quote:Originally posted by Quickitty:
I want to do the car in a way that would appeal to the largest market.
Based on my dealings with buyers my advice is keep it clean, straight and original. Make everything work like new. Keep the carb & air cleaner. Put the money into parts that will increase the cars value & help you sell it. Mods that look stock are OK (GTS exhaust, Phoenix radiator, Meriah fans). Upgrade the brakes as documented elsewhere, & upgrade the shocks. Install a breakerless ignition. If you repaint - repaint the original color. Parts replacement that can be seen, like shiny new u-joints or fresh weather stripping, give a buyer a good feeling.
There are upgrades that you would not recover financially when you sell it (they add no value to the car) such as aftermarket wheels. You and I realize the value in a wheel upgrade, because we see all the guys pulling their hair out trying to find good 15" tires, but somebody new to the Pantera market does not realize their value, they actually value original wheels more.
This is the trend I see, more heads are turned by unmolested cars than by modified ones; or to put it another way, people are turned-off by modifications. The cars that earn top dollar are the cars that look and operate like showroom new. If the car needs work, like the AC doesn't blow cold air, or the suspension squeaks, the steering has play in it; the dollar value drops fast. I purchased my Pantera specifically because it had certain expensive modifications (brakes & suspension), but in today's market I would be the exception, not the rule. The buyers are changing and it is probably the media that is responsible for the change in buyer attitude.
If Chip Foose customizes a 1964 Impala it will become a valuable car because Chip Foose has earned a valuable reputation. But if you or I customize a 1964 Impala, it would be just another modified 1964 Impala, worth maybe $5000 if it has 4 good tires, nice paint & a nice interior. However if you or I restore a 1964 Impala to showroom condition, the value will go up up up. That is today's market for classic cars, and it is dictated by the buyers and the media, not the owners.
Garth's advice to photo document everything is sound advice. If you replace parts that can't be seen like a throw-out bearing, take a photo of it AND keep the receipt.
(Jay I moved the thread AND changed the title, I hope you don't have a hard time finding it!)
Good luck
-G