QP III Buying Guide

There has been lots of technical discussion on the QP III along with updates on progress of cars etc but I was prompted by a question asked about "why a QPIII" to put out some of the things to look for that I have found. I will make my comments from the potential buyer's perspective.

General

As a general comment the car is now selling too cheaply given the parts and repair value. It is in the "slough" that affects many supercars where almost any maintenance item results in a bill greater than the value of the car. The result is the huge divergence we can see in price with ordinary cars sub $5,000 yet with an example sold in the UK at pounds 29,000 and one for sale in Germany at Euro 36,000

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The cars that hit ebay seem lucky to reach $10,000 and indeed there is a great car for sale in the US at just that price.

First, we must address the condition issue. The cars are 30 years old so people will make the mistake of saying it is in excellent condition "for its age". Generally, this means run away because condition is the condition not affected by age and to me that expression usually means it looks pretty good for a 30 year old car. Further translated it means that everything will still need redoing including the paint but it will be nicer older paint you are sanding off!

What has happened is that some cars have gone into hands that simply did not understand or value the cars or could not afford to maintain them so there has been several owners with deferred maintenance issues, un repaired faults and using unqualified garages. In short they have sat around for years and years deteriorating.

So lets take a look at the "stock" available as a result.

Category A - cars that have fallen into auction trades, lost history, dealer cars that may look reasonable and run or cars that have just sat around as they needed some work. While the best of these may be capable of being brought back to life the reality is that these cars should be broken for parts. (I know I will read this years from now and cringe). Even so, if everything is beat (mirrors not working, wrong tyres, servos gone, clunking ujoints, broken half shafts, overheating and electrical issues etc) even the parts value is questionable.

Category B - genuine original cared for cars that have been maintained and are with their original owner or maybe one or two past that. Good cars and solid. These cars I will discuss below.

Category C - wonderful mint original cars requiring nothing as the upgrade work has been done. Or Category B cars that have been gone through properly. The value of these cars is not in the books but two examples are listed at the top at 29,000 pounds and 36,000 Euros.

Category D - the top value would be the Category C cars that are European specs and bumpers (not sitting back off the body with a gap) and with the ZF 5 speed manual box.

Key point number one. How do you differentiate between Category A and B. Ideally a visual inspection and PPI checks etc etc but given the distances I have yet to buy a QP III I was able to look at first! If you look at my thread you will see the ad for the 1981 that I bought which is now having EVERYTHING rebuilt including the motor. You would never have guessed it from the description but it was really a really nice car that had left the original owner Category B and fallen into the saveable category A. Make no mistake though it is not an economical save!

Be ruthless in ferreting out the Category A cars and not overpaying for parts on wheels - I have done this too often myself. A properly sorted car will have the receipts or pictures for what has been done to the car

Things to look for and common issues for the QP III.

I am sure others will have their lists and add to this but I wanted to hit a few key points:

Body - It is a big car and costs a lot to repair and paint - maybe $10,000 to $20,000? So having it original and right is a huge plus. Take note that windscreens are prone to delamination and are approx $1500 to $2000 to replace not including labour. There are sources for the rear screen but it is difficult the front is a bit better.

Around the windscreens there are common corrosion points and even the best ones will have issues there. A crack in the paint just below the rear window is common as this is a body joint. Bodging or bubbling by the window may hide corrosion that goes from the window into the main body holding the doors and I would think that is terminal for the car.

As a few more cars are being scrapped now there are some parts available but if the car is beat to the point of scrapping the odds are that the bumpers are pretty rough. No one is yet making new rubber parts for the bumpers so this is a body shop fix. Watch and see how they do on my thread as my old body shop St Georges (not ALSA) lost the perfect bumper and I am using my spare which is a bit rough.

These are the main body issues that I have found.

Common Mechanical Issues

Weak points seem to be in the valve cover gaskets which weep oil and generally have lost their crackle paint. Even on a good car expect to have to do this work.

Carbs will generally need rebuilt at the same time. Gower and Lee in the UK can do it on a good turnaround basis.

Cavis - leads - expect to put in new leads and go to MIE to get the right ones with the long cups as they look much better.

Cooling - was always an issue as the fans can be difficult and not kick in. Install a manual switch to turn on the fans directly if the red light goes on. The fuse box in the motor compartment may need to be replaced but it is imperative to get this right to protect the motor. Learn where this is and carry the proper fuses for spares.

Rads - don't mess about just get the rad out to put in a free flow core which is a great upgrade which is not noticeable. Make sure they repaint the radiator frame when you have it out.

Electrical Issues - doors, aerial, trunk release, gas cap release etc. Usually an easy fix but expect to have to do these.

Belts and hoses - buy a new set and put them on and keep the old set in a bag in the trunk for emergencies. Don't let the shop throw away the clips etc. Always get the old parts back and either save them or throw them out yourself ( I save them).

Carpets and trim - this was made to last but almost all of the wood trim goes milky and needs redone. I have seen it advertised as white wood! Budget for this. Carpets have their backing crumble but this can be sorted by repacking. Get a trimmer to look at what is needed. Wrecked leather in this car is VERY expensive to repair or replace.

Door seals and trunk seals- the originals are almost always gone and it is $400 to $500 PER DOOR and they are not the same colour and not easy to fit. I welcome thoughts on where to get original or better priced parts but on a 30 year old car I would expect them to need doing. If yours are good then force your passengers to lift their shoes over them getting into the cars as this will tear them up in a few weeks of use.

My mechanic recommends redoing the head gasket and checking over everything which probably makes sense longer term.

Many of the other things are just issues common to old cars (cleaning fuel etc)

Front end and suspension - essentially the car is heavy and some say the front end is under specced and "eats" parts. Even if it runs ok check the bolts and holders for the shocks and all parts including the U joints. All easy fixes but it if is all gone it will cost you $5000 plus in labour to replace everything (unless you do it yourself)

Finally, a car that is missing the odd part and rough really needs to be in Category A. Don't let any get crushed though as all the parts are handmade and rare.

Out of time for now. Ciao