That same "trend" has not carried through to near the degree of a 57 Chevy in 4 doors. Take even a 57 Buick, the hardtops and convertibles are worth the money, a 57 Special 4 door sedan has little collector appeal whereas a 57 Chevy 4 door sedan does. For a 4 door Wildcat to see an upsweep in value in the future it will need to be a pristine low mileage car or a highly restored car and the market will still be somewhat limited. This scenario plays out time and time and time again. I personally like 4 door cars, but I never fool myself into thinking a run of the mill one would ever be a good investment.
maybe i can make the example more simple. 64-72 4 door A-bodys have traditionally been parts cars. now its not uncommon to see them at car shows. some are somewhat restored, or very nice original cars. get it now? the older they get the more they are worth. regardless of how many doors they have. period.
But they are not "collectable" so to speak and certainly of no great value (again unless an exceptional one) What one eBay, there have been a few nice 67 4 doors on for months and months with no buyers. If someone can pick one up cheap the will and drive it, unless someone has soft spot for one or are just looking for a driver car, few people go out looking to buy one. I have been going to Buick shows for 35 years and I see no more or no less of them now on the show field than 36 years ago, certainly no kind of noticeable increase that would show any kind of uptick in people collecting 4 doors. With a 4 door it is all about condition condition condition, then mileage, then how well equipped and of course what particular series and then model in the series.oh and condition
:gp: Bang on IMHO. What are 50's sedans (except for the tri-5 Chevys) worth? No where near what their 2 door versions are. Are they nice? Sure; a 4 door actually is in better proportion than a 2 door. The only time 4 doors go up in value is when the market goes into bubble overdrive and prices itself beyond the average collector. Once it corrects, the 4 doors plummet in value and revert back to their traditional role. Another comparison; what's a 57 Roadmaster 2 door hardtop worth compared to a 57 Belair? Why and how, considering the Buick is a much more superior car to the Chev? There is nothing wrong with a 4 door car; I've owned a number of them and used a 67 4 door LeSabre as a winter beater as late as 2005. One of the best cars I ever owned, and it cost me $300, and only cost me a wax job and a few oil changes to run. In fact, I feel a lot less guilty driving a nice 4 door around in crappy weather; and they are a lot more useful than a convertible. The car in the ad above is a nice little cruiser that I wouldn't hesitate driving around everywhere. Like I stated before, a nice entry level or "gateway" car into the hobby. With what's been already done to the car I just wouldn't sink any serious money into it unless I totally fell in love with it, which usually happens anyway because I'm an old Buick nut with a problem...:laugh:
you guys are stuck in the past. I'm not arguing that a low option 4 door will be worth the same as a 2 door. everyone gets that. a turn key, presentable car from the 60s is worth money. to suggest that car is a beater or worse a parts car is plain nuts. I'd wager the only reason you have trouble with that is because these types of carsc are approaching what you paid for your car. and again, you guys crying foul over the price is the reason why buick prices are in the tank. pat yourself on the back.
OK Keith: You really hate this car. I think it's cool and I like it. Who cares that it's not perfect. I am not perfect. Put 3 grand on it and it's gone right away. Just like anything else, if it's on the money....away it goes! Y'all can dissect it all ya want but it's probably better than most 1966 on the planet. Mitch
Really? It's appallingly evident that you didn't read the post, or at least missed the point. I said the car is a nice entry into the hobby and would probably make a nice cruiser. Just because what has been done to the car (new paint, unknown body work/condition, new but incorrect interior) I said that i wouldn't throw serious money at it if I bought it because to put things right would probably be more than the car is worth restored. Would I pay the $5K he's asking? Sure! It's probably a nice car! And then I'd drive it, but I wouldn't restore it! If you have to know I paid almost squat for both of my cars, one I rescued from a wrecker who had scheduled to crush it back when they were unloved and unwanted, and the other had a blown motor but is a big luxury car that most people still don't like. Car value is based on condition and popularity. Buicks are just not popular because only the fairly well off ever owned them new and they are not as easy to rod out as a Chevy or a Plymouth is. The average American blue-collar type never had one growing up, so those people who now have the money aren't interested in cars they know nothing about from their youth. The 57 Chevy became an icon because of a movie; prior to that it was just a used car. So why are Buick prices in the tank? The same reason Mercury, Lincoln and Oldsmobile prices are, they built a car that catered to the upscale market that has a limited collector appeal now because no one currently collecting has a frame of reference or knows about these cars, simple as that. It has nothing to do with 2 doors or 4 doors. Tell me why a lousy 67 Impala convertible is worth double of what I could realistically expect for my 67 Wildcat convertible? Simple; more people's parents had the Impala and they made a lot of good memories in it, their rich uncle that they saw once a year had the Wildcat and they don't remember it.
OK V-8 Buick People: The ONLY issue with this car is price! A bit off point.....People would come in my car lot trying to sell me their car. Many times they claimed they didn't know what they wanted for it. I asked them to bear with me while we played the "Mitch Lehrman "What's it Worth" game. Here's how the game is played.... Mitch to seller, "Would ya take 100 for that car"? Seller to Mitch, "no". Mitch to seller, Would you take $200 for that car? Seller, "No". And so I go up in small increments. As the price rises the seller's response begins to change. No!!!!!!!!!! becomes, No. Then maybe ,let me think about it...until eventually we come to a price the seller really wants. Once that's established the negotiations can begin. Back to the 66 Wildcat. If...it's an OK car, with the seller being respectable to prospects it's sold in a few days for $3,500. Simple As That! Mitch
So you finally got around to understanding that they were asking to much for the car in the condition it is in. Wow ou:
