Finding a Spider..

[Jon Pike <jhpike@domain.elided>]

Well..  our search goes on.

I've been looking for a good, cheap, (uh, "well priced") early 70's 
Spider..  possibly needing
some work,  but not to the point of taking months to get on the road..

Been driving into LA to check on some..  and have found the 78 "no rust" 
car with lots of bubbles, bumpers
not straight,  but a nice sounding, strong, smooth engine.. that has 
just a leeetle bit of oil in the radiator.. and leaked
about a good tablespoon since she parked it that morning in the parking 
structure..
and the 76 that's slightly dented, bad paint, but really has just about 
no rust,  new top, pretty good seats.. with
a motor that has oil free radiator, sounds like a sewing machine it 
needs valve adjustment so bad, and barely idles
since the smog guys supposedly played with the Spica..  It also had a 
major impact to the sump guard.. it's flat
with the sump,  the bottom of the nose is scuffed, and the left anti 
sway linkage bolt is broken off the A-arm (!).
He's also swearing that he just got it passed smog..  and it has no air 
pump, a welded glasspak where the cat should
be.. heck another glasspak at the tail muffler,  no middle,  and what 
looks like a genuine Ansa tip welded on at the end..

Sigh..   I wish the 76's engine was running well enough to tell if it 
had any other problems..  though it's a non register (legally) with no 
smog stuff..  
I was looking at another car,  supposedly in good shape,  but has been 
"weberized",  has a Sperry stage 5 head,  cams..
no airpump or cat..  and was debating if it would be worth the big 
conversion to put it all back on..  I have researched how much cost and 
work this would be..  the work dosen't scare me.. just the cost.  
Anyway..   looking for thoughts and opinions..   anyone done a back to 
Spica conversion,  as well as putting back on the airpump system and 
cat?   Thoughts on how much damage to the frame a really good bash on a 
sump guard can do?
How many problems/faults are worth ignoring for a good, rust free body? 
Could a stage 5 head ever pass smog, even with stock cams?  Got some 
parts for the above to sell?  Got a whole car to sell?  ;-)  Coming to 
the convention this year?

Jon <man of many questions>
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