I have a 69 Olds Delta 88 with a 455 I may be Selling. Doctors bills and a broken down truck have gotten to be too much of a problem. I ran into a guy that told me that taking to some Pennsylvania car show/auction was the best bet as far as getting the most for it. It has an edlebrock intake with a 4 barrel q-jet. The original parts are all there--came with a 2 barrel. Some rust...As shown. 4 new tires. New battery. Car has about 90k on it. I will see how many pics I can post. Do you all have any idea as to the value?

 

Without knowing body style, detailed condition, options, etc, it's impossible to place a value. We need more info. Few of these cars have sold publicly in the last 5 years or so, making hard data difficult to get. Sale prices have been between scrap value and $10K (for a nearly perfect convertible). They are not very popular and thus not highly valued. Suspension, steering, and brake parts can be surprisingly difficult to find. A driveable average car with 90K miles and "some" rust (which is always more than you think) will likely sell in the $1000-$2500 range - and don't expect to find a buyer right away.

 

Sorry, I attached the pics and when I hit submit, they disappeared. I just edited the post and added the pics.

 

'Bout $3,000-4,000, I'd say, probably closer to 3, unless everything other than that rust and the front seat is really A#1.

- Eric

 

That just makes me sick. I wasn't sure how much it was, but I certainly hoped it would be a lot more than that.

 

We all wish our old cars were worth more than they are. Rust repair and paint will cost the same on that car as it will on a Cutlass which is a more desirable car. I agree with Eric that it is probably about a $3,000 car.

 

Its not good to hear this news when you're not expecting it. I'll wish you the best of luck and leave you with an opinion or two.

At auction, you're at the mercy of the crowd and entry cost, and trouble to get it there. But the quickest way possibly to dispatch it.

I think your best bet for maximum dollar is to do the selling your self. This will require some time. Clean it up more. A simple wax job and clean the glass to a more detailed level. Those two things will pay for them selves in the end price. Its a plus that it has new tires and battery.

Try to stay positive.

 

Nowhere in your original post do you state the most important feature of the car, and that is that it's a convertible. That makes it worth typically 50% more than any other body style in the same condition.

In its current condition, the Old Cars Price Guide lists a value of about $3500 to $4000, which is right in line with what Eric the Mechanic says.

In showroom condition, the value listed for this car is about $12,500.

 

Check it out!

Here's a pristine one:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5883712466.html

Here's a parts car:

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/5898854550.html

Here's another:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...895437648.html

 

Looks like all three of these guys have been smoking off the same stem.

This guy's car is nice, but nowhere near a $9,500 car:






This guy thinks it's got a "Hurst transmission" and that it's worth $3,900.
I want what he's smoking.






This guy thinks his car is worth "$7,500 cash no fuss no puss, no B.S."
I hadn't realized California had fully legalized already.








These guys must really like these cars, because they're going to keep them for a long time.

- Eric

 

Well, I think the values the OP was given above were a bit low. The original car is as nice if not nicer than the green one.

 

I'd probably go a little higher, say $5K. Without hearing it run or knowing what works and what doesn't (A/C working, for example?), it's hard to know. At 90K miles, the car likely needs the front suspension and steering rebuilt, as well as a timing chain and possibly a valve job. I just went through this on my 67 Delta, so I have a really good idea what those items cost. With wheels and tires, I now have $7K into a car worth about 2/3 of that.

 

As Joe pointed out above,"Few of these cars have sold publicly in the last 5 years or so, making hard data difficult to get."

I think it would be useful for all of us if Mr. Hog could get back to us when he has sold the car and let us know what the final price was, minus any expenses associated with the sale, such as transportation costs or auction fees.

I'm betting for an actual sale, no more than $4,000, but I would be very interested to know if it sells for more.

- Eric

 

The problem, as always, is that these "values" are just guesses until cash changes hands. With cars like Camaros and Mustangs, there are enough sales to form a statistically valid sample. With cars like these, there are not. Old Car Price Guides are notoriously inaccurate on non-mainstream cars because they simply take the one or two data points they have and extrapolate values based on data for cars like Chevys. Obviously, this is flawed.

A seller may get very lucky and happen to find THE ONE buyer who has to have a car just like the one his parents had at any price. Unfortunately, you can wait years to find that guy. I just bought a 1967 Delta hardtop in similar shape (better body, but needed significant mechanical work) for $3500. That's one data point. The convertible probably carries a 25% premium, maybe more. I might have offered $4500 or $5K if mine were a convert.

 

My point exactly. I think we'd all be grateful for another valid data point.

- Eric

 

Thanks for all of your input. The car certainly has far more sentimental value than anything. Grandpa gave it to me in 07. I ran it quite a bit. It sat for two years recently not running--i was out of state. Grandpa passed away. I got it running just enough to drive grandma to his funeral. As soon as we got back to her house, it refused to start again. I did figure out that whole issue was due to corrosion in the positive cable that could not be seen. It runs fine and sounds good. I had the AC running at one point, but took the belt off and never used it. That's why it has a convertible top, right? The top is newer and works great. Grandpa bought one of those new radios and tape deck to look like a classic one. I yanked it out and put the original back in. Never rewired it in. With the top down I can't hear the radio anyway. Th only other thing really, is the electric choke is not hooked up. Takes a little patience getting started, but starts every time and runs like the rocket it is. I may put a $4500 price tag on it and take the best offer.

 

Considering the car's history, I would certainly hope that you could avoid selling it at all, but if you have to, try to get all you can from it.

As mentioned earlier, since buyers who truly appreciate the big cars are rare, the "quick sale" price for that car would probably be so low as to not be worthwhile.

- Eric

 

GLWS, let us know what happens.

 

Well, if you live someplace like the middle of the desert where the summer temps are above 100º for 120+ days, or the Gulf Coast where the humidity is atrocious year-round, AC is just as critical on a convertible as it is on a hard top.

 

Virginia has some hot and humid days, but nothing a little topless driving wouldn't cure. While the car has some sentimental value, it's not something I couldnt let go of. Grandpa got it in 97 and gave it to me in 07. He boght it on a whim. If he had had it for a few decades, it would be different. But I really need a decent truck that's not gonna break down every few weeks like what I have.

 

There is a market for the big cars but it is much smaller. I sold a 1968 98 convertible out of an estate about 3 years ago for $18,000. I consigned it to a dealer and they sold it before they even had it listed. The right guy just happened to walk in. It was a very nice car with 65,000 miles on it with one very nice repaint. It was all original down to the radio. The interior and top were like new and it had not scraps or rust on it. I thought I would have been lucky to get $12,000 for it. Man that thing was a big car and very thirsty. Good luck on your sale.