bosco001

Good info. So, this is a "one of none" which I suspected to be the case. No idea if this car has the other W-30 goodies (valve springs, cam, etc.). If it does, would that really increase its value????

Would like to know what the group thinks of this '67 Olds 442 convertible (click on link below). I know the market thinks bucket seats are worth more. But personally, I prefer the front bench seat with armrest - more comfortable! Bottom line. Is this car worth the $39,995 asking price? Looking forward to reading several insightful and informed comments. https://vintagecarsonline.shutterfly.com/pictures/8681

Must be #2 or better condition. Would prefer convertible, but will consider 2-door coupe if it is exceptionally nice. Must have A/C and would prefer cruise control. Please contact me at sparmerlee@gmail.com - Steve Parmerlee, Indiana BCA # 38881

Must be #2 condition or better. Would prefer convertible, but will consider 2-door coupe if it is exceptionally nice. Must have A/C and would prefer cruise control. Please contact me at sparmerlee@gmail.com - Steve Parmerlee, Indiana BCA # 38881

I suspect that adding cruise control would be hideously expensive, assuming you could find the parts which I'm sure would be next to impossible. But, how tough would it be to swap out the manual seat for an 8-way power unit?

Would appreciate getting everyone's comments on this '70 Bonneville convertible. Looks good to me, but I'm easily distracted by bright and shiny objects. LOL! I'm not the expert you folks are which is why I'm posting here. Hope to get some detailed critiques and analysis. Please give me your thoughts on price too. Asking price on ebay is $27,500. Yikes! At that price, maybe they want my "other" arm and leg too? Want to hear everyone's comments which will help me decide if I should get serious about this car. Ideally, I'd want 8-way power seat, cruise control and tilt steering column - all of which this car lacks. Thanks. Here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/<wbr>291368140063?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649<wbr>&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Want to buy a 1964 Buick Electra Coupe. Must be in 2+ condition and have A/C. Must be stock, though some thoughtful mechanical upgrades and a modern stereo (as long as dash hasn't been cut) are fine. No projects or junk. Will gladly pay market value. If you have one and are thinking of selling, please contact me immediately. Thanks. - Steve Parmerlee, Indiana sparmerlee@yahoo.com

Want to buy a 1964 Buick Electra Coupe. Must be in 2+ condition and have A/C. Must be stock, though some thoughtful mechanical upgrades and a modern stereo (as long as dash hasn't been cut) are fine. No projects or junk. Will gladly pay market value. If you have one and are thinking of selling, please contact me immediately. Thanks. - Steve Parmerlee, Indiana sparmerlee@yahoo.com

I love this adage and use it all the time. Truly, words to live by.

Heard back from the seller of this 2-door coupe. Sadly (for me), he sold it a few months ago. Ugh! When this car came up on ebay, my "toy" at the time was a Honda S2000 which I was in the process of trying to sell - which I eventually did. Timing is everything.

Yes, Mike will be happy to tell you he sells more luxury (Buicks, Olds, Cadillac, etc.) collector cars than anyone in the world (his words, not mine) which may be correct, but how do you prove that? And, he'll drone on endlessly that his cars need nothing when they sell. Once again, easy to say. But, the previous post does support that claim. So, in Mike's mind, his high prices are justified and in the context his cars may be well sorted-out at his expense, then I'm willing to cut him some slack. But, perhaps the biggest turnoff I can personally speak to is that on the phone he was sooooo cocky. He talked non-stop about how great he was. He would talk continuously for an eternity! I literally could not get a word in edge-wise. On the rare occasion he took a pause, I actually had to say, "Okay, is it my turn to talk now?". He would give me the floor for about 30 seconds so I could offer my opinion on something, then interrupt to tell me I was wrong and off he'd go again. Haven't heard someone talk so much since my mother. I felt I could've put the phone down and walked away for 5 minutes and he'd never know the difference. Not trying to bash the guy, his cars appear very nice. But, his sales technique is terrible. A conversation is supposed to be a 2-way exchange, but his ruthless non-stop approach means the other party is relegated to being the designated listener. I could have possibly warmed up to paying his premium given his car's quality. But, in the final analysis, I found his, "I know everything about everything" dance to be so annoying, I finally had to take my ball and go home. He talked his way out of my pocket. He reminds me of the old joke, "Gee, what an orator, I could've listened to Mike talk all day long . . . . and for a while, I thought I was going to have to".

lance - come to think of it, that's what I did last night. So, hopefully it'll get thru. Today, I also tried the "send a message" option directly from the expired listing which is when I got the 90-day message. Thanks to all for looking out for me. Need all the help I can get.

Just now saw on my ebay account I can't contact the seller because the listing ended more than 90 days ago. Crud!!! I see where the previous owner of this car (Bryan Burns) contributed to this thread. I've sent him a PM in the hope he still may have contact information for the guy he sold it to - who, presumably, was the seller on ebay.

John - Thank you. I actually found that last night. But, it just says the auction on that item had ended. Usually, when something sells, it will say "sold". Or, if the seller sold it privately before an auction ends, it say something like "the seller has removed this item". Any-who, I've sent a message to the seller. The reason he was selling was because he was loosing his storage. His listing was in the Spring, soon after it would have come out of winter hibernation. I'm hoping it didn't sell on the posting you sent and he decided to enjoy it for another summer. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again for info.

Sorry to be joining the party late on this thread. Did this '64 Electra ever sell? If not, I'm interested. Anybody know who I could contact? sparmerlee@yahoo.com

Very well said. My problem is that I'm only 54 and not a mechanic. So, I have the collector car yearnings you so eloquently presented, but I can't yet smash open my retirement piggy bank. So, silly me, I only want to buy cars that don't need much work, but are priced below the "abandon all rational thinking" threshold.

John S - to pick up on your thoughts: Yes, it's unrealistic to believe the sale price of many cars in a dealer's inventory actually sell for anything close to their asking prices. And, that's to be expected to some degree. When placing a classified ad, most people will include an asking price that's somewhat greater than what they will actually accept. But, many (most . . . all?) dealers put ridiculously high asking prices on their cars and, when you talk to them, they'll regale you with tales as to: 1. the high volume of cars they sell 2. how they know the market better than anyone else 3. how they don't pay attention to well-established value guides (like Hagerty's as an example) 4. even if they recognize the existence of market-based sale data, naturally, the car they're offering is exponentially superior to those in the data pool In the negotiations I have had with dealers, they'll treat you like you're an absolute, wet-behind-the-ears newcomer to the collector car market and assume you know absolutely nothing. Sometimes, it's been the other way around. Hey, I don't mind paying somewhat of a premium to cover a dealer's advertising and overhead. But, I'm not prone to paying an excessive amount for that. It'll be interesting to see how long this Electra remains on this dealer's website. I've seen dealer's cars roll across an auction (like Mecum) that sell for waaaaaaaaaaaaaay less than what they were asking for. One car in particular sold for less at auction than what I offered the dealer a few months before. Some folks just have more money than sense and dealers are usually near the top of that list. The top spot is reserved for that one in a million buyer who'll agree to a dealer's outrageously high price . . . . . . only to be horribly burned beyond recognition when they eventually go to sell it.

The seller is a dealer, which means all hope for rational thinking and market value is abandoned.

Good point. Of course, in 1963 I was little/short myself so seat travel wouldn't have been an issue for me then. Haaa!

I have to say, the bucket seats do nothing for me. I'm sure they're a rarity, but there's a reason for that . . . . they're not as comfortable as a bench seat. Sporty? Yes. But, comfort trumped sporty to a buyer of a 4-door Electra in '63. So? For this car, where's the line between "stupid money" and a reasonable purchase price??????

Assuming 100% profit would imply the dealer paid nearly $11,000 for it, which sounds about right. The main appeal this 4-door Electra holds for me is because it's a sports roof (no post hardtop) design. If this was a sedan with a B-pillar, it wouldn't even be on my radar.

Yes, you'd think the two ebay listings would be a good gauge of value. However, the dealer (who loves to drone on endlessly as to how successful he is) will quickly point out he sells few cars on ebay. Rather, he uses ebay simply as a method for advertising and that he sells most of his cars thru phone calls. According to my phone conversation with him, his price is $21,500 . . . . period. Not sure how he's attained the level of success he claims when his rigid price structure appears to be well in excess of the market. He must sell some cars on ebay because he has good feedback from several buyers. He must also have a knack for finding over-capitalized buyers who routinely open up their wallets and say "here's my money, take as much as you want". Hats off to him if that's been his business plan.

I would like to purchase a 1962-1964 or 1966 Coupe Deville that has undergone a very high quality restoration or in immaculate original condition. Condition must be a solid #2 or better....a turnkey car that needs no work. More specifically, here is what I am looking for: 1. Must have factory air that blows cold. 2. Must have working factory cruise control. 3. All power items must be working. 4. The car must be completely stock - though selected modern mechanical upgrades are acceptable. - aftermarket radio is fine as long as dash has not been cut. 5. Correct white sidewall width. 6. Prefer all leather interior. I am not a lowballer. Will pay a fair market value or better (if car is exceptional) using Hagerty valuations. http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch Steve Parmerlee CLC # 19126 Muncie, IN sparmerlee@yahoo.com 765-288-8493, ext. 210

Agreed. I would definitely want to see it and drive for myself before forking over the cash. But, I'm about a 17-hour drive (or an annoying flight) away. So, I would first hire an appraiser/inspector to look at it first as a preliminary step. According to the dealer, this car did indeed sell at an auction in the Carolina area to a well-healed buyer with a large collection which is who this dealer bought it from about a year later. I'd love to know how much this car sold for at the auction. So, no one wants to offer any opinion as to what this car is worth? And please, refrain from the the worn out and overly used adage of "it's worth what somebody is willing to pay". I appraise commercial real estate for a living and for some reason, my clients wouldn't accept that as a value conclusion. LOL!

Nope. Only talked to the dealer over the phone.