1981 kammback to buy or not to buy and parts interchange with SX4

[spouty]

Ok ,I have been around a while but actually would be considered a newbie as far as experience with these cars go. I have an 81 SX4 I have been slowly getting ready to part out. I did sell some of the interior but I still  have the rest of the car. The underside of the car is rotted away so there was no economical way to save it. I just came across a 1981 Kammback for sale that needs some TLC but they promise me the body is very nice. It has a clear title and it's a 4 cly manual car. The add said it was a 5 speed but they were not sure and think it maybe a 4 spd. The dash is partly out to repair damage due to a electrical fire it starts and runs but needs to be put back together. It needs brake work and a slave cly for the clutch. My Sx4 is a 4 cly auto car. I can pick up the Kammback for 750.00 or less. I was thinking I could buy the Kammback and just keep the SX4 for parts. The question is how many of the parts are the same between the two cars? I think there would be a lot of interchange but want to make sure before I go any farther. I am waiting on pictures of the interior and underside of the Kammback right now.
Here are the pictures I have so far.

[priya]

There will be a great deal that will interchange between the kammback and the SX/4, pretty well everything except for the rear body and interior panels.

[spouty]

I am just waiting on more pitures and hoping they send some of the underside so I can see what its like. Its a 5 hour drive to see it.

[spouty]

I hear ya. I really wonder if its worth the 750.00 when it needs to be put back together and such. Wiring can really burn up a lot of time. I see them for sale for all diff prices. There is one in Ohio that looks pretty good for 1500.00 that just needs a clutch and only has 45,000 miles on it.

[shaggimo]

Whether it's worth it or not, is a crapshoot. Sometimes you gotta take the gamble, I traveled 8 hours to go look at an sx/4 (well a half dozen, lol), only to come home with cosmetically the ugliest car of the bunch (other than the parts cars he had). I paid 500 for a car that hadn't run in 15 years, had almost no paint, no brakes, and had assumed clutch  troubles. Structurally though, the car was excellent, it was covered in rust, but no rot, interior was decent too. In my mind that was worth $500. If that car is solid and has the factory paint on it, 750 doesn't seem to bad, maybe offer a couple hundred less and see what they say......Not to mention, if you have a parts car  .

[IowaEagle]

Yea, get a lot of underbody shots.  That is where Kammbacks become parts cars.  Is your SX/4 a 6 cylinder car?  You can swap all that over too.  All Eagles are the same from the A pillar forward -- and all two door models are the same from the B pillar forward -- except for some interior styling differences on the door panels.

[thereverendbill]

if you do purchase it and decide to part it out make sure to hit me up because i am in need of some kammback specific parts 

[MetalBird]

I need parts too.  I saw that ad when posted and debated on getting it, but do not have the free money to buy another car.  Would be nice tho.  I too say Got For It!

[spouty]

They were going to send me some pictures but they never showed up so I am still waiting. I might call this week end to see what up.

[mojobean]

any updates yet? if the body is good.. i think 750 is not bad. we drove 9 hr round trip to haul home an 81 kammback that had sat under pine trees for 6 years. while we had no idea if the engine was usable.. we offered 500 (he was asking 700). he took it, we brought it home. figured we'd end up replacing everything in the engine bay but it turned out most of it worked.  cleaned her up and checked everything out, did some maintenance i'm sure had never been done (including draining the diff which was full of water) and put the tranny in/and out/ and back in three times..... but we've got a good little driver, she's been on the road over a year now. well worth the 500. and if i had done 700 it still would've been worth it. (i too had an sx/4 parts car which came in quite useful.)

[spouty]

The pictures never showed up and now I will not have any time to make the trip for a few weeks. I am gong to let it be untill I have some time to go look at it. .
Steve