CUTLASS Car value

[Bitterman]

Hello,

I'm looking for opinions about the value of a car. A friend of mine has restored a 1979 cutlass. He can no longer work on the car and has offered the car to me. I'm looking to see what a fair value is for this car so I can discuss it with him. Here are the specs of the car.

1979 cutlass calais
Car is a roller, no engine.
Comes with a rebuilt BOP th350
rebuilt stock 7.5 rear-end
Body, suspension and interior have been completely restored.
Paint is 8.5 - 9 out of 10.
No rust

Minus the engine and exhaust, everything is there.

Please let me know your thoughts. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share. (Yes I know, blasphemy!) If I come across some I will be sure to post them. If I missed something that I can share that would help, please let me know

Thank you in advance.

 

[69hurstolds]

If everything is restored and in immaculate condition, then to me it's worth maybe $3K at MOST. With no engine, you really have no car.

Where did the engine go? Originality is lost, but the car still could be fun.

Are there any brackets or remnants of the old engine in place or left behind? That could be helpful. If not, happy hunting. Looks like a good candidate for a 350 depending on which kind, Chevy or Olds. Probably a 305 chevy was in there, or maybe a V6.

Of course, no pictures means just a WAG.

 

[Bitterman]

Thank you. I believe he has the brackets for the original engine. I may have some brackets sitting in storage. Engine mounts are on the frame for an Olds engine. The engine was sent out for machine work/rebuild and was lost at the machine shop due to a fire. I would want to drop in an olds engine since the trans is already BOP. Agree that an olds 350 would be a great drop in engine. I think it had the V6 engine in it originally.

Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate it! I'll check my phone to see if I can find any pics.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Depends a lot on location

Here in the middle south/west, rollers don't bring much. Solid examples are a lot easier to find than in areas like the northern/eastern parts of the US, particularly the rust belt

I'm not a Cutlass guy...to me it would be less desirable than a Chev or Pontiac and about on par with the Buicks, Nothing wrong with any of them, just my taste as to first/second choice.

Body/paint isn't cheap so if that's done, it could be a plus if it was done right. Downside is often you don't REALLY know what's under fresh work, and the seller is likely NOT going to recoup that expenditure....especially tf it is done in a fringe color. Most times a stalled project is a money pit for the seller that paid for all of that work

I guess my biggest question is, "why does it matter?" If you're buying for you, pay what it's worth to you. If it's a flip...well I wouldn't pay much because it might take forever to sell, possibly for less than paid, Or maybe it'll be a homerun,,,that's the gamble

 

[CopperNick]

Contact Hagerty Insurance. Based on your physical description and the pictures they will likely want to see, they can suggest a value for insurance purposes. Be aware that they both insure complete vehicle and projects. They are my insurer for the Monte and it is still more than a day away and mas dollares short of being back on the road.


Nick

 

[Bitterman]

That is a good idea. I was not aware Hagerty insured project cars. Very much appreciated.

 

[DRIVEN]

I'd do this math problem backwards. What do you want to end up with and what will it cost to get there?

 

[olds307 and 403]

Good paint and body work, make it a 5K car easy, if no vinyl top and a desirable colour. It may have been 260 powered originally or he wanted it Olds powered. It also depends if upgrades were done to the trans and rear end. Good luck, buy it before it goes somewhere else.

 

[69hurstolds]

I'd start by asking your friend what kind of ballpark he'd be looking at. Some people take sentimental value into the equation, sometimes they look at it as "I just want it gone." So you might be low-balling him in his eyes or could overpay feeling sorry for him. I'd at least find out where his mindset is on pricing, and go from there if still interested.

You think it's tough to help someone on the web fix their car? Try guessing at a value without any pics whatsoever. It'll be all over the map.

 

[CopperNick]

All of which underlines my thought that having the value set by an experienced appraiser who understands the difference between a true classic or vintage ride and a glued together, more door Sino-sedan can put you in a place where you actually have a legitimate idea of what the range of value might be and be able to give some thought to what you want to do next.



Nick