One of the tougher elements of being a project car owner is you grow a bit pessimistic at times, especially when reading the listings of other cars for sale. Take this 1970 Volvo P1800E here on eBay: the seller claims he’s not going to have any time to get to it in the next year, but I can’t help but think he’s just sick of tending to a rusty Swede.

And you know what? That’s OK. We’ve all been there, realizing we’re in over our heads (or maybe lucky enough to stop ourselves before we get in too deep). I just wish people would call a spade a spade and be blunt in their eBay listings: it’s too rusty. It’s too time consuming. I hate this thing. I wish I never bought it. There’s a newer, better car with fewer problems for less money right down the street. You get the point – there’s nothing wrong with admitting this isn’t the project for you.

Even though the seller is well aware of the virtues of an engine like Volvo’s B20, it still needs a full tear-down. He goes and on about how much he LOVES this car and its sexy silhouette, but like any man scorned, he just can’t pull himself back into this P1800. The hurt is too deep, it seems. I can’t get over how many times I read things like “All there” and “Perfect” and then immediately see the word “except.” Just tell us the truth: it’s way too much work.

I am not knocking the car, as I think these are worthy projects in most every form. The price is fair and there’s no reserve, so my hat is off to the seller in that regard. My personality is such that I like realists and can appreciate a point of view that is glass half-empty when there is good reason to be negative, and this project fits the bill. It’s rusty, it’s cheap and it could be yours: what more do you need to say?