit
So you should find 6 projects and buy them for yourselves. This is the stupidest idea I've ever heard, assuming you guys aren't 12 and just daydreaming about owning a corvette. Be an adult. 1 car, 1 owner.
Beachdaddybravo@reddit
You’re all going to end up fighting over this even if you think you won’t. Consider this: if one person owns it, the rest of you are going to be spending your own money to fix their car, in the hopes of being able to borrow it. What if it breaks down before it’s your turn to drive it? Then you miss out and you guys are all tossing more money into something you don’t own. Save your cash and if you really want a project car, buy one of your own. Take it from a guy who’s older than you (I assume you’re a young student for even considering this arrangement), as I’ve seen that sort of thing kill friendships. Save your money, buy your own car, and if your friends want to help wrench on it fine, but buy your own parts too. You guy’s don’t need to be mixing money and friendship. Time is more than enough.
jacketsc64@reddit
This is really cool in theory, but there are so many ways that it'll probably go wrong in practice. If everyone is supposed to be investing in this car but someone can't, disputes and tension will arise whether the car is really theirs or not. If you guys let it slide, someone else may take advantage of that and save their money on purpose. There really is no way to know, but please be aware that this could go horribly wrong.
ctennessen@reddit
That's why my friends and I do, we buy cars and work on them together. And it works fantastic.
toothpastewarfare@reddit
six people? yeah, don’t do that
Gym6DaysAWeek@reddit
My buddies and I bought an e46 as a project and we shared responsibilities for one summer before it basically became my car lol
bomontop@reddit (OP)
It would be mainly owned by one person, but we would all help out with repairs and what not. Rest of us just borrowing the car to drive our dads around or something.
Boilermakingdude@reddit
Literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But eh you enjoy throwing money into someone else's car. Go for it
Frever_Alone_77@reddit
God only knows what’s up with that motor too. “Runs on starting fluid”. Lol.
plastic_blasters@reddit
"runs on starting fluid" is a good easy starting point. Listen for knocks, buy it, get fuel to the cylinders. How much simpler could you want the project to go?
6-plus26@reddit
lol I had to double check the sub. You might be a pussy if you’re afraid of a project car that actually runs on starter fluid…… let alone one with a body that’s straight and all one color!
Boilermakingdude@reddit
Right? And it's the old L98, so a whopping 250hp when new.
willdesignforfood@reddit
Those 4+3’s were the worst.
salmonstamp@reddit
Aren’t those the Doug Nash transmissions where the overdrive was a separate unit and you had to change the fluid like every 10k miles or they’d fail?
willdesignforfood@reddit
Yeah…honestly I’m surprised this example is still functioning.
cjthecookie@reddit
Is it though?
Boilermakingdude@reddit
I have a friend with one that still functions but, most have died by now
Boilermakingdude@reddit
Yep 😅
Busterlimes@reddit
The only justification for 6 people to buy a car is to have a dedicated track car where time driving, time working and costs are recorded to be divided appropriately
grundlemon@reddit
Have one guy buy it then they can just supply the other dudes with beer and dinner in exchange for working on it.
Skvora@reddit
$500 since it doesn't run, since 2500 is a price of a perfectly running C4....
bomontop@reddit (OP)
Wasn’t sure of prices for these, I struggle to find one within 250 miles without being over 6k running. If it doesn’t look too bad in person we could easily fork up 2 grand.
That’s just the way the market is up here though, I’ve been trying to get myself an E30 for months now and I never manage to find a single non-vert 325i manual for less than 8k. They used to be 500$ beaters 20 years ago.
punkassjim@reddit
Trust me kid, it won’t do you any good to lament what you couldn’t do 20 years ago, and will never be able to do again. It is what it is.
Skvora@reddit
Even 10 years ago.
DavantesWashedButt@reddit
I think it being in new York changes things a bit. Expensive ass state
WinterberryFaffabout@reddit
Where do you see NY? I ask only because I know who has this car and it isn't in NY
Duhbro_@reddit
So what’s really wrong with it 😉
wetblanket68iou1@reddit
Especially with that doug Nash trans.
Saint3Love@reddit
this wont work out how you think it will and you will lose friends.
duckdns84@reddit
Mean age of participants: 16.7 years.
Work distribution:1%,3%,O%,2%, 94% Combined Frontal lobe development: 69%
Satisfaction guaranteed.
SomeNumber_idk@reddit
Average Reddit comment
alexlikespizza@reddit
We have very different definitions of a junker car if that’s what you’re calling that.
bomontop@reddit (OP)
i see left sitting outside in the yard = left for junk, she doesn’t look too bad though.
LD902@reddit
The car is a good deal but sharing her with your friends is a bad Idea.
How messy do you think sharing a girlfriend with 5 of your friends would go?
Novel_Chocolate3077@reddit
I think whoever really wants it should buy it and buy all the parts and if everyone else wants to help out with time to learn and help your buddy that makes way more sense. Once you start crossing streams and having people put money into it everyone will consider it theirs.
bobsyourson@reddit
I mean $100 each is basic entry to any kind of fun … so kinda a deal??
Novel_Chocolate3077@reddit
So if friend one puts in 100 bucks and 4x as many hours as friend 2 but the title is in friend 2s name and he moves or wants it to himself it's gonna cause a huge mess I feel like I would never do this sort of deal
MechMeister@reddit
If it isn't rusty, talk them down to $1900 lol
someoldbagofbones@reddit
Hoooonnnn
Practical-Nature-926@reddit
If you need 6 people to afford a 2.5k car then you can’t afford to fix it
Flenke@reddit
This is also how you lose friends and make enemies
devilscalling@reddit
Seen one 5.3L swapped.
slappybananapants@reddit
I would do this with it.
EunosR@reddit
This is actually my friend's car I'll buy it before you 😊
Cam_e_ron@reddit
Lost some good friends fighting over project cars. But also made some friendships stronger. If you can make it work it's a ton of fun.
ExtraButter-@reddit
6 ppl to split a clapped Chevy?
RPE10Ben@reddit
Sharing the car with friends aside, this car definitely looks promising. Sometimes people genuinely don’t have any time or emotional bandwidth to work on something like this and just want it gone. People are saying you can buy a perfectly running C4 of anywhere near this condition for $2500 are living in fantasy land in 2024. This is as good as any other potential project.
Mediocre-Catch9580@reddit
One of you guys buy it or take a pass on it. Don’t try to split the ownership. It never works. Look the frame over real close, I’d probably only offer $1500 with a clean title. Looks like it’s been beat on
winnie9200@reddit
Speaking from experience, if it really is those fuel lines that are rusted out, those things are a huge pain. If you replace them, I would use soft line rather than using stainless hard line. The stainless stuff you’ll have to tear down the whole car to route properly.
Caqtus95@reddit
Didn't you watch the "several friends buy a car together" episode of every 90's sitcom?
traumatic415@reddit
Judging by the plates, the current owner bought and registered this car in fall or winter of 2022. It probably never ran, and he realized he is in way over his head and cutting his losses. Looks like he is giving you the opportunity to repeat the same poor life choices he made!
ratgirl99_@reddit
Honestly, I wish I had the opportunity to do something like that. If you’re all mature and reasonable adults with a bit of a money cushion- where spending a grand or two on a car someone else technically owns doesn’t hurt you- it will be totally fine. I think a lot of the tension and pressure comes from if money is a source of stress to anyone. Personally I’d be fine putting a few K into a car that I don’t own just to have the experience of working on it with buddies and getting to take it out once in a while.
JoeSicko@reddit
Start a car club and get it all in writing with buy-in and buyouts.
Handmedownfords@reddit
Can be risky buying a vehicle with friends. But it’s possible. My friends and I bought a van we used for hunting and fishing for years. We all worked together to earn the money spent on buying, fixing and maintaining. Went well and we had a blast
ValkyroftheMall@reddit
Mid 80's vetted are fun as hell with the torque the TPI made combined with their handling and are still a great value (they go for less than a same year Camaro, which is stupid)
That being said this one has been butchered and six people buying it is a dumb fucking idea.
relakas@reddit
Getting a project car and sharing it between 5 friends? Dumbest idea I’ve heard in a while. That’s not gonna work. At worst scenario you’ll end up losing both friends and the car…
Frever_Alone_77@reddit
Yep. Best bet. 1 person buys car and parts. Pays for pizza and beer for buddies to come over to the shop and help wrench.
Zippytez@reddit
I'd do this for my mates if they were down. Nothing wrong with a friend who's buying all the parts and food/alc if you have a free Saturday
SeaworthinessLife999@reddit
Before you make a decision, watch the "Three Men and a Comic Book" episode of The Simpsons.
Chipping in with friends rarely ends well.
Dan_mcmxc@reddit
A group of friends getting together to build up a car is literally how most (all?) grassroots race teams get started, or any club car ever.
That being said, I seem to remember a CarCraft or HotRod article that featured fixing this era of Corvette and they were lamenting there was like 11 different grounds for all the different electronics. Sorting out all the faults was a huge pain for them and they do that sort of thing for a living!
Baby_____Shark@reddit
Shared custody of a car never works out
pitchingataint@reddit
Exterior looks pretty decent. And you could get lucky if it turns out to be a simple fix. Check grounds, fuses, and basic maintenance items like the battery, spark plugs and any sensors that may drive the motor in a way.
My anecdotal example: I had a z31 300zx the previous owner couldn’t figure out. It would barely start with a good battery. I cleaned all the grounds. It would then turn like crazy but sounded like ass if it ever fired. After that I changed all of the spark plugs. This made it at least run for a few seconds before it would die. Finally I read that sometimes the cylinder head temperature sensor/cable sometimes goes bad which is a common issue on those cars. Ran like brand new after that… then I traded it. All it cost me was maybe 200 +/- 50 in parts (most of that being the battery).
danu88@reddit
This. Sometimes it’s simple things. I bought a blazer last year that would shut off on in drive when you had the brakes on. The previous owner put in a new fuel tank, sending unit, fuel lines, fuel rail, injectors, and rebuilt the transmission (although I suspect that was needed). Ended up being a vacuum line that looked perfect from the top but had a crack the whole length of the underside. $5 fix in total
That being said you should be prepared for something more involved, but if it’s 5 of you buying it then it will be easier to scrap together some money
bomontop@reddit (OP)
Love to hear it man. Recently I got to help one of my friends get his grandpa’s old 65 Chevelle running again after sitting for 5-10 years with a pretty similar process. Battery, sparkers, starter fluid, changing fluids, and boom.
jakeyb33@reddit
I saw this on marketplace and thought about haggling him down lol, you must be pretty close to me
kevinatfms@reddit
Go LeMons racing with it! 6 people is a great team size and you can all prep it together.
Rich-Practice778@reddit
Awesome car. Just need a little loven on.
New_Restaurant_6093@reddit
Do you all share the same girlfriend too? If you don’t this probably won’t end well.
ctennessen@reddit
"Don't do it, people change" - dudes who ALSO couldn't get along with other dudes
QuinnD_@reddit
This is a terrible idea, we tried this with a $800 explorer and 4 friends and they wrecked it within an hour
WinterberryFaffabout@reddit
Central MN for context if anyone wants to know.
tehdanerer@reddit
You guys can save on towing if you all carry it home together. Actually, just carry it around and you won’t even have to fix it!
Devilery@reddit
I would strongly consider doing a project car with just 1 friend, let alone 5.
What if someone's busy and not helping? What if someone doesn't have spare cash at the moment? What if something major breaks down while one of you drives? What if 3 of you really need it Friday evening?
Foreverwite@reddit
I have an 86 and it's an unbelievable amount of work to get them back into driving condition. If you do buy it, I'd rip out the fuel pump, get a new intake manifold and go carburetor. You'll need to find an optional lever for the TV cable off the 700R4 transmission. I guarantee that digital dash needs rebuilt. This guys got some replacement seats on there since those are for the convertible. You should easily be able to talk him down.
Vauderye@reddit
It's got the even less popular 4+3 trans.
Notamekanik@reddit
5 friends? 1 person does gas, 1 person does brakes, 1 person does clutch, 1 person shifts, 1 person on the wheel?
bomontop@reddit (OP)
Something like that. I’ll take AC control and maybe one day graduate to the horn.