Today’s Bricklin SV1 is in pieces, owing to its project nature. It shouldn’t be all that hard to assemble, owing to its fairly simple ‘70s nature, but only if its price is worth assembling the cash.

Have you ever come across someone who in many ways was both fulfilling and engaging to know, but who sadly suffered one serious deficiency like radioactive breath or the desire to date your mom? Yeah, disappointment city, right?

That was kind of the response yesterday’s received. The fly in its ointment? A 90-horsepower Iron Duke/three-speed auto drivetrain that probably pulls the compact motorhome with the same urgency as cable TV customer service. The fly-yellow camper itself pulled in an overwhelming 76% Crack Pipe loss as a result.

Spring is in the air! That’s what I say every time I use my valve spring compressor tool. I really’ve got to get a new one of those. At the same time I’m shooting coils across the garage, I’ve also noticed that it’s starting to warm up outside and based on the volume of bird crap on my cars, I’m guessing the birds have all returned from their winter homes.

That means it’s driveway project time. Well, maybe not for you East Coasters who are digging out of one of winter’s last eff-yous. For the rest of us however, we have a project that could occupy both your driveway and your bank account. More about that latter in a moment though.

First off however, “what the hell’s a Bricklin?” the whippersnappers among you may be asking. Well, Malcolm Bricklin is a guy who gave us some shitty little cars, some shitty but interesting little cars, and the SV1 which was surprising neither small nor all that shitty. That’s the snapshot.

The longer version is that Bricklin was an entrepreneur. He founded Subaru of America to import bug-like 360s, then in the Eighties created two companies: one that imported the X1/9 and 124 Spider after Fiat gave up on doing so, and another that gave America a taste of what living in the Third World is like by bringing over the Yugo. In between those escapades he built an eponymous sports car in Canada, the Safety Vehicle One.

Fewer than 3,000 SV1s were built before Bricklin’s company ran into financial difficulty, eventually causing its closure in 1975 after only two years worth of production. A few ’76 models would be built out of the remaining parts while the business was in receivership.

This one is a ’75, and like all of that year’s models runs a 175-bhp 351-Windsor V8 from Ford as well as that company’s C4 three-speed automatic. Mic drop... no, wait!

The safety car aspects of a Bricklin are the massive but well integrated bumpers, “Safety Paint,” and a lack of ashtray and cigarette lighter so don’t plan on charging your phone in one.

Don’t plan on doing much “in” this one as the air compressor that facilitates opening the gullwing doors has apparently failed making egress a frustrating challenge. The seller says that much like family planning clinics, it’s recommended on this Bricklin to use the rear entrance. The car is also partially denuded, the front fenders having been removed before the present owner ran out of interest in the car.

That will all need to be reassembled, and the body as a whole will need some attention. The plastic hoods on ALL Bricklins tend to warp, curling up at the edges like the Joker’s evil smile. This one exhibits that affliction but more than that needs paint and Bondo to bring the body back to snuff.

The interior is a mixed bag too, with decent seats but a craptacular dash cap and non-factory Grant GT steering wheel. Hey, at least on the outside you get the same tail lights as Panteras, Maseratis and other exotics!

The mechanicals are supposed to be sound, which is a plus, and as it was a Southern car, it’s frame is claimed to be free of rust. Most of the chassis parts are sourced from various Ford and AMC parts bins and hence shouldn’t be too tough or expensive to source. One of those that you’ll want right away is a new Ford ignition switch since the current one only goes as far as accessory.

There’s only 16,000 miles on the car and it comes with a clean title and current plates. That all makes it an intriguing project for someone with more time on his or her hands than the seller. To get into this Bricklin (financially, not literally) you’ll need $4,950. That, plus the cost to trailer it home.

What’s your take on that price for this project? Does that seem like a fair deal for an opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get your Bricklin on? Or, is this SV1 not the one?

You decide!

Seattle WA , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to picoFarad for the hookup!

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