Top_Notch

I bought a '66 Roadster under unusual conditions 2 years ago and
am thinking of selling it. It needs everthing (interior, paint, brakes, top, exhaust, suspension, etc). Currently not drivable, but I started the car
a few weeks ago (added new radiator, rebuilt carb, fuel pump, ect).
(Although it probably wouldn't hurt to go through the drivetrain either)

Car was garaged for 23+ years. It has a NOM 327 with
4 speed trans,. Frame is rusty but solid, convertible top frame good, never
hit body but has no fender lips (cut off) and frame is straight. It's missing
exhaust although I have side pipes and covers (original) from another Midyear
and rear exhaust valence. The only original pieces I believe to be the intake, trans, rearend, and nasty interior. Essentially everthing is there.

Car originally would be silver, black interior, 327/350.

Here is a really bad picture of it when I bought it. Owner was a packrat.
(Hardtop not included)


Add exhaust, front suspension rebuild, brakes and tires and it should
be drivable. Not pretty, but drivable.


What can I get for it?





[Modified by Top_Notch, 2:42 PM 9/6/2001]

INMYBLOOD

Sombody please give him a guess I would love to know what a project is worth. It would give me somthing to dream about doing.

MasterDave

Problem is bro, is that for the 20K it will cost to make it a pretty good driver you could go out and get one ready to go and not waste the 3+ years it will take to get it done. I know, I just did this with a car in about this condition. Stuff had to be replaced that I never considered like the gas tank, fuel lines, brake lines, gauges and wiring, etc. Heck, a paint job alone will cost in the 5K+ range. A NOM car sitting this long would be a huge job, do-able, but huge. A sporty price IMO would be in the 2-3K range, maybe less depending on what a guy saw when looking under the boxes.

Top_Notch

$2-3? Just for clarification that junk on the car is not car parts, just junk.

The previous owner paid $3800 for the car in 1978!

GaryS

A good way to figure this out is to look in various places and see what a restored NOM 66 is going for. Then subtract from that the cost of doing the repairs to this car and you might have a glimpse of what to sell it for.

Off the top of my head, here are some WAG estimates:
interior, carpet & seat covers - $700
paint, strip, repair, and paint - $6000
brakes, calipers, lines, hoses - $600
top, repair top & new softtop - $1000
suspension, T arms, shocks, struts, ujoints, etc- $2000

and the list goes on. I assumed that you would be doing lots of work yourself and farming out the tough stuff. You can add the cost of re-chroming of most of the parts and there is another $3000.

Gary

GaryS

I forgot to add that there were junk cars at Carlisle that sold for $6-10000 and they needed EVERYTHING.

I wouldn't have paid that kind of money for some of the rolling crap that guys were looking at, though.
Gary

andy60

Gary,
Do you know they sold for 6 to 10,000 or was that the asking price?

MasterDave

Sorry brother, no insult intended here at all. This was my honest opinion, but it is just that, an opinion. I'm going by what it cost in time and money to re-do one like yours. I have to keep my heart out of this (difficult) and go with my head from now on. Remember, I JUST did this so it's fresh in my mind. I just added up my receipts and it totals over 22K!! That's with doing 95% by myself! Then add the 6+ hours a day, every day except weekends which were more than 6 hours for 3 years, plus I had (still have) a very understanding and patient wife. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to do another one soon and yours may be the one, I just don't get anymore with all the 20K mid-years out there that anyone would spend big dollars for one in yours and mines condition without more love for these than sense. :crazy: Then again.....I've been called goofy by some :D :eek:

Top_Notch

Well MasterDave, by the looks of things you do excellent work. If I keep it, maybe you can offer some advice as to how to get mine to look more like yours. (Sorry, selling it and buying one already done isn't acceptable. Isn't doing it yourself 1/2 the fun?) :eek:


[Modified by Top_Notch, 4:12 PM 9/6/2001]

Ih2lose

I found a 1962 low hp roadster original owner matching numbers High milage car .The car has sat outside under several car cover's since 1968 .He parked it for the winter because he did not want to drive it during the winters (he atually bought and sold two house and the car has moved with him) and come spring the battery was shot.Any ways to make a long story short I have the obpertunity to buy this car cheapley/affordabley. But the problem is because it's not a high dollar car and once I add up what I think its going to cost.(not even using the correct times it by pie 3.14 for what it actually going to cost) It does not pay for me to bring this car back around I could buy one cheaper allready a trophy winner.This fellow who ownes the car never wanted to sell he was always going to fix it up so he could use it again.And now 34 years later he does not have the means to bring it around himself.If I did not just finish my car I would of bought this in a heart beat but I now know the cost's first hand and also when somebody says buy the most car you can afford I know why.

Ih2lose

Master Dave I bet you did not add in all the extra tools you had to have to complete the job.In my home garage I have purchased for the corvette's restoration I now have a real large compressor,a air drier to go with it,air rachets,D,A sander,grinder,creepers,sand blast cabinet with a vacum,sand blaster tub for bigger parts,a gas powered pressure washer,adjustable timing light along with a vacum gauge,dwell meter,2 sets of jack stands,car ramps,motor stand,shock arm puller,trailing arm bushing installation tool,2-3 ton hydrylic jacks,and countless other tools and a exstencive library of books I cant even name.Granted I will use these tools and have them forever but I do not even do my own oil changes or repairs on my regular cars.But as my dad explains to me what else could I do with all my extra energy and time.Playing with cars has always kept me out of trouble.

Shark01

If it was $6k, I'd be putting my money in. You could probably get $8k, but keep in mind the car needs quite a lot, and very few of us have the mechanical knowledge to bring it back to life. Plus, it would cost me $1k to get it hauled back here to Texas, and $1k for a plane ride and NCRS member to check it out. Maybe you could keep the hard top and sell it elsewhere.

Let me know....

67's

I think it would be about a $5K to $10K, although it seemsa sucker is born every minute. I saw people at Carlisle paying that much for cars at Carlisle with bad rust, and never checking the frames, rest shops love theese types of people.

Tom McCabe

Top_Notch

Just to let you guys know, I was thinking 10 even, although hoping
for more. I've seen estimates as high as $16+, low as $2 (Thanks Dave :D )

But I think for 10 or less I'd put some green and sweat equity into it, and
then proceed to drive the wheels off of it. It still has those classic lines.

Keep 'em coming.

Curtis

I think it would bring $10k. I look at vettes all the time for sale from '67 and older. You never see one for under $10 that runs. Some person that wants to restore one will buy it and won't think twice about that price. As far as $17K goes, I don' think you will see that number. The most you will see is $12K IMHO. Modifications on the body don't help. If it didn't have that problem I may buy it and just shine it up and drive it. Maybe someone will want to make it a Pro Street.

Just my opinion on it,
Curt

GaryS

Andy, the $6-10000 was the asking price for the junkers/wrecks. Obviously, I can't say what they sold for but I was amazed at some of the prices.
Gary

67ratrag

I have to agree with some of the estimates above, because, quite frankly I bought a project '67 for 15K, in better condition than your car appears to be, and I have spent a FORTUNE replacing stuff I never considered. I will never recoup the money I have spent. Next time I will let someone else restore the car, then buy it for half what they spent, because that is all it is truly worth. I spent 5K on the paint alone. Vette owners think that's pretty average for prep/paint on a car, but other car owners (steel) think that's way high. Granted, they are midyears, but a SB roadster can be had for 25K in great shape. To start at say 12-15K then spend 25K to fix everything right, that makes it a 40K car, and that's not realistic. 6-8K is most likely right, but the fact that it's a midyear and subject to really inspire "fever" in a potential buyer, you could get 10-14K easily given the proper circumstances.

8notenough

Although prices in Carlisle were sky high, I wouldn't use them as a guide. I spent 17K for my 64 a few months ago and imediately put 3 more in it to have a good driver. It's not close to show quality and still needs things like spare tire carrier, shielding and lots of little things ( Ha Ha) like that. If you wait you will find that 10K guy but I don't think anyone experienced in any restoration, that will pay that much. Just my thoughts.

waynec

Seems to me there are at least 4 ways for a buyer to think about the price of a project car:

1. Value of a frame-off restored NOM car (perhaps $30k) minus the estimated cost of restoration. If you're a buyer who's not sentimental about this particular car, or you aren't in it for the love of doing a restoration, then the fact that the cost of a quality restoration probably exceeds the restored value will cool your enthusiasm.

2. The cost of buying the project plus the cost of building it into a custom street rod, versus the cost to buy a streetrod that may or may not fulfil your fantasy.

3. The cost of getting the car into reasonable/presentable condition for use as an occasional driver, versus the cost to buy one in that condition (ie, perhaps $15k to $20k). This includes the guy with big dreams who hopes he can fully restore it sometime down the road when he's got more money.

4. The value of the existing car as a pile of used parts (minus the costs of dissassembly + your expected profit + sales costs), if the car were to be parted out (losing the value of the title).... frame $2k, top $1200, rear end axle-axle $600, instrument panel, bumpers, wheels, fiberglass, seat frames, doors, dash, trim, etc, etc... it all adds up.

My guess? Best price somewhere in the $9k to $12k range, based on number 3 and depending on how much needs doing to this car... the problem will be finding a buyer who wants to go that route, doesn't fully comprehend the costs involved in a restoration, and is willing to part with the cash now.

Keep your eye on eBay for similar project cars.

waynec

BTW, if the car wasn't the wrong color, I'd swear that was a picture of MY garage.