How Much Would Cutting The Top Off Of A Car Effect It's Value?

How am I MAKING all Canadians look like arseholes? By asking a simple question about a car?

I specifically said that it was a 2-Door Post in my initial post.

You can think whatever you want man..I am not going to bother fighting and having an e-tantrum..but i don't see how I am giving Canadians a bad rap by saying that it's a Hardtop instead of a 2-Door Post.

 

There seems to be a current trend of everybody trying to make their current cars body style something its not..........

I'm in no way saying that nothing should be modified, I mean that is what hot rodding is. BUT I still think common sense, good taste, and the reality of ones abilities to pull off such a thing correctly must not be forgotten.

If you cut the roof off your 55', it would look like, well, like somebody had too much Jager, got out the sawzall, and hacked it up. Like others said, it will NEVER really be a convertable, or even look like one from closer than 1000 feet.

You have a great body style as it sits. The car would look WAY better with the body left as-is then trying to hack the roof off. And it will remain very sellable so you can buy whatever it is you really want to build, instead off something you'd have to list under the dreaded RAT-ROD title on eGay

Sir, please step away from the sawzall............................

 

You do have a point there, sir.

And, for the record..I wouldn't be doing any of the cutting myself. Haha. That would just be dumb, I agree. I was actually thinking of making it a Hardtop-Convertible...like the late 50's Ford Retractible.

I'm thinking it might be a smarter idea to keep it the way it is, do some work on it and sell it/trade it for an actual convertible

 

I agree with you. That car looks real clean as-is, and is real desirable too. You could easily sell it at any time and prolly get close to what you need to buy anything you would want. I'm glad you didn't take offense to what I said, none was meant. I'm just angry that you have a great car

 

A 55 Chevy 2 door sedan is my favorite car........I want one BAD. I got Pontiac's instead.


LONG ass story real short...............

Hi, my name is Brandy. I was the proud owner of a VERY nice 58 Chevy 4 door sedan.
I got bored, whacked the top off.
NOW? NOW I have a WHOLE FUCKIN MESS OF TROUBLE.
Would I do it again? HECK NO!!!

Shoulda left my 4 door sedan ALONE............live and learn live and learn live and learn.......it WILL get better, I WILL FINISH IT, I WILL MAKE IT BETTER, I best go invest in metal working classes ASAP.

Brandy

 

Depends on the kind of car; scalping a 55 Chevy is heresy, but I've seen a number of very nice "coupester" roadster conversions fashioned from junkyard A coupes. One of my favorite all-time cars is Steve Wertheimer's "Goldenrod" roadster (built by Von Franco), which started life as a phonebooth T coupe.

A couple of years ago, I watched the Barrett Jackson auction on TV and there was a Ferrari Daytona up for bid. Convertible Daytonas of the same vintage were generally selling around $300k, and coupes were selling around $200k.

Anyhow, this one was a convertible conversion; guess the guy wanted it to be like the 'Miami Vice' car or something. The conversion was expertly done, and very difficult to tell with the naked eye. In any case, the car eventually went for $150k, and the announcers were shaking their heads over the fact that the guy probably spent $20,000 to $30,000 to reduce the value of his car by $50,000.

 

You'll be sooooooorrrrrry. You'll be making a sow's ear out of a silk purse.

Personally, I don't think you really are considering doing this. I think that you're snowed in and want to rile up the guilible folks on here.

Go rethink your drink.

 

Hey! Dont start knocking parade cars =P - My 4-door '54 Pontiac had the roof lobbed off for parades long before I got it and its killa (though engineers certificate and roadworthy are future headaches I dont even want to think about).
Being on the HAMB I've seen dudes doing what I would consider crazy, silly stuff to their cars and have it pay off - thats whats so cool about it...

 

As an old time Hot Rodder I far and away prefer the 2 dr post sedans over convertibles, If I had a convert, I'd sell it and use the money to finance the build-up of a nice sedan. (or two)
Just last summer I GAVE AWAY a nice, solid, and easily restorable Dodge HT that had been 'converted' into a convertible - and I don't mean butchered, but completely converted right down to the factory top switch.
Why? its value as a HT had been destroyed, and it would never 'be' a 'real' convertible, always a 'fake' or a 'clone' worth about a third of the real item.

 

Poor man's convertible how-to video...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5904691429099620202&q=chop+saw&

The second summer the doors came off.

I bought it for $300, drove it for a year and a half and sold it for $150.

So in answer to your question, it was worth only half as much.

.

 

I am kind of torn on this subject as I have cars that I have cut the roof off. My model A tub started as some say a restorable car but I wanted something topless so off came the top. Not traditional but my wife always wanted a convertable and I got a 61 corvair for cheap so I cut the lid off of it also. Somedays I wish the corvair still had a roof so it could be drivin more but oh well. I did this to some not real desirable cars but I like the look of a car with no top that is finished well way better than most convertables, the boot and or top when it is down looks like crap.
I'm gonna hear about this one now.

here's a link to some pics of the corvair down the thread a ways.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77213&&showall=1

and my model a tub
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76401

 

Do NOT even think about making a hardtop into a convertible. All you will end up with is a goofy looking "wanna be" car. Remember that 59 Chevy hardtop that Boyd make into a convertible. It made the magazine covers, but it was still UGLY. Trouble is, no one told him the truth.

 

But it is a 2 door post, not a hard top.

 

He meant HARDTOPPED car as opposed to SOFT TOPPED car.........You know, TIN roof as opposed to CLOTH roof.......some of you knitpickers.

 

Sorry if it seems like that is what I am trying to do, but I really am (or at least was) considering it. I was thinking something along the lines of this. http://superchevy.com/features/0411sc_55belair/

And sorry to anyone who I may have offended by calling a 2 Door-Post a Hardtop. ;D

 

Why dont you create a car like the one in Sometimes They Come Back? Cult classic flick AND I want that car more then, well, more then SOME things.

 

Well, I think it's easy to miss the point; the title isn't "Should I Cut The Top Off My 55 Chevy?", but "How Much Would Cutting The Top Off Of A Car Effect It's Value?"

My highly scientific answer: a bunch.

IMHO, if you got the bread, do what ya want. On second thought, a 55 Chev is so valueless, perhaps you'd like to straight trade for a '54 NY'er 4D. Nobodywill care if you hack it, and you get a hemi...

-bill

 

Could it fetch before the lobotomy?


Mutt

 

Here's an interesting thought....what if I made it a Roadster (no top) and then if/when I have to sell it, I can just weld the top back on.

I mean, it's probably a hell of a lot harder than it sounds, but it could work.

What do you think?

 

I think yer poking a stick into a dead dog.....whipping a dead horse.........salt into a wound.......

 

Yeah, I guess you are right.

 

If you want a convertible, find a 55-57 Pontiac or Chevy convert in rough shape that's complete. That will set you back at least $1000, probably more if it's a Chevy.

You need: Windshield frame/cowl, frame crossmember, and rear inner body structure - inner quarters, wheelwells, etc. back through the deck opening. Plus the obvious top parts. If you start with a post sedan you need doors too.

The donor car has to be taken to body off the frame, add the crossmember and replace the body. I've seen guys do some of these where they take the entire quarter panel off both sides and basically start at the cowl and build the car back. Sometimes this is the only way to restore them - and there's a lot of points of view wether this is "restoring a convertible" or "chopping up a coupe"... but in the case of the 55-59 Mopar stuff, for instance, there's little to no reproduction market out there.

Some convertibles you also need the rear seat, the interior panels are usually different too.

It amounts to a complete restoration in the end anyways, because you need to do about every possible thing to the car to finish it.


You might be able to get away with lopping the top off a same year Pontiac - they have an X in the frame already, although the convertibles have a still heavier frame. I thought about doing that to mine and putting a 70's GM fullsize ragtop on it. Decided I'd make it a 2dr first if I do anything.


If you wanted to make a hardtop out of it, that can be done, you just need top, doors, upper quarters, probably cut it to include the entire rear window frame and package tray. I posted one in the classified earlier, actually.


Oh yeah, the main question. Done RIGHT, you could make a $10K car into a $35K car. Done wrong, you can make a $10K car into a $1K parts car.

 

Mistermuscles ... You have a NICE car !! Keep it that way ! One of the first american cars I drove was a `55 "150" 2door ... Cool car
The way to make a "cheap" tri5 convertible is usually done by buying a near "lost-case" convertible with convertible parts still intact , and then buy a desent 2dht to be used as a "parts-donor" ...
If you are bored , and want to do something with that cool car of yours , then paint it shiny black , lower it , and ad a set of early am-race 5spokes or Halibrand Mags` .. That will surly be worth every $$ spendt .. my 2 norwegian coronas..
KLAZ

I must have used more than an hour typing this dumb reply
I Did not see Rustynewyorkers post ... He is dead on ... I obviously agree with him !

 

....and then you could paint it matt black with flames and make it a $1k car

 

OK, I think my only realistic option here would be to sell this one and buy a Convertible.

NOW, here is my new question. I have $2500 to spend on this car. What could I do to the 55' with that money that would help the re-sale value the most?

The car has the original Straight 6 in it, so maybe I should get a new engine? Or I could get the interior done in leather? Maybe get everything re-chromed? New Suspension?

Thanks!

 

Keep that car. with 2500 to burn go look for a crusty Sasketchewan or Alberta field 55 convertible to start as your next project.

 

You think I could find one that cheap? I found one on eGay, but it's going to get way too expensive.

 

BINGO! I'll drink to that! Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy

 

Hey, I have a 68 Bonneville convertible, no engine or trans, but the top is already done for ya. Wanna trade even up?