I just came home from looking at a very interesting car. I wanted some input on a ballpark value. I just want to see if I was in line with the offer I made to this person. The car is a 71 GS Stage 1 4 speed. Cortez gold, brown vinyl top and brown interior. Non A/C, bench seat, manual windows, Rallye pack dash. F41. The car was bought by the seller in 78. He showed me the used car reciept. He paid 1800 for it with 70,100 miles on it. He drove it for 2 years and in 1980 put it up on blocks....literally. Its been sitting in his garage for the past 24 years. The car hasent run since. The engine is free, but the condition is unknown. Oil pressure, blow by etc..Same for the clutch. The car has 76,000 miles on it. Im sure it didnt lead an easy life. Now, you would think that the car would be really clean and rust free being off the road for so long. The paint was shot. The car needed quarters. The left quarter had the typical rust bubbling around the wheel well and at the bottom by the seam. The other quarter was full of bondo and dented. Outer wheel housings were rotted around the quarter. Grill was broken (possibly repairable). All the chrome was worn and pitted in some areas. Right fender was rotted at the bottom. Left fender has a bullet hole in it (???). Doors were clean. Interior was a little shabby. Basic plastic Skylark wheel. AM radio. Front bench ripped, carpets worn. Numbers matching engine with the correct carb and dist. Correct trans and shifter. It did have solid floors and a solid trunk. He had the original 14" Rallyes but no tires (I had to bring my own wheels and tires with me). Overall condition in my estimation was shabby at best. It looked tired and worn. Although complete, the car needed a full resto. He wouldnt take a penny less than 10,000 for it. I walked. I offered him 6,000...cash. And I had reservations about that. I really dont think the car was worth that much. I kinda wanted a general consensus. What do you guys think?
N25? Nice car but a 15 -30 K resto depending on what you did and how much you did yourself--perhaps more for a farmed out frame off masterpiece. Then 40K to be spent. It is the same dilemma we all face so often. We would like the car but it will be a long and expensive road to bring it back. If (the most important word in the English language) you could find one done and handle the freight up front, you would save money and time. He may find someone who is not up on what it will cost in the long run to bring the car back that will pay 10K-- just like the OK. GSX situation.
Thanks Jim, I always appreciate your insight on these things. No N-25. The rear bumper had a trailer hitch mounted on it to boot. Im going to let him bake for a while. Im sure I will be recieving a call from him in the next month or two. I should have brought the camera. I always forget the camera!!!!! Jason
