Model T Centre Door
- Thread starter Byron Warwick
- Start date
J Franklin
Well-known member
$5,000 - 7,000 depending on the extent and quality of the work that was done.
Byron Warwick
Senior Member
Anyone else got any thoughts on price?
yachtsmanbill
Well-known member
I think there 3 issues to an asking price. One is the fact that it looks unmolested... take that ball and run with it. Original motor, wiring, upholstery, and of course, the condition.
Two. Not this case, but if a restoration has been performed in the last half century and the quality of that work. 50 years ago there was a million restoration suppliers, and generally T parts came from the likes of Warshawsky's in Chicago. Pickins' were slim in the 50s!
Third. On any vehicle is the rareity. I dont mean a model T is necessarily rare as there were 20 million built with about 30-40,000 still intact. A black era center door is an oddity tho. Canadian makes a secondary issue there. Does the block have Made in Canada cast in below the water connection on the side?
So combine all the above and rate it at a scale of 1 - 10 and it comes up around an 8, I would consider an asking price of 7K the top end of realistic.
Two sub issues are if its a museum piece, and 2nd, if it goes on an auction. If it looks like it does and was parked in a sealed tomb in 1928 the skies the limit. As always, asking price and selling price is the difference between flying your own airplane and owning the space shuttle. Dont take offense to any of this, just some of my observations. Post another 100 or so pictures so we can get a better idea of condition etc. ws
Two. Not this case, but if a restoration has been performed in the last half century and the quality of that work. 50 years ago there was a million restoration suppliers, and generally T parts came from the likes of Warshawsky's in Chicago. Pickins' were slim in the 50s!
Third. On any vehicle is the rareity. I dont mean a model T is necessarily rare as there were 20 million built with about 30-40,000 still intact. A black era center door is an oddity tho. Canadian makes a secondary issue there. Does the block have Made in Canada cast in below the water connection on the side?
So combine all the above and rate it at a scale of 1 - 10 and it comes up around an 8, I would consider an asking price of 7K the top end of realistic.
Two sub issues are if its a museum piece, and 2nd, if it goes on an auction. If it looks like it does and was parked in a sealed tomb in 1928 the skies the limit. As always, asking price and selling price is the difference between flying your own airplane and owning the space shuttle. Dont take offense to any of this, just some of my observations. Post another 100 or so pictures so we can get a better idea of condition etc. ws
Willie in Houston
Senior Member
Canada put their "Made in Canada" on the radiator, hub caps, engine block and cylinder head. Also the serial number on the side of the block above the water pipe should start with a "C" if the engine was made in Canada. You look up the year in the Canadian listing of serial numbers, not the American ones.
Byron Warwick
Senior Member
I've been busy lately, also trouble getting pictures small enough to post. Here is another try. The car is all original interior and paint.New roof and safety glass. Engine, tran, diff all about 100 miles since rebuild. Some new materials in the bands, I didn't know what that was. It started right up , on electric starter, move forward and reverse, easily. Owner reluctant to sell but trying to downsize. I get from previuos posts that $6000 to$ 7000, is a good price. My wife not as enthused as I. Bytron.
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Jack Innes
Well-known member
As has been pointed out in other posts, it is very difficult to put a price on a car from pictures. But as a point of reference I sold my 24 (Canadian) coupe a few years back for $6500. Prices on black rad Ts have not changed much since then. It was in similar looking condition, a good survivor with 12,000 miles showing that ran & drove well. I regret selling it now - survivors are getting hard to find.
My wife was also not terribly enthusiastic about the many vehicles that seemed to follow me home but that looked after itself. I still miss her once in a while.
My wife was also not terribly enthusiastic about the many vehicles that seemed to follow me home but that looked after itself. I still miss her once in a while.
Farmallcub49
Senior Member
We picked up an original 22 Center door about 7 years ago for around $6000. It was all original and had been in a barn from 1931 until we purchased it. It ran and drove. We have since rebuilt everything mechanically on it. We have almost into it as we purchased it for and I wouldn't sell it for less than $15,000 which I doubt anyone would pay for it, which is fine because it is so much fun to drive.
$6000 to $7000 is a steal for a rebuilt car; if the engine were rebuilt or was it just 'rebuilt'? Same goes for the rear axle. Ask him if it has aluminum pistons, new cam, new valves, balanced crank and pistons, new neoprene seals or the old felt style. Has the transmission been balanced, new starter ring gear, new field coil, new bushings reamed to what dimensions, drums checked cracks, magnets checked for cracks and recharged, what type of clutch is used, repoured fourth main, pan straightened on Wilson pan jig? New bronze thrust washers in rear axle, what is the ring and pinion mesh, balanced driveshaft, new u-joint or a near new original, new sleeves, axle bearings within tolerances or did he use the junk repop ones? My questions would go on and on; if he isn't sure buy it like you may have to rebuild all over again. Is the roof vinyl or the correct masonite type fiberboard? The seat cushions have been replaced, but I assume you realize that.
I don't want to burst your bubble, I just don't want you to get burned like so many have before.
$6000 to $7000 is a steal for a rebuilt car; if the engine were rebuilt or was it just 'rebuilt'? Same goes for the rear axle. Ask him if it has aluminum pistons, new cam, new valves, balanced crank and pistons, new neoprene seals or the old felt style. Has the transmission been balanced, new starter ring gear, new field coil, new bushings reamed to what dimensions, drums checked cracks, magnets checked for cracks and recharged, what type of clutch is used, repoured fourth main, pan straightened on Wilson pan jig? New bronze thrust washers in rear axle, what is the ring and pinion mesh, balanced driveshaft, new u-joint or a near new original, new sleeves, axle bearings within tolerances or did he use the junk repop ones? My questions would go on and on; if he isn't sure buy it like you may have to rebuild all over again. Is the roof vinyl or the correct masonite type fiberboard? The seat cushions have been replaced, but I assume you realize that.
I don't want to burst your bubble, I just don't want you to get burned like so many have before.
Brother Hesekiel
Senior Member
I kill for originality, and I am having a very hard time believing the interior to be original, as you stated. For that reason alone I do not believe that the exterior is original as well. I think $7K is a realistic price. There was a nice Centerdoor on eBay recently that did not meet the reserve of $6,900.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...3399491?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27c70f6543
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...3399491?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27c70f6543
garrisonm89@yahoo.com
BANNED
A '23 center door in my opinion based on the information I've read and the photos on this thread has to be worth somewhere in that $50,000.00 to $60,000.00. Unless it's Canadian and owned by a Lutheran. That always bumps a car like that up into that $100,000.00 to $110,000.00 range JMO