model A honest value?

Ken Arms

Ken Arms

Well-known member
Hi folks, im usually on the flathead v8 side of the barn but..I have an opportunity to buy a model A coupe, this car has been stored in a small garage since I was a kid, My first view of it was about 1966. It is a 30 or 31 coupe with rumble. The gentelman that has kept it all these years has passed and his son has no interest. I know it is all original un restored and would run and drive, I think it may be a very solid car but certainly would need work. Asking price is 10,000. I could probably bring it home for 9000. What do think is a fair price? Oh, the engine smokes and there is a clutch issue, most likley oil from rear main seal. Going to look at tomorrow and then I will know more but I just wanted a feel for value. Thanks Ken
 
Without at least seeing pictures of front, rear, sides, interior, etc., I wouldn't even
begin to give you an opinion of its value. 10K could be a great price----or a really
bad purchase.

Jack
 
Without pictures you will get a wide range of value, from your description it isn't in good mechanical condition ---running can still mean none of the parts are rebuidable ---a model a will run with a leather belt for bearings,drive with half the teeth missing in the trans and rear, the condition of the body----original paint, original interior would have to be pretty good for that price range ---look underneath at the framework for the body, see if the windshield is falling out because the header wood is rotten---look around the top insert ---what does it look like inside the gas tank, does it have the original headlights and horn, feel the fender beads for breaks

It wouldn't be hard to put 5000$ in the engine and clutch, I know "runs and drives" means different things to different people ---it won't take much to run and drive around the neighborhood, but to comfortably go 100+ mile tours at highway speeds will mean going through every system and at least cleaning and greasing and some $$ in parts, 15,000 will buy a mostly restored car that looks pretty good
 
If you know someone who knows Model A's, take him or her with you to look at it. They will be able to give you an honest assessment of it.
 
It could range from about $3K to $15K depending on whether it could just be cleaned up and be an original unrestored or you could spend $20K on a resto and have a car at best worth $18K! No pin-point can be given with info provided.

Hip shoot would be $4-6K???????????? You could spend $8K just in resetting all the runing gear. Doesn't sound like a bargain...or much of one.

IMHO
 
If it is a complete in restored car that doest need patch panels all the way around the bottom it's worth anywhere from 6k at non running to 10k for a nicely running and driving un restored car
 
Recently I looked at a restored 30 coupe in my neck of the woods. It didn't seem to have any flaws. I regret not having the money because it was for sale for 12k. So I think the asking price on the one you know of is perhaps double what you could get it for because your description does not make it sound all that great. Even if its solid, it sounds like you would still need to restore everything on it and then you would have far more money in it than its worth.
 
Kurt in NJ said:
Without pictures you will get a wide range of value, from your description it isn't in good mechanical condition ---running can still mean none of the parts are rebuidable ---a model a will run with a leather belt for bearings,drive with half the teeth missing in the trans and rear, the condition of the body----original paint, original interior would have to be pretty good for that price range ---look underneath at the framework for the body, see if the windshield is falling out because the header wood is rotten---look around the top insert ---what does it look like inside the gas tank, does it have the original headlights and horn, feel the fender beads for breaks

It wouldn't be hard to put 5000$ in the engine and clutch, I know "runs and drives" means different things to different people ---it won't take much to run and drive around the neighborhood, but to comfortably go 100+ mile tours at highway speeds will mean going through every system and at least cleaning and greasing and some $$ in parts, 15,000 will buy a mostly restored car that looks pretty good
Click to expand...

I'm with Kurt on this one. Getting a mostly restored coupe for $15K how does this stack up to that car. What would it take you to get to that point? sounds to me like $10K is about twice what it ma bring. Take a knowledgeable A person with you to check it out. Owner may have the Barrett-Jackson transfer syndrome.
 
Figure a paint job at 5-7K, a good set of bumpers at 500, an engine at 5-7k, an interior at 2-3k, tires at 800 and you can see why restored cars are always cheaper and you can drive them the next day.
 
From the description it sounds like it could be a totally unrestored original car. How would that change the equation for pricing?
 
I'm with Bill, hip shot 4-6. It is only worth as much as one is willing to give on the given day. A good indicator is to look at SOLD similar A's on eBay, this will give you an idea. The seller could be like one of the sellers recently on eBay, trying to 'help' a friend sell a hacked up 'body by others' A pickup, their wording in the description was ' appraised 10 years ago for 22,000, so it has to be worth more now' haha what a bunch crap!!! Just cause its old don't make it worth more.
 
Having just gone through trying to value my car because of a wreck, I found older restorations for 12K, newer ones for 15-18K, and solid bodies without a frame for 6....

What I finally came up with for mine and the insurance company independently came to the same number was 9500. My car is a mostly original un-restored 30 coupe with a solid rust free body and a solid drive train. The engine ran strong and I would drive it in 100+ degree heat over a 2K ft pass to work at any time (55 mph on the flat). Suspension needed attention and it has 35 year old tires.

From what you described I would think 6K or less since it has known issue to major systems (engine/clutch) if the body is solid and complete, and the suspension and steering are solid and not worn out.

The complete but not restored model A is a strange price point, you can find piles of pieces for 6K, but a complete older restoration for 12K.. I believe that a solid running and driving car can go for 10K, which doesn't make sense compared to the older resto for 12K.
 
I had the opportunity to look at a complete unrestored car locally a couple of years ago. Ran and drove ok, but on a closer look at it it seemed everything chassis wise had been replaced or rebuilt atleast once and on comparing it to the JS a lot was incorrect. So I guesse unrestored original does not mean the same thing to everyone. Rod
 
Two weeks ago - 31 Delux coupe, restored, $12,500 - 29 Sport Coupe, restored,$14,000 - these were very nice cars so something setting unrestored unless it is a great original is probably in the 4 to 7 range.
 
I have one T and two A's. (Completely opposite to my wife);)

All three were purchased as "older, drivable, restorations".

It is my limited experience, if you want it, you will buy it. No one will be able to talk you out of it, and your friends will agree with you so you don`t feel bad when you start working on it.:(

It is also my limited experience that these old Fords' are more than willing to allow us to spend money on them, no matter how "great" of a deal we justify them to have been (to our wives that is). :):D

That seems to be how it works here in Canada at least. I`m not sure if my American friends will agree. But in the end, we will still all be friends.:)
 
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