George Albright Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) Dear Friends. I am the attorney for my friend Leonard Jarvis of the Ocala,Florida area.As many of you know I am also an avid car collector and historian. However I need some advice establish a selling price range for Leonards desirable 1953 Buick Skylark convertible,below. Yes it is for sale. It is a solid older restoration that is a little tattered. Use as is or great candidate for a restoration. Runs off of an aux. fuel tank. Power steering and windows. Some body filler where paint is coming off,on lip of hood,just below where convertible top recesses the body on both sides,trunk lid,etc. Body filler does not appear to be deep any where from my examination.I looked under the doors on both sides and the cars frame looked solid. I know it will go over $50,000 in this condition,but that is pretty much the end of my knowledge price wise. Your thoughts? Sale is cash or check or wire only,no trades,no consignments.Thanks,George Albright,Ocala,Fla. cell weekdays 10-4 ESt 352 843 1624 email gnalbright@gmail.com Edited April 18, 2017 by George Albright typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Albright Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Thanks for everyones valuable imput! We are going to price the car for sale at $67,000. Sincerely George Albright. cell weekdays 10-4 EST 352 843 1624 email gnalbright@gmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janousek Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Freshly restored examples are running under 125k right now. They are soft compared to what they were once. Tough car to sell for a good price. It looks pretty rough and needs a restoration to be presentable. Even if a guy did the work himself they'd be buried in it financially. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Beautiful high dollar cars but very expensive to restore. I think our chrome plater sent his daughter thru college on the cost of the chrome for the one we restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Beautiful cars, but I note that they are not rare in the least. Their production numbers are low, but their popularity means that they are always available. A couple of weeks ago I checked for another purpose, and there were 14 1953 Skylarks for sale on Hemmings' website simultaneously. It could even be said that a nice 1976 Buick Skylark (a compact based on the Chevrolet Nova) is scarcer than a '53. May your friend's sale go well! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBulldogMiller55Buick Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Beautiful cars, but I note that they are not rare in the least. Their production numbers are low, but their popularity means that they are always available. A couple of weeks ago I checked for another purpose, and there were 14 1953 Skylarks for sale on Hemmings' website simultaneously. It could even be said that a nice 1976 Buick Skylark (a compact based on the Chevrolet Nova) is scarcer than a '53. May your friend's sale go well! I agree. The value of the 1953 Skylark prompts owners into taking care of the cars. From the time they were new , through today, 1953 (and '54) Skylark owners knew they had a special car that deserved great care. Edited April 18, 2017 by JamesBulldogMiller55Buick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) The cheapest price on a usable example of a very desirable car usually sells even if the fully restored ones are a better deal. The reason is that there are 3x as many guys that can come up with 60 something grand than 120k for the fully restored car. The one to compare this to is the white 53 for 79k that was posted last week. Edited April 22, 2017 by alsancle (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Since you posted here .... I saw this car in person with Steve yesterday. There is significant rust on every body panel that is bubbling thru the paint. This car needs to be completely stripped down to see what rust repair is required before being completely re-painted. This is a major restoration candate .... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 A 53 Skylark is one of the best looking cars built in the 50's. A person would not be hanging their head in shame driving that one around just the way it is. If in a persons price range, what a great car to drive and enjoy for a few years. If bought right, you could get your money back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) The comments from Alsancle and Xander are very true regarding this particular car. I also feel this car has some additional value because it is one of very few Skylarks remaining that has not been restored or messed up by hacked restoration attempts. A lot of the 125-175K examples out there look just beautiful from the outside but are a mess underneath. I have seen a lot of really bad Skylarks presented as "show cars". With this car, you know what you are getting into. A buyer also has the choice of sorting it out mechanically and enjoying it "as found". It would probably attract more attention as-is than the pseudo-show examples that we are normally used to seeing and the price is certainly more affordable. Someone will buy this and be happy with their purchase. Edited April 22, 2017 by motoringicons (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 On 4/18/2017 at 8:23 AM, George Albright said: It is a solid older restoration that is a little tattered. I must be looking at the wrong photos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said: I must be looking at the wrong photos.... I viewed this car in person on Thursday. This is not " a solid older restoration ". Has anyone else who has replied on this thread seen this car in person ? I disagree with the description of the car. Someone did a cheap paint job over a badly rusted car. There are serious issues with the driver door ( note there is no full driver side image ). I did not start this thread but having viewed the car two days ago ... I am not going to withhold my thoughts on what is a major restoration candidate for a prospective new owner ( in my opinion ). If you are seriously interested in possibly owning this car - view it in person first or hire someone qualified who is not affiliated with the estate to give you an objective evaluation of the actual condition .... Jim Edited April 22, 2017 by Trulyvintage (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I will not debate the condition of the car, you have seen it, I have not. But it is a 53 Skylark, and I stand by my statement, if bought right. A person would be able to get their money back. Bad paint or not, that is driving in style. Hard to say that you are having a bad day, if behind the wheel of that car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Yes, it has beautiful styling, and the blue adds to it. Maybe it's the right car for someone who wants to work on it. But I'd rather have a 1968 Buick Skylark convertible plus $60,000 in the bank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 4 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Yes, it has beautiful styling, and the blue adds to it. Maybe it's the right car for someone who wants to work on it. But I'd rather have a 1968 Buick Skylark convertible plus $60,000 in the bank! If a person has the money to play with. 53 Skylarks are a safe place to park your money if bought right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 From pictures the white car feels like a better deal at 10k more. But again just looking at pictures. However, there is a price point where this might be a great car for someone assuming it is not truly a mess under that blue paint. Highly desirable cars like this one find new owners, especially when they are the cheapest one available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) Whew ! I keep coming back here from time to time , kinda interested in what things are trading for these days. I , uh , I , umm, I'm a little hesitant to .......... But since observations were solicited , this car is a poster child for the kind of car I walk away from every time. Now compare it to the above linked original example at $79k. Take time (about seven nanoseconds should do) to carefully compare the engine compartments. That gives the scale to judge comparative value. The "Blue Beauty" reeks of deferred maintenance. Regard the quick cheap and dirty patchwork and missing parts , interior (hey , door panels , window sills , carpets , and so on) , surface corrosion on shift lever , steering column , and other dash chrome , etc , etc , woooooooWEEEEEEE !!!! I think I'll join Jim and 30 Dodge Panel in the apprehensive camp. I can only imagine the mechanical condition. I don't like it , but at the right price someone will. George , I am not putting you or your client down. Nothing personal here. My feeling is that if you really can get a $50,000 offer on this sad sack , take it and RUN ! Any charitable donation potential against tax liabilities ? But I am not a lawyer. I just benefit from hiring many. Cars just like this do have a potential as "movie stars". A quick paint job in whatever color the Art Director designates , and roll camera ! Very photogenic ! Desmond's in North Hollywood had lots of interesting vehicular props. I got a super deal on a couple of old trucks off their huge lot on Laurel Canyon Blvd. This ol' Bu' would look better than that "new" Cadillac "Jerry Lee" drove. You know , the one with that showroom cracked steering wheel ? Again , PLEASE don't take this personally. You asked. I just couldn't keep a lid on it any more. I'm not the gentleman some of the other guys here are. It's just that when I see a car that needs about everything , I cringe. I think that along with the cheap cover up paint , this car has been sprayed with "C Carl Repellant". Industrial strength. Sorry. - C Carl Edited April 22, 2017 by C Carl A little of this , a little of that. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Having restored 2 of these I can tell you the blue one scares me. The simple fact that the dash never had the Dynok applied tells me it was "restored" in an attempt to sell it quickly. Beware! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) The car is an impulse buy. Someone who wants it will have to have it. Price doesn't mean much. A person with 50K in discretionary money should be able to throw another 50 at it. The trick, as I learned from my Grandfather is the eternal search for the uninformed buyer. Advertising in the New York Times or LA Times would give exposure to affluent buyers with a greater focus on image of themselves rather than details of the car. I'd scout for the fringe people who think they are scooping up a deal. The eastern foothills of the Rockies might be some good trolling. It is getting harder to score but easier to get a deal these days. My personal take on estates, including my own, is for items less than 10% of the value of the estate should be offered to relatives or friends with the means to maintain them. Keep the 90+ % and put those special things in the hands where the item and sentiment both hold value. If a $50,000 car is a significant part of the estate, well, you have a bit of a different discussion there. Just a couple thoughts. Bernie Edited April 22, 2017 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 My favorite car of the 1950s along with the 53 Caribbean. I see where the full restored cars are at 120k-150k. But what is the cheapest running driving car you can buy? Is it this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Years ago one of these Skylarks was restored around here. It had the history/story to go along with it. To my knowledge no one, that I know had seen the car being restored. Just one day there it was, still needing a few minor things done, and still needing a few pieces that the Skylarks came with, that the Roadmasters did not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 (edited) On 18/04/2017 at 1:28 PM, John_S_in_Penna said: It could even be said that a nice 1976 Buick Skylark (a compact based on the Chevrolet Nova) is scarcer than a '53. There's a valid reason for that! The 5mph bumpers on each end make them look ugly; and for what is correctly stated about it being no more than a Buick-trimmed Chevrolet, which means there's almost zero market for them. Craig Edited April 24, 2017 by 8E45E (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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