Thank you everyone, for your input. I think I'm gonna have to buy. It's just one of those things that if I don't, then every time I see a cool old benz going down the road I will say "I coulda had one of those" I'm in no immediate rush to get the car on the road so I don't have to invest a heap of money right off the bat. I checked the shop page and found a couple shops here in phx and will take the car to one of those to get an idea of what the big picture will be regarding repairs. Who knows it may end up on this forum for sale.

I payed $900 for my volvo (also an 85) about four years ago. I had to put a new ac in that as well. I think it cost me about $1000. But the car ran great for a couple years with only very minor repairs. But since then I have probably put about $2500 into it.

Sometimes I think, man why don't I just buy a new car...but I don't. I like old cars. As a friend of mine said "you either pay new car payments or old car repairs". And most new cars I see seem to lack character....