Introduction & Questions

W

WSH

Junior Member
Hello,
Just joined and wanted to share my car and ask a few questions
1931 Model A Cabriolet
And the story.... a two (2) owner car !!
My father bought it in 1936 for $400, drove it everyday until 1966, then restored it as a show car. Upon his death in '95, it passed to me and has been in my garage ever since :)

I'm a lifelong car guy-mostly Porsche-- but have always loved this car from riding in the rumble seat as a kid to being its caretaker for the last 20+ years.

Unfortunately it is time to sell....last child is off to college next year and we are downsizing---which means losing my seven car garage. Problem is that I have NO IDEA as to value. Car as noted is two owner, complete and rust free. But engine hasn't run since 95, brakes are seized and needs paint.

Would love some input from the experts here on valuation.
Thanks in advance

Bill
 

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A few more photos..

Bill
 

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WSH said:
Hello,
Just joined and wanted to share my car and ask a few questions
1931 Model A Cabriolet
And the story.... a two (2) owner car !!
My father bought it in 1936 for $400, drove it everyday until 1966, then restored it as a show car. Upon his death in '95, it passed to me and has been in my garage ever since :)

I'm a lifelong car guy-mostly Porsche-- but have always loved this car from riding in the rumble seat as a kid to being its caretaker for the last 20+ years.

Unfortunately it is time to sell....last child is off to college next year and we are downsizing---which means losing my seven car garage. Problem is that I have NO IDEA as to value. Car as noted is two owner, complete and rust free. But engine hasn't run since 95, brakes are seized and needs paint.

Would love some input from the experts here on valuation.
Thanks in advance

Bill
Click to expand...

Hi Bill, welcome to Fordbarn!!

I hate to hear about you selling your Dad's car, but 'reality' is brutal at times for all of us. Ohh, and not sure how much sympathy you will get on the part about you losing your 7 car garage either. :D :D

The term "Show Car" means many things to many folks, ...and to me it infers the vehicle has been restored to replicate the aesthetics & mechanicals of how it exactly was when it rolled off the assembly line. Based on the pictures, it would appear there has been some deviation from 100% authenticity as it was originally. The only time this really matters is when a comparison of original parts are made as compared to reproductions parts (both then during the restoration, --and now). As you will likely understand, many (i.e.: MOST) reproduction parts are inferior to original-manufactured Ford Model-A parts both in service and longevity.

One thing that I often explain to my customers is that a nice paint job is about 1/3 the price of a complete restoration in both price and materials. To do the job correctly (where the old paint can be stripped and completely repainted), the top needs to be removed, the upholstery trim removed, --and even the body removed from the frame. Upon completion, all of those items need to be re-installed. THEN, someone needs to decide whether the top should be replaced (due to yours being incorrect in material & color), and if not, how they plan to stretch the material now that all the selvage has been removed. The same mindset needs to be applied to the engine. Exactly to what extent does the engine need to be repaired or rebuilt? Has time & environment created any internal damage that would need to be repaired before the vehicle can be operated in a reliable manner? Now we can discuss the brakes. Why are they seized? Is it moisture that caused the shoe lining to rust to the drums, --or is it deeper? You did not mention tires & tubes, nor shocks, or many other incidental items that tend to deteriorate due to inactivity. The body's wooden infrastructure is a huge factor in this too.

The bottom line is, the value really depends more on who is buying it, and what their intended purpose is. If someone wants to purchase it as toy to tinker with and not leave the neighborhood with, it should bring a little more than to someone who is looking for a car they plan to drive & tour with. The difference is for the person that is seeking reliability and quality aesthetics will find themselves spending almost as much for refurbishing your car as they would an unrestored vehicle. Since you asked about an as-is value, without doing a thorough evaluation but more of an armchair appraisal, I would place the value in the $8k-$10k range. Again, this $ figure could deviate tremendously upon an actual in-person inspection of the car.

.
 
It seems a shame that you have to sell the old girl after being in the family for so long. But if you must I would at least get it running. I don't know just what it is worth but it will surely be worth quite a bit more running than not.
 
Welcome to the barn! Depending on your location I jag we'll be interested in the car. Once you establish a price send me a private message and we can talk. Regards, Wayne
 
I would agree with getting it running, and maybe the brakes checked. If what you said about the restore was done properly, then draining and flushing all fluids, refill and freshen up battery and give it a whirl. It might surprise you as to how well these cars respond with just a little TLC. Good luck and let us know if we can be of any help.
 
WELCOME ! ! ! Yes get it running/driving, or you will get about half it's worth.

Too bad about your garages. I only have one from mid November to late March, rest of the time it's outside :eek::eek::D:).
Paul in CT
 
looking at your photo- I put it in the 12k range, being it is a slant. there are several non slants for sale in the 8-12k range that need a good bit of work. though your car is not running, it does look to be in decent shape.
If you were close by, you'ld have an easy sale with me at 12k.

I would sell one of my cars and jump on yours immediately.
 
Unless you really need the money, keep it. It can sit another 30 yrs and it won't hurt it. A's are don't mind waiting for someone. If it ran in 95, it probably could be started by and A mechanic, or club member. Find a Model A club and join it. Don't sell a family treasure.
 
Been trying to post a new thread on the Model A Swap site.
When I try to upload pictures I get this message:

Your submission could not be processed because a security token was missing.

If this occurred unexpectedly, please inform the administrator and describe the action you performed before you received this error.

I have no idea what a "security token" is or how to get one. I have sent three messages to the site administrators over three days with NO RESPONSE from them.

Soon am going to give up on FordBarn if I can't use it.

Dick RF4Cphantomflyer@gmail.com
 
Thanks guys, really appreciate the input !
FYI, car is located in suburban Atlanta, Ga.

Bill
 
too bad the engine has sat for 20 yrs

it is easy enough to run them monthly

tank and lines and carb prolly all filled with sediment/deteriorated/contaminated

agree to get it running for a sale
 
DKnapp said:
Been trying to post a new thread on the Model A Swap site.
When I try to upload pictures I get this message:

Your submission could not be processed because a security token was missing.

If this occurred unexpectedly, please inform the administrator and describe the action you performed before you received this error.

I have no idea what a "security token" is or how to get one. I have sent three messages to the site administrators over three days with NO RESPONSE from them.

Soon am going to give up on FordBarn if I can't use it.

Dick RF4Cphantomflyer@gmail.com
Click to expand...

Dick, The message may mean that you picture is too large. I realize that is not what it says. Try taking a picture at low resolution and try posting it. There is a test forum for you to experiment, http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Charlie Stephens
 
I too am of the mindset of keeping it if you can. Except for true highway speeds the A will go anywhere and be MUCH cheaper then Porsche's to maintain.

With that said I also agree with getting it running and stopping before selling it.

As for "worth" well we can only look at what they have sold for in the recent past,

There was on on Ebay that "NO-EXPENSE-SPARED RESTORATION" that had a lot of wrong parts and it sold for $34,900 with a "NADA value of $53,130" http://www.ebay.com/itm/391534849619

Then there was one that was missing pieces that sold for $9000. http://www.ebay.com/itm/232062235095
 
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Ugh, keep the Model A... If not for yourself, your kids.. Now they may or may not currently be interested but as they grow older, they'll grow an become more like you.... Just wait and see and the car will keep in the Family. Best wishes.
 
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