Need help on how to appraise my father's 68 Plymouth Satellite to sell it!

[Guest mommaof4]

My father recently passed away and my mother would like to sell his car but we are not sure how much it is worth. Plus it needs a few minor things to get done. Do we bring it to a regular mechanic to work on it or is there a special mechanic that works on classic cars? Any advice would be appreciated.

[1939_Buick]

Welcome to the forum

Where are you located?

Better to ask on a Mopar Plymouth club forum (google is your friend)

Any photos?

[uh6077]

Depends on what needs to be repaired. As a general rule it is always best to take it to a mechanic who specializes in classic cars. If it is simple work like brakes, fuel pump or something then any good mechanic should be able to handle it. Sorry about your father. I am sure he loved the car and I hope whoever buys it shares his passion.

[R Walling]

Depending on the model, $1500 to $7000 for a fully loaded convertible.(not drivable) This is not to say that an average car is worth $3500. In fact its actual value could be $300 or $9,000 but not likely.

Condition is a big factor, to you it may look nice, to a informed buyer it could look like a real disaster. Only a knowledgeable car person could properly place a value on it that would sell the car. You could start by asking his friends about the car. It’s possible that there may be a car person in the group.

[sambarn]

Momma, I am truly sorry for your loss. The value of a car is an oddly subjective thing. So much depends on options, model, history and desirability. Making a wild ass guess will only cause some issues later so... If you load pics on this site, these guys can tell you what your car is and has. They can also provide a ballpark figure as far as value but examining the market place through ebay and googling similar cars. This forum is also a good place to find buyers but you will need to know your price range first. Post some pics and let's see what we are talking about.

[auburnseeker]

It's important to know what engine it has as well as what engine it's suppose to have. With a Mopar of that vintage that may be one of the most important things. If you post a photo taken under the hood as well as the data plate, that would help the Mopar experts (which I'm not one) immensely.

[drwatson]

Our condolences for your loss.

While not definitive, the Hagarty value guide is useful reference to define your Plymouth & get a ball park value.

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1968-Plymouth-Satellite

[keiser31]

Yes, photos are a key factor in an appraisal. If you need help posting some, you can send them to me at keiser31@charter.net and I will post them.

John

[NTX5467]

Sorry for your loss.

The '68 Satellite was a neat car. Value is highly dependent upon the particular model/engine combination. There were MANY Satellites built with the 318 2bbl V-8, TorqueFlite automatic transmission, and such. I nice car to drive around, easy to work on, and reasonably economical with great reliability. www.NADAGuides.com is another website with pricing information. Have to get to the "Classic" section for that model year, though. The descriptions in there are similar to those in the Old Cars Price Guide (which you can find at many newsstands ever so often), as do the pricing levels.

The real pricing frenzy is in the "muscle car" versions of that model series. Road Runners and GTX models, in particular. As always with Chrysler products, convertible production never reached the levels of similar GM or Ford vehicles.

On those cars, on the rear surface of the hood ornament, there is an inset with the engine size notated on it, in case there might be some questions. ALSO, decoding the VIN on the Data Plate (under the hood) is another place to find that information . . . at least what it came with from the factory.

The Mopar Hobby is HUGE, especially for vehicles in the muscle car era. Check out "Mopar Action" magazine (or their website) for possible classified ads. It might be a "normal car", but I feel it deserves a better fate than "Craigslist"!! There are MANY reproduction, OEM-correct parts available for them, too, from many reputable vendors.

As for working on them, the mechanicals were pretty normal for Chrysler products of that time. On the 318s, though, there were some issues with the exhaust crossover in the intake manifold getting gunked-up from many "short trip" driving trips. When that happened, the automatic choke would not come-off as it should, as it depends upon heat in that exhaust crossover passage to heat the divorced choke thermostat for the choke valve to open. The larger V-8s (383, 440, 426 Hemi) didn't seem to have that problem. Finding somebody who "works on older cars" can be good, BUT finding one who knows about Chrysler products can be even better!

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

Edited September 22, 2014 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[John_Maine]

My elderly cousins in Canada had a '68 Belvedere II sedan, slant six, automatic, white walls, wheel covers, radio, dark blue with blue interior. They traded their '52 Chevy Styline Deluxe with 100K on it. I loved that Belvedere for some reason and would love to find one today. They kept it until 1981 when the rear spring shackles rusted off the car and it would no longer pass inspection.