i just sold my 67 dart gt and well being not very experienced in the evaluation of old cars i am not sure what to value this possible new old car at. its a 57 bel air 4 door non numbers matching car with very nice paint and good interior. from the current owner: "283 v8 but when I ran the numbers on the heads they came back as 327 fulie heads from a 1964 chevy and the numbers on the block does not match the vin so I think it could be a 1964 327 . it only has a 2 bbl carb but it runs realy well ant it is also a power glide auto trans both motor and trans have been completly rebuilt in 2006. it also had a new gastank lines sendind unit brakes and brake lines ,new springs and shocks ,new tires and the generator was upgraded to an altenator but I have all the parts to switch it back if you would like to" he sent a bunch of pics. i can post more but heres a sample. i know 4 doors and non numbers drastically reduce the value but this car isnt for me to try and flip/profit from. i want a 4 door for the fam as i sold my 56 buick, and the non numbers is fine with me as it keeps the purchase price low and i wont feel as badly if i ever needed to swap bits. any advice is once again appreciated. thank you - jason
Buy it if the price is in your range and drive the wheels off it.Being able to take the gang to events etc is your payback!!
Buy it if you're happy with having a 4 door. I'm not too keen on the looks of the 4 door sedans... How much does he want for it? I hope it's well under $10k, there's a 57 four door on a local car lot for about that, and it looks decent from what I've seen.
thanks guys. i know 4 doors arent for eveyone but i personally like them and with 2 young kids i like the idea of it. he is asking in the 10k range. do you or does anyone have an idea what sort of price range this sort of car should go for in this economy? is it a 7k car or 10k? 12-20k? i know that is subjective and without knowing the car and parts and craftsmanship its hard to tell. just trying to get an idea if what he is asking is within a reasonable range of what these cars are worth. i know the 2 doors vary wildly in price. again i am looking for a fun family car but i also dont want to overspend greatly as i usually do!!! thanks again
here's a nice one that got bid up to 14k on ebay, how does it compare? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=ViewItem&item=150730842471 If the car you're looking at doesn't have any issues that we can't see in the pictures, then 10k is probably reasonable. But having looked at several used cars in my life, I'm guessing there might be some problems that we can't see in your pictures.
If thats your dream car, go for it.. if not, I'd hold off. Seems like every time I get old car fever and buy something on a whim something way better, or even cheaper comes along. 10k is alot of money for a four door belly ****on. But thats just my opinion. Take it for what its worth.
I think it is a really pretty car, judging from the pictures. You might have to leave a little room in the price to fix a couple of things I see. It looks like the heater is disconnected and plugged and living up North you will need that. The core could be leaking which will entail some work and money to get it out and fixed properly. These cars came with a generator and this one has been retrofitted with an alternator. That is a good move but I am not sure what that bracket is like that they used.......it looks somewhat shadetree to me in the picture, but I could be seeing it wrong. The two barrel would have to go if it were mine, but a Performer intake and Edelbrock 500-600 would be a nice upgrade and wake it up a little. Four doors don't bother me, especially for a cruiser. Don
So it's 4 door , no biggy. Just make a close inspection on the dogleg areas and the rockers and floors. Look for paint bubbling on the lower door skins. If it checks out ,drive it, after all it is a '57 Chevy! Value? To be sure the 2 door cars, hardtop and post are bringing more money but that is all dependant on condition. I've seen field cars with m***ive rust problems advertised for more than they are worth .
My opinions and habits on buying cars may be a bit different, but if you are looking for a driver, like it, do not find any major issues/problems with it, and you have the ~$10K buy it. Who cares about numbers or four doors. That is a good price on a '57. It certainly seems in the correct price range. I also always figure I am going to have to spend ~$1000 or so after I buy it for unknowns, or just plain "I wants" !! Good luck. Cheers...
sorry more doors dont do a thing for me if its got more doors it needs a long roof! engine looks cobbled up , heat too, along with wiring if your not a mechanic have one check it out completely or youll find you just took the problem off his hands and made it yours
I agree with whats been said already . If a 4 door cruizer is what you need for a family ,cool. Its not a steal . There are currently more cars for sale than there are people to buy them . Look around Look around .I'll bet there are many better deals out there . Most sellers don't know its a buyers market .Or they at least don't know you know . Don't be a **** but you might be surprised what 10K will buy now ! Don't cut yourself short .
I would say any thing over 10G and the car better be completly working and in VERY good shape. Look around for other cars because your the one with MONEY. It is king! The more you look at other cars the better options you'll have, especially when going with a 4 door. .
A lot depends on what you're planning on doing with the car, weekend cruiser, daily driver, project etc. 4 doors are nice with kids, especially if they are in a car seat...it probably doesnt have belts...add time and money here. No heat or A/C , you might be doing a lot of riding by yourself...maybe a plus.LOL. Add money here. Be sure to check the brakes, a- frame bushings, ball joints etc. Check all the lights, signals, horn etc. Esp the wipers. Gaskets around the gl***, windshield etc...may be old and weather-cracked, possibly leaky...drive through a local automatic car wash. 283/327 2 barrel..dependable as hell, but not a lot of *** compared to a modern car. None of that stuff is impossible to fix, just eats a lot of time and money if you'd rather be out riding. For a ready to go car 10k is on the upper end of things IMHO. Too much for a fixer upper.
Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 258 Re: sold my non HAMB car - now what? found this $8500 bucks in this economy is fair.................................Agreed! If it were mine I'd drop it put duals and on it and drive the snot out of it with $1500.00 ya saved. If it's had rust repaired and your not able to redo it yourself, find something else.
Not a bad looking 57, but, it has a single master cylinder, alternator mounting looks questionable, belt does not appear to be running straight but that may be the picture, heater inop, fuel line "in" has tyw****d chafe hose, why?, wiring and plumbing needs some attention, door panels look as if coming unglued from backing board, loose window lacing around doors, maybe torn. None of this stuff is a big deal, but, in my mind, a 10K car should not have any of these issues. You will probably want to repair these items if you purchase the car, and that takes time and money. The body looks pretty decent, but a lot of damage/rust, etc can be covered with bondo and paint. I think all of these issues could be used as bargaining points for the purchase price, plus what has already been mentioned previously in this posting. It doesn't cost anything to look around at other cars. In the end, the decision is yours. Its also your 10K! BOutlaw
The 4 door is desirable to you but in general it is not the most desirable body style. I would think that the car falls into the 5-7K range. There is no reason to think that it is a 327 unless it has power pack heads. The fuel heads and 2 bbl already show that it has been fooled with. best bet on that is to snag the numbers off the bell housing area and check if engine size is important to you. A 327 is a more desirable engine than a 283 to most people so that could effect your decision.
thank you everyone. i am going to look on sunday. i wont be spending 10k thats for sure lol! i am hoping to be around the 7500 mark and if it isntworth it or thats too low its ok. i need to see it in person and u guys already noted things id mis so thats very helpful. many thanks and more input is always welcomed. - jason
Did the guy really solder/weld steel pipe into the heater core and put pipe plugs on them to block them off...seems a little hokey, considering. Just leaving them uncapped would be sufficient if he had just disconnected the heat... You might be buying his problems at a tidy profit...to him.
I think you should find a car that YOU love and build it your way and not try to find a car that will be accepted by a bunch of degenerates like us. Are you trying to build a hotrod or get into a club? If you read enough you will be able to tell what is the HAMB style and what you like. Then you can track down one for yourself. If you don't love the car and need to be re***ured about it, there's a good chance that you will come to dislike it. It takes a p***ion to build a hotrod.
heh i am not looking for anyones approval lol. i am looking to learn what to look for so that i dont overspend and buy someone elses issues. if i could build a car i woul but i havent the skills, talent, cash or time to do so. i like this car and part of doing due diligence in buying something - esp an old car - is getting input from those who know more than i do. i am a big boy i can walk away if it isnt the right car. i am also able to admit that my knowledge is less than most others on this forum so i appreciate their candor in noting things i might miss. not sure why the at***ude about trying to join a club? i try to be respectful in my questions and comments.
For what it's worth..... My brother back in the early 60's bought one like this. I had just got my license and I got to drive it from time to time. It was a nice quiet running car and I enjoyed driving it. For me, nothing wrong with 4 doors.
I'm leery that he says the engine and trans were totally rebuilt in '06 yet he doesn't even know if it's a 283 or a 327. That would bother me. Also that it's a 4 door post and not a 4 door hardtop which I think are much prettier and have better resale value. Still a nice car though, nice looking for sure, if it's totally roadworthy and the paint/chrome/gl***/upholstery is as nice as it looks in the pics, I'd say it'd be a great buy in the $7K range. And I for one think you're doing the right thing by asking around to see if this is a good deal and finding out things to look for. I wouldn't consider that a "trying to fit in" or "seeking approval" thing at all, you're just educating yourself in an era of cars that you might not be familiar with if you come from a muscle car background. That's just good sense.
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