Hey there guys and gals, I'm just starting to look at getting an a-body of some sort, and have some questions about pricing/purchasing. Hopefully the wealth of knowledge provided by all the seasoned veterans on here will help me make an informed decision.
My current situation is this, I went and looked at a h-code 1970 Duster. The dash VIN plate confirms the H, but there is no fender tag & no build sheet.
Visual specs/conditions as follows:
340 auto, rallye dash, disks up front, manual steering.
The car has previously had a paint job done, but nothing really in depth (didn't do door jambs, in trunk, under hood etc etc.). The rear quarters behind the rear wheels were replaced during the paint job. The spare tire well has some holes in it and needs replacement, otherwise floor boards are solid, frame sections are solid (frame has been tied with square tubing by a previous owner) and there looks to be no other large rust issues. Needs a windshield, full weather stripping replacement, antenna, some emblems (lots of little things).
Interior is in need of a full resto. Almost all the pieces are there, just worn out. It needs dash pieces, radio, headliner, door panels, original speedo is gone (replaced with an aftermarket one shoved into the original spot), front seats were switched to buckets and need covers, rear is the cloth that looks like burlap sack material. Carpet is good. Current owner also has a console to go in it, but it currently has a ratchet shifter that would have to be switched out, or modify the console to use the shifter (originally was a column shift car).
I checked the numbers on the engine and it looks to be the original 340 that came with the car. It runs, but has been toyed with. Has aluminum rad, upgraded MSD ignition, non-stock exhaust, battery relocated to trunk, different carb. Basically the engine should be pulled, cleaned up/detailed/painted and engine bay cleaned up/detailed also. Owner says that the posi is also starting to go, when the car warms up only one tire will hook up.
Anyways, long story short (thanks for reading!), what would the value of this car be pegged at currently needing a decent amount of work? Also, if I were to start restoring it to a reasonable condition what would the price range be in the future?
How much is the re-sale value affected with the lack of documentation confirming original options/confirmation of being a true h-code car? Is the VIN plate on the dash all that's needed to confirm it's an h-code, or are there other locations I can confirm this?
The seller is convinced that since it's an original/true h-code vehicle that the value of it will keep and it's a better 'investment' than getting a non h-code. My main concern is that with lack of fender tag & build sheet that that's not exactly true, because it can't be confirmed that it's an original h-code (other than 1 VIN plate) and there's nothing stating options/original build of the car.
I know that buying a vehicle in this condition and restoring it isn't about making money, at least that's not what I'm trying to accomplish by getting an old Mopar. I'm wanting something to toy with, restore to a driveable extent and just enjoy. BUT, I don't want to overpay for something, put a lot of money into it and be totally out of the ballpark/screwed because the original purchase wasn't an informed/smart one.
Thanks for reading guys, I look forward to your responses! I appreciate any help/information that can be provided (even if it's 'Go read this link!')
- Josh
My current situation is this, I went and looked at a h-code 1970 Duster. The dash VIN plate confirms the H, but there is no fender tag & no build sheet.
Visual specs/conditions as follows:
340 auto, rallye dash, disks up front, manual steering.
The car has previously had a paint job done, but nothing really in depth (didn't do door jambs, in trunk, under hood etc etc.). The rear quarters behind the rear wheels were replaced during the paint job. The spare tire well has some holes in it and needs replacement, otherwise floor boards are solid, frame sections are solid (frame has been tied with square tubing by a previous owner) and there looks to be no other large rust issues. Needs a windshield, full weather stripping replacement, antenna, some emblems (lots of little things).
Interior is in need of a full resto. Almost all the pieces are there, just worn out. It needs dash pieces, radio, headliner, door panels, original speedo is gone (replaced with an aftermarket one shoved into the original spot), front seats were switched to buckets and need covers, rear is the cloth that looks like burlap sack material. Carpet is good. Current owner also has a console to go in it, but it currently has a ratchet shifter that would have to be switched out, or modify the console to use the shifter (originally was a column shift car).
I checked the numbers on the engine and it looks to be the original 340 that came with the car. It runs, but has been toyed with. Has aluminum rad, upgraded MSD ignition, non-stock exhaust, battery relocated to trunk, different carb. Basically the engine should be pulled, cleaned up/detailed/painted and engine bay cleaned up/detailed also. Owner says that the posi is also starting to go, when the car warms up only one tire will hook up.
Anyways, long story short (thanks for reading!), what would the value of this car be pegged at currently needing a decent amount of work? Also, if I were to start restoring it to a reasonable condition what would the price range be in the future?
How much is the re-sale value affected with the lack of documentation confirming original options/confirmation of being a true h-code car? Is the VIN plate on the dash all that's needed to confirm it's an h-code, or are there other locations I can confirm this?
The seller is convinced that since it's an original/true h-code vehicle that the value of it will keep and it's a better 'investment' than getting a non h-code. My main concern is that with lack of fender tag & build sheet that that's not exactly true, because it can't be confirmed that it's an original h-code (other than 1 VIN plate) and there's nothing stating options/original build of the car.
I know that buying a vehicle in this condition and restoring it isn't about making money, at least that's not what I'm trying to accomplish by getting an old Mopar. I'm wanting something to toy with, restore to a driveable extent and just enjoy. BUT, I don't want to overpay for something, put a lot of money into it and be totally out of the ballpark/screwed because the original purchase wasn't an informed/smart one.
Thanks for reading guys, I look forward to your responses! I appreciate any help/information that can be provided (even if it's 'Go read this link!')
- Josh
