What things are worth and what they will bring are two different things.Like i said earlier what would scare me is that it has been sitting outdoors for the last decade .I would rather deal with a car that had been sitting inside for 30 years than a car that sat in the weather for 10 .Engine could be seized ,every seal could be leaking now ,wiring could be nasty ,brakes are gone (usually) ,etc.These are just some things to consider.Like was said earlier its a buyers market right now and the car would have brought alot more a few years ago.If you can get it to turn over and start with some work ,it might be worth 6K then ,but the bad thing is if it does start and run ,he definatley wont come down on the price ,especially if it was his dads car ...
...and another thing. a $7,000.00 car with a good solid body for a person without metal working skills is a much better deal than a rusty one for even $3,000.00 less. body work and missing parts can make that bargain you found a money pit in no time.
Considering you will have to do little or no bodywork, the price seems fair. Its hard to find them in that condition. I would offer about 5thou first.
If it is the car that YOU want, go get it! It is worth what you are willing to pay and you wouldn't be asking if you weren't willing. Are you kidding, rust free, virtually untouched? You'll save $7K in body work alone. I'm not saying don't make a lower cash offer, go ahead, but have the full price with you to seal the deal if YOU want that car! These cherries aren't on every street corner for any price.
Checked eBay or Hemmings to compare to? Seems pretty reasonable to me, for a solid, clean 2dr. If it was a coupe guys would be crapping themselves to buy it at that price. Glass is cheap and door panels and stuff are out there, carbs can be had reasonable too. Clean it up, make it a driver, if you don't like it, sell it to someone else.
What's with the black grille instead of chrome? Was that a cheaper model? That's a standard Tudor ... a few $$ more got a DeLuxe Tudor, with plated w/s frame, 2 horns, ashtrays, chrome grille, etc ...
What planet do you guys live on where you can buy that car for four grand? I'll take five at that price and double my money at the next swapmeet.
Tell him you'll give him the 7K if he can get it running and driving, or you'll only pay 5K as it is. It is unlikely he will get it running, and if he does, well, that's done. The problem with sentimental attachments is you can't get a lot extra for that, but that doesn't keep sellers from expecting to anyway. Where I live, that would go for 7K.
I haven't seen anything around here that nice for 7K...to me it's worth it but if you want to risk insulting the guy show up with 5500 cash and tell him it's either now or your gonna have to look for another project...it just looks pretty solid and if it's the car you want it's right under your nose...if he says no to the 5500 tell him you will see if you can possibly raise another grand and see if he will commit to 6500...if he says yes I feel you scored a good deal...let us know what happens
7k and rust free??? wheres it at!! im all about saving money and haggleing on a price for a car i want but when it comes to rust free metal you cant beat it... i passed on many a mercs before i found my keeper and i paid for it my mind but i know if i would of waited the next guy would of swiped it up.. i was eyeing a 35 slantback in a field and finnaly got ahold of the owner, bunch of rust seized V8-60... 5 grand. not sure if he got that but it finnaly dissapeared....
the guy already dropped his price by over 40%!!!! It seems the majority agree it is worth the price. So why don't we offer the advice to go and pay the neighbor $7000? Too often the deal goes soar and all along the price was agreeable. Of course, we could advise the man to hunt down the individual components and build a complete car from parts. We all know it couldn't be done. This car will likely drive after a couple of days work. So I am going to offer the best advice of the thread... BUY IT FOR $7000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With all the evidence of leakage inside, it's hard to believe that it's completely rot free. I still think it's probably worth the $7K, but it's no steal.
James, every post you've made, besides the first, you are talking yourself into it. You know what to do. You are going to get to many yes...no answers here. The question to you is, if the guy sells it tomorrow are you going to kick yourself in the ass for not pulling the trigger? Sounds to me, judging from your posts, you are? To me, whether you give 5, 6, or 7 your not going to lose your ass on it.....not in the shape it's in. Hell, there's guys on here that would already give you 7 for it.... Good luck man, looks like a killer project.
Definitely... rebuild the carb $50, new wheel cylinders $100, clutches don't go bad sitting.... new radiator $500 get it running and you'll be psyched a killer looking sedan for under 8k? You dun good!
thanks abe.. i agree.. too much "saving" going on... you "COULD" assemble the parts of the car.. FOR MORE.. I have A GOOD DEAL more than 7K in the recycled40fordwoodie project.. and its not even a car yet.
Yeah, I'm on the fence, mainly because I used to live right around the block from the guy, now I'm 300 miles away. So I've got to ad in the agrivation of hauling it home. Here is all the rust I was able to find anywhere on it.
It's worth every bit of 7k... A wax job, juice brakes and a little lowering with solid steelies and you'd be havin' a bitchen car! Sam
Maybe strike a deal (if he is solid) where you will pay the 7 if you can get it running in one weekend, if not you have the option to walk. He has to hold it for you for that time. A solid car saves a fortune, even if you have mad metal skills. It amazes me how people are willing to pay a couple thousand less for junk, verse a solid body for 3 grand more.
7k and a kick to the junk for leaving it sit, that would be worth it. He don't deserve to have it as yard art. Some people should be drug in the street and shot for leaving cars out side to rot, same for the bastards that say they'll do something with them some time and wont sell.
Just buy it if you can. Don't let it get away. I don't know about your area, but I'm not seeing many cars like that around here. That being said, I'd take $7000 cash, offer him $5000 and if he won't budge, give him the seven. If you don't someone will. Just my two cents.
It's all about negotiation and knowing what you can get elsewhere. Look around. Check out your alternatives. If you can find another equivalent car that you can for sure get for $4500 (or whatever that number is) then that is your alternative. In negotiation terms it's called a BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated settlement). If you get it for less than $4500 then great, but if he won't budge, then you go to the guy who has it for $4500. You don't have to be a jerk about it at all. It's a business proposotion. You tell him that, you'd sure like to buy it from the guy, but if you can get it for less elsewhere, then it should make sense to everyone that that is what you should do. An excellent book on this subject is called "Getting to Yes." From what I've been told, it's a classic in some business school classes.
when i was looking for a 35-36 coupe they were 7 & 8 grand for rusty shit piles,i think 7 grand is not bad for a flatback 35
If the body is as nice as you say 7 grand is a steal. Where are you going to find another ? Stuff like this just doesn't come along very often.
"Agravation"? Fixing up old cars can be aggrivating too, but that's the price we pay to have cool rides. Okay...300 miles, big friggin deal, people drive 300+ miles to go camping. Hitch up a trailer and start driving with a buddy. It'll be one hell of a long day there and back on the road or saturday there-sunday back. There's plenty of us that have hauled piles in much worse shape 1000's of miles to get a newly purchased car home! What the hell are you going to do this weekend that you can't miss? I think it's a darn good deal for 7k (if you can get it for less that'd be great). You can go through all the mechanicals and replace the flat glass for less than a grand if you do all your labor. Maybe a set of tires. It'll need very little work to go for paint. I've seen a few guys buy old Model A resto's for more than 7k with the intention of doing a rod build. Then they start finding body rot, bondo, etc under the dull paint. Next thing you know they're stripping it down for a full build. You're miles ahead if this body is as solid as you say it is.
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