What's It Worth in Today's Market

isellhondas

That is one HEAVY car! they had the "harmonica" grill!

The fluid drive is a wierd system! Usually people simply left them in the third gear position. I think they started out in second and when you lifted your foot off of the gas they shifted into third.

If you want to drive in a more spirited fashion, you can follow Shifty's advise.

DO NOT HOT ROD THIS CAR!! If you attempt to forse the shifts, the "clicks" will turn into "clunks". Finding a mechanic capable of working on a Fluid Drive today would not be easy!

Hope you have a big garage!

badgerpaul

I don't think Fluid Drive actually shifted gears at all. I think if you went between say second and third you needed to use the clutch. What it did allow you was the ability to stop and start with out engaging the clutch, but you stayed in what ever gear it was in. So if you went from a standing start in third gear it was going to take a while to get up to speed. I knew someone who had one and the said that basically around town in stop and go traffic you just left it in second.

isellhondas

Unless you were putting it into first.

I could be wrong, it's been a long time. When I was VERY young a neighbor would sometimes give me a ride to school in his '48 Dodge. Even then, I was facinated by cars and would watch him drive it.

In about 1966, a friend bought a De Soto with the same set up. He thought it was cool to wind the hell out of it and then raise his foot quickly off the gas so it would shift, then slam the gas down again.

As you would expect, the De Soto rebelled to such treatment and the Fluid Drive died a horrible death. The estimates to repair it FAR exceeded the car's worth and the De Soto became an organ donor. Too bad...it was really nice before my buddy tore it up!

dash400m

Can anyone tell me what a near-mint condition N600/Sedan or Z600 Coupe is worth? Both are 1970-72 vintage.

Mr_Shiftright

RE: Fluid Drive-- Yes, you could shift, and yes, you used the clutch to go into first or down into third. The fluid drive was to allow you to stop without using the clutch. I guess you could shift without the clutch if you wishes--I can't remember that either. I think I recall it was quite "grabby" without the clutch. Maybe sonofrust will attempt this and report the damage.

RE: Honda 600 Sedan or Coupe--probably $3,500 all day long....the S800 would be worth a lot more.

pmoore56

My brother has a 1960 T-Bird with 76,000 miles, 352 300hp, four buckets, console, etc. He has about $11K into it, and wants to sell it to me at his cost. I'm interested, but I'll probably repaint it, add a few trip and suspension parts, etc. to put it into decent #2 condition. Question before I start, what's it worth now in decent # 3 condition.

Thanks.

pmoore56

that's trim parts . . .

Mr_Shiftright

Actually, a #3 car should not need a paint job, but let's not quibble...if you want a #3 value for a '60 t-Bird coupe, I would say around $8,500-9,000 for a very clean daily driver needing no repairs of any consequence. If the paint is really in need of redoing and there are dents or rips and tears or mechanically issues, it is really a low #3 or a #4 car, and should be priced accordingly (i.e., less), as low as $6,000.

tjenkins1

My Father-in-law recently passed away and we acquired his 1974 Cadillac Sedan Deville. We are wanting to sell the vehicle but are not sure what to ask for it or what we should settle for.

He had bought the car new and kept it in his garage and only drove it when he went on trips. It has 52K miles and is in excellent condition. It is a Maroon or wine color W/white vinyl top and white leather interior. The motor runs great (however I have a hard time remembering that it has a carburator and you have to give it gas to start it :>)) and the tires are almost new.

I would appreciate any helpful advise on how to sell this vehicle.

Mr_Shiftright

I think if you put a $3,995 price tag on it, that's a good starting point. Take any reasonable offer. It's just a nice used car, so there's no risk of "selling it too cheap" or anything like that.

isellhondas

You can't sell that Caddy by the pound! It would be cheaper than hamburger!

keith125

This car is a good daily driver and looks really nice. All original body and interior. Physically the car is prime for a fairly easy restoration. Probably rate it a #3. Can you give me a value?

wrowan

I have the above vehicle with 26,000 original miles. All stock, 6.6L automatic. Oustanding condition. Located in Massachusetts. Any idea of value?

Mr_Shiftright

Prices seem to be all over the place for this car, but there also seem to be a lot of them around, so I'd say to find a realistic selling price the strategy would be to deduct from the highest asking prices for the mint, low mile 4-speeds, which seem to be pegged at $16K. Given that is somewhat optimistic, I'd guess you could sell your automatic for for around $12K-13K.

pcurran1

My son is trying to sell his Pontiac Tempest (68') and can't find the value of this car. I am beginning to think he is the only one with this car! It runs good and is in great shape however, being 16 yrs. old the insurance is too much for him to afford. Can you help find a value?

Mr_Shiftright

We'd need to know the body style (two door, four door, convertible), the engine size, the type of transmission and the condition of the body. See topic 5 for guidelines on judging the condition of a collectible car.

Host

dwtybor

I have a '74 superbeatle that has been restored to it" original yellow paint(excellent) & has had the engine reworked. It's in great shape! Can anyone give me an idea what this car is worth & how I might go about selling it.

Thanks.
You can e mail me at dwtybor@swbell.nt

Mr_Shiftright

You might take a look at asking prices on www.traderonline, and also take a peek at Hemmings Motor News, and then use these two agencies to advertise if nothing works locally for you. On a car like this, local ads are best, I think. The newer Beetles don't bring the money of the older ones, but I'd guess if it were a decent #3 daily driver anything from $3,500-$5,500 would be the active range for real money. But check on the net to be sure...if you go higher than $5,000 or so, you'll be competing with the convertible models, which is tough going for you in the marketplace.

Host

pablobruce

i have a 1971 ford torino 500 4dr with a 302 in good interior conditon but the outside has some rust holes but everything except for the exhaust is original well and of course the tires it has 111xxx miles

pablobruce

so what do u think it would be worth

pablobruce

my e-mail is spawn91@hotmail.com and i thank u very much

Mr_Shiftright

Well, being a 4-door and having some rust pretty much kills the value. I'd say if you're planning to fix up a car like this, look for a coupe and use this car for parts....or just drive the car you have an enjoy it as it is. But I don't think it's worth putting any serious money into.

Shiftright your host

toplessbug

Just curious, what is the value of our 1965 21-window van. It has always been garaged, no accidents=straight body, low miles, one owner/family.

Mr_Shiftright

They're pretty valuable if they are really straight and attractive. Getting that big flat-sided body to look sharp isn't easy, but if you can, or if it is already very clean and undamaged, these older multi-window vans can bring anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000. This would depend on how "perfect" it was, and how you marketed it. There was a craze for these a few years back, but it seems prices have leveled off for the moment. The price is heavily based on the condition.

rea98d

Saw this car at Burger King today, and figured it would be worth about a grand. Early 80's Grand Marquis. The engine was running (very rough idle), I'm assuming because it would be a bear to restart, at least one wheel was mismatched, and the paint was beyond salvation. Lots of surface rust, but nothing penetrating the sheetmetal. I'm assuming its a 302 engine? Probably needs some serious ignition work, and a paint job. I know, I know, I'm the only person in the world that thinks old Grand Marquis's are cool, but pick it up cheap, give her a tune up, paint the beast, and she'd at least look nice. (and she would by my guess, be worth about 2 grand after about 5 grand worth of work. No, I'm not considering buying it, I already have an old Mercury to keep me busy when I get time and money. I just got curious, and a bit nostalgic for my Grand marquis when I saw this one).

Mr_Shiftright

Well, you should buy what you like, but that car sounds like about $350 worth of automobile, not a thousand. You can buy nicer ones for $1,500 or so, so why start with a wreck?

magilner

Can you give me an idea on the price for a 76 Cad
Fleetwood Braughm ith 26K? Runs perferct. Needs new paint. Thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Let's see...if we figure top, top dollar for a low mileage car with good paint at say $4,750, then we'd deduct for a decent paint job and you'd have your ballpark retail number I think. The cost of a good (decent, not show quality) paint job will vary a lot depending on what part of the country you live in. Around here (Calif.) I think $2,000-2,500 absolute minumum.

rea98d

I figured I was being hopelessly optimistic. If the thing needed any internal work on the engine a (very) rough idle wouldn't betray (rings, valve seats, a hole in the no. 3 cylinder ;-p) the price goes down and the repair bill goes up. Like I said, I have a sentimental wreck to start with, and I like a challenge (As long as you do it for love, not money, right?)

speedshift

Speaking as a friend, rea98d, I think you want to lie down and think about this. $350 is a lot of money. We're talking hopeless beater here. Then again, my first six cars included three Corvairs, two Studes and a Falcon, so maybe I shouldn't talk.

Mr_Shiftright

Well, at least a few of the Corvair types and Studebakers are worth some money today, as is the Falcon Sprint...

rea98d

Hey, what happened to 522 and 523? Did somebody make the host mad again ;-)

Mr_Shiftright

Probably self-editing...sometimes people don't use spellcheck and then notice they've made too many errors...othertimes, as in my case, I reread my post and realize it doesn't make any sense!

Our current software has no editing function, so if you don't use spellcheck, it's all or nothing!

Host

thinksmall

What's the real value of a nice (a solid 3) 70's vintage Karmann Ghia convertible? The asking prices have a huge range. As high as $18,000.

Mr_Shiftright

Karmann Ghia Converts are starting to bring pretty strong prices, and they are currently the "flavor of the month". I'd say most very nice ones are in the $10K-12K range.

As you probably know, asking prices mean nothing, and they don't determine the market. It is certainly possible that an exceptional Ghia might sell to an exceptional buyer on an exceptional day for $18K...but that doesn't make the market $18K, anymore than getting one for $2,500 makes THAT the market.

But I would say that prices for these cars are on the rise, so $18K is not an unrealistic figure for the future. It takes a lot of money to bring a Ghia back to life--they aren't an easy restoration for the body, even though the mechanics are simple...and the top and top mechanism alone can set you back a fortune. Also, there are no unboltable fenders, so everything that needs replacing needs careful welding. And you know, of course, that they are rust-buckets. So definitely someone could sink $18K and more in a restoration...but that doesn't mean that the marketplace has to bail him out.

dancingbear1

I have a Blue 780 Volvo Bertone Coupe, 93,000 miles...just bought a Sentra se, and need to sell Volvo....Great shape, always garaged, good tires, air fine...has the Bertone radio with amplifiers, etc. Any idea if it has value? Dealer offered me very little for it. It is a v-6, 1988 model

Mr_Shiftright

The Bertone would be just the same as a regular Volvo 780, so just consult Edmunds or another good used car price guide for your numbers and condition.

kelf

Did Chevy make a 58 NOMAD ? Vin #: F58L109246. Did they make them in four door and still call it: NOMAD???
Can you please suggest appr price in A- condition( new paint, new interior)? Any expert who could look at her in Southern Cal? Are there web sites devoted to NOMADS?? kelfg@aol.com

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, there is a '58 Chevrolet Nomad wagon 4-door. Your serial number confirms a 4-door Nomad made in Los Angeles.

These are are not as valuable as earlier Nomads, probably only 1/2 as much. This is mostly due to the style of the car, which is not considered as attractive as earlier years.

Value will depend on a number of factors....the condition, the authenticity of the restoration work done, the engine size and the accessories. So value can vary considerably. A 348 engine with factory a/c would boost value a lot, for instance.

As a rough ballpark figure, the car might be worth $8,000 if it's very nice to $12,000 for an immaculate car of outstanding condition....in other words, you can't fault it. Very few cars are this nice.

I'm sure you could find numerous Nomad sites by using www.google.com and searching.

As for an appraisal in southern call, you might try Automobile Appraisal Assciation at 415 386-9100...they have offices in So. Cal as well as up here in SF.

Keep in mind that the asking prices you see are not the true value....asking prices are only the mythical hopes of the seller, and may bear no relation to reality (or they may, it depends...but you can't establish value based on them).

isellhondas

So, what would Lizzie's Renault bring in today's market?

Mr_Shiftright

Lizzie?

isellhondas

It was a 1972 R 16, remember?

Now, those HAVE to be worth something?

When did you last see one?

Mr_Shiftright

Ah, YES! Now I remember....worth about $500 on a good day.

rbrown9

WOULD LIKE OPINIONS ON THE VALUE OF MY FULLY ORIGINAL RESTORED MODEL A 1930 2 DOOR COUPE RAG TOP WITH RUMBLE SEAT. ETCHED GLASS AND CHROME MOLDINGS OVER DUAL SPARE TIRES. NICE LOOKING CLASSIC IN SHOWROOM CONDITION.

ihsalways

Previously stock restored, including 2 sp. PwrGlide A/T rebuilt and new radiator. R/R 350 Pont. engine, but can't track #'s. Red w/ white interior and top. Looks great; runs well, but uses oil (suggest top-end OH/rings & valves). Also needs new pwr steer pmp (OK w/ adding fluid). XC drivable as is. Would say overall condition 3-/2+. Value in Western US (DEN to coast)? Suggested other best online site(s) to compare value?

lemonjeep2

Car has the 390 big block, A/T, power disk brakes and the top works. My neighbor needed room at his place, so I gave him $500.00 and drove it home. It is far from perfect, but it's all there and not too rough, needing TLC, a top, and the seats recovered.

I'm currently restoring a '59 Nomad, so I'm not sure whether to keep the Fairlane around or send it to a good home where someone can fix it up for some Summer cruisin'.

shelby67

Does anybody out there now where I could find my sons dream car at. A 67 Mustang GT 500 SHELBY, And what I could expect to pay for this car.

rbrubaker

Try hemmings.com, I found 2. Both were $47,500. Good luck.

Mr_Shiftright

Shelby Mustangs are readily available...you have to be careful of counterfeit cars--which are usually easy to spot unless you are a novice.
Really the one to have is the GT350, it's a lot "purer" Shelby.

iinsic

I saw two cars at a classics dealer last weekend. 1. 1962 Triumph Herald Con. Restored. I didn't do a magnet' test, but it looked straight. They did a good job and rebuild the motor (1200), also. Asking $7900. Seems verrrry high.
2. 1965 Sunbeam Tiger. Has a Ford 302, originally had a 260. Loads of power, exterior cosmetic ally restored, needs a new top, clean but not perfect interior. No rust whatsoever. $19,800.

Are either of these prices in the ball park? I like the exclusivity either of these brings.