Need some thoughts on my 73 Laguana (sell or restore ) need advice

by lagunaman Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:56 am

I have had my 73 Laguna for 43 years . Bought it off the original owner . The car was performance all the way . 350 4 brl dual exhaust with swivel bucket seats . For the last 12 years she has been outside covered up . There is a little rust . I recently stripped out the inside to start restoring it . My problem is no money to put into it and parts , well you know about parts ? To boot it is off white interior which is even worse . I love the car !!! But maybe I need to let go and have someone else enjoy the car . My problem is I am a car hoarder and still go back to the day I saw it and test drove and hearing that 4 bolt main engine with the dual exhaust . So I am listening to see what some think . I just turned 64 so I am weighing my options I know if I sell it I will never have another .

by 76Chevelle2Tone Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:43 pm

The whole Laguna history is frustrating to me and I guess to others. It was a great idea and the Lagunas look cool. The problem, as is obvious, is that Chevy didn't support it so it never became something like the Grand National. So they didn't sell well and that means their parts are difficult and expensive to find. If you don't have the money to buy parts i don't see how this is going to end well. Already the car has been sitting for years. I assume that's what you mean as "outside covered up".

I had to make the same decision about my 76 Malibu Classic sedan which I have had for well over 30 years. I decided to renovate it as it had a lot of old parts but otherwise still worked well. However I had enough money to realistically budget buying used or new parts over the space of a couple of years not 12 years. I have a somewhat similar issue as Laguna owners since I have a sedan and 4 door parts are hard to find in usable condition. But unlike you when I see them for sale I grab them and have a fair number as spares now.

So I would say keep the Laguna only if you can allocate funds to grab parts that become available and not try the endless junkyard searching. I wouldn't let the interior color put you off though if that is your principal issue. Just my thoughts.

by bracketchev1221 Tue Aug 09, 2022 7:45 am

Decide how bad you want it. Maybe not a full restore but getting it going and use it. If you have to have full restore and can't afford to put the time and money into then let it go. I had my race car for 25 years and 4 years later, I don't miss having the car. I have 2 other cars in my garage that I PLAN to go through, but not sure that I ever will. I recently had back surgery and just don't know if I have the stamina to do it. I am paying for kids college right now, so I know the money will be there in a few years, so in the meantime I just put what money I can into it right now.

by zucchi Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:38 am

lagunaman wrote:I have had my 73 Laguna for 43 years.

I've had my 74 Monte Carlo for 38 years; still my daily driver.

lagunaman wrote:I love the car!!!

I love my Monte Carlo. Even gave up a girlfriend who was jealous my car; she wanted me to make a choice so, of course, I chose the car — no regrets.

lagunaman wrote:But maybe I need to let go and have someone else enjoy the car. I know if I sell it I will never have another.

Sounds like you answered your own question. Like the old saying goes, "If you love something, set it free; if it returns, it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was."

lagunaman wrote:My problem is no money to put into it… I am a car hoarder…

Sell one or more of the other cars you've hoarded and put that money into your Laguna. Take out title loans on the other cars. Take out a second or third mortgage on your house. Take out a loan against your life insurance policy. Start a go-fund-me page. If you have children, sell them for medical experiments (Monty Python reference). The point is unless you're on the verge of bankruptcy, you have options to raise funds.

All that aside, the fact that the car's been neglected and melting away for the last 12-years, and you expressing uncertainty and sharing thoughts about selling means it's time; just like deciding to put down a really old, blind, deaf, crippled dog that needs to be given a bath after each time is goes potty, who should've been been given the dignity to be put down a couple of years ago.

by Mcarlo77 Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:39 am

I faced a similar dilemma with my '75 Laguna. Saved the car from a guy who also wanted to buy it to Demo Derby it...and, I owned it for about 8 yrs. Plans were to restore it alongside my then son-in-law who thought it was cool. Well, daughter and he got divorced soon after and, although I took it as far as I could with improvements, I knew I didn't have the ability or money to have someone else restore the engine and give it a much needed paint job. Even if I did, I had nowhere to properly store it once it was restored without incurring a monthly rental storage fee...which, at retirement wasn't something I wanted to commit to. So, decided to sell it to a local guy who had seen it sitting in the driveway and had the resources to take it to the next level. Do I have regrets? Sometimes I wish I had kept it until reality reminds me of why I made the decision in the first place. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing I did my part to keep this classic from the crusher.

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