let's talk Bricklins

OK...I've always thought these were sorta neat little cars.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1975-Bricklin-V8-Automatic-Low-miles-Collectors_W0QQitemZ160399540957QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item25588ec2dd

Does $5k sound fairly cheap for a 1975 car with 20k on the odo? and it's supposedly been in storage since 77?

I always thought they were neat too. I have only ever seen one, and it was in the middle of a "ten year" restoration that was mostly just sitting behind a gas station

Personally, I would walk away. At first glance it looks really good. I looked at all the photos and thought it rather ratty. These will doubtfully ever be collectible. They aren't sports cars despite looking the part.

oh...and the no title part...that's all the convincing I'd need

ehh....can't afford it either....

without a title 5k is waay to high. Decent ones with proper papers go for that much.

Cool cars but as other said not high on the collectible scale

A co-worker of mine has one in excellent condition that he occasionally will drive to work. I got a ride in it once for E36 M3s and giggles and gotta say....pretty lame. It wasn't fast. It handled like a 15-year old town car. The interior was super-cheesy. And overall it's a pretty ugly car in the first place.

The paint held up well.

As I recall, some came with Ford 351's (probably Clevelands or M's) and others came with AMC engines. Not sure if one version is more valuable than the other.

I've always thought of them as 70's DeLoreans: Not particularly good cars, but at least they're interesting.

For five grand, it would be more interesting if somebody else owned it.

Oooh! I know a lot about those! My grandpa had 2 of them (he's had a lot of stuff...). They are built on the small AMC chassis (Gremlin/Hornet/Spirit/Eagle?Concord). The first year (74?) had AMC 360 engines and 727 Torque-Flite Autos. AMC and Malcom Bricklin got in a fight over payment so the second year got 351C's.

The hydraulic doors fail often (air is the way to go), they handle like poo, and the build quality is freaking terrible. Think of them as a heavy, ugly Gremlin. Also, the "color" is impregnated in the fiberglass. Unsealed/primed fiberglass deteriorates. Connect the dots...

I wouldn't pay $5K for a perfect one. That one is a non-titled project. OTOH, you can theoretically swap a SX/4 AWD setup with QuadraTrac into the AMC motored one with a 401...

Remember, Malcolm Bricklin marketed it as the Safety Vehicle (SV-1). Wasn't intended to be a sports car.

I have only ever seen 2 close up, and the quality of the fiberglass was terrible. Interesting conversation piece, but that's about it.

No.

I think that there is a lot of potential for the frame to rust under the fiberglass body. Probably a nightmare to restore.

Woody wrote: As I recall, some came with Ford 351's (probably Clevelands or M's) and others came with AMC engines. Not sure if one version is more valuable than the other. I've always thought of them as 70's DeLoreans: Not particularly good cars, but at least they're interesting. For five grand, it would be more interesting if somebody else owned it.

windsors. others wew too big

Wasn't sure on the Ford motor, both of the ones I've worked on were AMC's (360 2Bbl's BTW).

Yes, it was a "safety" vehicle. The doors are over 200Lbs if I remember right and if the hydraulics fail you are well and truly screwed.

The quality has got to be seen to be believed. They really are crap. I've handled NOS pieces during a restoration that looked like they were ready to cumble in seconds. The panel gaps are hiding Miata's...

Built in New Brunswick. One of my employees grew up near the plant, and says there was a junkyard nearby where all the bodies that were warped too bad to use went. I wish he had pictures.

Shaun wrote: The paint held up well.

It's gelcoat. A friend of mine got three unsold ones in the early 90's. He eventualy sold on that had 5 original miles and I believe he gave the other two away. They are electric and hydraulinc nightmares.

A guy down the street from my last house bought one, and proceeded to disassemble it in his driveway. I should drive past and see if it's still sitting there with its internals vomited all over the place.

I remember seeing one (orange, I think) in the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa as a kid - they were built in Canada, so the museum was pretty proud of it. Always thought it was kinda cool but with a really ugly bumper.

My first car (in 1994) was a safety orange '74 Bricklin. There are a bunch of issues to be concerned with when buying one:

has it had the hydraulic doors converted to an air compressor (rear bumper is a tank, there's a pump that runs on engine vacuum) has it been painted, or is the body original acrylic? If painted, a flexible paint is required if the paint job will last past a coupla years of heat cycling. Most painted cars have cracks in the paint. frame rust body panel cracks the doors fatigue inside the "roof to side" angle, look for signs of stress cracks (the fix is to peal the skin off the door and weld in bracing)

The 75's had ford motors, 74's were AMC (360ci btw, mine had a 4bbl, but dunno if it was original). Most were automatics.

There are resources at bricklin.org. If you buy one, become a club member. The knowledge there is invaluable.

I remember reading that 'ol Malcolm designed the SV1 dash with no provisions for an ashtray (unheard of at the time). He figured smoking while driving was a distraction to the driver, and just left it out. One of the first "nanny-car" features, I guess.

Wonder what he has to say about texting on a cellphone?

aside from the body issues... nothing good old fashioned grassroots motorsports can't fix and make better!

a401cj wrote: Personally, I would walk away. At first glance it looks really good. I looked at all the photos and thought it rather ratty. These will doubtfully ever be collectible. They aren't sports cars despite looking the part.

Amen. That thing is really rough. There is virtually not one single area that wouldn't need to be addressed. I believe there was an episode(s) of Chop, Cut, Rebuild, a show on the SPEED channel that dealt with a rebuild/hot rodding of a Bricklin. Don't remember much about the details but it looked good when they were done.

In reply to IAZ:

My first car (in 1994) was a safety orange '74 Bricklin. There are a bunch of issues to be concerned with when buying one:

Is there anything more GRM than owning a Bricklin as your first car? Even if they are E36, it sure beats a Civic as a conversation starter.

As a Canadian, I was always kind of embarrassed by the Bricklin. Much cooler cars were assembled in the Maritimes, includng Volvo 240s, and arguably, Ladas.

Do you mean the Ladas were arguably assembled in the Maritimes?

it would be arguable they were even assembled. Ladas were the one car that made fiats look put together well