Some of these thoughts are quite amusing to read as I think about people's perspective. Personally I think the bottom line is just like was mentioned in one of the first couple of posts where you research the seller too.
For me I have an advantage here as I know who it is and his background, so his reputation means a lot to me in a transaction of this level. The seller is Guy Zaninovich, who some will recognize him as a former Ford Mtr. Company special projects employee who headed up the Model T-100 project. In the collector car world he is also very savvy on knowing the 'right people' to find good quality collector cars of all marques that he can place back in to circulation. With that said, I will be honest that several years ago I purchased something from Guy that was not what I was expecting. We negotiated and he made good on the transaction, --which I think speaks volumes for someone's character.
I guess to touch on what I find is amusing is the fact that
IF this very vehicle was YOURS, just how much would you be advertising it for?
Is the perceived value difference because you don't own it??
The price is VERY fair to the individual who is seeking a true 'survivor-type' automobile. Also explain just how often these vehicles come up on the market? What are the percentages of these 'survivor cars' vs. how many have been (incorrectly or authentically??) restored. For me, if I were looking for a Model-A Victoria to restore to exacting standards, this is the very type of vehicle to start with. I will explain my reasoning.
To many, this bodystyle alone is just as desirable as a 68C, 180A, or 400A, ...and WAY more desirable than a Coupe or Tudor to most. The next is the time-savings this vehicle has to offer to its' owner. While Guy did not state the mileage (that I can see), it would seem plausible that many items really would not need to be rebuilt to be back to within factory specifications because of little wear. I doubt the window regulators nor the door latches would need restoring other than cleaning and re-detailing. The wood in the car would/should be excellent either as-is, -or a perfect specimen to copy and replace with a new piece that could easily be made to exacting standards.
Moving to the chassis, here is a vehicle that you could dismantle the rear end, clean & inspect everything, and reassemble for very few $$ that would likely be the same as a freshly rebuilt one with new repro. parts. Which do you feel is better?? The same mindset can be said for the transmission that would have all original gears with no detectable wear. The money savings in those two areas alone is worth how much?
I say all of that to say it is my opinion that a hobbyist with limited tools and/or limited craftsman skills could easily turn out a top-quality restoration simply because there would not be any major sheetmetal fabrication or metal straightening to do, and everything is there. Think what it costs to have stainless steel professionally restored! I doubt this car has a wavy grille shell, nor dented hub caps or light buckets, ...therefore it would be easy for a home hobbyist with a small buffer to achieve very nice results with this car's parts. How about time straightening & bodyworking worn wheels? Do you want to have an interior that is correct to exacting standards? This one is the perfect example to pattern off of! Take measurements and detailed pictures, then order the piece goods (fabric) to make it yourself or have it sewn locally.
I could go on and on but I feel most people do not take the time to factor in the length of time
and the costs associated with finding suitable replacement parts only to struggle to make them fit, --or the time necessary to research how a component is to be assembled. Add to the price of this car a good quality digital camera, and you will be $10k-$20k ahead on a top-level restoration of this car vs. a $10k 'bucket' that needs everything restored.
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