How Much to Repair this 1931 Murray TS?

[H. L. Chauvin]

Humble opinion from an actual recent Model A title experience with DMV:

FWIW:

A. If one is thinking about buying this vehicle, & in reviewing the bid form in Tom's reply no. 56;

B. Bidders beware that if one checks with their particular DMV in their particular State, some States have much different laws that once one is issued a "Salvage Title", or issued a State permit to dismantle, because the vehicle has been declared "totaled" by the insurance company or whatever:

1. The previous owner's current registered title for this vehicle may have become null & void; &,

2. This vehicle may have been permitted to be dismantled where parts may be sold; however,

3. After the above declarations, this vehicle may not be repaired & re- registered, & driven again using the former owner's clear title; &,

4. In some cases, in some States, if this vehicle is repaired, & one wants to have it re-registered, & one wants to drive it, one has to possibly have it inspected after restoration by a State Trooper, or local Deputy, or local policeman approved by DMV to acquire a different completely "new" notarized title for this vehicle; & also,

5. Because of so many recent car thefts, I was explained recently by DMV that different States have altogether different laws concerning vehicles which have "Salvaged Titles" or vehicles which have been permitted by DMV to be dismantled; &,

6. That these particular State laws have changed drastically in the past 20 years or so whereby some guys bought salvaged vehicles years ago & later, after restoration have extreme difficulty to acquire titles for same today.

Not knowing a bidder's intention after acquiring same, just a heads up to check one's local "different" DMV requirements prior to bidding.

Appears In some cases, even if bought for under $3,000.00, still a time consuming hassle to dismantle & store parts; but could be more of a hassle dealing with multiple inquiries & visits from possible parts buyers -- I think one could make more of a profit selling apples on a street corner.

[nhusa]

I wonder how much people pay for piles of rust sitting in a field and restore them!

This looks to be a fantastic doner car
Most of the interior looks good and almost everything forward of the rear doors and running gear is probably OK

And it is better than sending it to the scrap heap and loosing another A

[Tom F OHIO]

Originally Posted by Ross/Kzoo

Another question. How fast was the car going that hit it. I'm thinking 25-30 MPH.

The reason that I ask is because many may say "that couldn't happen to me" but it does happen to some. A friend was returning from a 4th of July parade and a car from the oncoming lane turned right in front of him. Totaled his 32 Chevy with front end damage all the way back to the firewall. It injured his wife quite severely.

I don't know if anyone was hurt or not in this accident but if this were a coupe or roadster I would say it would have been far more worse than in a fordor.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

I don't know if anyone was hurt or not in this accident but if this were a coupe or roadster I would say it would have been far more worse than in a fordor.

Yes, and wasn't he lucky that the gas tank was mounted in the safest location.

[Rowdy]

It is a pile of parts at best. Worth only what the engine, radiator, front fenders, frontend, gas tank and steering column are worth for another project. Not knowing the true condition of any of it. It is possibly slightly better than the same parts in rusty nonoperational condition. $1000- $2500 depending on how desperate you are for those parts. Who knows how much bondo, brazing and weird things may have been done to the fenders. How was the engine befoer the crash, near a fresh rebuild or just a painted over rust engine with wear that smokes alittle? Who feels lucky? Rod

[Tom Wesenberg]

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I still think it looks fixable and would try, but I would want to inspect it in person before bidding very high.
I know FLOP could fix it.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Yes, and wasn't he lucky that the gas tank was mounted in the safest location.

Funny!!!!

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Funny!!!!

No, I'm serious. In most any accident I can't think of any place else where the tank would be better protected.

Maybe if a large tree fell on the cowl you could say it should have been mounted under the car.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

No, I'm serious. In most any accident I can't think of any place else where the tank would be better protected.

Maybe if a large tree fell on the cowl you could say it should have been mounted under the car.

You know as well as I that one the first things people say when you tell them the tank sits "in their lap" is gasps of oh my gGd how dangerous!

Wait, wait, I got one better, "if it was a safe place all the cars made now would have it there"

[Barry B./ Ma.]

The first thing I would do would be to remove the body , inspect and repair the frame and check the running gear. When everything checks out I would buy a roadster pickup body and and make a truck or a good tudor body which are still plentiful and have some fun.

[Skibb]

Originally Posted by Logan

You're buddy is better off finding something else. That back panel is pushed in really far, and the bottom bead area is gonna be pushed in and up. Do the doors even line up anymore? I notice the drivers side aren't fully closed. The frame may be bent or twisted. Woods going to be broken, the back seat frame will probably be broken, the rear axle may have some damage, two new fenders, and then strip and paint the entire body, cuz you're not going to be able to match that color and blend with that big of a damage area.

There was a '30 fordoor hit in the back left a few years ago here in Fort Worth. I don't think it was as bad as this one. But the wood in the back of it just split in half. The car ended up being fixable, but the wood was a bitch. I had to go in there and "patch" the wood back together with glue, and screws and anything else you could imagine. It went back together and looked like it had never been hit, and all the upholstery was fine. But it's something I'd never want to get into if I were looking at buying a car, especially if I didn't have any body work experience. That back panel is going to need to be pulled out,not beaten out, it's pushed in way to far to be hammered out. A replacement panel from another body might work, but then you have to take into consideration if the new panel has also been stretched at one point or another, and if it's going to actually fit.

So as for your original question, 10+ thousand dollars probably. It would be a restoration, not a fix job. And with that back panel, it would cost even more than average to restore it. Once you get new rear fenders on it, you're gonna have to paint the front ones too so that they can match.

Well said and I heartily agree, my buddy and I are just finishing the chassis, body and roof wood installation on my 1930 Briggs sedan. The above repair puts you between hard work, your check book and immense time rqmts. And, as Logan said, I'd never do it again.

[Kurt in NJ]

In the pictures the car looks impressively caved in, with 3 hours of roughing it would look much different, in pictures it wouldn't look that bad ----it wouldn't mean that it would cost less to properly fix, but it would have the prospect of a quick doubling of sale price.

When my brother was looking into buying a later model car that had a "fixed" salvage title he found that the ins company he uses wouldn't give full coverage on a car that had a salvage title in it's past ---

[Kevin in NJ]

The general rule of the car industry. If the car has a salvage title its value is 60% of what it would be without the salvage title.

Also, they will NOT do comprehensive or collision if the car has a salvage title as payout has been made on the car.

So this brings us to the fact that someone could buy this car, play games (not to hard to do) and get a clear title with a different engine number.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is a donor rear panel if need be, and it's even in Texas, as is the original car.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...#ht_127wt_1255

[Dave72dt]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I still think it looks fixable and would try, but I would want to inspect it in person before bidding very high.
I know FLOP could fix it.

Definitely fixable. I'd never buy it as an investment though. Strictly a car to enjoy after it's been repaired. I enjoy the process of getting them back on the road as much or more than driving them so I'd have a go at fixing it, too.

[bobbycoke]

Thank you Brent for your insight into insurance companies "logic" which is somewhat different from what most people think. I hope you keep posting as I find your knowledge and thoughts most helpful. I have read all the postings and I hope we are not quick to judgement on the "life sentence" we are putting on this car. IT IS FIXABLE as we have seen many basket cases resurrected from the dead. The main thing is and was a discussion of cost, what it is worth to someone personally is an extremely private matter based on car history [family, memories or just plain love]... my statement is just that it always costs more than it seems but anything can be done it there is a will to do it. I myself am going to rethink my agreed value coverage as it is too low. The brookville suggestion is an option for some but Henry's steel is the holy grail for others. Let's hope it survives so a model A does not dissapear! IMHO bobbycoke

[Al Mack]

After further review.....the car doesn't look half bad.

Definitely a parts car for a Texan parts vendor.

Just my 2¢ worth and worth every penny of it.

[Roadster62]

Whatever happened to this car? If it was parted out I might be interested is some things. Bob

[Tinbasher]

Just a quick look but depending on the amount of damage to the inner wood structure. I'd say your into at least 10,000 to repair what's there. It might be cheaper to pull out the damage and then put a rear body section on from the rear doors back if you can find a good one. Food for thought.

The Old Tinbasher.