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Ben;
The questions "is a 122 a good daily driver, are they reliable, what is the price range, what do you look for/stay away from" have all come up before and been extensively covered here...I wonder if it is possible to compile all of the good advice which has previously posted here for 122 newbies? I don't think you can get it thorough an archive search...what would you search on???
Brickboarders: I have been thinking of posting an article for people like Ben, who are considering getting into 122s/1800s and will probably compile advice for a comprehensive article to be posted sometime soon on the SwEm site. Guest input welcome, credit will be given for material used!
Back to your questions:
Q. Good daly driver? A. Sure, with a good going over and a certain few upgrades (just about all of which can be done by a reasonably mechanically minded individual, and should be)...lest you want to take your baby somewhere where they wouldn't know an SU carb from Shinola and are used to hooking a computer analyser to the diagnostic plug of the engine management computer, then charging you hundreds for a tune up. And regarding "character and style"...as far as I'm concerned, Amazon cars and drivers outfunk the PTers every time..I mean, we have REAL side vent windows and three point seat belts STANDARD!
Q. Reliable? A. Sure, like a brick, once squared away (any 3 decades old vehicle is bound to, and allowed to, develop some quirks and wearouts...the nice thing is that these have all been pretty much figured out, so advice and parts are still readily available, and given the quality of original materials and engineering in these cars from the factory, ask anyone here, that's a great place to start!).
Q. Price range? A. Condition dependent...what else is new...from a couple hundred for a derelict organ donor which will never run again (too much rust, but great deal if you've got a place to park it hidden from the neighbors and/or wife) to upwards of 5-6k$ for a clean restored or even original unrestored (if you can find one).
Q. Look for/stay away from? A. Excessive rust/excessive rust. Unless you find a car in Arizona they're just about all bound to have some...so the question is how much can you tolerate and are willing to pay for having repaired. Buy clean now or pay to have it cleaned up...it's your choice and wallet! My advice: Unless your Brother-in-law is a welder, buy the best sheet metal you can afford!
Good Luck with your decision! I'm bettin' I'll hear from you in the future for an alt kit!
SwEm site: www.intelab.com/swem
Cheers, Ron
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