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Comments
I don't see a lot of room for you here with this car, since it appears, from your description, to be a bit rough...being a big block is good, but a '69 Caprice is not the Chevy everyone wants; also, have glass in the body doesn't help either. There are plenty of unrusted cars to choose from, so the limited number of people collecting cars like the 1969 Caprice can afford to be fussy.
I'd say just get your money out, and hopefully make enough to justify your work--but I'd take any reasonable cash offer on the car over the $900 you paid + the money you put in.
It sounds like a break even proposition at best right now.
i am strongly looking to purchase a 1978 Mercedes 450 SEL sedan. Appears to be in excellent condition, but i am new at purchasing older or classic cars, and would much appreciate your opinion as to what you think current market value is for this vehicle. it is fully loaded with leather and sunroof..and all seems in prime operational condition. party selling is asking $2500 for the car. also, do you think i should have my mechanic check it out first?
hope you can help me. thx, borisopustoad
Your mechanic should inspect the car for such things as oil leaks, leaking shocks, brake disk condition, and overall operation of course. Benzes of this era have substandard heating and ventilation control systems, so make sure the heat works...the a/c is hopeless in most cases, so if it doesn't blow very cold that doesn't mean it's defective....it's just as good (or bad) as it gets.
Again, buy the best old Benz you can afford. They are sturdy old cars, but like everything else, high mileage and/or neglect wears them out just like any other car.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The issue with Panteras is that originally they were pretty rough, unreliable cars in need of some strategic upgrades....but by now, most early Panteras have probably had those upgrades. Most often, though, you find them all bastardized with weird wheels and scoops and boy-racer wings stuck all over them, so the originality is lost.
Most of all, I think you'll find the Pantera a very incompetent car....noisy, rough, poor visibility, and tough to manhandle. But it is undeniably fast and rather stylish. Aside from those less than desirable features, and the poor build quality (which may have been corrected in restoration), I don't think the car is as difficult to maintain as say a Ferrari of the same vintage, presuming all major systems are in order. Pulling out the drivetrain wouldn't be fun, etc., but day to day parts and maintenance should be okay. They did make a fair number of Panteras over the years (over 10,000), so it's not all that rare a car.
In summary, I'd say it all depends on your expectations and your level of tolerance for raw-boned motoring.
1.1940 Ford Deluxe Sedan-absolute creampuff-68,000 miles, original interior, floor mats, trunk, no rust. Whisper quiet rebuilt flathead. Trunk looked all original, including the plywood shelves that hold the spaare tire. The car'd been stored for years in a dry environment, and then pampered by a serious collector. Painted once in original maroon color. Not a show job, but a good one. I mean, you don't see original 40 Fords any better than this. It had sold-for $16,000. Price guide says 12,500 for a #1. Whadya think?
2. 63 Alfa Guilleta Spyder-all new, white, red interior, rebuilt mechanicals, very nice. GOOD paint job. Nice car. But 14,000? Seem a little high?
3. Here's one that was WAY HIGH! A 61 Pontiac Ventura 2dr. Hardtop-beautiful mettallic blue with tri-tone interior-factory tri-power and 4-speed. All correct, matching numbers, engine compartment restored to like new. Beautiful car in every way-not "over restore" just done right, with all the right stuff for that model. But for $25,000 firm?? No way Jose! Whadya think?
4. A '34 Ford Deluxe 2dr. sedan, beautiful restoration, close to a #1 car. Done up in light tan/w brown fenders, matching original style mohair interior, all the factory options available then-probably the nicest '34 Tudor Deluxe you'd find-but for 32,000?? I thought you could buy those original 32-48 Fords all day long in nice condition for WAY less than that. Whadya think? I was amazed, not just at the prices, but that they were SOLD!
One more-a classic 50's street rod. A 50 Ford Coupe-very nice car done in maroon with a black leather interior. The paint and interior were first rate, and the car itself had less than 100,000 original miles. Very tight-all chrome, rubber and glass near perfect. The engine was a Chevy 350-bolted up to the original Ford 3-speed with an adapter. Classic 50's style rod, with column 3-speed and original brake and clutch pedals. Asking 12,000. Actually, I'd pay that before some of the others. Some of those people were selling there egos with the cars this time.
Anyway, just thought I'd run these by to see what you thought. Oh yeah-there was a couple walking around with signs on them that said "55 Buick Parts wanted." Makes you wonder what their car looked like...
Old Car Price Guide is kind of goofy...way high on some cars, too low on others. I never use it myself unless I'm trying to win a client a lot of money for their stolen /wrecked car, but generally I do not find it accurate or reliable enough to count on in every item.
The 40 Ford was a big high, not too much...the Alfa was actually a bit low I think by $1,000 if a Spyder Normale and an absolute steal if it was a Spyder Veloce.
Swap meet prices tend to favor the American cars and undervalue the foreign cars, and also tend to really pump up 60s cars. At a collector car auction of say world renown, you'd see a whole different spread on those same cars.
As for the Venture, that does seems extremely over the top for a price, but some people are willing to pay for horsepower....in today's American Car collectible market, HP=$$$. So maybe it was some very rare engine 421/405?? and that can boost the price considerably...still, you'd think $15K-16K would have been enough....but you never know with really spectacular restorations...when you have a deluxe and perfect restoration of a desirable car, you can throw the Price Guides out the window.
This is why I never quote for perfectly restored cars, they are in a league of their own, and in fact, VERY rare....what most people call "restored" are actually #3 or #2 cars. #1 cars are, in fact, never driven and often never even started.
How do I find out the current market value and what is the best way to sell it?
You can advertise a popular car like this almost anywhere, but I would suggest an ad in the nearest large metropolitan newspaper for quickest results. May is a good time to sell, just prior to summer but with warmer weather already in the air.
Its a "4+": auto trans, V-8 (not sure of size but it's small), hardtop, 4-door.
We are the 2nd owner; 75xxx miles; all parts original except some upholstery, alternator, belts, and battery. It's Fire Engine Red, and needs a good buffing, and no signs of rust on the body, though the chrome bumpers need a good polishing. (Yes, it runs!) It's had all regular maintenance. An easy restoration project!
We're interested in a price range, any info on
other Fairlanes in original and operating condition. Also, if we decide to keep, how much does the value increase by year if kept in the same, or better, condition. Thanks!
Roger In Missouri
Sounds like around $1,200-1,500 would be fair enough. Chances of a #4 4-door sedan increasing in value aren't very good, so I don't think I'd keep it unless you want to drive it around and enjoy it. Most older 4-doors don't become collector cars because the supply is high (more 4-doors are made than any other body style) and demand is low (most people want convertibles or 2-door hardtops with large engines it seems).
please let me know of waht value it may be worth??
thanks, jim
I'd take a guess at $7500-8,000 for a really beautiful car (#2) and $2,500 for one that runs but needs things (#4). A BIG plus in value would be the 396 cid engine option--you could add 25% just for that. If the car is quite lovely and shows well, a big American car auction could bring the best prices, as I have sometimes seen auction prices go beyond common sense (good for you!). Of course, in an auction you have to transport the car, detail it and pay 5-7% commission, so this suggestion only applies to a very nice, well equipeed car in an attractive color. Otherwise, private sale is the way to go.
thanks cliff
So my advice is buy it cheap if you must have it, and don't put any money in it if it breaks...if you get a good year out of it and junk it or sell it without having put anything in it, you're ahead...but since you can buy perfectly clean and mechanically excellent ones for $3,500-4,000, why mess around with a beater?
This kind of car is best sold at auction, like Hot August Nights in Reno in August.
So perhaps it could be a "real" 409 but is still a fake SS. Of course, if you're going to drive it, who cares about authenticity...just don't pay "real" prices.
I've seen a stock 409 in a station wagon. The strangest one of all was a 409-400hp in a Biscayne 4 door sedan!
Anyway, it was pretty strange. 421, single 4 bbl, three on the column. Power steering, no power brakes. It did have the rare (at that time) AM-FM radio with factory reverb. Remember vibrasonic?...Same thing.
It took FOREVER to shift that three speed, but, could that old Pontiac ever move!
By the time I got it, it had something like 80,000 miles on it, and it needed some body work.
I was working for Sears at the time, and a smartass in the sporting goods department had a new Road Runner that he loved to brag about...
Driving home one night, he challenged me at a stop light...Guess what happened?
He wouldn't even talk to me after that!
Recently moved from Australia, I am in the market for an older classic which I can drive to work daily. A number of questions:
1. Car makes I am interested in are Volkswagen (beetle or karmann ghia), MG, Jaguar, or Alfa Romeo. Late 60 early 70s models. Am I being unreasonable to think that an old car will be able to give me 50 miles a day without many problems (assuming I do maintain it)
2. Where can I find general information on these cars, their market values, etc
3. Where do I go to buy them?
Your help is much appreciated
I think first off you should visit this site and ask for a sample issue of the magazine:
http://sportscarmarket.com/
It is the BEST source for good info, pricing, etc on genuinely interesting collectible cars.
With regards to your question, I think of the 4 cars you mentioned, the VW, MG or Alfa would easily be capable of 50 mile a day trips....forget the Jaguar on that one, as lovely as they are.
Narrowing it down further, the Beetle would probably be the most reliable and the LEAST fun. Both the MG and Alfa are fun and a little edgier on reliability, depending on what year you buy. If you could move up to a 1982 or newer Alfa, you get German fuel injection and German ignition, and hence a whole new world of reliability. Prior to 1982-ish, you're stuck with Spica fuel injection (a nuisance)....but if you go back to 1969 or so, to the Alfa Duetto (so-called) you get weber carbs and they are okay.
The MGB would be the cheapest to fix of the cabriolets and the easiest to find parts for.
The Alfa is the most civilized of the three sportscars you mentioned (it has heat and waterproofing and ride comfort).
So, if we should take all things into consideration, that is---fun, reliability, easy to fix, comfort, price, etc...I would give the c;ear and decisive edge to pre-Spica injection Alfas or 1982 on up. If neither of those choices appeal, and we are thus comparing the 70s Alfas with the 70s MGBs, perhaps then the 67-74 MGB might...might...have the edge, by virtue of its simple SU carbs and ignition point ignition and fantastic parts availability.
The Jaguars would be a full-time hobby, at least from that era, and really, for all their cost and complication, they don't perform all that well except the E-Type.
Thanks heaps for your guidance. The search is on...I will keep you posted (and probably inundate you with further queries) as I find things.
Chris369, I am in Northern California so hopefully will not have to worry about rust as in the midwest.
http://www.datsun.org/roadster/info/default.html
I guess you're not in a town that has a wide variety of repair shops, since these cars should not be allthat difficult to repair...the carbs are not rocket science!
In addition to C13's excellent suggestion, you could check for comparable cars for sale at:
www.traderonline.com
AND
classifieds2000.com
This, along with my estimate, will give you a pretty good idea of market, keeping in mind of course that some people's asking prices are not realistic.
Good luck with this
Host
I'd try to hang onto it since resale is low and the car is great fun and rare. I'd find a cooperative mechanic and develop a long-term relationship.
There's one in your area, I'm certain. You just have to find him. I happened to stumble quite by accident across such a specialist in another part of the country. All the local 1600's - 2000's go to him.
The car drives pretty well, but there is nothing fancy about the car. I am having trouble determining a market value. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks