1973 Imperial HB1

[saforwardlook]

Not likely at this point since I have not been able to enjoy my 2 1971s as much as I would like yet (one is tawny gold with normal gold color bucket seat interior and the other one is Honeydew with green bench seat interior and green vinyl top - it is my favorite of the ones I have due to the colors and the seats that feel like silk.

Also, I am not sure which model year Imperial is being sought here, 73 or 71/72 two door? I do also have a 73 two door but it has some rust that doesn't deter my body/paint guy but did deter another potential buyer in Australia. It has only 34K miles on it and runs really well but I haven't had it on the road yet. It has leather white bucket seats and white vinyl roof and the interior is very nice since it is low miles.

 

[crv]

Not likely at this point since I have not been able to enjoy my 2 1971s as much as I would like yet (one is tawny gold with normal gold color bucket seat interior and the other one is Honeydew with green bench seat interior and green vinyl top - it is my favorite of the ones I have due to the colors and the seats that feel like silk.

Also, I am not sure which model year Imperial is being sought here, 73 or 71/72 two door? I do also have a 73 two door but it has some rust that doesn't deter my body/paint guy but did deter another potential buyer in Australia. It has only 34K miles on it and runs really well but I haven't had it on the road yet. It has leather white bucket seats and white vinyl roof and the interior is very nice since it is low miles.

Can I ask what the price range for the '73 was?

 

[saforwardlook]

Can I ask what the price range for the '73 was?

We really never got that far since he felt the rust was just too much for him. He did say that if my body/paint guy would fix those problems, he would consider it. The problem is that my body/paint guy is loaded up with a few of my cars yet to get done before he could consider doing this one for a potential buyer.

Just for perspective at least here in California, there are plenty of old car enthusiasts and as a result there is heavy demand for really good paint and body guys. For example, I have a friend who lives in northern California and he runs an energy efficiency company and is a millionaire. He also collects older vehicles and he constantly tells me his biggest problem is that he can't find a capable body/paint guy anywhere and has been asking to use mine but I have told him that isn't going to happen.

Given my experience with the person in Australia that was considering buying my car, I am assuming this issue is also a problem over there.

A lot of my cars usually end up in Finland where they love these models as well and they also do have good body/paint guys available at reasonable prices. I also do not misrepresent my vehicles and they find that rare when they try to buy from folks in the U.S., as they get screwed most of the time, so since they know I am reliable, that is why I end up selling many of my cars over there. I expect that this Imperial will likely end up there since it truly is a beautiful example with low miles and the engine runs very smoothly and the overall condition in terms of the mechanics and interior, etc. are very good.

 

[crv]

We really never got that far since he felt the rust was just too much for him. He did say that if my body/paint guy would fix those problems, he would consider it. The problem is that my body/paint guy is loaded up with a few of my cars yet to get done before he could consider doing this one for a potential buyer.

Just for perspective at least here in California, there are plenty of old car enthusiasts and as a result there is heavy demand for really good paint and body guys. For example, I have a friend who lives in northern California and he runs an energy efficiency company and is a millionaire. He also collects older vehicles and he constantly tells me his biggest problem is that he can't find a capable body/paint guy anywhere and has been asking to use mine but I have told him that isn't going to happen.

Given my experience with the person in Australia that was considering buying my car, I am assuming this issue is also a problem over there.

A lot of my cars usually end up in Finland where they love these models as well and they also do have good body/paint guys available at reasonable prices. I also do not misrepresent my vehicles and they find that rare when they try to buy from folks in the U.S., as they get screwed most of the time, so since they know I am reliable, that is why I end up selling many of my cars over there. I expect that this Imperial will likely end up there since it truly is a beautiful example with low miles and the engine runs very smoothly and the overall condition in terms of the mechanics and interior, etc. are very good.

I'd wager that the person from Australia you mentioned wanted the body/paint taken care of there because over here it costs a fortune. Not sure what the average cost to repair rust, prepare the body for paint and painting the car would be in the US, but to engage a competent company or individual here will be expensive, for body and paint on such a big car you wouldn't get much change from $50K, I know of people paying that much just for bodywork, it's ridiculously expensive. I do remember seeing a photo of your triple white '73 2-door a while back, there wouldn't have been too many made in that combination.

 

[saforwardlook]

I'd wager that the person from Australia you mentioned wanted the body/paint taken care of there because over here it costs a fortune. Not sure what the average cost to repair rust, prepare the body for paint and painting the car would be in the US, but to engage a competent company or individual here will be expensive, for body and paint on such a big car you wouldn't get much change from $50K, I know of people paying that much just for bodywork, it's ridiculously expensive. I do remember seeing a photo of your triple white '73 2-door a while back, there wouldn't have been too many made in that combination.

Here in California it isn't much different. There are some good body guys and painters available but not many at less than $50K for a car that has some rust and fairly good otherwise. I end up saving over a 2 to 3 year period before I launch into a car to do a full restoration. Then when I get done no one seems to want to pay even near the investment I have in them. The reality for me is that I restore cars for no other reason than I would really like the car to turn out nice and I don't expect to sell them when I am done - I do it because I just really like them.

Also I invested in my body/paint guy because I saw that he was really good at rust repair and painting. So I helped him set up his own shop and helped him through other hurdles in his life. He is now happily married to a wife that understands his passion and she works in a hospital as a nurse and knows his capabilities and so things have worked out for both of them. So I do get good results at not so ridiculous prices. But he has me as a customer and a lot of others as well, so there is a balancing act as to who to take care of but I do get some special consideration.