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Looking for a 454 4 speed convertible, what should I expect to pay for a nice original numbers matching car with lots of options such as a.c. and hardtop? See a couple advertised that are close to this description but cannot go by someones asking price. Have searched auction results but few cars have sold that match what I am looking for. thanks
...Looking for a 454 4 speed convertible, what should I expect to pay for a nice original numbers matching car with lots of options such as a.c. and hardtop? See a couple advertised that are close to this description but cannot go by someones asking price...
Prices can vary across the country. Until you actually find a car meeting your description, asking prices are all you have to go on.
Hi j,
A 1970, big block, 4-speed, convertible, with a/c, is a very desirable car.
A car that was ORIGINALLY all those things, and STILL IS, is going to be quite valuable. It's a SERIOUS Corvette!
I'd think you're certainly talking about a car in the $50,000+ range, if not more.
Regards,
Alan
From: PHOENIX AZ. WHAT A MAN WON"T SPEND TO GIVE HIS ASS A RIDE
Originally Posted by Alan 71
Hi j,
A 1970, big block, 4-speed, convertible, with a/c, is a very desirable car.
A car that was ORIGINALLY all those things, and STILL IS, is going to be quite valuable. It's a SERIOUS Corvette!
I'd think you're certainly talking about a car in the $50,000+ range, if not more.
Regards,
Alan
Thanks Alan. I have a 70/454 convt. bronze/black 4 speed & ALL options except deluxe interior wheel covers & shoulder belts that I am the second owner of. I did a body on resto with a rebuilt original motor on a original paint,no hit car. People ask what I would sell the Corvette for & I say 60,000.00 & some look at me like I am out of line.
depends on your definition of nice and your definition of numbers matching. An AC big block 70 convertible will be pretty rare to even find one, let alone one that may meet your requirements.
from a ballpark opinion point of view: half are in junk yards, half of what's left are rusted out, half of what's left are not numbers matching. then you have to find what ever is left for sale.
hemmings has one for 55K, proteam has one for 70K.
There's really no way for sure to find out what they are selling for since most people will not tell selling prices or buying prices. only the auctions will possibly tell you and those prices are skewed by alcohol or buying sight unseen by rich rookies.
NADA average retail puts the price at 81K, even dividing by 2 from the absurdity of NADA prices still comes out to 40K+.
I sure hope they are getting these prices for the day my 70 big block convertible goes on sale.
If you are stuck on big block with 4 speed and factory ac, you are going to pay for it.
It took me 2 years to find the right car and I was considering anything from 68 to 72. I ended up with a 69 427 with 4 speed, factory ac and factory side exhaust (an added bonus)
I think a nice virgin body paneled survivor type car with all of the correct components will cost you at least 50k. I don't think 70k is far out of line.
I would agree with all the posts,a real 454 vert with ac depending on condition,documentation and originality, the 50-70k price range is not out of line.
Many people are really underinsuring their cars, especially with agreed value policies. They are used to people on this forum telling them that their cars are worth less that they actually are...Not all C3s are investment grade cars, but a big block chrome bumper 4 speed convertible with factory AC falls into that category. Granted its not an L88 or LS6, ZR1, ZR2, etc but its still a rare, hard to find car.
Take a car like the 70 we are talking about as an example. Its hard enough to find one car with a 50k budget if you are really looking for a nice car. Sure,you can find one for 30k from someone not all that familiar with what they have, but in terms of replacement costs...it might cost 60 to 70k to get another car in similar condition without spending 2 years searching. Even if you only have 50k into the car, pay the extra $100 a year in premiums for a higher dollar agreed value and make sure you have a good policy.
Hi Gary,
I agree, and also think this is true for ANY Corvette that is agreed to be a nice car by knowledgable people.
It's funny but ALL Corvettes of a particular year were within about a $2000 range when they left St.Louis. It depends on what made up that $2000, AND, what has happened to them in the next 40 years that determines their value now.
Regards,
Alan
From: PHOENIX AZ. WHAT A MAN WON"T SPEND TO GIVE HIS ASS A RIDE
I agree with all of the posts. As with any collectable you have to decide what you want & then find the BEST one that you can afford. As with any of these the rare, desirable ,& better condition piece will appreciate more than the low end common & condition piece will not. Again BUY THE BEST you can afford.
I have to agree with the 50-70k price range even though that is contrary to popular opinion. a convertible chrome bumper big block with factory air and a 4 speed is a hard thing to find.
If you're willing to pay over $25K for a big block Corvette, better make sure it really is ORIGINAL. A block with matching numbers can be bought for about $4K going by ads seen on the internet. It makes a big difference in price, true original or not. I'd be asking for paperwork to back the claim, at least a tank sheet if not POP or invoice.
The big block Corvettes are attractive to clone due to the high prices they fetch, many clones out there.
Being that a 70-72 454 vert with ac is pretty rare find,was wondring what the production numbers for them were.I know GM did not keep these numbers,but this would make for a interesting survey for 70-72 454 verts with ac.
my 72 convertible BB has factory A/C. ( it left the assembly plant that way , not a later addition ). in my own personal experience I have seen very few so I would assume they would be pretty rare. i have no hard data , just personal observations to base it on.
What gets me is ANYONE who knows how much money it takes not only to restore them, but maintain them shouldn't find 50k a lot of money. Heck, mine is a 74 convertible and I'm doing a LS swap. Time it's said and done I'll have more in her than I'll ever get back. But face it. We don't pay the money and sweat off out behinds to restore one of these ladies to make a profit. If you think you can, good luck with that one. You'll NEVER get out of them what you have in them. Unless. like me your fulfilling something in your bucket list. I'll get a LOT a pleasure riding this convertible rocket around town as well as out of town, being able to blow most of what is on the road away, with the windows ip and the AC on...Yea baby...I can see it now...
I have heard a few times that about 5% of the total known 67 production was 427, 4 speed with ac. This includes coupe and convertible and both 390 and 400 hp. I think that as long as consumer trends remained the same, you could move this info over to 68 and 69. Not sure how the single engine avail in 70 to 72 pollutes this data.
again I am just guessing , but if the 5% number is accurate , and it sounds logical to me that it is. as you get into the early 70s A/C was becoming more popular ,if you assume the % doubled or even tripled by 1972 , that's still only 10 or 15%. in my opinion no matter how you look at it....there are not a lot of them out there
22940 total production of coupe and convertible
5933 L36 and L68 427 engine (No L71,L88, L89 with factory AC)
20,172 M20 and M21 4 speeds (No M22 with AC that I am aware of)
3788 C60 Factory Air Cars
(5933/22940) x (20172/22940) x (3788/22940) = 3.75% of total production with these options. In 1967 around 862 cars.
I guess the 5% number I was told was a bit on the high side for 67, I have never done the math myself.
Things that we do know about consumer trends in corvettes in the late 60s and early 70's:
1. Automatic transmission was becoming a more popular option.
2. Factory AC was becoming a more popular option.
Do you think 10% is a realistic production number?