What/How Would You Value a C-Body ?

[polara71]

How about this as a perspective, all of us have the perfect build for their car in their head, you can spend years and bucket loads of money and never achieve it. But one day a car almost exactly like you want pops up, wouldn't you be willing to buy it for every nickel you could afford? I would expect most of us would.

I am looking for that guy with the money that "needs" to own my car until then I will continue to upgrade, change and drive it as often as I can.

Buying a car built will always cost less than building it your self, just most are only able to throw a few hundred $$$ at a time and not drop 15 plus G's at once. And Dare I say if money wasn't an object, Many of us would be owning the more popular models. Don't lie and say it aint true

Many of us? Not me!! I bleed Polara Plasma .........They are without a doubt, my favorite car. NOT because its what I found OR because it is what I could afford and No, I wouldnt sell my cars, being mostly original or "period correct" my cars are irreplaceable ..

 

[tbm3fan]

This is where the A, B and E bodies were in the late 70's early 80's. In 1982 a buddy of mine picked up a 1970 Cuda 440 6 all original with 40k on the OD for less than $1200. Same year I got my 1970 R/T Challenger vert with factory air for $2000. Nobody wanted those cars back then. Everyone wanted an SS Fire-chicken or such nonsense to be like Reynolds. Now they all want to be like Kowalskie, Jake and Ellwood.

I think time will tell and the value can only go up from here, so get while the getting's good and cheap.

Definitely don't see it that way. These cars, for that matter many big cars of the era, are demographic specific. That demographic is not expanding rather it is contracting as many sellers of average 50's cars are finding out. When the demographic dies out so will the cars die out for lack of people interested in caring for a car that has now meaning to them at all.

As to your example that was true for most all muscle cars back then. I would go out on a limb and say the interest in the early Mustangs, by the now more mature baby boomer generation, and powered by the very first magazine related to restoring these cars, Mustang Monthly, started the craze. Pretty soon all the muscle cars were now being picked up by their particular adoring faction. Then B-J followed up from being a small auction house to using marketing experts to stoke the fires starting in the late 80s. The sight of easy money to be made flipping the cars there led us to where we are now. Not a fan of where we are now as I don't like big business co-opting something like a simple hobby and turning it into a cash cow for them all else be damned.

 

[jake]

The price of my dodge 880 is priceless, reason being, that my father comes over once and awhile to help me with it. It brings a smile to his face. He is not up to working on a project anymore but like me,loves to tinker with any car. Someday hopefully my son and myself will have the same bond working on the 880. Its a never ending process of fixing, building, repairing, upgrading, I hope my car never gets finished, because I bought it to enjoy it, not to profit on it.

 

[NWMoparguy]

To me it's not about the money at all. It's about preserving something that represents a period of time that is gone and will never return.

 

[1Fury1]

Here's what I don't get.....So your out there looking for something a little different and come across a C-Body because you like the styling.Then you purchase the car for around $3K. You get the idea that your gonna restore it or hot rod it or whatever it takes to bring it back to it's glory again. So,assuming your going to perform most of the work on the car yourself,like mechanicals,paint,interior,suspension,etc.,then how do you get in over your head?

It's great to read so many different perspectives on this subject yet most of our situations have alot in common, and the quote sums up alot of it. Bought the Fury 1 for $2600, trailered it home from Minnesota and immediately started to tear it down, not really knowing where it was all going to go. Fast forward a couple years, a few g-notes, ok quite a few, a couple parts cars, some sweat, and still haven't even heard it run or driven it down the road. However I consider it all to be payment in advance for the permasmile that will inhabit my face the first time I drop that clutch and run through the gears. My only regret so far is that I didn't have some fun driving it around for a year or so before getting down to business. Who knows maybe it never would have got this far in the first place, but now that it's close enough to taste I have no regrets whatsoever and have have no intention of parting with it. My grown up kids are all mopar nuts so this car will be in the family for some time to come.

 

[1978 NYB]

One thing life has taught me Bob is ..... NEVER say NEVER. lol.

C bodys are not a investment quality car. The value in them, ((IMHO), is the pleasure they bring to us. Jazebelle brings a much higher level of, (pleasure), value to us then my brothers 68 Hemi Charger brings to him. We added 10K miles to Jazebelles odometer last year..... My brothers Charger ........ Maybe 10-15 miles.

I'll never realize a monitary return on my money invested in the 300 ....... But I will continue to invest and upgrade her. The return is the many hours of enjoyment out on the road.

That being said, i's still comforting to know that your investment is somewhat safe if the time comes to sell a C body. I kind of think that if I could get somewhere close to 75/80% of the cash investment in my car then thats an acceptable return.

I've been in it for the long haul since day one.

I've put 7,000 miles on the New Yorker last year and already have 1,000 miles so far this year. I'm working on the Newport... it's needs a lot of work since it has sat for the last 20 years. I've been busy working a lot ltely and haven't been able to get much done so far.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Here's what I don't get.....So your out there looking for something a little different and come across a C-Body because you like the styling.Then you purchase the car for around $3K.

I disagree with that.
I am not out there into C-Bodys because I want something a little different.
I am into fuselage C-Bodies because their styling is perfect in my opinion. I search and buy them not to be different but I look exactly for the cars that I would have bought back then. Model, colour and options. None of my cars just came by somehow. I searched a lot, found them and bought them all for a specific reason.

What are they worth?
Often I do get 50-70 cent back on the Dollar when I decide to sell one after some years.
I am into Cs because I love them, not to make money.
Moneywise I did better with my B-Body Muscle collection which in some years increased a lot in value. But again I buy them because I love them, nothing else

Carsten

 

[greasemonkeyman]

Anyone that buys an old car that isn't popular and isn't a muscle car will find it more difficult to restore and harder to find parts.Most likely what you will find are used parts in the same condition as the ones you already have,so the only option is to restore what you have.And it seems most of them never bring high prices like the highly sought after muscle cars,but as they decline and restored examples go thru the roof,people are becoming aware that these C-Bodies are the next best thing,plus,they've got room for the whole family plus lots of trunk space.

 

[commando1]

Car guys will buy one C-body to add to their resume.
C-body guys will keep buying them.

Posted via Topify on Android

 

[bulldogchesty]

There is a company, AMD, maybe that is making parts for Rivieras, caddys, now they need to work on some C body parts.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

There is a company, AMD, maybe that is making parts for Rivieras, caddys, now they need to work on some C body parts.

they won't. Not enough request for a certain model to cover the cost for doing so.
Due to that they do not reproduce rear quarters for a 1970 Coronet/Super Bee/Coronet RT.

 

[greasemonkeyman]

they won't. Not enough request for a certain model to cover the cost for doing so.
Due to that they do not reproduce rear quarters for a 1970 Coronet/Super Bee/Coronet RT.

Yes,most companies won't even think about producing a part unless there is a wide enough amount of buyers willing to purchase them.It wouldn't be profitable enough for them to make molds to remanufacture 100 fenders for something like a 67 Fury.It has to cover their investment in all the tooling and labor and give them a profit for them to reproduce.More likely,they may offer reproduction patch panels,because there are probably more cars out there with rotted fenders/quarters than have good ones and patch panels are much cheaper to reproduce than a complete fender.It's also a matter if someone will purchase them?

 

[67-Fury]

c-bodies are more for enjoyment I mean everyone knows they aint worth much and to a lot of people they just see a derby car and they take up tons of real estate but c-bodies show you dont half to have a 440-6 pack cuda to have a great old car there unique they show that your mature its the felling of driving a nearly 5000 pound boat and knowing anything that gets in your path will be crushed to a lot of guys (including myself) there more of a sentimental type of car cause you own something that not everyone else wants but u want and that's all that matters

 

[ultrahumanite]

I bought mine because I love the styling of the mid 60's C bodies. I've owned enough classic cars in my short life to know what I like and to not care what anyone else thinks my car is worth. The first that I owned and drove was a '64 Ford Galaxie when I was just out of highschool and it was my daily driver. My friends all made fun of the boat and had late 70's early 80's Camaros or newer sports cars. Even though my friends thought it was old and lame I couldn't go anywhere without a herd of older guys flocking to it. This past weekend we had a neighborhood yard sale and I was working on some small stuff in the driveway. I was amazed at how many people wanted to get a closer look, wanted to know about it or mentioned that they'd never seen a Chrysler that they liked. The "car" guys may not be into the C bodies but you can't deny that they are beautiful cars and people really do enjoy seeing them around. Growing up I always wanted an early Roadrunner, I had one for 10 years and had to sell it to make ends meet. I got back more than 10x what I put into it since I bought before the big Mopar boom. When finances finally caught back up I started looking for something I knew I would enjoy driving for a long time. I love muscle cars but if I could get back one car that I've owned it wouldn't be the Roadrunner it would be the Galaxie. I'm OK going slow and low, making a scene when I get there not shooting past at full throttle and doing smoky burnouts at every stop sign and the Newport does just that. My kids act like they won the lotto when we make a quick trip to the gas station on the weekends and I enjoy every minute of getting there.

 

[mcmlvii]

I've got to admit, I'd probably have a 1970 GTX now if I had the funds. But my '66 Sport Fury gives me joy when I drive it and work on it. My folks bought a '66 VIP Fury 4dr in '67 (I was 9) and they had it for 20 years, so I grew up in a car very similar to my SF. When I work on my car, it triggers memories, 'oh yeah, I remember that'. Lots of little things. And I do remember being in the VIP as a kid, looking out the window and seeing the occasional '66 Sport Fury go by and just thinking 'wow'. I admired them then (along with many other cars), and I have one now. Yeah, the GTX would be nice, but so is my SF.

 

[jeffbiologist]

Here's a topic a lot of people have questional opinions about......How much is my car worth? Now there are some of you that will go "by the book" and I find that somewhat questionable,because prices fluctuate not only by condition and options,but by where your located.Different parts of the country dictate what a vehicle is worth too.Then there's also the question of whether I should sell it like it is or fix it up and will I get more money for it.I'd say that if your gonna fix it up and then try to sell it for a profit,this can be done,provided you invest your own time and labor into getting the car cleaned up,restored,repaired,or whatever condition that's needed for it to become presentable for sale.If your gonna bring your car down to the local mechanic to have simple little things such as change a spark plug or replace a trunk weatherseal,then your paying money for unnecessary labor,and that will bring down whatever profits your planning on making.Also,take into consideration that asking price and selling price don't always equal up. I've seen it so many times(especially at car shows),when you talk to the owner of a car and they are totally unaware of how to do anything on their car except put gas in the tank and wash it.The idea of getting into the "Old Car" hobby,is to learn about your vehicle and enjoy it too.So,what do you think some C-Bodies are actually worth?

This is a very strange site. You would THINK this is the right place to ask such a question but truly its NOT. Most people that respond are crumudgeon at best. If they are upside down and aggrovated they certainly arent the best people to ask if you're not. And VALUE is what someone else would pay....and while alot of people here will point to BOOK VALUE guides they are sketchy at best. I just restored my convertible and Im not upside down on it and I got a fair share of LIKES, but also a fair share of judgement beyond my car. Its my opinion that they almost want the values to stay low so they can enjoy these cars by themselves in the 20th century. In the light of the 21st century I was just offered $20k on my convertible without even going to a show or advertising it. Just driving a restored car around gets out all the tire kickers but certainly the value of these cars will soon be realized and the old timers will either go the way of the dinosaurs or be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. They should realize that people making a PROFIT off these cars will increase demand and price of their upside down cars. "lurkers and flippers" are looked down on when they(we)are the only ones doing any work to actually promote these cars into the publics eye! You see the cell phone ad where the guy says "smart phones....they only have 3 keys what do they do when you wanna dial a 4?" Thats the level we are talking here. They know all about these buggy whips like its their business....they can be very helpful for build questions....but once you ask or bring up the very idea of value they shrink like the dinks they are. They picture themselves as gatekeepers,judgemental til the end. Truth is there can be a infinite number of reasons to like these or any cars and there is no such thing as a bad owner/lurker or flipper. If I only know how to pump my own gas I CAN still appreciate them! I CAN make a profit on some of them! I CAN decide to keep it if I want! So watch what you ask and who responds because its a small community and everyone has 11 toes....

 

[commando1]

In a Salvation Army store I came across an old watch that was really cool. They didn't know its true value and I got it for five bucks. It knew it was worth a ton of money due to the fact I am an old watch enthusiast because I look at all the ads in Architectual Digest. I knew if I polished it up I could make a killing. It seemed to run OK. Sometimes. Well, twice a day, anyway. Wherever I wear it, people see it and ask about it and tell me about a watch they bought "just like it" for $500. I put on a new modern style Twist-O-Flex dual tone wristband and the wristband always gets a thumbs up. If somebody bought this watch all they have to do is a few things inside and it would be a show piece. The other day I was at a flea market and a guy who had a table of rusty antique screwdrivers and broken Snap-on sockets (the Cadillac of tools) said it must be worth at least $1,000.00 and said he would buy it if he had the money. I then joined an antique watch forum where most of the members were curmudgian appraisers that were pompous and rude because they all said my watch was worth $3.00 at best, $5.00 if I got rid of the wristband. I know what I've got and all those so called experts in that antique watch forum are assholes.

 

[polara71]

What did the Vette forum think about it?

Wheres the pics?

 

[commando1]

Vette forums are 99% coddling egos with all the wisdom that comes from having never passed 19 mentally.

You know what the bests posts are here?
The ones that start out with "Hi. New Here. Been lurking for a while.
You sound like a crazy bunch of guys. I like that. Anyway here's my......"

You never see that anywhere else. Post #1 and Join Date 6 months earlier.
They came, stayed, and posted here for legitimate help from the smartest C-body guys anywhere in one spot.

They didn't buy their first Rolex and become an appraiser.


In the Corvette forums , the old hard core men (with low member numbers) are drying up. They've been reduced to one Forum Section consisting of one topic called "HankL88's Big Block Discussion". Guys with 2014 Z08 427" LSx SBC's come in by accident, They ask a few questions like "What is BB and SBC?" and then switch to the #1 Topic "Hey show your mistress' boobs".

 

[mcmlvii]

In a Salvation Army store I came across an old watch that was really cool.

It sounds cool... I'll give you twenty bucks for your watch, sight unseen. Oh wait, now the bidding wars will start.