What's involved?

[Sabin]

I've never been car literate, so I don't really know if this is a good deal or not. I found an '89 trans am WS6 for about $500. The guy says that it is in good working condition, except that you have to put the engine and transmission back in the car. I don't know why they were taken out. I sent the guy an e-mail, but haven't heard back yet. I was wondering how hard it would be to put those back in and if it would be worth doing it.

I figure it's about time I learned how to work on cars anyway, so I'm not opposed to doing it. I just want to know if it is out of my range.

[cuda_dude]

Well if you are good with your hands, have access to tools, have common sense, a little bit of cash and the ability to look for answers then I say you can do it.

[Sabin]

Any idea how much cash? I'm pretty low on it right now, that's why I was so excited to see that it's so cheap.

[cuda_dude]

It's always good to have a few hundred dollars on the side, because you never know what you're going to run into or break. If you're on a tight budget, a project car might not be a good option. For one, you dont know if the engine and tranny actually are in running condition. It could be a good deal but theres always the risk.

[stepho]

I wouldn't recommend taking on this project without the help of someone with a lot of experiance. You really can't know what you are getting into buying a project like this. The guy can say whatever he wants that doesn't make it true. You don't really know whether the engine or transmission is good or what other problems the car might have. If money is tight I would try to find a car that is already running and that you can at least fire up before buying.

I bought my car as a project for $350 and ended up putting another $1000 in to get it running. Runs like a champ now though.