1931 Blindback at salvage auction

That’s a 160C…a rare car.
But I’m not seeing $47k! At least not for me…maybe high $20k’s
 
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Sadly not the first I've seen in a salvage yard.

Let people into the country who don't speak the language and legalize pot, what could possible go wrong ???
 
Wow, I'm pretty sure I saw that for sale online or the restorer a year or two ago? I seem to recall the pinstriping. I wonder if it was damaged in transport to a new buyer? A perfect example of a 160-C might be worth 45K, but this car would need a lot of work to get there. No question its worth saving though, and value to be found at the right salvage price.
 
With a California salvage title? $47K? Ya gotta be kidding, or smokin’ some of Humbolt’s finest. Note that the description lists transmission as “automatic”. Looks pretty stock to me.
 
jb-ob said:
Sadly not the first I've seen in a salvage yard.

Let people into the country who don't speak the language and legalize pot, what could possible go wrong ???
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Not sure what speaking the same language as you has anything to do with a car getting damaged?? :eek:
 
I'd take $47k for my 160C :) The owner is in our 160C registry and said he was hit from behind. It was bid up over $3500, not sure why it got reset.
 

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JayJay said:
With a California salvage title? $47K? Ya gotta be kidding, or smokin’ some of Humbolt’s finest. Note that the description lists transmission as “automatic”. Looks pretty stock to me.
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What the heck does a "salvage title" mean anyway? Especially for a Model A. I think most of our model A's by now would fall under that category... :p To the right person a VERY GOOD 160C would probably be worth 45K, this is not that car - but its just a reference point to sell the car. Its at $250 right now - just the interior wood grained moldings are worth that. Somebody should take this one on !
 
I`m with Bill on this one somewhere in the low $20`s. you will not get a title, so you have to go through your state DMV.
 
I'm not sure how comprehensive insurance works over there. All I can use to relate is how it is done here. If a collector car is written off (I think you guys call it "totalled"), the insurance company pays the owner the agreed sum it is insured for and he keeps the salvage (damaged car). It does not become the property of the insurance company. Even if I didn't have the skills to repair that myself, I'd use some of the insurance money to have it repaired, pocket the rest and drive on like nothing ever happened.
 
There is a Copart yard 12 miles from me,and I have looked at a lot of those vehicle info forms.If the vehicle has a listed value from whatever book they use,that value gets written into that spot on the form.For an antique,classic,special interest,collector,etc,they don't have a book.They pull a number out of the air and write it in.If the number they write in is too low,then bidders seem to want to stick around it.So they throw in a number that is so stupid bidders know it is just a filler for the form.The people filling these forms out may not even be in the same state as the vehicle.Very cookie cutter.Info and pics are arranged and the local yard sends them to the advertising venues in their area.I hauled some bigger iron in there when I had a Mack ramp truck.I could carry 1-1/2 ton dump trucks with plows with no problems.Almost everything going there is modern.Extremely rare to see anything special go through there.You wouldn't get a salvage title for it in N.H. because there is no title requirement for pre-2000 vehicles.
 
Since there is no real question from the original post, let me add a couple to this thread....


#1) Since some mentioned the value should be in the $20k± range, have you noticed that the Model-A is about one of the last collector vehicles that potentially won't even bring an ROI on the parts & materials costs to restore one (-especially applies to the rarer or more desirable bodystyles)?


#2) If we are truly being honest with ourselves, how many Fordbarn Model-A forum members have the talent and wherewithal to correctly repair this vehicle?



I'm going to offer some opinions on the #2 question. Some 50+ years ago as a teenager in the Model-A hobby, I would guess that over half of the local club members I knew possessed either all, -or at least a vast portion of the skillset to pull-off repairing that crashed 160C Fordor in their own garage. For the ones that could not do everything, they generally knew someone who they could call to assist them. That was the value of a local Model-A club. Today, most larger local Model-A clubs probably have less than what could be counted on one hand that can assist with repairs/maintenance, ...and many smaller clubs struggle to have even one person capable of doing the simplest Model-A tasks.

The irony of this from what I have noticed is other specialty marque clubs (Volkswagen, Porsche, Tri-Five Chevy, Mustang, et/al) seem to have local club members who can capably repair floorpan rust damage, replace quarter panels, rebuild brakes, engines, etc., -OR, ...the Collector vehicle's resale value is at least great enough to cover most or the majority of what that Hobbyist's restoration costs when they do a restoration themselves in their garage.

I'm going to chase this Rabbit even a tad further. As mentioned above, the 'hobbyist Restorer' back then largely did fairly nice work (-at least for the times) revitalizing rough vehicles (i.e.: basket cases, junkyard finds) whereas the typical "Hot Rodder's" craftsmanship was often viewed as done by a Butcher who hacked through the project with shoddy welds and poor engineering. When you look around today, it seems the roles have reversed. Take a look on Social Media sites (YouTube, Tik-Tok, Facebook, etc.), and you will see there are a substantial amount of young men (-and a few women) who are producing top quality craftsmanship on vintage tin, ...however they are generally using their talents to build/repair/refurbish "non-stock" vehicles. So they apparently have the desire to own & build a modified Model-A, ...and yet many Model-A club members have Model-As that are quite modified too, so what is different? ;) :o Maybe the Model-A Club is boring? Maybe the local Model-A Club is unattractive to a potential hobbyist?? Maybe it is because the perceived value of the typical club member's Model-A that makes it unattractive to a younger generation??? (Think about how many here have offered advice about 'Buy instead of Restore', -or just drive it as-is and call it a Driver, -or Replace with a Reproduction part instead of Restoring the original part. ;))

Just my 2 cents, ...(y)our thoughts may vary!! :D
 
Yah, finding anyone who works sheet metal repair around here was an exercise in futility. I sold my '55 Buick with a big crease in the front quarter. I tried to find someone local to do the repair but they're all parts-replacers...and I got rid of all my body/fender tools back in the 80s. Beating it all back out on the Blindback isn't impossible but it will be difficult and time consuming to get it "right". I'd hate to pay someone to do it.

I'm guessing that the rear body on the Blindback splits along the welting (either side of the window). That would make it much easier to beat back out, or replace that section (esp., if it is a non-unique part, maybe a Tudor or Fordor center might fit?). However, I would also guess that there's a good bit of ancillary damage buried behind that mess. It appears to be folded in the center...that will pull the sides in and maybe even bend the frame rails.

Getting a title would be easy-peasy here...maybe. I'm still waiting on my '69 C10 title after 6 months. I had no trouble with the 55 Buick or the 31 Coupe but the C10 seems to have gotten dropped into SCDMV hell. They keep telling me it is because it never had an Alabama title (where we lived previously). Alabama doesn't issue titles to pre-1975 vehicles. No problem getting it registered, plates, etc. :confused:
 
A fellow in Colorado, A Road Less Traveled U tube video, has the skills and lead filler methods to restore to show condition. He did a blue 66A deluxe
pickup.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
#1) Since some mentioned the value should be in the $20k± range, have you noticed that the Model-A is about one of the last collector vehicles that potentially won't even bring an ROI on the parts & materials costs to restore one (-especially applies to the rarer or more desirable bodystyles)?


#2) If we are truly being honest with ourselves, how many Fordbarn Model-A forum members have the talent and wherewithal to correctly repair this vehicle?
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I think the more important question is, "who here will pay the $20k range people estimate the car to be worth with a salvage title?"

This isn't a $20k anymore. Rare doesn't always mean valuable. It's still a fordor and to most automotive hobbyists, fordors are at the bottom of the desirability list. Now add a salvage title designation to it, and it's worth significantly less. You can't remove the salvage designation from the car, and I'm sure most countries, like Australia or Canada, wouldn't even allow it to be registered.

This is a great candidate for a restoration. Restore another chassis with a clean title, fix the body damage and put the body on the other chassis you just restored. Doing that will give you a great car without the salvage tarnish, but values the auction car as a parts car, which is fair.
 
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