auburnseeker Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Ok I keep finding unusual cars in my area that are a bit out of my expertise. My Dad actually stumbled across a 23 Chevy roadster in say #3 condition. Any wild guesses what it might be worth just going off it being say a #3. I know you really need photos to be sure but for the sake of argument we'll work off the value of a 3 Assuming it runs and drives fine. The owner said it's fairly uncommon maybe even that dirty word "rare". 1 of 5 known to him or his club. I'm guessing as always there are more maybe atleast double that unaccounted for but a google image search didn't turn up more than 2 or 3 so they aren't real common. Not having any knowledge of that era, my gut instinct says 8-10G. Does anyone have any guesses or have any of you seen any sold or for sale? The closest I could come was a Phaeton at 12 G which seems overpriced as the paint and chrome have very noticeable issues. I know they aren't exactly regular tour cars so they fall into a much less desirable category and again fall into the dark ages of automobile from 1916-the late 1920's so 2 whammies against it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Maybe 5-6 thou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 I agree with Franklin- if it were a 1916-22 Baby Grand, ( the larger model) it would be worth a bit more, due to rarity. otherwise, pretty much a model T Ford in value. Just harder to find parts for..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 8 hours ago, auburnseeker said: The owner said it's fairly uncommon maybe even that dirty word "rare". 1 of 5 known to him or his club Geez, the stuff people come up with to feel like they have something valuable Sounds like school kids bs'ing 8 hours ago, auburnseeker said: I know they aren't exactly regular tour cars so they fall into a much less desirable category and again fall into the dark ages of automobile from 1916-the late 1920's so 2 whammies against it. You got it, the common old phrase "nobody wants them". There might be one or two people out there that might want to buy it, but I bet they won't pay much for one, and it better be local, as they won't bother to drive 50 miles to go get it. Sad but true with these "low cost new cars sold back then". They were cheaply priced, so they are not high quality or fantastic cars, for that simple reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 For many years we toured in our 1927 Chevy Capitol AA Roadster , and it proved to be an extremely dependable and roadworthy car - fun to drive - and with more power and a 3-speed transmission, it seemed far more driver-friendly than other contemporary cars. It was easy to work on (the few times it actually required any attention). We drove it on several Glidden. Nickel, and Vintage Tours, including driving it up Pikes Peak in 1990, and most of the Great River Road over a multiple year period. Our yellow and black roadster was probably a strong #3, and sold 9 or 10 years ago and was then valued at $17,000. It is likely available again soon as the current Louisiana caretakers have another goal in mind. The late '27 Chevys have the same Overhead Valve cylinder head as the 1928 model (AB) which means they have Dual Exhaust Ports on the head, as well as enclosed pushrod and rocker arm covers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 I told you I have found a few cars out of my "comfort zone" for what I think their value might be. Another is a 1983 Jaguar XJ12 Coupe. Normally I don't even give consideration to 70's or 80's stuff. However this car is all original (a real survivor) In a dark green metallic finish with tan interior. It has less than 30KMI and glows in the dark even though it hasn't been detailed. The chrome, interior, paint are all spectacular. It's never had any paint work. It is driven occasionally to keep it up and running in good order and stored inside of course with no winter use. An 80 year old friend of the family is selling it. I know 12 cylinder jags of this era are nightmares mechanically when they get older so their is one bang against it. The condition just keeps telling me this car deserves a second look. If it were any nicer it would have had to have been just restored or still new on the showroom floor. Any thoughts on this car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 That Jag seems to tick every box except for the fact it has such a horrible reputation. Sometimes cars like that should be avoided if they are free and other times if you become knowledgeable enough you can make them run like a top. For me the question would be: "Do I want to become an expert on 1983 Jaguars?". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Good point. Although it seems with every old car you end up being an expert on them before we finally fix all the problems that the previous non expert owners created. I think your point is the reason I've known about this car for a year and still haven't bought it. The only appeal is that it currently is turn key with no known problems. Of course they are unknown problems until i decide to buy it, then I will know all about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Don't walk away from the Jaguar, RUN... I've seen countless Jags in nice shape sitting at pick-a-part Youtube video junkyard tours. There is a reason they end up there in such nice shape. (again, nobody wants one)No offence to brits, but the 50s 60s 70s Rolls Royce was no better than a Chevy impala, except car manufacturing is so outdated there, and so labor intensive, that it costs more to build. he.he.. ... A local female was buying a new MG years ago, and some local MG guys showed her all the screws and bolts that need retightening on a weekly basis LOL. The only English car I had worth a toot was a 1936 Austin 12 london Taxi....they actually could bring a nice profit on a very quick sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 (edited) I always had the same thoughts about Jaguar cars. BUT my neighbor was selling her late husbands cars, 1 a 1956 T-bird and the other a jag under cover that I didn't even lift to look at. For me since it was a pair deal I walked. both were sold for $54K. I should have looked under that cover! This was the car I missed! http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19680/lot/358/ Edited July 18, 2016 by JFranklin (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 the xk and xke's are now bring big $, but only because of the ferraris................ they were cheap a few years ago- along with 280sl's, 356, lamborghinis etc. woulda coulda shoulda.........................! concerning that jag, auburnseeker run forrest run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 (edited) I have owned a variety of Jaguars over the last 15 years or so. Two have been V12 Xjs coupes. I don't have any one. I sold them I don't mind buying one , but I wouldn't recommend anyone else to. I don't have any now. I sold them, but I watch the ads.. I am not afraid to do a little work. And I am not afraid to throw away a whole lot of work. If it gets bad just bail out. There is a long list of very affordable, really neat cars that can turn around and bite you on a moment's notice, Jaguar, BMW, MB; a lot of semi-exotic stuff. A friend of mine and I have discussed them and resolved that we would be willing to buy one of these cars and drive it until the BIG issue hit. Then dispose of it saying "Well, that was a good experience." Delving into the the expensive repair would exclude the "good experience". I did it with a pair of XJS Jags, he did it with a 928 Porsche. I will probably get into others since a lot of interesting things are out there and under $10,000. The other part is managing risk. When long distance buying became common I decided I could lose $3,000 a year without affecting the family. And I know that no purchase can be a 100% loss. There is a lot of room there and by keeping active buying and selling the odds of coming out ahead get higher. It all works out. A great example, two weeks ago I bought a disassembled AH Bugeye Sprite with a 1965 NYS registration with a person's name in the transferred to line. That could be a problem. Five minutes online and I found him in a town 20 miles away. I told him that the guy he sold the car to in 1969 hadn't finished it yet. Tuesday I meet him to sign the proper paperwork. If I hadn't found him I would have sold all the parts. That's the Jaguar answer. If you like it just get it. The Chevy is a different concern. On today's highways I wouldn't see much pleasure in owning it. The only value I can see is the difference between what you can buy it for and what you can sell it for. All those cheery 45 to 55 year old's of30 to 40 years ago who like those cars aren't so cheery and easy with their money like they were back then (). It is going to be hard to get anything out of them for a pre-WWI common variety car. OR, just buy both and tell the story of your experience. Bernie Edited July 17, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 8 hours ago, 60FlatTop said: I have owned a variety of Jaguars over the last 15 years or so. ...If it gets bad just bail out.... drive it until the BIG issue hit.... Useful information, Bernie, but maybe in a way you didn't intend: That's a warning for any potential Jaguar buyer! Maybe the car needed so much that he decided to bail out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 22 hours ago, auburnseeker said: ...1983 Jaguar XJ12 Coupe. ... . It has less than 30K miles ... The chrome, interior, paint are all spectacular.... MAYBE this 33-year-old car has such low mileage because it was saved for special purposes. But MAYBE it has such low mileage because it spent a lot of its time in the shop and was undrivable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I drove a 1955 Jag XK140 as my daily driver for more than a year in 1968-69 and it was very reliable and basically trouble free as long as you "tickled" the SU carbs on a regular basis. Early Jag engines are bullet proof. I wouldn't touch any Jag newer than the last XKE. A local resto shop (not us) eventually gave up trying to get a 1970's Jag to stop leaking oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 The owner of the Jag was a car salesman that finally retired when he hit 80. Also a friend of the family. He's owned the car for atleast 20 years. As far as I can remember I never heard of him having any trouble with the car. He saved about 6 cars over the years for his personal collection and this was one of them. He liked really nice low mileage cars. All of his have less than 30KMI and most are all original. I actually have a photo of it when he bought it in NJ so it wasn't a car he couldn't sell. He never tried to and bought it for him self. I'm not sure why as all the rest of his cars were American. I'm still not saying I would buy it I just wanted to give a back story on the car to help avoid alot of guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 (edited) 10 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Useful information, Bernie, but maybe in a way you didn't intend: That's a warning for any potential Jaguar buyer! Maybe the car needed so much that he decided to bail out. No, interpreted wrong. A older Jaguar is a risky buy. Due diligence doesn't make a difference on them. Here's a thousand pages of how to buy and own an XJS. I have read it all. http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/XJS_help.pdf I even paid to print out an easy chair copy. I'll buy another. Here's my first. Honestly, for the value of the cars and the performance of the V-12, I would probably prefer a SBC LS powered car next. On the one owned for 20 years, there are date tags on each injector hose, probably the age of the car. Getting into those, the distributor advance, servicing the AC (because it cools fuel IN the fuel rank), a partially plugged radiator on the passenger side, and a few other usually deferred maintenance items, the benevolently cared for care could use $1600 to $2000 in general maintenance. Like I wrote above, I would buy one, but I wouldn't recommend one to someone else. That's because of the "Oh crap!" factor and most people's resistance to bail out. Some will tenaciously hang on to an unexpectedly challenging deal deal. Bernie That's me before the stroke and heat attack..... I wonder.... Edited July 18, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I spent last weekend tooling around in my Mom's XK140 with my son. At the risk of putting a hex on it, that car has never let us down in the 40 years we have had it. My mom used it as her every day summer driver all though the 70s and 80s. For me Jaguars are defined by 1970, those that were before and those that came after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 From a 23 Chevy to a highly detailed treatise on the pros and cons of Jaguar ownership?!?! Talk about a major thread hijack!! BTW, a quick Google search showed, at least, four 1923 Chevy roadsters. I suspect the estimate of 5 surviving examples might be just a tad low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 "Another is a 1983 Jaguar XJ12 Coupe. Normally I don't even give consideration to 70's or 80's stuff. However this car is all original (a real survivor) In a dark green metallic finish with tan interior. It has less than 30KMI and glows in the dark even though it hasn't been detailed. The chrome, interior, paint are all spectacular. It's never had any paint work. It is driven occasionally to keep it up and running in good order and stored inside of course with no winter use. An 80 year old friend of the family is selling it. I know 12 cylinder jags of this era are nightmares mechanically when they get older so their is one bang against it. The condition just keeps telling me this car deserves a second look. If it were any nicer it would have had to have been just restored or still new on the showroom floor. Any thoughts on this car?" Was there something about this that wasn't supposed to be commented on? The Chevy hardly brought comments. It is just a mantle piece unless you live so far out in the sticks the sunshine gets piped in. "23 Chevy, yawn. '83 Jag, lots to discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Hmmm... a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 7 minutes ago, BearsFan315 said: Hmmm... a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Hmmm.....You can go on any auto board, at any given time, and find that stock answer. I think of it as coming from someone who hasn't a clue, as to value, but still has to chime in, anyway. If you were willing to buy the car for, let's say, five dollars, does that represent it's actual value? Conversely, if you ponied up 50 grand for it, was it worth the price or did you pay, slightly, over market for it. A 23 Chevy roadster has a value. I would think, as an antique Chevy guy, you would have a good idea of what a car like that is worth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 LMAO yes everything has a value, and i would take the 23 IF i had room for it would have a warehouse full of them if i could. and i have a clue to what it is worth to me to pay for it, for sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 And nobody has come to the defense of the poor old MG yet. We love them and drive them a lot. Another GT full restoration is in process, the Maroon GT just finished about 1700 miles round trip to Louisville and back for MG 2016 and never missed a beat. The 48 TC will be on the upcoming Richmond Divisional tour, (and took a 2nd place at Louisville too!). Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 We wore out 3 MGBs as daily drivers. A '64.a '67 and a '68. Loved those cars. Working on a '47 TC now, complete with Judson Supercharger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 "Indecision is the key to flexibility" indecision is an answer................ just not the one anyone wants to hear............................! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kelso Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 I bought my first E Type Jag in 1970, seven years after seeing my first and declaring someday I'd have one, it was a 62. After driving it daily to work, about 50 miles. After a scary drive home one evening I decided to sell the car. A day later I missed it so badly I started looking for another. Haven't been without one since and at present there is a 73 roadster sitting beside my Stanley. Yes beginning with the first one I learned how to repair them, but never once have I been discouraged with these fantastic cars. Sometimes I was even amazed that it got me home. I mean no offense but mostly when I hear people bad mouth Jags its from a lack of first hand knowledge. A Jag defender for ever, John Kelso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 2 hours ago, mercer09 said: "Indecision is the key to flexibility" indecision is an answer................ just not the one anyone wants to hear............................! Ummm...... OK??? Not sure what your point is, but point taken......for what it's worth. Aside from the meaninglessness of my silly tagline, my point was that a thread about a 23 Chev value has become a Jag (and now) an MG discussion. Just an observation, nothing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 When I was younger, I had a Triumph TR-4. Was it reliable? Hell no. I did enjoy driving it though I had to work on it all of the time. When I finally got it pretty well fixed up I got bored and sold it so obviously I also enjoyed working on it. British cars have an attraction all their own. I always looked upon oil leaks as special anti corrosion protection needed in the damp British climate. I would suspect that the Jaguars talked about have lure about them also but are probably much more expensive to work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Quote Had nine Jags before I took the cure but still cannot help glancing at the oil pressure gauge (even my Jeep has one). 40 psi at 3,000 rpm hot. Favorite is split between a XK-150s and a 61 E-type. Still know how to get a Moss gearbox into 1st at 25 mph. Today five of my cars have 6s, one SOHC and two DOHC. Jag was the original anti-drunk driving car. If you had too much to drink you'd never get it started Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 Aside from the meaninglessness of my silly tagline youre silly tagline got stuck in my brain and thus, what I spewed out............... farvegnugen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter123wallace Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 (edited) I guess it depends on the general state of the car, right? The price can vary a lot? Edited July 22, 2016 by peter123wallace (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 3 hours ago, mercer09 said: Aside from the meaninglessness of my silly tagline youre silly tagline got stuck in my brain and thus, what I spewed out............... farvegnugen! Klaatu Barada Nikto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted July 22, 2016 Share Posted July 22, 2016 The Day the Jag Stood Still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 23, 2016 Share Posted July 23, 2016 The Day the Jag Stood Still. the inevitable with Jags..............................! "the day the music would die............." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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