I have a 76, all original, in fair shape but not restored. How much value does it add to resale if I keep the all the matching numbered parts together? I have an opportunity to trade my 4 speed for a 5 speed. Should I buy the 5 speed outright and store the original 4 speed away for future resale?

 

Absolutely store your 4 speed and buy the 5 outright. Save all your original parts. You will be glad you did one day.

 

A matching numbers 435 HP car is worth a lot. A matching numbers 76 L48 is not that desirable. Go ahead and put in the 5 speed and have some fun with the car. Matching numers are over rated anyway. Most of the matching numbers cars are a bunch of found parts anyway. I doubt most of them have all the originals.

 

For example, i have a #match 73 vert. I pulled orig 350 and TH400, stored them in the gargare, and put in a zz4 and TKO600 5-speed. Now the car drives like I want. I can always reinstall the original parts later.
Cheers,

Crunch

 

Keep your original parts, the plastic bumper C3's, are starting to come into their own, as the chrome cars get further out of reach the rest will increase in value.

Regardless, in the auction/resale market matching numbers rule, like it or not, the purists will pay aprox 20% more for matching numbers in many cases just simply to avoid the headache of finding all of the parts to resto a non-matching car, which can take years and bukoo bucks to do otherwise.

Cheers

 

I agree with all the above postings. I am turned off by a car that isn't original. Store the original parts and that will keep your car value at a premium.......

Tom

 

Its getting harder and harder to find the right numbers, good used or NOS parts nowadays. Now, with the availability of getting hoses, windshields, etc., etc. brand-new with the appropriate date stamps and markings, people are really building replica cars rather than restorations. That takes some of the interest out of it for me as far as originality is concerned but I still like to look at 'em.

If the money difference is not a big deal to you and you have the place to keep it then I would keep it. It keeps the possible regrets away and your car could be worth something someday--those chrome bumper cars were not worth all that much not too awful long ago. And, once their gone, their probably gone for good (the parts, that is).

 

Matching numbers is defined in so many ways. One is that the three major components match. The engine, tranny and rearend. To purist the list includes everything, water pump, carb, alternator, distributor, tires, wheels, etc.

However with that said the three major components are the most important as you can not replace them.

If you have the three major store it.

The decision is yours

 

I can't agree more with anything that's been said.

My car is not a numbers matching car, at least, not the motor. I wish whoever replaced the motor kept the old one, but for me, I wanted a car that I could tinker with and work on.

It all depends on what you're after. If my car had the original motor, I would've just kept it. Or yanked it out and properly stored it. That's the best option really, because you can return it to original easily enough if you decide to sell.

I think 20% markup for a nom matching car is a good average...some cars, like big blocks or limited run small blocks, like LT-1s get a little more, while others a little less.

I don't think there's a vette ever built that won't appreciate in value. 30 years ago, C2's were a dime a dozen and were simply used cars that wouldn't ever be worth what the C1's were worth. Now look at them.

Only 15 years ago, when I was in my mid teens, I was saving to buy a chrome bumper big block car. At that time, I could get a really nice one for only about 10-12k. Now, what chrome bumper car with any motor can you get for 10 grand? Your 76 will come up in value. It may not ever catch up with the earlier cars, but that's usually true anyhow.

I guess the point of this compilation of random thoughts is that you should build the car how you want, since it's your car. But, from a financial investment standpoint, keep the old parts. Even if just to pass it on with the car.

C

 

Thanks for all the superb comments. I'll keep it!