Searching for a project

So, I believe I am in automotive H-E-double hockey stick here in Las Vegas. This seems to be confirmed by the forum posts here. I am curious if anyone has any reasonable leads on a car (not super picky but something that can be DD and Auto x'ed) examples might include an early integra, a GTi an escort or an e30 bmw, who knows. These cars all turn up out here but you would be amazed at the condition and price, example; there is a link in this forum to a drivable 90 civic si with a spare trans with lsd for $650, the same car with a ton of body damage (no panel un-smashed) would be listed at $3200 firm with some note about how they are not serious about selling and don't need the money so there is no hurry to sell. So after that little rant does anyone have any leads? Las Vegas NV by the way and i would drive to pick up a car if it could make the drive back. Thanks for helping a newbie find a project!!!!

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2940296244.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2945891267.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2944024762.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2945821441.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2938045846.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2940787596.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2938253176.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2938824716.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2946312762.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2885531669.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2919078762.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2936660711.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2937407152.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2891430294.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2926134731.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2899328020.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/2939319698.html

I need to go to Vegas...

Having looked for car(s) in LV a couple of years back I understand the OP's conundrum - there seems to be an awful lot of overpriced E36 M3 on CL down there. Heck, even the cars on Autotrader seem to be overpriced. I basically wanted a car for up to 5k and ended up upping the budget by another 2.5k because I couldn't find anything decent for 5k.

If I were the OP (or stuck in Vegas again and in need of a car) I'd look over in LA. Cars there might still not be cheap but you have a ton of choice over in LA that seems to be lacking in Vegas.

Yeah, join the club. If you find two decent cars on CL, let me get one of them.

Las Vegas is an island, in a manner of speaking. There are essentially no other cities within 200 miles. It seems to drive car prices up.

Thanks for the replies! NuJrzRedline I have seen most of those cars that you posted from craigslist and looked at a few of them, however out here looking at a salvage title car is never a good idea, out here if you get a car with a clean title and the frame is mostly straight its a miracle. There is nothing to do but drink and gamble here so most of the cars have been in accidents it seems. Unfortunately out here a salvage title means a lump of Bondo on a bent up frame. Its really..... special out here, no car is maintained and poorly fitted clear taillights raise the price of a car $1000. There where a few that I had not seen I am investigating now!!! Thank you!

Boxheadtim: Thanks for the tip ill check out LA for more options. I know what you mean about price, I feel like I should be able to find a car that doesn't already look like it went through the crusher and still pay a fair price.

EvanR: Never thought of the island thing good point....holy crud revelation of the day ha! Really never looked at it that way before, thank you!

Also maybe some more info, I'm not looking for a v8 and automatic is out i want to be able to pass smog and don't want to deal with an obd1 or 2 A/T to M/T swap and finding the right ecu blah blah blah. Oh and being not complete junk would be nice. I know my criteria don't seem too strict and it seems like I'm still having a problem finding a car, but you just have to see the cars out here, they are so terrible!!!!!! Maybe my idea of a project car is different than the average but the projects that GRM picks up are more my thing (I've done the rusted out almost complete 240z thing and I'm over it). All of the cars out here have a few good points and then a few HUGE bad points the most common I can think of include: No title, or signed in the wrong spot making the car non transferable. Salvage title, totaling a car and then poorly repairing it is all too common and out here nobody thinks the frame needs to be repaired. Not running/complete out here means it has been sitting in the desert sun for a few years since the last repairs where attempted with a club. I could go on for hours the point is people out here do not take care of there cars at all ::GRRRR Face::

EvanR wrote: Yeah, join the club. If you find two decent cars on CL, let me get one of them. Las Vegas is an island, in a manner of speaking. There are essentially no other cities within 200 miles. It seems to drive car prices up.

Very good point - it's the same up here, which is why a lot of us look down in Sacramento and the Bay Area for cars. More choice, usually better prices.

If you were closer, you could buy my 626 GT project for $800. I've lived in Vegas...there is plenty more to do than gamble and drink. Get a decent car and hit up the scenic route at Red Rock. One of the many things to do there.

Pardon my generalizations, I may have become blind to anything else having lived here so long. Alas the scenic route in red rock is watched by many a park ranger these days, I was just out there last week (Wednesday or something) and the park rangers where out in force with their brand new trucks and the 15 mph speed limit on the "loop" (now a pay area) is not exactly an exciting drive :). Time to get out of here!!!! Any way back on topic I am still looking (currently actually) and may have found something.......

Projecthunter wrote: ... i want to be able to pass smog. ::GRRRR Face::

If you brought home a vintage car, would you have to pass current emissions or the emissions required in the year the car was built?

I put a 1952 Dodge B3C-116 body on a 1987 3/4 ton frame, had to pass the smog, seat belt, lighting rules of 1952. (weren't any) but this is New York, not Vegas.

So maybe something old is in your future.....

Dan

man, you are a week short. Just sold my Mk3 GTI with a Mk4 1.8t swap race car. Would have been awesome to see someone on the forums complete one of my headaches...

914Driver wrote: If you brought home a vintage car, would you have to pass current emissions or the emissions required in the year the car was built?

IIRC it's year of manufacture, but I'm not 100% sure about the rules for hot rods etc. I live outside the smog check areas in NV .

BoxheadTim wrote:

914Driver wrote: If you brought home a vintage car, would you have to pass current emissions or the emissions required in the year the car was built?

IIRC it's year of manufacture, but I'm not 100% sure about the rules for hot rods etc. I live outside the smog check areas in NV .

If you want a vintage plate, limited to 5000 miles per year, you must pass the emissions test for year of manufacture once. Unlike the generous state of California, smog checks in NV go back to 1968, not 1975.

If you want to put regular (daily driver) plates on, you will need to pass smog every year.

All cars built for model year 1967 and earlier are totally smog exempt.

Oh dang!! Im looking at a golf right now any tips on what I should look for on an 89? Also the car would have to pass smog every year pre obd 2 gets the sniffer. passing smog is not a problem for me, obd 2 if no cel and a good idle it will pass. Pre obd 1 will pass with no cel good idle and low hydrocarbons (which can be fixed quickly with methanol). Also (another also) I'm one to have everything sparkly and clean and working so as long as all the (smog) parts are there for the year ill get it to pass and probably legit too :)

Normally I would suggest looking for rust, but that's just silly in Vegas.....