DLextown1

I'm looking at buying a 64' project car with a rolling frame and a stripped body. This car has no engine or tranny or interior. The body is sapposedly in good condition with one small crack in the rear, and the frame is sad to be straight. This guy is asking 8000. Is this a fair price? He claimed that he could sell the frame along at Carlisle and get more. The real question is not what its worth, but actaully how much would you pay? :confused:

DLextown1

Oh yeah, i forgot to add that this car also comes with both the hard top and soft top.

Jimbo64

:bs :hurray: :nopity :lolg: $8000- Guy selling is hallucinating-remember he's the seller not the buyer and wants to get as much as he can. I'd be real leary of this trip. Doesn't sound like he has a lot to sell.

DLextown1

Can you expand on what you wrote? What do you think it is worth. I have seen a picture of the car so i know its real and i have talked to the guy. I just want to gauge his price. Thanks :confused:

achapman

First I doubt he could get $8K for the frame alone. You can get new repos for that price and I am sure that one probably needs work. Make sure it is not paint over rust, use an awl to try and poke holes in the frame. Also, the rear "kick ups" are extremely prone to rust. Only a good frame guy can tell you if the frame is straight.

You said its missing the interior, does that include guages? An interior is going to set you back serious dollars and if its missing guages double it.

As for the body, figure around $8 - $10k for paint and prep work.

As for the engine and tranny, if you want it correct figure another $8 - $10k, and when your done you will have a car that is worth significantly less than what you have into it..... I'd pass..... just my .02.... :smash: :smash: :smash:

Andy B

Here is a 64 that sounds like it's in about the same shape for 1500 less. It might be worth a look.
http://racingjunk.com/classifieds/classified52021.html

BTW, I think this is his other vette... sweet car


Andy B

62fuelie

The frame would have to be pretty pristine for him to get $8K for it. What kind of shape is the body in? Any serious repairs, one piece front end or the like? How about windshield trim, bumpers, etc. If you just want a nice street car, the engine and trans are not a real concern. I would get a good catalog like CC or LICS and go over the car close enough to make a pretty complete list of parts required.

Unless you spend a good sized fortune on restoring a car like this, the end result is going to be worth $20-25K. This means that if you spend $8K on the car and add $12K on parts you are upside down real quickly. If you happen to have the skills and equipment to do body work and paint yourself and can round up the necessary parts for $7-8K and install yourself, then you might have the makings of a project.

Been there, done that-more than once, but never again. :D

Islander21

I saw a very nicely restored SB frame (and frame only), matte black with the correct-looking shim markings at the Orlando NCRS meet last month and the guy could not sell it at $3200. Unless someone is smoking some heavy stuff in PA I doubt this individual will get anything close to $8K. :crazy:

Jimbo64

Hard to expand on something I haven't seen but believe achapman's reply would pretty well sumerize my feelings. Get a catalog like Zip's, Eichlers etc and figure out what it will cost to take it where you want it to be. There's nothing cheap about any part of a restoration as you'll quickly learn. Look at what a runnable driver or whatever you think you would want that's all there and compare the numbers. There are a lot of midyears around for sale that sound like a better deal then that. Wheels alone if you go for knockoffs are $1700. Wiring harnesses can take you in the $1000 plus range real quick, rechrome, paint work will blow your mind and your wallet. Your call, you know you budget but I think I know what I would do. Good luck. :seeya

BlackbirdZ07

I think a lot depends on what's actually there. I think there would be a big difference between a basically complete car that someone took a few parts off and something that's been pretty much stripped. You say it's missing engine, trans, and interior. Well, is everything else pretty much there in the engine compartment (i.e., radiator, wiper motor, expansion, tank, etc.)? How about the interior? Is it just that the seats, carpet, and door panels aren't there? Or is it competely gutted, with no instruments, console, dash, wiring, steering column, or anything else? How about the rest of the car? Both tops is good. Does it have bumpers and all the stainless moldings? How about headlight buckets and motors and all that hardware?

My point is, look carefully at what's there and what you'll need to buy. IF this is a relatively complete car that's basically just missing the engine, trans, and some of the interior and IF the body and frame are in decent shape, then $8,000 is probably reasonable. You can get a non-original motor and transmission fairly reasonably, and even the interior might not be too bad if you don't have to buy absolutely everything and you shop around. That being said, the above posts are correct; you'll still have more in this car than you can go buy a nice one for right now. It just depends on what you want to do. It may be a possibility if you're able to do a lot of the work yourself and you want to do the work yourself.

However, if it's been pretty much stripped of parts, then I'd walk away. If you really want a project car, try to find something that's relatively complete. You'll be spending thousands and thousands of dollars on such things as paint, mechanical work, new interior trim, etc, etc. There's really no need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars before you even get to that point just trying to put together a car that you can restore.

GaryS

I have seen GOOD frames at Carlisle for $2500 for mid-years. Bodies are fairly cheap too. I think this is very high considering that so much is missing. You didn't mention instruments, wiring harness, or drivetrain, so I will ASSUME that those items are there. Here is my list of what it would cost to do this project, off the top of my head:

complete engine -pan to carb $3000 (all NOM parts without any hi perf stuff)
transmission - don't know but a wag is $800-1000
body - $4000 (assumes you do a lot of the work) and includes painting
interior - $2000
frame work -$1000
misc - $2000-4000

I have met a few guys with lots of Corvette rebuilding experience and they go around and buy these basket case for a song. Most of us (me) don't have the time, patience, or knowledge to take boxes of parts and make a car out of it. Even if we did, you still wind up with Frankenstein - parts from this, parts from that.
Gary
just my $.02 - tell the guy to take his parts to Carlisle and part them out.

MasterDave

Well lessee, in '97 I bought a '64 rolling chasis/body/interior with no engine, a locked tranny, missing parts (interior), a no good top, rust, etc, etc. It sat outside for 18 years. I had to drain the green water out of it and chase the snakes and frogs out. I paid 5K for it. I was in heat, make a note to yourself, "BE LOGICAL"!! :yesnod: I spent 3+ years and over 20K to get it where it is now. Not original/stock, way too expensive. It's a great fun hot rod. Will I get my money out of it? Maybe, will I make a profit......again, maybe, but that's not why I did it. Every ONE thing you do to these cars by themselves are not too expensive........but, add 'em all up and you get to big $$$. Having someone else do your work doubles or triples your expense, so keep that in mind also bro. That said and not seeing it, I would vote for a parts car use or offer less than what I paid, which was 5K. Later....... :cheers:


[Modified by MasterDave, 6:29 AM 3/5/2003]