MAYBE something different

[44070dart]

Hi guys .. I'm an old Abodyonly and Bbodyonly guy because ... well I've owned A's and B's ..(44070dart kind of a give away).. now I need a little info on this car I'm thinking a lot about... 65' Polara that looks in exceptional in pictures.. it's a few miles from me (220) so haven't seen it yet .. what I'm wondering is the price ..I have not looked to buy this style, but this car got my attention .. I'm at a loss as to value of this and what my offer should be ..kind of hard to look at NADA or the other sites for value of this car.. take a look and give me an opinion.. $17500 is my high end as I'm an old gray beard and don't want to get over my head.. thanks

1965 DODGE POLARA 500

 

[Wollfen]

That is a nice looking car and yes it does appear he has spent a lot of money on it. While I cant comment what I think the "market value" of this particular car is I can give some opinions on similar cars. If this car was all original and in pristine condition as it left the factory I would say it would be worth about $12 to $15K. I know that doesn't sound like much but most C-bodies don't attract a lot of money like B-body or E-body cars. If it was a car with very rare original factory options on it like 426 wedge with four speed, then yes it would command a higher price.
Being that this car is modified to suit the personal tastes of the owner, it narrows the market for him because he has to find just the right person who really wants it just like it is. While he has spent a lot of money on the car I think he would get probably no more than $15K. But there are those that would disagree, after all, how long is a piece of string? In the end, everyone has an opinion, if you like that car and it fulfills what you want and are not looking to turn a profit on it, then offer a price you feel comfortable with and know that in years to come, it is doubtful you would ever make a profit on it.

 

[44070dart]

thanks, I'm here for opinions.. if it were an A or B I'd feel more confident in my offer as I'm very familiar with them...... C- body I have no experience ..

 

[65sporty]

Sharp car, some of the Owner's mods I could do without, but to each there own. I think Gary is pretty close on his estimate. Just because you sink over $26,000 in a car doesn't mean you will even get close to that back. He may understand that but I think he is on the high end with the $17,500. I am sure others will have opinions on this.

 

[Zymurgy]

Knowing the guys here and I am in that group. I doubt anyone here would pay much above half what he is asking. There are plenty of us here know we have more in our c-bodies than they are worth.

Most of here like our c-bodies in unmolested condition and that engine bay is hideous.

 

[JC68vert300]

I must agree, that Polara looks exceptional in the photos. No undercarriage or before body work photos. It's in Cleveland, they get over 5 feet of snow a year. I know, my son lives there. So if it's originally from there I would want to know what the rust issues are. Do you like a restomod? I myself like a car that's closer to how it was born at the factory. I would pay for a professional inspection. He has over $26,000 in receipts plus his initial investment. That's great, but you rarely get your money out of a professional makeover. So maybe you can get a great looking car, that was recently redone. But if 17,500 is your max, negotiate and get the price down. These 50 year plus cars always need something, so you want to have a rainy day fund.

 

[commando1]

Crap like that severely devalues a C-body THE only way a 65 Polara can have premium pricing is when it's 100% original or restored to #1.
All the liberties taken on the above car knocks 10 grand off the asking price in my opinion. Then again I have no passion for any car where atrocities as shown above are done. Gawd that is ucking fugliest C-body engine bay I have ever seen.

 

[Zymurgy]

This is more my speed of what an engine bay should look like.

 

[65sporty]

This is more my speed of what an engine bay should look like.

View attachment 144591

Your telling me your not going to cover every hose with lime green split loom

 

[Bryan]

Your telling me your not going to cover every hose with lime green split loom

I think neon pink would look better on his car....

 

[Zymurgy]

I think neon pink would look better on his car....

This is how you ruin it.

 

[65 500]

Good God, where do I start?! That car has been for sale for a long time(a few years at least), there is a good reason for that. IMO the guy spent $26k ruining the car. The engine compartment is, at best, an abortion. It looks like a Chevy guy got a hold of it. The interior is possibly even worse than the engine compartment. All of the Cal Custom crap that is tacked on that poor car does not bode well for the quality of the build, hell the "Polara 500" name plates on the front fenders aren't even mounted in the same place. The earlier comment on it being a Cleveland car is very valid. I would check for previous, or current, rust carefully on any car coming from Cleveland, although on this particular car the owner did as much damage as 50 years of rock salt could have. $17500? The guy has lost his mind! I don't think I'd give the guy 5 grand for it, and I love '65 Polaras. I'd keep looking, if you're set on a '65 Polara it might take a while to find a nice one, but if you're pretty flexible on what C-body you could live with, then keep looking, a nice one will turn up. Good luck.

 

[65 500]

This is how you ruin it.

View attachment 144627

AHHHK!!! Stop that!
Although the smiley face on the air cleaner is pretty funny.

 

[detmatt]

I thought for a second that the center of the steering wheel said "idiot" and it made sense.

 

[goldfish65]

You can find a much more honest C-body for much less. This is a great example, though, of what you don't want.

 

[CBODY67]

The NADA website has an "antique" section that takes a little effort to get to, but it's there. Values roughly approximate the Old Cars Price Guide, just different terminology. "High retail" would be "#1", for example.

It's difficult to understand why some people do such things, other than to attract attention (negative attention, possibly, unfortunately). Kind of like an "art car", the more you look, the more you "see".

That convoluted tubing? Didn't know they made it in that color! Somebody got a good bit of his money! Too many signals that the quality of the build might be "passable", but would take a good bit of checking to see if it all works well together.

The unfortunate truth is that once a vehicle is modified, especially somewhat heavily, in order to recoup the investment it will take somebody with similar tastes that has yet to exercise it. Hence, their "dream car". Otherwise, take the #2 value level and factor it down for what will be needed to make it "right" again, including discovering why the name plates aren't placed correctly. Perhaps the owner should "donate" it and battle the IRS over the tax deduction

CBODY67

 

[commando1]

I'm an old Abodyonly and Bbodyonly guy because ... well I've owned A's and B's ..(44070dart kind of a give away)..
... but this [atrocious C-body] car got my attention .

Confirms my theory.

No offense 44070dart.
And yes, some of us C-body guys are A-holes which probably comfirms your theory.

A/B/E body guys and C-body guys are on two different planets.

 

[CBODY67]

Confirms my theory.

No offense 44070dart.

Just depends on how the A- and B- cars were "customized" or not.

CBODY67

 

[detmatt]

Confirms my theory.

No offense 44070dart.
And yes, some of us C-body guys are A-holes which probably comfirms your theory.

A/B/E body guys and C-body guys are on two different planets.

I'd call that a wide brush to paint with Stan.

 

[commando1]

I'd call that a wide brush to paint with Stan.

That's how grumpy old men in hats paint. Just ignore their rants. They're just suppressing their annoyance after listening about potential nuclear wars and alt-leftists 24/7.