'73 sn TCS Federal Needs Plenty of Work - Seems Like Déjà Vu $10.5K on eBay

[Vegantune]

I've seen this car before, and thought I'd posted it previously, but can't find it now. Or, I'm thinking it was posted to eBay just recently, and then removed very quickly before I could post it, and now back up for sale again.

S/N says its a '73, but titled as a '74 since it was most likely built in Nov. '73 (quite normal). Seller doesn't know if 4 or 5 speed, I can't tell without photo and none included. With that invoice date, could be either. Must have been repainted, rocker panel covers included in same orange. Looks to me like original color was blue.

Says "complete", appears to be a lot there, TC Stromberg engine out and apart, but also quite a few things either in pieces in boxes or Wires dangling down under dash, and dash is pretty sad. Would be a big project to put it all back nice, but maybe someone wants a big project. Otherwise, on the upper end price of a restoration candidates, which can quickly become money pits, or for a parts car IMHO. Not a auction, but listing allows offers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115723209783

[vh2q]

He sent me some photos of the underside of the car (none in the Ebay ad of course) and yikes, specifically the tranny, everything is badly corroded including the transmission housing which is Aluminum. I hate to think what sort of shape the chassis is in, the bit I could see is very brown. The condition of the motor in the car (Ford Kent) is a good indication of the rest of it, as far as corrosion.   And it appears to be a 4 speed although he could not give me the type marking (could not find the disc). Looked like a 4 speed to me. Very rigid about payment .. he wants cash or MO (who gets a $10K money order!) and at that point you own it, for better or worse. Got the sense that there are latent issues, which is also why the car sat for so many years. Corrosion for sure. Motor that's in it may be toast. Motor that's not in the car may not be as rebuildable as he states; and that's why the original owner went to the trouble of putting that Kent motor in there (nobody puts a kent motor in a Europa "temporarily", while the TC motor is out for a rebuild.)

[vh2q]

Photo of tranny

[Vegantune]

Yikes!!! Makes me think it literally sat in water for some time. Maybe even salt water.  That lower link looks like its party eaten away, and lots up rust visible underneath everywhere. That's well beyond normal corrosion. One more reason this really isn't a restoration candidate, but a money pit. I say overpriced even as a parts car.

BTW, don't need anything other than pic showing rear support mounting plate to quickly conclude 4 or 5: rectangular plate = 4-speed, bow tie plate = 5-speed. But since photo is ambiguous on that, I'm looking at other fine details, and comfortable saying this is a 4-speed, not 5-speed.


Can't imagine anyone buying this at this price, or believing the story about the engine, or much else. I'm betting it doesn't sell, but pity anyone who pays this much for this hot mess.

[Richard48Y]

Well, the sellers location is known so someone may be able to put a Mk. 1 eyeball directly on it.
I think some folk use feeBay as a lead generator/advertising venue with no real plan to sell there.
This is one reason feeBay are so serious about blocking avenues of contact outside their pages.
Folk still find ways around them, surprised his listing is not pulled or edited to hide his business identity.

[vh2q]

According to the seller, it's been in a dry "climate controlled" garage for 30 something years!! And he absolutely, positively, would not ship the disassembled TC motor to Marcovicci-Wentz for inspection and rebuild, not even on a COD basis. It had to be 100% paid in cash before it left his premises. So perhaps the crank is bent or the head is cracked or some similar terminal disease.

[jbcollier]

Um, there is no way in he** I would ship a TC engine without payment.  There are just too many scams going on out there.  Heck, I've seen people lose everything because a shop owner developed Alzheimer's and it took a while before his customers and family figured it out.  So even good intentions can go wildly awry.

[vh2q]

Marcovicci-Wentz is the premier Lotus engine rebuilder in the country, no scam there. Far more scams on the selling side. But hey, each seller can do what he wants, and each buyer can buy from whom he chooses. And in this case, my offer was to send him $2k upfront, and a further $3k when MW pronounced it rebuildable. He declined. I then offered to pay the $3k COD (UPS offers this service), he declined that as well. So I concluded that the engine was not rebuildable, as represented. And then I learned the the car was in fact a rust bucket. So it's all moot at this point.

[vh2q]

Shows "Ended by Seller" as opposed to "Sold" which raises more questions.