My New 1985 Regal with 14,000 actual and a question

[DeadGuy]

Hi guys, thanks for having on your forum. I'll start off by saying I'm in my 50;s and a 'Car Guy' I've been building and restoring for many years and I've had some very cool and strange cars. I love weird things.

2 days ago I ended up at an estate sale and found something that only comes along about every 10 years or so.
A 1985 Buick Regal Limited from a 92 year old lady's estate after she passed. This car has a documented 14,600 miles on it. It's really a thing of beauty. I have the title with her name on it from Seager Buick here in Ohio where she bought it new.

The window sticker is in the glove box and she paid around 13,800 for it. It's been rust proofed and looks almost new.

NOW!!! comes the real question. If you look at the photos in my gallery you can see that before she passed away she rubbed her right door against her small one car garage and did some good dings.

I have a great body guy because I also have a '40 Dodge custom street rod and a 1965 Rambler Marlin. (I told you I like weird things) Anyway, my paint guy said he could hang a new door and blend the paint or fix this door no problems.

BUT, do you want to do that with a car with this few miles? I know how important it is to try to keep things as much as original as possible. If I keep the car I'm sure I'll fix it. I know I can drive this car 10 years with no problems, but if I decide to sell it, will I get more for it with it looking pristine?

I'd love to hear you guy's opinions. I also am pretty sure an '85 cutlass door will also work correct?

Thanks again and if my screen name seems funny just google 'dead body guy'

buds
chuck

PS: photos of this car is in my gallery - I learned how to add a couple.

Here's the dinged door

 

[LS1GN]

Beautiful car! Too bad the lady didn't like turbos.

I say leave it original, the door sticker would be gone.

 

[Bowiemontecarlo86]

Sweet ride bro really nice shape . the mileage is unbelievable wow she didn't go no where . anyways i would try and repair the door u got on the car now .

 

[DeadGuy]

Thanks for the replies. The last oil change sticker on the driver door is at 9500 miles in 1995.

She messed up the passenger door. I don't know if there are any stickers on it.

10 years ago, it would have been a no brainer to fix it. NOW, it seems like everyone wants older things with total originality.

I honestly still can't say which way I'm gonna go. Do you think it would increase value with it fixed?

thanks again
chuck

 

[1983regal]

Beautiful car! Too bad the lady didn't like turbos.

I say leave it original, the door sticker would be gone.

There are companies that reproduce the door stickers, so replacing the door is up to you. Weigh the cost of replacement versus cost of repair.

 

[1983regal]

I do not think replacing the door will affect the value of the car. It is not a rare vehicle, so value of the car will be the same either way you decide to fix it.

 

[DeadGuy]

Thanks for responding. The cost is the least thing I'm worried about. It's probably less than 500 bucks.

I'm just worried that if I fix it that it might decrease the value to a collector. That's why I'm here because I know you guys are experts. I also belong to an AMC forum because when I bought my Marlin.... LOL, I had many many questions on that beast.

It's a fish all to it's own. So is my dodge

 

[Blake442]

Absolutely fix it. That should be a no-brainer...
Congrats on the good score.

 

[warmonga]

nice looking regal . MY father in law passed away several years ago and in his garage was a 1981 buick regal his parents car. 11932 miles on it . It was gaven to my wife . Its now sitting in my garage not as clean as yours but still with the original tires, lots lots of thread on it . window sticker still stuck on the window ..lol
nice looking ride..

warmonga

 

[565bbchevy]

If your body guy is really good I would just have him put a new door skin on it and blend the paint, that way the rest of the door is still in original mint condition plus it will be hard to find a replacement door that clean and it would probably still need to be painted and blended anyway.
If anything fixing this will increase the value because if you sell it the first thing the next person is going to do is get it fixed.