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How often does a 1930s car turn up in good condition for sale?


benjamin j

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Last week there was a 1935 Chevy master that was complete in running condition in NJ craigslist for $2600. I know that’s a great price maybe someone on here got it. I found a 1934 dodge four door at a yard sale earlier this year unrestored and still drivable. So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?  

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Guest AlCapone

Quite often but they are usually quick cash deals. See today, buy today. If you have to discuss with a wife or a banker you likely won't get it ! Wayne

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I bought 2 in the last twelve months, a 1930 64C Buick and a 1931 Buick Phaeton. How often do they turn up, I think it's based on what you are wanting. The 31 Phaeton, I'm going to say won't turn up everyday, and the 64C, well I'm going to say it won't turn up everyday either. It's whatever you want, a search can take years for some and a common sedan, once a week.

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If shopping on the internet it would seem that there are no 'deals'.

 

 Garage sales, local freestyle picking etc.is another story.

 

I always try to keep a little cash on hand for those instant bargains.

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Quite often but they are usually quick cash deals. See today, buy today. If you have to discuss with a wife or a banker you likely won't get it ! Wayne

Saturday we took my '60 Electra for a ride along Lake Ontario. We stopped in a little restaurant where I walked across the yard and looked over a real nice 1999 911 Porsche. I looked it up on Criagslist later and told her it was $23,500, about what I figured.

 

She just casually asked if I was going to buy it.

I keep my money in three tin cars where only my son and I know the location of.

 

I guess I'm covered on the wife and banker part.

Bernie

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This is ironic.  Over the weekend a post was listed for old chevy sunk in mud must sell selling house $500.  There was a picture included.  It was a somewhat roached but had all the glass in it and 4 wheels as well as I believe all the bumpers and exhibited no major body damage 1963 Corvette split window coupe.  The only contact info was a local to the area phone number.  It was posted at 9:00 PM on a Saturday night.  I found it 3 hours after being posted.  Everyone said did you call on it?    I told them first of all a real honest 63 split window would never come up for sale for 500.  If they have the internet they can find out what it's worth in seconds and probably have a buyer their in less than an hour that would pick it up.  You could just about walk out in the Middle of the street and say you have an old car for sale for 500  and someone would walk over and buy it being what it is.  

  I think it was somebody getting back at someone and posting their phone number so everyone would contact them at all hours of the night as a joke or pay back.  I think it worked pretty well.  

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Last week there was a 1935 Chevy master that was complete in running condition in NJ craigslist for $2600. I know that’s a great price maybe someone on here got it. I found a 1934 dodge four door at a yard sale earlier this year unrestored and still drivable. So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?  

 

There is a rather broad interpretation of what constitutes "running condition" or "drivable".  Be careful ... be VERY careful.

 

Just sayin',

Grog

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Last week there was a 1935 Chevy master that was complete in running condition in NJ craigslist for $2600. I know that’s a great price maybe someone on here got it. I found a 1934 dodge four door at a yard sale earlier this year unrestored and still drivable. So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?  

 

Quite often. 

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Stuff comes up all the time, 1930's are not exempt. I remember back in the Swap Sheet days when a friend followed up on a Subaru Tiger, Subaru-Sunbeam, just a foreign car.

 

Searching "project" will get them to surface.

 

I bought my '60 Electra 45 minutes after it was listed on Ebay in 2002 for $850. There is an article in the Bugle about it in the 1960's issue. My convertible came off Criagslist for $500 within an hour of the owner dropping the price when he blew the engine. My Impala SS came along as the result of a Chevy dealer trying to sell an inner city style car in a country town.

 

Once you learn the difference between subjective and objective as it applies to the car hobby, can do most of the work yourself, and are willing to quickly admit a mistake so you can quickly unload on the uninformed buyer, life gets pretty good. Well, if you define good as having too damned many cars.

Bernie

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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All the time if you are watching... selling is a psychological phenomena,  once they make the decision to sell, most people do not care what they get $ within reason. 

 

I picked up a 1972 Mustang Mach 1, guy had on the local NAPA board.  He wanted $4500 for the car, it needed a drivers side floor pan (rusted out, you could see the ground).  He asked me to make an offer, I told him I was not really interested.  I ended up offering him less than half what he was asking.  He said thank you and declined the offer.  A half hour later he called and said if I still wanted it the price was fine.  I spent about $75 bucks for the floor pan and a Saturday afternoon welding it in.  Now I wish I could bring my self to sell it, I had one just like it in High School.

 

So yes all the time...

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Being a relative newcomer to the hobby (approx. 5 years) I'm obviously looking in the wrong place for inexpensive running condition, drivable 1930's cars.  Other than the occasional unrestored Ford Model A, I rarely see 1930's era cars in decent running/driving shape for less than $10,000.  I've been looking on ebay, Craig's List, Hemmings, Ocala4Sale and Mike Kelley's Cruise News.  Where should I be looking?  Can someone furnish links to some examples?

 

Cheers,

Grog

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It depends I guess on your definition of " good condition " ...

 

At present - I am assisting an owner in California in the placing of a 1937 Cord Beverly Sedan & a 1936 Auburn that have

been in dry storage since 1962 ....

 

They were brought out to California in the late 1940's or early 1950's from Pennsylvania.

 

Both were bought by her father from the original owners ....

 

 

 

Jim

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It depends I guess on your definition of " good condition " ...

 

At present - I am assisting an owner in California in the placing of a 1937 Cord Beverly Sedan & a 1936 Auburn that have

been in dry storage since 1962 ....

 

They were brought out to California in the late 1940's or early 1950's from Pennsylvania.

 

Both were bought by her father from the original owners ....

 

 

 

Jim

 

Will these sell for under $5,000?  I'm not totally sure, but I think that's what the Original Poster was asking about when he described a supposedly running and driving car for $2600 and asked if this was a common occurrence; i.e., inexpensive cars of the 1930's.  I just have this vague feeling that the Cord and Auburn you described will sell for considerably more than $2600!

 

Still askin' about those '30's bargains,

Grog

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There are quite a few thirties cars in good condition and even older. They tend to be pretty reasonable in price, and don't sell too quick because the generation that knew and valued them is mostly gone.

 

The exceptions being full classics and rare cars like Duesenberg, Cadillac V16, Packard roadster.

 

A local dealer has a 1927 Falcon Knight sedan, ex Barney Pollard collection, original paint, running and driving for $7500. How good do you want it? Or should I say, how bad do you want it?

Edited by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)
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Last week there was a 1935 Chevy master that was complete in running condition in NJ craigslist for $2600. I know that’s a great price maybe someone on here got it. I found a 1934 dodge four door at a yard sale earlier this year unrestored and still drivable. So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?  

 

 

This is what I was responding to.  Didn't say anything about under $10,000.  Said "drivable." 

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I see them all the time, problem is what interests me is not very common cars. Production cars are everywhere. There are lots of good values to be found, You must LOOK hard is the issue. Make finding a car a pert time job for 6 months, you will see lots of stuff, much local.

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Being a relative newcomer to the hobby (approx. 5 years) I'm obviously looking in the wrong place for inexpensive running condition, drivable 1930's cars.  Other than the occasional unrestored Ford Model A, I rarely see 1930's era cars in decent running/driving shape for less than $10,000.  I've been looking on ebay, Craig's List, Hemmings, Ocala4Sale and Mike Kelley's Cruise News.  Where should I be looking?  Can someone furnish links to some examples?

 

Cheers,

Grog

 

The Original Poster mentioned a selling price of $2600 for a car that interested him, and asked if such deals were common.  My point is that such a price for a running/driving 1930's car is not common, but as I stated, I'm relatively new to the hobby and may be missing something.  Can someone furnish links to running/driving 1930's cars for under $10,000?

 

Cheers,

Grog

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You have to look at 100 cars to find a good one. Some guys don't put that much effort into finding a wife!

Bernie

 

That has been my experience as well.  I have yet to experience the "all the time" and "quite often" insofar as the frequency of 'deals' regarding running/drivable 1930's era cars.  With the low frequency of occurrence of such 'deals' in this area, it would take a year or more for me to find, much less look at, 100 such cars.

 

Still lookin',

Grog

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Try Hemmings Motor News, the internet, Antique car brokers and dealers--there are literally thousands of 1930s cars for sale every day.  As for the "deals"  you have to look.  Depends who you know, where you hang out, if you belong to make-specific car clubs, etc.  Deals are out there.  Lots of times they are moments of opportunity.  The original poster did not mention a $10,000 cap, neither in the title nor the original post.  Probably not going to find many decent running 1930s cars for under $10,000. They will need some work to be operable for that price.  But if you are brave enough to drag home a non-running car, could be a great deal--or a money pit. 

 

The OP asked this question in the original post:   "So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?"

 

That is what my "Quite often" response alludes to.

Edited by Pomeroy41144 (see edit history)
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Try Hemmings Motor News, the internet, Antique car brokers and dealers--there are literally thousands of 1930s cars for sale every day.  As for the "deals"  you have to look.  Depends who you know, where you hang out, if you belong to make-specific car clubs, etc.  Deals are out there.  Lots of times they are moments of opportunity.  The original poster did not mention a $10,000 cap, neither in the title nor the original post.  Probably not going to find many decent running 1930s cars for under $10,000. They will need some work to be operable for that price.  But if you are brave enough to drag home a non-running car, could be a great deal--or a money pit. 

 

The OP asked this question in the original post:   "So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?"

 

That is what my "Quite often" response alludes to.

your right i was wondering how offten seeing as how i have found a couple in a few months. the point was made that i was finding four door cars and i can understand that makes a difference for sure. i said i knew $2600 was a great price and i wish i had a bigger garage. I would take a few of them for that price if I had more room even if they are four doors. I am looking a lot these days for my next project the one i am on now has less than a year to go.

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Every time I have looked, I have found. And am mostly interested in relativel low production two seaters. Of course for some reason that kind of car tends to show up in central Florida quite often which is good since only interested in cars with AC (though might make an exception for an open car).

Also have discovered that most cars have one price & can either spend for a nice one you can drive or spend less for one you can't drive and will cost the same or more in the end.

That Cord is a nice looking car but "condition is everthing" and a Wilson Pre-Selector is not easy to fix.

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Try Hemmings Motor News, the internet, Antique car brokers and dealers--there are literally thousands of 1930s cars for sale every day.  As for the "deals"  you have to look.  Depends who you know, where you hang out, if you belong to make-specific car clubs, etc.  Deals are out there.  Lots of times they are moments of opportunity.  The original poster did not mention a $10,000 cap, neither in the title nor the original post.  Probably not going to find many decent running 1930s cars for under $10,000. They will need some work to be operable for that price.  But if you are brave enough to drag home a non-running car, could be a great deal--or a money pit. 

 

The OP asked this question in the original post:   "So I am wondering how often you guys see a 1930s drivable car turn up?"

 

That is what my "Quite often" response alludes to.

 

Thanks for making my point that one won't find too many decent running 1930's cars for under $10,000.  I just picked the $10,000 number because the Original Poster mentioned a $2600 deal in his post, and I felt that was a deal (if the car actually checked out as advertised) that should be snapped up.  As to the last sentence of the Original Post, you are correct that the poster is asking a direct question, and the answer is as previously posted by others:  "all the time" and "quite frequently" (bring $$$).  Perhaps I inferred to much by the Original Poster mentioning a $2600 deal.

 

Cheers,

Grog

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This summer I bought a 1942 Chevrolet sedan for $1200. Not in the best of shape but complete, not rusted out, and it runs and drives. So, they are out there.

 

I found it by perusing the local Kijiji ads. I do this for amusement and have found that if I am not careful I can buy about 1 car per month. So I don't look that often to keep temptation away.

Edited by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)
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 Probably not going to find many decent running 1930s cars for under $10,000. They will need some work to be operable for that price.  But if you are brave enough to drag home a non-running car, could be a great deal--or a money pit. 

 

 

As can a $20,000 money pi.......er.......car.......  :wacko:

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I have yet to pay $10K for any collector car, all 8 of my cars are running and driving cars...and three of them are 1930's cars.  My wife wishes I would stop looking...

 

One fear I have is collector car will become beaters because they are cheap.  Have you seen what they want for a used car with under 200K on it?  When I was in high school a $100 beater was common place, now they are $2500...

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