I just follow the guide they include in Old Cars Price Guide magazine. But
it differs a bit from what's been posted here -
#1 is either hermetically sealed in controled storage since new, or over-restored to better than the day it left the factory - few cars are true #1s, a #1 is not driven except on and off a trailer, even a brand new car once driven off the lot stops being a #1 fairly quickly. #2 is your typical well cared for original or restored car. #3 is your typical car show car - it may not be perfect but is presentable.#4 is a 50-50 type car, the one that looks good from 50 feet or going by at 50 MPH, it may need partial or full restoration but isn't junk. #5 is a car that needs total restoration, may or may not run, but the key on a #5 is it's all there, or close enough to all there, to be restorable. #6 is a car that's weathered, wrecked, or stripped to the point that it's beyond economic sense to save - a convertible with no floors and a bad frame, for example. And the value of a #6 varys with the degree of missing or unusable parts. Actual selling prices rarely approach the guide values, I have lots of #4-#5-#6 cars and just as an example, one that I'd call a low #4 I paid $600 for in June. The book value for the conditon it's in is $2500-$3300. Bill K.----- Original Message ----- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:53:30 -0700 From: eastern sierra Adj Services <esierraadj@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: ebay Item number: 330175275427 --WebTV-Mail-4116-739 Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit This is a fun thread. Theoretically, a #4 (parts-)car should not be driveable, or, very-driveable, as is. Back in the "day", in Ohio/Midwest, there were a LOT of rolling rust-buckets, which would qualify for #4 status. Driveable, but fugly . A #5 car is a hulk. So, what else constitutes the RANGE, of #3 cars, if not varying degrees of "driveable"? As everything is negotiable, I agree that hard-and-firm categorization is not possible; hence the range of qualifications, within any category. But, I still think that the following general categories are fair and reasonable, subject to interpretation/qualification/gradation, within the categories: #1 : Perfect/trailer queen #2: potential show-placer/detailed engine & undercarriage #3: decent/nice general driver #4: driveable parts car/beater:rough condition #5: incomplete hulk All the categories can go up or down, depending upon what is done to a particular car. Neil Vedder----- Original Message -----The "wiggle room" is contained WITHIN the various categories. "High-3"/"Low-3", etc....maybe even a 10-point scale within the categories. E.G.: a "Low-#1" could be a non-knowlegeable restoration; it probably has the least amount of wiggle room (kinda like virginity; but there ARE some degrees of comparison, in all things). #2 is basically good-appearing Show class-PLACING condition. #3 is varying degrees of DRIVING-around condition, without much hope of Placing, at a show. #4 is varying degrees of a good parts car, or a beater/rat-rod ride and should be able to be made safely drivable, and should be complete, butin "rough" condition/. A GOOD candidate for restoration. #5 ain't ever going anywhere, under its own power, and probably is missing a substantial amount of its componentry; it RECEIVES, rather than donates, parts. I can't really see a need for a 6th Category; altho Old Cars Weakly/Curs & Parts has had one.******************************************* Neil, OK, ..... just for the sake of discussion .... No.4 has just changed from a "good parts car" to a "good candidate forrestoration". Admittedly, I have parted a out a few cars when these beastswere more common that should not have been parted out. They were too niceNOT to restore, and for reasons that now seem stupid - they were not so rareback then, I really wanted the parts and wasn't that interested in that particular car - they got dismantled. Even then I had a pretty clear idea of what a parts car was vs. a project and parted those nicer cars out with some feeling of guilt andremorse. It seems to me this scale has too much room at the top 3 positionsfor variations of what are all versions of nice cars. 4 and 5 simple drop like a lead balloon into the junk and scrap catagory. I have never been a ribbon and trophy chaser. In fact, I see the judging system as the root of all evil in this hobby, making it more about bragging rights than just enjoying cars for what they are. Maybe this is why I don't understand the need to break down nice cars so thoroughly. It runs against my logic for why I like old cars ? According to a scale like Old Cars Weekly/Cars & Parts , I own a lot of "excellent parts cars". Very flattering. ************************************************************* To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1 |