alsancle

One of the paradoxes of restoring a car is that you are pouring money into it but the fact that it is disassembled actually makes it worth less than when you started.

If by ready for paint you mean it is in primer then I would say no. I really do not like buying cars in primer. You have no idea what is going on with the body.

Chad, agreed on the black walks. Cool car.

Different subject but I laugh at the instant collectibles. 1 in 10 might ended up qualifying. Throw the ZR1 in with the Eldo & Pace car. I have a friend that paid 110k for a new first year ZR1. Sticker was around 35k. These days you can get the nicest one in the world for around 35k.

The answer is very simple, the Corvette (especially by 1957) is viewed as a performance car while the T-Bird is more of a "cruiser". The cruiser perception is reinforced by the continental kit (which I like btw). Also, Ford made it official in 1958 when it went to the 5 passenger body style. The Corvette has over 50 years of iterations creating a much bigger market of buyers who may own a new version and decide they want an earlier car.

That Desoto has been discussed in detail in another thread. I believe the seller wants 25k

I'm sure it was inadvertent but you managed to ask a question but provided the smallest possible amount of data. A single picture would save the most time. Absent that providing the body style would be a good start. Otherwise it impossible for anyone to help.

Ed, keep posting. I'll see you in your tent next month at Hershey.

I think if I owned a 540k Cab B I would be a very happy boy. Same for a 320 Cab A or a 380 Cab C.

The 540k Cab B must have been a post block sale as it is listed sold at 1.3 million. That was Cab A money a few years ago.

Assuming you actually meant small "c" classic then I agree with mopar flat 6 38-52.

In 1931 the Model J chassis was around 9500 but otherwise I agree. I think the cheapest complete Dusenberg was the Murphy Conv Sedan which was 12-13k. My 11k number was wrong before.

I would go with some sort of wheelcovers. By 38 spokes were passe.

I like it. Of course, I'm partial to rear spares and blind rear quarters.

That is cool and rare.

The Hemmings ad did have pictures at one point. The car is diassembled.

I agree with most of the comments above. I will stick with my general comment that 2,800 dollars in 1931 was the bottom edge of the luxury market. A Duesenberg or Mercedes chassis alone would be 11,000 in 1931. A RR Phantom II could be more. Those cars were sitting at the top of the market. In between was the Marmon V16, Caddy V16, Packard, Pierce, etc.

There is something about replicas that make me think of iPhone pictures of the Mona Lisa. Some are better than others but they are still copies of someone else's original art.

A 2800 car in 1931 was a lower end Luxury car. Reo Royale was around 2400, L29 Cord around 3k, An Auburn V12 was under 2k.

Cars come and go from the public eye. 25 years is not really a long time. It just means the owner hasn't shown it anywhere lately.

Here is the picture from your previous post. I do not know where this car is now.

The other thing I should have mentioned between Duesenberg and MB is the body styles have a lot to do with the pricing. Since Duesenberg was earlier, there are less of the jazzy bodied cars you tend to see in the mid to late 30s. A Model J with a Murphy Convertible Sedan body brings about the same as a 500/540k Cab B which is almost an apples to apples sort of comparison. The Murphy Convertible coupes bring around 2 million which is comparable to the Cab A. The really special bodied Model Js can bring 4 million or more. One sold for 10 which is where the Special Roadster are. I think when you compare the bodies in a sort of equivalent fashion the market seems to semi-close for each.

That engine looks familiar.

Slightly off topic but I would rather drive a 540k than a Model J. Not really a fair comparison as there is approx a decade of progress in engineering between them. The Duesy is like a powerful truck high up in the air. The 540k is not as powerful but much more comfortable to drive.

Craig, the one thing to keep in mind with the 540 vs Duesenberg is that impact of the European market. Yes you will see an occasional Model J go to Europe but they actively seek Mercedes while in the U.S. we also do. It provides a bigger market. The other potential factor (which is best documented by Packard) is the ability to walk the marque ladder. A guy may start with a lower end model and become a "Mercedes" guy. As his affluence grows he walks up the ladder. With Duesenberg, there is no ladder just the top rung. The rise in the 300SL prices may be factoring in too as those cars have gone up crazily, pushing the ladder rungs higher. That said, I agree with your observations in general.