Pricing / values

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

A topic that can easily bring a variety of opinions and nothing wrong with that.

I for one think most all of the GUIDES out there are BS and give most buyers and sellers an unrealistic idea of a car’s value. Restored being the main guides.

There are so many variables that create a value: and most of these guides use a Broad Brush and don’t factor in all those things that can’t be known until you know the car being discussed.

Original sheetmetal. Color Combos. Drivetrain options. Seat options. Docs. Verified Numbers and Docs. Quality and Correctness of restoration. Repro parts vs Original and NOS. Known Owner hx. How long ago painted/restored. The variables go on and on. Ballpark values can be had but in my experience... the GUIDES are not worth it to most. Just my opinion

[tom406]

I agree with Stefano-I think the market for survivors has come around, and has finally grown enough to push their value a bit beyond the best restored cars, but the market for restored cars is bigger and the two sets of buyers don't overlap as much as some would think. I still think the best examples of each still end up in the same basic neighborhood, if you're just trying to get an idea of what it might cost to play in that game.

[Steve Shauger]

Survivor vehicle collectability is virtually identical to artwork, guns, coins, stamps, pottery etc....

Desirability in this case means performance oriented cars, not a grocery getter or low performance cars with one-off options(I love those) next is Condition, History, Documentation/provenance and Awards/ verification.

Lets not mistake cars that survived, to those true well preserved survivor cars. Mileage is meaningless if a car has been either restored or a large amount of original components are missing.

There has always been a strong niche market, and the right car with all the above elements ...will set records. I know of and have certified a few..

[napa68]

This is a great discussion. I have nothing to contribute at this point, but find this discussion from the contributors very informative........thank you!

Tim

[EZ Nova]

Originally Posted by tom406

I agree with Stefano-I think the market for survivors has come around, and has finally grown enough to push their value a bit beyond the best restored cars, but the market for restored cars is bigger and the two sets of buyers don't overlap as much as some would think. I still think the best examples of each still end up in the same basic neighborhood, if you're just trying to get an idea of what it might cost to play in that game.

I agree with Stefano on you on his comments. BUT not sure about the 2 sets of buyers?

I the the groups of buyers that can afford the BEST OF THE BEST restored to 100% cars, can also afford the survivors and would look for them as well mostly because it comes down to the fact there just isn't that many survivors out there? You can always look for and buy a restored example of a car, say 1970 Boss 429. But now go look for a survivor 1970 Boss 429, there just isn't that many. So the UBER rich don't care. Like my late friend who just passed told me, "IF I WANT, AND WANT IT BAD ENOUGH, NO ONE WILL OUT SPEND ME I JUST DON'T CARE". Now those are the types that will drive the survivor's market because just about anyone can go and buy $150,000 restored car if there serious. But when the guy who want what not too many has or can have, that's what drives the $$$ and that's what I think your seeing with the survivors market now.

R.I.P. Ken

[njsteve]

Ballpark figure... on a car that is in 99.9% perfect, original condition and I'm talking Vintage Time Capsule Award kind of condition - I would take the value of a 1,000 point show car that was restored by an expert in their field, to perfect conditon...and then double that. That is the ballpark value of an untouched car.

You are talking about a moment of captured time; a dinosaur frozen in a chunk of amber; a piece of history; an example of original artwork painted by the master's hand himself, etc., Like a Stratavarius violin that is in its original condition.

The people that appreciate these type of cars are ones who are looking for a frozen moment in time, one that will always be that age, forever. And there are precious few examples of these cars that are ever brought to light.

If you try to refinish it, or make it "better," or more perfect-er according to your perceived ideal of what it once was according to your memory, you are diminishing the value instead of increasing it.

[njsteve]

I would add this: these type of "dinosaur in amber" cars really are a type of prison. And if you take one on, you are basically going to be the warden of that prison for a set amount of time until you see fit to parole it to the next warden.

I truly enjoyed my time with Enrico's 73 SD-455, but once he passed on, I felt it was time to release it to the next "warden" so that person could oversee the car during its next consecutive prison sentence. ;-)