Rare project

[Gil Sissons]

THIS IS NOT MY CAR....I ONLY KNOW WHAT AD SAYS!
Saw the ad below on craigslist. It has been offered for a couple of weeks now.
Rare car...thought someone might have nailed it by now. For sure plenty of work.http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/5160506267.html
Gil NoCal

[DJ S]

Looks like an awful amount of work...

[ronn]

that was for sale over a year ago............ no takers.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Most people wouldn't live long enough to finish it.
Bill W.

[John Stone]

Looks better than mine when I started. It took me 12 years.

[H. L. Chauvin]

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It'll no doubt take an extremely RARE buyer to offer $10,000.00

[jw hash]

it was to much money last year and still to much money for what is there,

[Mitch//pa]

the pictures are dated 1/1/2007

[Jwilli]

That price is wishful thinking.

[glenn in camino]

Hope some young retired guy gets it.

[RandyinUtah]

Not looking at the price all I can say is you don't find many barn find A400 any more.

[Mike V. Florida]

I find it interesting, it is a rare car. It supposedly has all the rare bits that are hard to find, so the actual body work, paint, interior, etc., would would be about the same as say a Fordor.

If my above assumption are correct and the actual work needed is the same as a body style that has extra doors, windows, and the like then we are only looking at the price.

10,000 for a 400A in need of total restore in need of running gear, and fenders,
2,000 for a 1930 fordor body (seen as sold on ebay) in need of running gear, and fenders.

So two bodies in need of the same work, all the unique parts are there for both bodies are there. The 400A is $8000.00 more then fordor.

When finished to the same level of restoration (400+) points would the 400A be worth $8000.00 more then the fordor?

[ronn]

In light of your discussion Mike, the 400 is under priced. So let's raise it up a few thousand................... LOL!

Pretty difficult comparison to make.

[todd3131]

The last body I saw for sale made this one look like a restored car, sold for 14k that was in 2007 before the bottom dropped out of the economy, it was stupid money then. My concern isn't the money but the fact it is on Craig's list, is it to real or is it a scam?
Todd

[Mark W.]

That is more than I spent on my unrestored 29 Roadster - complete & running - PLUS the enclosed transport from Iowa to Maine a couple years ago...

It's rare, but I question the current value.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Why do folks 'armchair appraise' someone's merchandise as if to imply they have accurate knowledge on the subject? Isn't this unfair for the Seller, -and the hobby as a whole? John above (-both of them actually) have owned Convertible Sedans, but how many of you others forming/giving an opinion have actually ever restored a 400A?

Having owned one, and restored two 400A bodies (both in worse condition that the one for sale!) it is my opinion that if someone truly is looking for a 400A body, that one is not too far off of being priced fairly. I'm sorry if my differing opinion offends someone but let's be fair to the hobby as a whole in the advice we give.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Why do folks 'armchair appraise' someone's merchandise as if to imply they have accurate knowledge on the subject? Isn't this unfair for the Seller, -and the hobby as a whole? John above (-both of them actually) have owned Convertible Sedans, but how many of you others forming/giving an opinion have actually ever restored a 400A?

Having owned one, and restored two 400A bodies (both in worse condition that the one for sale!) it is my opinion that if someone truly is looking for a 400A body, that one is not too far off of being priced fairly. I'm sorry if my differing opinion offends someone but let's be fair to the hobby as a whole in the advice we give.

It didn't differ from me.

[Logan]

Being in the paint and body work/restoration industry, this body is pretty fairly priced. I see it being a fair $9k body if it looks as good in person as it does in the pictures. But $10k is not over shooting it if you want it bad enough. You've got to remember, you just can't find these bodies anymore without buying a whole car that NEEDS restoring for 20-25k. And a decent driver around the $30k-35k area. These bodies are no harder than any other wood structured car, I've done one. It's just like the rest of them. Time, money, and patients is all it takes to complete it. If I wasn't already doing a deluxe phaeton, I'd give this a car a consideration.

[Oldbluoval]

I'm trying to get one re-wooded in my shop that is going to be for sale. Very much started with what these parts are. I work on it between other projects so it's been sitting awhile. When available, I am not taking much less than $20K in prime.

My point is the same as Logan and Brent. You can put $50-70K in most other body styles and it may be worth $40K on a good day. You can put $60-75 in a project such as this and it's worth $75K.

Folks, you have to remember for most, this is a hobby and not a business. If you are doing it as an investment, you likely just need to go get a minimum wage job or work for free as that is mostly what will be the end result.

If you stick with the upper end body styles (180A, 68A-C, A400 and others) , you can enjoy a car and cash out down the road with most, repeat most, of your money back. But lots of fun and memories will accumulate.

Also, if you are paying someone to do everything on a car, body work, paint, chrome, stainless work, upholstery, engine work, glass...all of it is just plain expensive these days.

Go for it! Happy motoring!

[Bob Bidonde]

Restoring that car has to be a labor of love, and not as an investment because its restoration is going to cost a huge amount of money, much more than it will be worth when done.