for sale 56 Buick special $900,000

[NC-car-guy]

Yes I put the right number of zeros.  Even called to ask if they had a typo....Anyone got a million bucks just burning a hole in their pocket???

 

http://gatewayclassiccars.com/chicago/1956/buick/special-S860.html

For sale in our Chicago showroom is a very special 1956 Buick Special. Known as "Nailed" this car was a true barn find and we have the pictures to prove it. The vehicle was discovered by accident when the original owner was searching to have her barn demolished. This was discovered by accident by the current owner who really saw this as a diamond in the rough. By looking at the photos of when the car was discovered I'm sure nobody realized what this awesome car was about to become. This '56 is positively mesmerizing to look at from any angle but what is really fascinating is its understated beauty that transforms into an over-the-top experience as you get close to the car.-

 

[JohnD1956]

It does look well executed. 

[MrEarl]

14 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

It does look well executed. 

 

Yep same as I'd get if I bought it.....executed

 

seen this before and liked seeing that it was a sedan. I think the hype about it being a barn find is stupid though, hell, after what all was done to it, what does it matter WHERE it was found. Really like the fact they retained the original dash theme, radio etc. the gauges are sweet! 

[Restorer32]

Well done but those wheels are just plain UGLY.

[lancemb]

Stupid price!

[SpecialEducation]

1 hour ago, MrEarl said:

I think the hype about it being a barn find is stupid though, hell, after what all was done to it, what does it matter WHERE it was found. 

The car has a lot of cred, being a Great 8 finalist at Autorama, GoodGuys 2013 Custom Hotrod of the Year, and featured on the cover of Hot Rod... who cares about the barn it came from?!?  

 

There are things that I would have done different, but I was pleased when Troy left the nailhead under the hood.  It was really nice to see something that wasn't LS or Hellcat powered on the cover of HRM.

 

[Matt Harwood]

I've always liked Troy's rods a lot, and this one is very cool. But when I see a gigantic price on a car like that, I wonder what the motivation is and what price theories are in operation. Most of the time, a hot rod can really only be priced at the cost of duplication minus some amount for age and use. I bet that car, while surely expensive to build, could be duplicated for $200,000. So they're obviously putting a huge premium on the car's history. Now history is great, but even as a Rad Rod by Troy, a finalist at the Detroit Autorama, and a magazine car, is that really adding $700,000 worth of value?

 

When I advise my clients about the values on their cars, of course I take things like pedigree and history into account. Pedigrees matter, but is it an incredible pedigree? Meh. There are hundreds of cars with similar credentials, if not thousands, and better cars have sold for a lot less. Worse yet, it's all done. I love the look, but it's not a cutting-edge rod anymore, it's not fresh to the scene, and that means the new owner is never going to get a big trophy himself. He's just going to have a nice car with an interesting backstory, but aside from showing up at his local cruise night with a pro-built stunner, its trophy-winning, magazine-cover days are over. To many buyers, that takes a lot of the fun out of it. It's good that it's been vetted and acknowledged as one of the best, but what do you do with your $900,000 rod after you get it home. Drive it? Heh, right. Look at it? Sure. And then...?

 

First-rate car, beautifully done, and I do love almost everything about it. But I'm very skeptical that anyone will ever step up to pay a million bucks for it. Hell, Boyd Coddington's "Watthehaye," which was a bespoke car built from scratch by Marcel and Sons at an actual cost of more than $1 million, only brought $375,000 at the biggest auction in the world. Nearly a million bucks for a Buick Special? I don't care who built it or what it won, that's perhaps five or even ten times its actual value, with all apologies to the optimistic owner.

[smithbrother]

I know quite a bit about this car, SORRY MATT, this car was produced for over a MILLION.  You could not DUPLICATE for $200.00, maybe in China, MAYBE! 

 

I have seen this car up and personal, Brian Stinger, good friend of mine, and local automotive artist/builder agrees, it was a very high end build.  Gobs and gobs of parts made for this car, hardly a piece on it is a purchased manufactured piece. 

 

Brian made the Green MILLER inspired race truck for George Poteet approx. 5 years ago, it was TRUCK OF THE YEAR on the show circuit.  Brian has worked with Troy, so knows this car well.  I made the Lace wood bed for the MILLER truck, and some aluminum trim pieces.

 

The truck Brian made was a $440,000.00 piece, sold  three years later at BJ for 1/4-million.  

 

You can expect at least, at LEAST a 50-75% loss when selling a custom like this, so expect it to be sold closer to $250,000.00 than 900k.

 

When you build a car at around $100.00 per hour, and all the one of a kind pieces, expect it to be a high end build, better have your design in order, hire a great designer/artist. IMO

 

The wheels are OFTEN a personal taste thing, in real life, I like the wheels, but it's your call.

 

Dale in Indy

[smithbrother]

Matt I have again read what you have said above, and a lot of truth is in such, but  THOUSANDS, I have seen this piece, touched it, crawled under it, and attended lots of shows, like Detroit, and no way 'THOUSANDS'.  

 

The owner put his own money in the build, he knows, because Troy tells them such, YOU AIN'T GOING TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK, but it was his choice.  I agree it won't bring $900,000.00, but, but, but, it will only take one buyer, and there are a ton of RICH folks out there, some SMART, some NOT.  But it is when all said and done, it's THEIR MONEY, we will see. 

 

Each year at Detroit less than a dozen cars/trucks are picked to compete for the BIG prize, and this was one of them.

 

Nothing personal, YOU are probably correct on price,  I just don't feel you are giving this piece enough credit, it's more than just a (nice car), maybe you have seen it, maybe not.

 

Dale in Indy

 

[motoringicons]

The 1939 Oldsmobile that won the 2016 Ridler Award was reported to cost between 4-5 Million to build. I don't think any of the cars that were in this year's Great Eight cost less than 1 million to create.

 

Among the super-high end hot rod and custom crowd, winning the Ridler is akin to winning Best of Show at Pebble Beach. No other award at any other hot rod show even comes close. Competition for this award is fierce, to but it mildly.

 

Resell value? Pennies on the dollar (on a good day!!!!)

Prestige value to the owner? Priceless.

 

Pictures of the Oldsmobile and the other 2016 Great Eight Picks:

http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/2016-detroit-autorama-ridler-award-winner-and-great-8-finalists

https://autorama.com/awards/ridler-award/

 

Edited April 14, 2016 by motoringicons (see edit history)

[motoringicons]

Personally, I think Troy Trepanier's customs are amazing.  My favorite was "First Love" which was a 1936 Ford Coupe.

 

http://www.radrides.com/photos/gallery/images?albumid=47

Edited April 14, 2016 by motoringicons (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

Absurd prices like this 2-dr. sedan for $900,000 are what is ruining the parts car market and restoration project market because Uncle Charlie and Aunt Mildred think the old rusted wreck sitting in the back forty for the last 50 years has got to be worth at least $20,000 if this '56 Special sedan is worth $900,000. Go ahead and disagree with me, but in my mind, the seller is doing the whole hobby a disservice with his absolutely, totally absurd asking price.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

And yes, I'm man enough to sign my real name to this and not hide under some pseudonym.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Pete Phillips
typograhic error (see edit history)

[MrEarl]

I guess everyone has a Troy favorite. Guess I'll show mine. if that fitty six is worth $900,000 I reckon this oughta fetch a good $2,000,000.00. I think he should hire a new wheel design guy though.

 

[avgwarhawk]

Meh...they have lost that nice Buick charm that is only found from the original drawings on paper and brought to life by the factories.   But that is just old sentimental me.     But, hey, drop it a $100k and we'll talk. 

[NC-car-guy]

3 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said:

Meh...they have lost that nice Buick charm that is only found from the original drawings on paper and brought to life by the factories.   But that is just old sentimental me.     But, hey, drop it a $100k and we'll talk. 

I like them to look pure also...

[smithbrother]

I have seen this Buick, and it is/was a stunning piece.  

 

Wheels are are very important part of any piece, in most cases, the wheels are a joint effort between the owner and designer, this was the case here.  The wheels have a racy look, NOT what everyone would want.

 

It amazes me when I see ALL the wheel designs that are available, never ending selection, I would have a hard time selecting one., and for sure others would say I did WRONG.

 

Both of these Buick's are different colors, and again the owners had a huge voice in selecting such.

 

Troy does/has built many stunning cars, I recall one of his early builds was a 1950 Buick fast back.

 

One thing some don't understand, $100.00 per hour is MAN HOURS , NOT four people for $100.00.

 

Dale in Indy 

 

Edited April 14, 2016 by smithbrother (see edit history)

[nineteenfifty5]

I think the wheel suit both cars, live a little lads, 900k is a lot good luck on the sale, love to see guys making Buicks into high end customs 

[60FlatTop]

It's a Buick. Why is there always the 20 year old Rod Zombie soundtrack in all this type of video production.

 

If you are going to sell a Buick get some real Buick people and music out there. Like this:

 

I love that park scene. My daughter looks like the Princess and I laugh because I know redheads have a dark side. But those are Buick owners for the vid.

 

But really; are they selling that car to a Buick guy with an extra mill, adult pony tail, Tat's, and a Hard Rock Cafe leather jacket.

Bernie