....plus that thing is 'restored' very taste-specifically (yellow? painted bumpers?), and RX3s aren't exactly 'collectible'; plus, aren't they known as kind of unreliable and piggish for their size by those who DO know what they are?
This next one is kinda tragic, at least to me (super high-option, 68, 428, 4-speed Bonneville convertible). I don't see this as being 'restorable' at all, honestly I think it would self-destruct just trying to get it out of the ground, and the bids seem to reflect this:
....with interesting options (looks like tilt, factory headrests, cornering lamps and some kinda upper-level factory stereo at least). I can't quite understand why the seller would want to include a '59 Catalina with it as a package deal, except to save on the eBay fees.
68 Bonneville Convert 428 --- no way, the car isn't worth that much. Sure, if it were a GT0 Ram Air 400,which is worth maybe 4X as much.
I love how people wax poetic about such fond memories of the car, and they end up treating it like this.....there's a real disconnect in there, somewhere.
It's hard to sell junk like this, in this type of economy. First type of cars to tank in a recession are "projects" with no upside possible.
All I'm seeing here on all these Pontiacs are VIN plates for sale or a few precious bits and pieces that could be cleaned up and re-sold bit by bit. There may be profit in parting out, but it's not going to be easy money.
I love how people wax poetic about such fond memories of the car, and they end up treating it like this.....there's a real disconnect in there, somewhere.
...did you see at the end of that bid, in the 'questions' section, where one guy gives the seller hell for the way he treated it? You have to wonder what was wrong with the car if he loved it so much, yet let it sit outside and rot for 30 years.
I run into this a lot. Cars that sit for years, and might once have BEEN restorable, but the owner keeps refusing, as if he/she gets a perverse pleasure in seeing other people want what they have.
Well you can carry this power trip too far, obviously, and now nobody wants what they have! Or if they want it, they don't want it very badly.
I don't know if it's worth this kind of money (it's an automatic, and only the 110hp engine), but it being a '69, it is at least rare (521 built), though essentially not any different than any post-64 convertible:
Hmmm....older resto, no turbo, automatic, for $19K? I don't think so. If someone offered him $15K he should grab it in a red hot minute....even $13.5K is not insulting by any means. Were I hot for one, I'd offer him $12K tops.
30 large for an 04 G35? I don't think so even if it has low miles and mods.
The paint and mods may appeal to the tuning crowd but at the end of the day most people looking for a G coupe with $30k burning in their pocket will go for a slightly used 08 for same or less money. I know I would.
Price is retail for #3 clean driver, horsepower claims seem absurd on the face of it. I see stock ignition and manifolds and no blower to provide the *additional* 265HP over the stock engine.
Total BS on that horsepower claim. Ask for dyno documentation. A full power, hi compression (which that '72 is not unless heavy mods) W30 455 would only dyno about 425. No way that lame 400, overbored or not, is making that power.
I know this is nowhere near 465 hp, but there was still a somewhat high-performance 400 in 1972 that put out 250 hp. In 1971 gross terms, I think it was 350. So, if this guy is playing around with gross hp instead of net hp, he's only puffing his numbers up by 115. :P
One other thing I just noticed, gsemike...dunno if this would be a concern or not, but that Grand Prix doesn't have air conditioning. Unless it had it and the compressor was just removed? Might not be too big of a deal if you just drive it around to cruise nights and such, but I guess keep that in mind when working out a price.
.....nice looking enough car, but I never understand (understood?) why people decide to 'beef up' a large engine on a semi-luxury (this was not a 'muscle car'). This is the last year of this body style (as you know), so earlier versions are generally more valuable, plus '72s are automatically 'neutered' in terms of HP and smog stuff, but you know that, too. Interior looks nice (power windows, yes? No tilt, correct?). I prefer stock wheels, but that's just me. I've always loved the styling on the '69-72 GPs, so I'm happy for you if you buy it (or maybe jealous?)!! :P
The stock and far more common 400 was 200HP and that's probably what he has.
But yeah, if the car is clean and straight it might be a cheap invite to cruise nights and some fun---but a "muscle car"? It's probably a real cow. This is a typical 70s "boulevardier" -- put it in drive, put left arm out window, right arm around your date or your wife, whichever you happen to be with at the time, drive 55 mph and don't do anything sudden with the brakes or steering.
I agree though, lack of AC is a very large minus. I wonder if it's just been "gutted"?
Nice cars, but who would order those without leather?
I wonder what else is in that garage, and what kind of insane price the owner thinks they are worth...actually, I think I see an Excalibur under a cover, so maybe it is best they remain covered
Starting bid is $12K for the body and parts listed or $13,500 buy it now. Are all those bits together worth half the buy it now? Or more depending on what the documented history really is? I really wouldn't think so, because it needs everything. But I do like old Mustangs-even if it's not a Boss.
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
Actually, most of the DJE and Collector's series cars have the cloth. I always thought it was wierd too. I will say i have sat in these cars and those interors are really nice even without leather. The cloth is very high quality, the carpet is extremely plush and the dash and center console are all leather.
As for the seller, I have been to his website and there are all kinds of cars like the Marks. Ultra low mileage Corvettes, Caddys etc.
.....those Continentals were super plush, with or without leather. Still, um, even with hardly any miles, I don't know about $125k for two, but whatever.
My neighbor's friend (they went to high school together) when I was a kid (almost six degrees of separation) had a Mark IV (they both worked for FoMoCo, south side of Chicago), I'm guessing it was a '76....two-tone, kinda dusty pinkish metallic with burgandy, with matching interior (think kid whose parents have a Datsun, walking into a MK IV w/two-tone pink and burgandy metallic leather interior). That car, while we now know was a pig, was a masterpiece inside. Seriously. Garish, maybe, but just amazing. Cushy, lights everywhere, carpet better than in most homes, stunning.
Not sure about the 1979 Collector's Edition, but I think the only way you could get the 1978 Diamond Jubilee with bucket seats was with that cloth. It's actually a very soft, delicate, felt-like material, and IMO it's a miracle that it holds up as well as it does!
I think the only way to get leather in a DJE was to get a bench seat, which did away with the center console.
It's interesting to see those two window stickers...$21K for the 1978 DJE and $23K for the 1979 Collector's Edition. I'd think the DJE would be by far the more desirable of the two, with the 460 versus the 400. Amazing that it was only a $186 option in '78...a lot of bang for the buck. I ran both numbers through an inflation calculator, and by 2008 standards, that DJE comes out to ~$71K, while the Collector's edition comes to ~$69K. I might get nostalgic for these 70's loveboats, but I sure don't miss the inflation we were going through back then!
Here's a question - why sell them together? There might be a few people willing to pay a huge price for one of them, but how many people are there that want two? I just don't get it. But they do it for a living, they must know something... :confuse:
I know, that doesn't make sense to me, either. I could see someone paying a fortune for one of those DJE's, as they're considered by many to be the holy grail of Marks, especially with the 460. And I could see someone willing to pay a fortune for that Collector's Edition, as it represents the last of the line, an end of an era. But it would probably be easier to find two separate people willing to pay a fortune for one car each, rather than one person willing to cough up that much money for two of 'em.
Unless there are people out there with so much money they don't know what to do with it, and their fetish is Mark V's? Probably a pretty small demographic, though.
That blue car looks a lot like your friend's car. Wasn't the DJE package itself a $8K+ option over a "regular" Mark V? It pushed the price of on over $20K which was serious money back then.
Yep, I think that DJE package was about $8K. Sunroof was a separate option, around $1100. And the 460 V-8 was something like $186.
All of a sudden, the ~$1535 5th Ave package on my '79 New Yorker doesn't seem so expensive! And to put it in perspective, my '79 5th Ave probably stickered for around $12,000, and that was about as expensive as a Chrysler product got back then. Kinda wild to think that the '79 Collector's Edition was almost double that price!
I think the interior of the '79 Regal actually looks more futuristic than the one in the '96 LeSabre! I like the way the dashboard is actually tucked up between the A-pillar on those cars, rather than jutting out the way it does on lots of newer ones. That helps make the interior feel less claustrophobic, and aids with ease of entry/exit. However, one problem with this layout was that bump-out over the driveshaft hump, which houses the HVAC controls and radio. It pretty much kills any hope for comfortable 3-across seating in that car. And the instrumentation itself on that car was pretty bad. Silver gauges that were hard to read, and all you had was a speedo and fuel gauge. Temp/amp/oil pressure gauges were optional on the Chevies, Pontiacs, and Oldsmobiles, but I don't think they were on the Century and Regal.
One thing that's kinda cool about the '96 LeSabre though, although you can't see it in those pics, is the way the style of the dash wraps around into the door panels. It's a pretty neat effect, provided everything lines up properly.
While I personally think this is one of the most heinous cars ever created by the evil side of man's nature, they do have some value to collectors of "that sort of thing". But alas, it seems that the seller is obviously clinically insane. I'd guess that a very generous offer would be $45K-$60K for the pair, presuming they are as stated. I'd certainly encourage him to take that amount in a red hot minute.
The car's presentation and numbers are troubling, to say the least.
But presuming what he says is true, a car that raced in local SCCA by a driver who no one has probably ever heard of---I mean, what have we REALLY got here?
This is the kind of car where you throw up your hands and say "IT's worth what someone is willing to pay for it".
So far, that's not very much.
Generally, you don't buy totally flogged-out race cars unless they offer you, by their vintage or documentation, some entrance into exclusive events. In other words, the car itself is the "ticket" in.
I'm not seeing this, in this case, so I don't know how one justifies restoring it.
At any rate, I'd have to pour over the docs to know more; on the face of it, I'm sensing a lot of glossed over facts here. The man needs to tighten up this ad considerably if he wants this kind of money, IMO.
Keep us posted--if someone wants to track this auction for us.
While I personally think this is one of the most heinous cars ever created by the evil side of man's nature
I was trying to think of something to say along these lines, but your words capture my feelings exactly! About the only thing I like about these particular cars being offered for sale are the colors.
Comments
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
And if fully restored, why does it have a tacked on tachometer?
I'd say $4000 is absolute max for a stunning version of this car.
This next one is kinda tragic, at least to me (super high-option, 68, 428, 4-speed Bonneville convertible). I don't see this as being 'restorable' at all, honestly I think it would self-destruct just trying to get it out of the ground, and the bids seem to reflect this:
link title
link title
I love how people wax poetic about such fond memories of the car, and they end up treating it like this.....there's a real disconnect in there, somewhere.
All I'm seeing here on all these Pontiacs are VIN plates for sale or a few precious bits and pieces that could be cleaned up and re-sold bit by bit. There may be profit in parting out, but it's not going to be easy money.
...did you see at the end of that bid, in the 'questions' section, where one guy gives the seller hell for the way he treated it? You have to wonder what was wrong with the car if he loved it so much, yet let it sit outside and rot for 30 years.
Well you can carry this power trip too far, obviously, and now nobody wants what they have! Or if they want it, they don't want it very badly.
link title
i think I need some pepto bismol
this will burn your eyeballs
The paint and mods may appeal to the tuning crowd but at the end of the day most people looking for a G coupe with $30k burning in their pocket will go for a slightly used 08 for same or less money. I know I would.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Pardon my skepticism.
One other thing I just noticed, gsemike...dunno if this would be a concern or not, but that Grand Prix doesn't have air conditioning. Unless it had it and the compressor was just removed? Might not be too big of a deal if you just drive it around to cruise nights and such, but I guess keep that in mind when working out a price.
But yeah, if the car is clean and straight it might be a cheap invite to cruise nights and some fun---but a "muscle car"? It's probably a real cow. This is a typical 70s "boulevardier" -- put it in drive, put left arm out window, right arm around your date or your wife, whichever you happen to be with at the time, drive 55 mph and don't do anything sudden with the brakes or steering.
I agree though, lack of AC is a very large minus. I wonder if it's just been "gutted"?
That may also apply with your date or wife, whichever...
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I love the cars in the ad... however, I don't know where he came up with the price.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
The blue car has an interior that I find tough to believe is original.
I wonder what else is in that garage, and what kind of insane price the owner thinks they are worth...actually, I think I see an Excalibur under a cover, so maybe it is best they remain covered
I like the kid/dog pic too.
Starting bid is $12K for the body and parts listed or $13,500 buy it now. Are all those bits together worth half the buy it now? Or more depending on what the documented history really is? I really wouldn't think so, because it needs everything. But I do like old Mustangs-even if it's not a Boss.
i don't wonder that at all.
i just want to be that guy's insurance agent ;->
-Mathias
Actually, most of the DJE and Collector's series cars have the cloth. I always thought it was wierd too. I will say i have sat in these cars and those interors are really nice even without leather. The cloth is very high quality, the carpet is extremely plush and the dash and center console are all leather.
As for the seller, I have been to his website and there are all kinds of cars like the Marks. Ultra low mileage Corvettes, Caddys etc.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
My neighbor's friend (they went to high school together) when I was a kid (almost six degrees of separation) had a Mark IV (they both worked for FoMoCo, south side of Chicago), I'm guessing it was a '76....two-tone, kinda dusty pinkish metallic with burgandy, with matching interior (think kid whose parents have a Datsun, walking into a MK IV w/two-tone pink and burgandy metallic leather interior). That car, while we now know was a pig, was a masterpiece inside. Seriously. Garish, maybe, but just amazing. Cushy, lights everywhere, carpet better than in most homes, stunning.
I think the only way to get leather in a DJE was to get a bench seat, which did away with the center console.
It's interesting to see those two window stickers...$21K for the 1978 DJE and $23K for the 1979 Collector's Edition. I'd think the DJE would be by far the more desirable of the two, with the 460 versus the 400. Amazing that it was only a $186 option in '78...a lot of bang for the buck. I ran both numbers through an inflation calculator, and by 2008 standards, that DJE comes out to ~$71K, while the Collector's edition comes to ~$69K. I might get nostalgic for these 70's loveboats, but I sure don't miss the inflation we were going through back then!
Unless there are people out there with so much money they don't know what to do with it, and their fetish is Mark V's? Probably a pretty small demographic, though.
All of a sudden, the ~$1535 5th Ave package on my '79 New Yorker doesn't seem so expensive! And to put it in perspective, my '79 5th Ave probably stickered for around $12,000, and that was about as expensive as a Chrysler product got back then. Kinda wild to think that the '79 Collector's Edition was almost double that price!
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/1582212619.html
One thing that's kinda cool about the '96 LeSabre though, although you can't see it in those pics, is the way the style of the dash wraps around into the door panels. It's a pretty neat effect, provided everything lines up properly.
While I personally think this is one of the most heinous cars ever created by the evil side of man's nature, they do have some value to collectors of "that sort of thing". But alas, it seems that the seller is obviously clinically insane. I'd guess that a very generous offer would be $45K-$60K for the pair, presuming they are as stated. I'd certainly encourage him to take that amount in a red hot minute.
But presuming what he says is true, a car that raced in local SCCA by a driver who no one has probably ever heard of---I mean, what have we REALLY got here?
This is the kind of car where you throw up your hands and say "IT's worth what someone is willing to pay for it".
So far, that's not very much.
Generally, you don't buy totally flogged-out race cars unless they offer you, by their vintage or documentation, some entrance into exclusive events. In other words, the car itself is the "ticket" in.
I'm not seeing this, in this case, so I don't know how one justifies restoring it.
At any rate, I'd have to pour over the docs to know more; on the face of it, I'm sensing a lot of glossed over facts here. The man needs to tighten up this ad considerably if he wants this kind of money, IMO.
Keep us posted--if someone wants to track this auction for us.
I was trying to think of something to say along these lines, but your words capture my feelings exactly! About the only thing I like about these particular cars being offered for sale are the colors.