What's It Worth in Today's Market

cowtownkid

Well said Mr. Shiftright, well said...

bvillegas1

I have a 1930 model A Ford Cabriolet. It is in great shape and runs great. It is restored in its original condition. My question to you is what is he market value for this car? I am looking to sell it, buy I really do not have any idea of what my asking price should be. Please help.

jagandme

I have a 1975 Jag XJ12C, in fair condition. I just replaced the chevy 305 engine (excellent conversion) with a 350 (approx. 500 miles now). I'm ready to give up the old girl for a "baby jag". I WANT A NEW S-TYPE! What might the XJ12C be worth today?

dang313

I own a 1972 Porsche 914. I am looking to sell the car. The body is clean no rust or dents. Rebuilt engine now a 2 liter. Not running now fuel injection problem. Car purchased in 1980. Driven sparingly since owned. 86,000 miles.

Mr_Shiftright

On the XJ12 coupe, the installation of the V-8 would hurt the value somewhat, but since the car isn't worth a great deal, the impact on price shouldn't be too bad. I'd say somewhere between $35,00-5,000 if it's running decently and doesn't look too bad. If the cosmetics are bad (dents, bad paint) or if there are mechanical issues of some serious and obvious nature, deduct accordingly.
This car will be a tough sell, so I'd suggest that you don't walk away from any cash offer that is not downright insulting.

1972 Porsche-VW 914....

A car like this not running is a tough sell since it can't be driven. Normally a clean 2.0 liter could bring $4,000-5,000, but not running you'd have to sell for less than half of that. You'll just have to test the market and see if someone wants a hobby or has the expertise to get it going again. Given the level of risk for the buyer and the expense involved if something bad is going on, you may get pretty low offers. If the car can be made running for $500 or so it would certainly be worth your while to do so.

shadow49

I HAVE A 1969 CHEV P/U,COMPLETELY REBUILT WITH 92 STEPSIDE BOX AND INTERIOR,CUSTOM WHEELS 350 V-8.FROM THE VOLO AUTO MUSIUM,MINT CONDITION.ALL NEW QUALITY PAINT.MUST SELL,MOVING ALM@IOPENER.NET ILL.ONLY $6700!

Mr_Shiftright

There you go, seems like a fair deal for a restored older pickup.

austexrandyg

I have a 1976 convertible Cadillac El Dorado with ~ 76,000 miles and is in good mechanical condition which means it runs well on the road.

The interior has a cracked dash board from exposure to the sun and the front leather seats need to be re-upholstered. Everything electrical works well except the clock.

The exterior has some rust spots which a good sanding and primer and paint job should fix.

I am trying to determine if I put a few thousand dollars into it to "fix it" up would it be worth my time and effort?

I would also like to know what it is worth as-is?

Any ideas on how I can get a good estimate on the work to restore it versus just selling it as-is? I want to see if restoring it will be worth cost if I am merely looking at "profit" margin at the time of sell.

austexrandyg

jcmc

I'm interested in buying 2 different classics:

1) 69-70 Mustang Mach 1, 351C 4V "M" code, with louvers and front\rear spoilers, Shaker hood, pdb, ps, Tach & gauges, tilt, console, magnum 500 rims. A very solid 2, to very high 3.

2)69 Firebird 400 HO Ram Air IV convertible, Hydra 400, Rally group, Ram Air hood and tach. Again a very solid 2, to very high 3.

Can you please tell me how much I can expect to approx. pay for cars with such options and, as well as how much if I went into a 1 category for both?

I want both cars original, with NO MODIFICATIONS!!

Thanx in advance,
JIM

PS And I plan to drive them both!!!

modelt28

Hi,
My cousin, visiting from Minnesota, has a 1926 Ford Model T, 4-door in great condition. Has been driven very little, runs fine, all original, always garaged. Wanting to sell it, he asked me if I knew what the value might be out here in Santa Cruz, California. I answered, no. Would you, Mr_Shiftright have an idea where I could get this information for him? Thanks a lot,
Jerry
gpitman@pacbell.net

Mr_Shiftright

Hi Jerry,

Hard to say without really seeing it, since we don't know if one's person's idea of "good" is the same as another's. Also, I don't think California values are any different for this car than anywhere else in the country.

Usually you can buy very nice Ts in the $6,000-9,000 range, with beautifully restored cars hitting top asking price around $15,000. But above $10,000 you're really running on hope unless the car is ready for show. These are not easy cars to sell either at a high price because, oddly enough, they are amazingly plentiful despite their age. They made a whole lot of them, remember, and parts are ubiquitous.

Hope that helps,

Your Host

jonwk

fair shape (3?), V8, Auto, unknown miles (high).

Value?

Mr_Shiftright

Probably around $3,000-4,000 if it's presentable and running, but obviously needs stuff done to it.

writerforpres

I have one of the 300 or so Saab 900 convertibles brought to the US 13 years ago. IT's in pretty good shape.
Do you have a clue what it is worth?

Mr_Shiftright

These 900 convertibles act more like used cars, not so much collectibles, so the older they are, the less they are worth. I sold a very nice 1988 for $6,500. So if your car has a worn top or interior or paint, you can deduct from there. As you go up in years, and especially the last few years of that model, 1992-93, you can still get pretty good money for them, but not too many people seem interested in the older ones unless they are very sharp or unless they can pay a bargain price. This is probably because the newer ones are much better cars and most people seem to regard the older ones as a risk, as they do with say older BMW and Mercedes sedans.

thepogue

i have a 70 impala 2 door 350 that is in great shape (new carpet, seats, paint, 1000 miles on a rebuild) and has very little flawes any thoughts on a value (shes got 105,000 on the body 1000 on the rebuild)?? thanks and enjoy life!!!!

thepogue

the impala above is in "good" condition....(hehehe still looks GREAT to me!!!...) thanks!!!

456ttt

My has 114,000 miles on it, nicely redone both inside and out, bucket seats, runs really well, no air-conditioning. I've got about $13,000 invested in it, can you estiomate its value ? It's the last of the big starfire convertibles. Only 2300 or so built. Thanks

Marty

Mr_Shiftright

Hi 456--

If the car is a #2, I'd say it's worth about what you have in it at the moment, but I think the value will continue to go up slowly each year.

thepogue---on a '70 Impala two door, not really all that much interest for collectors, so it would have the usual "good used car" value of around $3,500 perhaps.

ucondaydreams

Hello from Houston. I own a 55 red Tbird in #2 condition that has excellent curb appeal. After 5 years of ownership, we have decided to sell this car and open up the garage for our kids' stuff and just to simplify our lives. Our response to selling the car has been good (we are asking $21,000. The observation we have made is that the potential buyers have been spoiled by modern conveniences and walk away when they discover the car has no power features. With the good old polybelt tires, I find the lack of power steering to be a mute point (unless you are parallel parking). Any suggestions on how to market the car with the lack of power options?
Thanks Keith

Mr_Shiftright

Hi Keith,

This is a typical problem with the older cars. The more accessories it has, like p/s and a/c, the higher the value and easier the sell. I think the only solution is to a)advertise specifically that these options are lacking (in a positive way) and b) price the car attractively so that buyer reluctance is overcome. Aside from the Birds with rare options, or spectacular over the top restorations, the prices on these cars are stalled right now anyway, so holding out for more money isn't really going to work for you. Of course, get a fair price. I think you need the kind of buyer who is more of a purist than the one looking for a parade car. Also, a clever person could take your car and build it up with accessories if they so choose, presuming they could get it at a price to justify these conversions. You may have to sell under $20,000 to accomplish what you want, but of course don't drop the price right away. Get an interested party and keep working with them until they buy.

If someone offers you around $19,000, I wouldn't walk away from it myself.

phil7890

I've owned a Chevelle SS 396-350 L34 for ten years, has 3sp auto TH400, A/C, PDB, PS, original block, cowl hood, black buckets. I have the build sheet but not the protect-o-plate. Before I bought the car, someone replaced the windshield that did not have the integral antennae, and since they could not hear any tunes, drilled a hole in the front fender for a radio antennae. Factory sheet says AM-8 track, so it did come with a radio. I do not plan on repainting the car soon, as it was painted ten years ago with deletion of the factory vinyl top. My question is this: the windshield has a very small crack in it, so I could locate a replacement with the hidden antennae. Does the non-standard antennae hurt the value enough so that I should try to repair/replace the fender, too? It is cranberry red #75 so repainting may be difficult match-wise. Any thoughts?

ucondaydreams

Well said, Mr. Shiftright. What is interesting about the four serious parties who have seen my red Tbird, is that they all knew my price and never argued on cost. Apparently, the comfort features are downright important. One Tbird mechanic had the opinion that all of the power options are also an additional headache to maintain. Nonetheless, I am still in the learning curve with my Classic car pursuits. I will take your advice and look for the purist who sees owning a non-power accesorized classic as part of the costume you put on when you are out enjoying the sunset drive. Thanks again, Keith

badgerpaul

If you're going to replace the windshield, I'd replace it with one that has the antenna. But I wouldn't be too fast in deleting the fender antenna, as I remember the windshield antenna had lousy reception, especially when the wiper were on.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think the fender antenna hurts value at all unless you're going for trophies. This is a minor deficiency at best. People are more interested in the powertrain authenticity in cars like these and will forgive little glitches.

nelson21

I have a 1968 Chevy C-10 shortbed truck with a 230 6cyl. It is in a #4 condition. New interior,radiator,brakes and some trim. Could anyone give me a range as to what this truck is worth, as I am interested in selling it.

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like a $1,500--2,000 truck at this point. You might check on the online classified sites to get an idea of comparable #4s.

www.traderonline.com
www.classifieds2000.com

Host'

hollidayassts1

My dad has restored a 1981 Datsun 280ZX... T-tops... power everything.... new paint... a FUN car. Now, he wants to sell it and I told him I'd try to get some info for him.

Are there Datsun collector sites out there? Are there really FANS of this vehicle (I think its a fun car, but terribly impractical) and how do I find them?

Where do I go to find out how much this thing might be worth????

Any help will be greatly appreciated

hollidayassts1

An afterthought here... I learned how to drive on a 1976 Chevy Monza with the biggest V8 that Chevy could wedge into the thing... Always wanted one, even after I "grew up"... any ideas on where to look for one?

Thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Hi holliday,

the 280ZX isn't much of a collector car, so I wouldn't advise trying to sell it as such; better to market it as a regular used car that would make a fun coupe for someone who's looking for a relatively inexpensive but comfortable sporty car. In this way, you put the car in a broader market and have a better chance of selling it. Only the 240Z is somewhat sought after as a collectible, and even that car struggles to bring a decent price vis-a-vis the cost or restoration.

I'd suggest going to one of the big classified sites and seeing what the going rate is: Here's some suggestions:

www.traderonline.com

www.classifieds2000.com

good luck!

Your Host

emurphy1

Hi Mr. Shiftright -
What's your take on the market for a upper level #3 '67 GTO conv.? It's all original, YS 400, TH400, SOLID body & chrome, int. almost perfect, non-power drums, decent paint,clean in trunk & underhood. Has the market peaked recently or do you see further rises?
Thanks

emurphy1

I'd like to think mine's pretty sharp and worth appx. $16k. I tried sending you an email w/ a couple of pics but hotmail bounced it saying your address was unrecognizable!
Thanks Again

Mr_Shiftright

emurphy---hi! Checked my e-mail, works well for me.

Okay, 280SE...this is, I believe, a 6 cylinder version of the 380SE, so if we take the price of a clean 1984 US 380SE (V-8) and deduct for 6 cylinder and deduct for European, I think somewhere around $5-6K would be enough for the car.

speedshift

Regarding the GTO convertible, how much do you think color influences value? Could the "right" musclecar color (red, black) add 5% or more, and could the wrong color (beige, for example) decrease value significantly?

I ask because at one time I had a beige '68 Cougar XR-7 with 302/4v and factory 4-speed. Something like 99% of '67-68 Cougars were automatics, and most of the remaining 1% had the standard 3-speed. As rare and fun as the car was, I had a hard time selling it, even at a reasonable price, and finally sold it to someone who was going to use it to convert his Cougar to a 4-speed. Of course, a 4-speed Cougar is an anomaly, and anomalies don't usually have a following. But I've always wondered if that car would still be on the road if it had been any color besides beige.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, sure, color does affect value, to a point...if the color has been changed, that's often a minus, and, to a lesser extent, a color like beige will make a car harder to sell.

But I think in your case it's just that the XR-7 is not as strong a collectible car as it's big brother the Mustang...a plain old '66 Mustang coupe will pull more money. It's the Mustang's "little brother" and always seems to lag behind a bit in value.

Rarity doesn't always translate into value...a '67 XR-7G for instance, is very very rare but no more valuable that the much more plentiful Mustang GT fastbacks...maybe even less valuable.

It's a crazy business.

So really the law of supply and demand applies to color as well. If a car is a) in demand, b) rare and and c) a lousy color, it will sell anyway; but if demand is so-so, or if they are a plentiful car, then a "bad" color makes more of a difference...there are fewer buyers and they can be pickier.

But they don't use the expression "Resale Red" for nothing.

Then there's the whole other issue of how certain cars don't look good in certain colors....like a GTO looks great in red, as does a Ferrari, but a Mercedes looks awful I think. So sometimes it's not the color itself, but the color on the particular car.

andy_jordan

Thanks for your help on the MGTD / MGTF, wife is now officially looking. So we are back to the practical vehicle - what do you know about used Unimogs? I don't have any particular preference for models (except maybe avoiding the 6x6) so am in your capable hands for recommendations.

Use would be off road only, probably only 2,000 - 2,500km a year, but obviously on fairly testing terrain.

Mr_Shiftright

I really don't know much about them, sorry, except that they can climb a 70% grade apparently. Also, I've ridden in them, and they will barely do freeway speeds....so if you're thinking of going on the interstate, I hope it's only for one exit...figure 60mph with a following gale force wind, and that's for the newer ones. The older rigs just can't hack a freeway no how.

andy_jordan

Not many people do know about them, that's the problem - all the knowledge seems to be with dealers (jeez, did I really say that!!)

It definitely wouldn't be used on road, the speed restriction is caused by the fact that the axle doesn't go through the middle of the wheels, a series of gears is used to lift the axle higher - this is obviously not an efficient system for cruising.

wadderr

Going to an auction where they have a 1967 VW Karman Ghia, any idea what it would be worth?
It says great shape.

Mr_Shiftright

coupe or convertible?

uther

1970 Mustang Mach I very good condition minor rust recenly rebuilt 351 cleveland 95% original very fast

wadderr

It is a coupe.

afinegold

Does anyone have any idea of what my '73 Vette, 454 engine with leather, stereo, air conditioning, and most other bells and whistles, is worth (ie., a range)? The car is in immaculate condition, and still looks like the day it came off the showroom floor. The a/c is currently out, but I plan to have it fixed this spring. The car has about 80,00 miles, and for the past 6-8 years it's been mostly garaged--I take all insurance except comprehensive off in late fall and don't reinsure or drive it until the following May or June. During the 6 months or so that it's fully insured, I only put about 1000 miles on it.

I have shown the car in past years in Corvette Concourses and have several 1st and 2nd place trophies that I'd give along with the car.

Any thoughts or info would be appreciated at afinegold@dellnet.com.

Thanks.

harn

I have an 88 VW Cabriolet. White w/white interior. It has a new clutch, new ALT, new Water Pump, new struts and bearings brakes about 60,0000 mi. What do think i could ask for it.
Harn

Mr_Shiftright

Hi Harn,

Well, just a cute little used car, so it's value is based on it's ragtop-ability, not any collectibility.

Mileage is good, so that helps a lot. Figure on a good day with a fair wind $3,000-4,250.

dnassau

Thinking about buying 74 Merc 230.
excellent condition, runs well, only 76000 miles.
Can't find it in the blue books.

Mr_Shiftright

Also just a good used car, nothing collectible there. I'd guess something in the range of $2,500-4000 for such a car, presuming mileage is verifiable.

modvptnl

What is your opinion on the value (or lack thereof) on the '80 MB 300CD mentioned in topic #160. It has 180,000 miles and actually runs decent if not snail like. It has that incredible front tranny seal leak that just pumps out ATF. Ironically the owner called me yesterday on the car asking what it would be worth. I didn't have the huevos to offer him what I thought; $500. Thanks in advance for your reply.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, I think salvage value only, a few hundred dollars....

ponder_this

I have a 69 Chevy Caprice 2 dr hardtop. From what I can tell its got the original 396 2barrel big block. I bought this car a few years ago for $900 and am now looking to get rid of it. The front end has been completely rebuilt, the interior is almost spotless except for a crack in the dash now covered by a dash matt I have started the body work, cut out the rust and started glassing it, plan on finishiung that before I sell it. However I have no idea what this car could be worth. I dont see to many 2dr big blocks around. Any ideas???

Also anyone have a mid 60's chevy station wagon in pretty good shape in the Colorado area they are looking to get rid of??

Thanks