Smorris Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 Hello, I have a 1940 Desoto 4 door sedan that I started to gut the electrical on (it was a mess) and I just don't have the time or knowledge to get it up and running again. Everything is original and I have the mew wire harness/kit for it. What do you think is it's value? Body is in ok shape with a few dings. The chrome was painted and needs to be properly chromed. I have the dash pulled and there's little to no rust. Thanks and sorry if I have this in the wrong forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 (edited) Welcome, Mr. or Mrs. Morris! You are in the right place, and the right category for your question. Be sure to check back soon and regularly, because some newcomers fail to do that and miss all the help they would get. You'll invariably get some questions, because we need more information: ---Include some pictures of the car: Outside, inside, and engine bay. We can only assume without knowing more. ---Where are you located? This forum reaches world-wide. If your car is in some remote place, it might be hard to sell. As just a start, to be helpful, I will say $2500 to $3000. This is based on my 2020 price guide in what they call #5 condition. (#1 is best, #6 is useful only for parts.) You may find Old Cars Report Price Guide on a newsstand, or subscribe here: https://oldcarsreportpriceguide.secure.darwin.cx/I**B41C All the best to you with your car! Edited June 27, 2022 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 All depends on condition. As your car is non operable and needs repair, that will bring the value down. On the other hand it is a decent old car that could be saved without too much trouble. If you gave us some pictures of the exterior, interior, engine compartment we could give you a more informed answer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 As the two previous post arrows mentioned, condition is critical. And impossible for us to evaluate without seeing pictures. Good quality pictures. As a partially disassembled four-door sedan, you are not talking about a lot of money in any event. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 If you and your car are near by I would walk you through the re-wiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 This project car will be a tough sale at any price with "real" inflation rate at 30+%. Buyers of low demand make/model projects were people at lower incomes; and those people are really feeling the present economic situation that is getting far worse. A higher income person won't even look at something like this. Those are just facts. Any project car has gotten harder to sell over the last couple of decades. Flippers have always influenced final selling prices, as they would buy projects if the price was attractive, then they'd get it to run for quick resale. I can't see any flippers buying a low demand model in these economic times, so the selling price won't be bumped up by them. The painted chrome hints to damp storage, so this car sounds iffy. Perhaps try listing it on Facebook marketplace, and see if there is any interest at all. That seems to be the most active site for selling projects. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smorris Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 Thanks everyone. I'm in Boise, ID. I will get some pics up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34CR12 Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Based on the description, and no photos, (and sure, no flippers are "coming after it") I'd say it's worth $775 as it sits ,,, all in a strange economy that's changing people's hobby spending habbits "even as we speak." Why don't you post a bunch of photos, and "educate" this audience, on the plusses and benefits, of a 1940 DeSoto 4 door sedan?... Focus especially on the actual history, of this particular car, from 1940, to today. Give as many details, as you can fit in, without writing a book... Who knows, you may find a very sympathetic buyer?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 I really don't know enough to even begin to offer an opinion on price. We don't even know the body style. More knowledge of the car's history would help. Trying to be as optimistic as possible these are my takes on the car: 1) It ran before he tore into the wiring. 2) The body is in "ok shape" and has no rust. Sounds like the paint may be presentable. For those who are unfamiliar with the Boise area-moisture is not a problem, about as dry as one could imagine. But did it come from Boise? 3) Has a new wiring harness. The owner needs to fill in the blanks on things like interior, brakes, and tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcapra Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Cars that don't run always lose on price big time because the buyer is gambling on the mechanical condition. with no test drive possible, the buyer can't know the braking, the transmission condition, the universal joints, or differential. I forgot to mention the engine condition. It could have a cracked block, broken rings, worn valves, bad radiator, shot suspension, bad carburetor, etc. All of these things add up very quickly until it needs more work than a sedan is worth. A 40 DeSoto is a nice looking car, but it is not what most collectors go to bed dreaming about owning someday. And I am a 48 DeSoto owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Buffalowed Bill said: We don't even know the body style. He noted that it is a 4-door sedan: On 6/27/2022 at 8:08 AM, Smorris said: Hello, I have a 1940 Desoto 4 door sedan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Typical one shot wonder. No pics and has not even visited the forum since his original posts on June 27. Lots of help ready and waiting but here is another poster who doesn't understand this needs to be a 2 way conversation. Terry 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 The car looks exactly like one of these, only different. I was curious to see what a variety of 40 Desoto's would look like. Photos compliments of Mr. Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 Lets hope it looks more like the first photo than the last one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 2 hours ago, kgreen said: Photos compliments of Mr. Google. I think this may be a coupe someone made out of a 4 door. The proportions look way off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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