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Need some help with values of some old cars left to me on fathers death


Guest Zipper69

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Guest Zipper69

Hi all-

My name is Lenn. I live in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania.

May 11 2011 I lost my father to cancer. He was diagnosed with adnocarcinoma (spelling??) and within 5 weeks was gone. Needless to say my heart is broken.

He left me several old cars. A couple I will keep but a couple will need to go due to space limitations . The first to go will be an all original 1932 Ford 5 window coupe. Its complete - been in storage for 45 years.

Any ideas where I can get a good value for a 80 year old car??? Or even where to start???

Lenn

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Hi all-

My name is Lenn. I live in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania.

May 11 2011 I lost my father to cancer. He was diagnosed with adnocarcinoma (spelling??) and within 5 weeks was gone. Needless to say my heart is broken.

He left me several old cars. A couple I will keep but a couple will need to go due to space limitations . The first to go will be an all original 1932 Ford 5 window coupe. Its complete - been in storage for 45 years.

Any ideas where I can get a good value for a 80 year old car??? Or even where to start???

Lenn

So very sorry to hear about your loss. You may have found the right place. There are folks on here that with some really good photos and description can possibly appraise your late father's cars. I have done that service myself. I can give you another name or two. John

If you send photos to me at keiser31@charter.net I may be able to help.

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Guest Zipper69

Thank you for the response.

Im thinking tomorrow I may be able to hook my quad on the 32 and drag it out into the sunlight and snap some pics.

I appreciate the help

Lenn

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Instead of dancing around this, let's be clear. A 1932 Ford coupe has a good bit of value, if it's in any kind of condition at all. Make sure you get a good, honest appraisal of the car.

Unfortunately, the main market for this car is the hot rod crowd, so 4 (Model B, not "the" Model B) or 8 cylinders may not matter that much.

Post some pictures please.

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Lenn, a '32 Ford Coupe is gold in almost any condition. Since it has been stored away for so long, it may be that it could be advertized as a "barn find". There is an intrigue there that seems to sometime significantly increase an old car's value. If taking that approach, do absolutely nothing to it, don't pump up the tires, don't clean out the junk, and leave every speck of dust right where it is. Get it on Craigslist unpriced and it likely will be broadcast widely by "sitemash". There is also a site for barn finds. Let the market determine its value. It may surprize you. Good luck!

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Lenn- There is good advice given here on the desirabity of a '32 Ford. I was involved in a 3 window coupe a couple of years ago that came out of a barn in 1957 and completly disassembled. As in all of these situations many parts were lost through the years. Parts were located all over the U.S.and reassembled to a 100% complete car and listed on E-bay. It sold for $39,000 and change to a dealer in Texas. When picked up the driver said it was resold and he was delivering it to California. Granted a three window is more desirable than your 5-five window. But staying in perspective how much less? Do your homework and I think you will be pleased with the results. Good luck, --Bob

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I sold our 32 roadster project before leaving the US a few years ago. I can tell you I have never had so many dreamers, tire kickers, and time wasters.

In the end I sold it to a freind with kids. So it is a family project now.

Just be ready for a ton of jerks. It was worse than selling my Cord Sportsman!

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Guest Zipper69

Wow....some great advice in less than 24 hours. I am quite impressed.

I was planning on getting some good pics of the car today but its a rainy day here in northeast PA. I am going to grab my wifes good camera and head over and see what I can do without moving the car. I will post them here as soon as I get them.

Thank you all for your responses.

One of the other cars left behind is a 1936 Ford 3 window coupe street rod that needs to be finished. I would love to finish it in memory of my father. I remember helping my father work on it as a child....good memories.

Lenn

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Lenn,

I am sure more knowledgeable people than me will chime in. looks like the horn is missing? Also the battery is usually under the floor. The front bumper looks like a model A bumper? Is there a back bumper? Spare Tire? I would take the plugs out, and after letting some oil set in there (search for directions on starting motors that have set) See if motor will turn over. wilt the plugs out you should be able to turn it by hand using the fanbelt. Knowing if the motor will turn over is key. It is worth more if the motor starts and it moves. The oilpan is probably full of gunk. It all depends on how much work you want to put into it before you sell it. Another huge point is if you have a title for the car. Try to get one in your name before you sell it.

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Guest Zipper69

There is a title to the car. I think my father was the second owner. I have no idea about the battery position, horn or bumper but once its a nicer day I will drag it out of storage and get better pics.

And yes.....there was some vinyl siding on top of the car that is in the pics.

Lenn

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Lenn,

Not the siding. It seams to have a soft cover that goes to just over the windows? There are dimples to the left and right of the top of the windshield. The original would be a rubber type square that just covers where the wood is (which you can see inside the car).

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Lenn,

Not the siding. It seams to have a soft cover that goes to just over the windows? There are dimples to the left and right of the top of the windshield. The original would be a rubber type square that just covers where the wood is (which you can see inside the car).

Looks to me like someone put a sheet of vinyl over the car loosely to seal the top. Looks like someone added some 1920s cowl lights, too. A friend of mine used this company to appraise his beautiful 1937 Chevrolet.

post-37352-143138623991_thumb.jpg

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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Guest Zipper69

You win the prize John. There is a piece of plastic covering the hole in the roof to keep the critters out.

This will all come to light when I can get it out of storage for better pics.

Zip

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Guest Zipper69

I would love someone to get this and restore it. Ive been told that my mother was very pregnant with me when my dad bought this and it rode so hard she was sure her water would break on the way home. That was 42 years ago...:-)

Ive certainly enjoyed the discussion about this car. I thank you all for your input.

Tomorrow I will post a couple pics of the 1936 Ford 3 window coupe thats scattered about in my fathers garage. Its got a 350 chevy engine with muncie close ratio 4 speed. Needs alot of work to finish.....

Zip

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JIM --In the old days they called that a draft tube and was used to suck all the pollutants from the engine into the atmosphere. I think they were in use up into the late '50 s. Someone will know when the Feds put a stop to its use. ---Bob

I think the one on the car in question was added later.

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Seems we forget that for many years these 32's were just an old car. Lots of homegrown repairs or improvements slapped on them. Like the wrong year ammeter in my 32 Tudor. I am sure the original broke and that was the one the part store had on hand.

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Guest Dave Boyer

Anyway you look at it, these don't come around very often these days. People should be beating down your door to buy it, no matter whats missing, or what condition it's in.

I know myself, if I had the room, I would love it.

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Hello Lenn, my condolences on losing your father. My Dad passed on 5 years ago today and left us a building full of 1950s Fords. We still have not done anything to clear them out.

You certainly have a desirable car in that 1932. I am not an expert on prices but I would think it should easily be worth $12,000-$15,000, any other opinions? I agree with the early post from Dave to do nothing to clean the car other than clearing out junk. Offer it as a barn/garage find like he suggests.

I would hate to see that car preserved by your father for 45 years just to be turned over to a street rod guy, but they certainly would be ready to spend the money, I suspect. The 1936 should be desireable for that market too. Good luck and keep us posted, Todd C

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Guest Zipper69

You can quote me as saying...."Holy crap!!!"

Im going to be advertising it in Hemmings Motor News. Im still on the fence about asking price but based on all the information Ive gained from this website I think Im going to just accept offers. I got some real good advice to let the market set the price. Im not selling it because I need the money.

I also have a 61 Willys Wagon and a 1990 Chevy Stepside to figure out a price and list.

I will be keeping the 1936 Ford 3 window street rod, the 1966 Chevy II 2 door sedan and the restored 1953 Willys CJ3B.

You can now see Im almost overwhelmed by this. This isnt even mentioning the slew of old engines and body parts all over the garage.

I just found an original 283 with bellhousing for a 1957 chevy. Again...I need to find a value.

Thanks for the messages and all the help. I will be lurking around this group for a long time. A great group with a ton of info to pass on

ZIP

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Based on your location and the time of the year, you should really get someone to take it to the Hershey show the week of October 3rd.

In the mean time, it would be time well spent to see if you can get it running. Go to the Early Ford V8 club on line and look up the clubs near you and email them. You will find people willing to come out and help you get it running just because they like to work on them.

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I have seen cars advertised "accepting offers or "best offer". I never have figured out how that works. Now, does the owner have a pad or piece of paper that they write the offer on and compare them at some point? I guess you would get a call that you offered the highest. Maybe it is like and open ended auction and sometime months or years from now you win.

Honestly, I was recently offered a bunch of Jaguar parts. The owner asked me to make an offer. I told him I did not make offers and I expected a person selling something to know how much they wanted for it. Otherwise his secret priced Jag parts and he could go on living together. He coughed up a price pretty quick and it was a good one.

There is a huge marketing industry in the US which tries to bring a potential customer to your product. Billions is spent to get them to your door. Like Ebay's reserve auctions, if they find their way to you and you don't tell them the price, it is a secret. Ebay is not failing, but look at the number of unsold cars listed.

Bernie

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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If it were mine, I'd put in in Hemmings for $30,000, and THEN if no one jumps on it take an offer.

I, too, can't stand it when someone says "make an offer". It's a no win proposition, from a buyer's standpoint.

Also, when I hear the price, and if I want to make a counter offer, that offer is good only while I'm standing there. Otherwise, you've just started a bidding war, with the seller telling the next would be buyer "Well, I've been offered so and so, can you do better?" and it never ends.

Sounds like you thought it was a $10K car or so, so the $30K or close to it should make you happy. My guess is it won't go for less than $25K. Duece prices are somewhat crazy.

Sure hope it goes to a non-rodder....

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