Want to Pay to Restore and then sell my 1956 Mark II. C5601503

[Amcontinental]

Hi All,

I just can't give the car the love it needs. It's been in my family for 40 years.

I'd be willing to send the car somewhere to get completely restored. Properly tuned up, it can run beautifully. Inside and outside look great, but needs a little TLC.

My father kept it in nearly perfect shape, but it's been neglected in a barn for 5 years. I've driven it only 1x-2x per year since then.

Is it possible to pay to get it restored and then have somebody sell it for a commission?

If so, who do you recommend? I'd be willing to pay to have it sent somewhere if it were worth it.

Thoughts?

Thanks. (I've posted pictures of it in prior posts).

- Adam Marlin

[Milsteads Garage]

You only have 1 picture of the car posted on here that I know of. From what I see there it doesn’t look in bad shape. I don’t recommend restoring these. It’s very easy to get upside down and make a mess out of a perfectly good car you aren’t even going to keep. I do, however, recommend fixing the car up. Just make it run, stop and look presentable.

[jdsnoddy]

Adam:
I totally agree with Morgan.
Here's what Bill Kieger did with 3730.
https://www.markiiforum.com/showthread.php?9647-3730-Inherited-22-yrs-Ago-Info-on-3507
You might want to talk with Bill and get his thoughts.
I'm guessing you could do a similar work for less than $6000 in parts.
Best regards,
John

[Amcontinental]

I'm trying to upload pics.
Anyway, I think with a good tune up, it could run well again. It might need some minor cosmetic cleanup (these pictures are legit, but it has been sitting in a garage (I've only driven it a couple times in the past couple years).

The car is in Cape Cod, but I'm 1-hour north of NYC. I can't take the time to physically fix it. I'd prefer to pay somebody to do all the work and pay somebody a commission to get it sold.

Any suggestions of how to go about doing this? Should I send it somewhere? Any recommendations as to whom to use?

Thanks,

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[Barry Wolk]

If you do the math you'll never come out ahead. I had a great mechanic turn a horrible 22,000 mile car into a mechanical masterpiece for friend under my supervision. It needed everything, and that's what it got. The only paint work was the engine compartment. It ran and drove just like a new Mark II, because it was one. It cost my friend $108,000. He complained that no one was getting Christmas gifts, but he couldn't be happier.

My car is currently at a private shop in Wisconsin. The owner started a business to just restore his cars, but he does such great work, plus he's a former Mark II owner, that I secured a spot in his shop to restore my engine compartment after a massive battery explosion.

[jdsnoddy]

Adam:
Go ahead and get a professional appraisal. Have the appraiser appraise as is and give you another figure if it runs, drives, brakes and steers. This will allow you to make an informed decision. Think about the costs: transportation, parts, labor, fees and commissions.

If you insist on staying your current course, suggest you join a local classic car club, go to local car swap meets and car shows. Get to know the locals and ask for their recommendations.
The appraiser may also be able to make some shop recommendations.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Interesting: the picture # 7 is from an Avanti dashboard!

[Milsteads Garage]

Adam:
I totally agree with Morgan.
Here's what Bill Kieger did with 3730.
https://www.markiiforum.com/showthread.php?9647-3730-Inherited-22-yrs-Ago-Info-on-3507
You might want to talk with Bill and get his thoughts.
I'm guessing you could do a similar work for less than $6000 in parts.
Best regards,
John

That’s about what I have in mine give or take which is about $7000 in parts but for mine that included all the materials for paint and having my bumpers rechromed, so it is doable to get this car in shape.

[Barry Wolk]

That’s about what I have in mine give or take which is about $7000 in parts but for mine that included all the materials for paint and having my bumpers rechromed, so it is doable to get this car in shape.

I assure that's with no labor. I believe he had no interest in doing the work himself.

Adam, my restorer, Rick Payton, would like to have a chat with you. PM me your contact info.

[jdsnoddy]

Correct no labor. This was a veiled attempt to demonstrate that the business plan of paying someone to transport the car, fix the car, detail the car, and sell the car is not a good idea. It is a plan which most likely ends in a negative cash flow. All of these costs are expensive and the selling price points are low. There isn't much margin here. He's not going to get back dollar for dollar.

Another option is sell it on bring a trailer, it could bring $12,000 to $20,000 as it sits.

[Amcontinental]

Interesting: the picture # 7 is from an Avanti dashboard!

Great pick up!! That’s another car I inherited from my father. Don’t care nearly as much about that one.

[Amcontinental]

Correct no labor. This was a veiled attempt to demonstrate that the business plan of paying someone to transport the car, fix the car, detail the car, and sell the car is not a good idea. It is a plan which most likely ends in a negative cash flow. All of these costs are expensive and the selling price points are low. There isn't much margin here. He's not going to get back dollar for dollar.

Another option is sell it on bring a trailer, it could bring $12,000 to $20,000 as it sits.

Thanks for this. Are these cars really not worth much? My car runs, but overheats; so it wouldn't take much to get into drivable condition (I think). So as beautiful as these cars are, they are really not "collectibles"; more like " sentimentals," right? A drivable version in great condition can't go for $50K?

[jdsnoddy]

That's why you need a professional appraisal.
Values range from around $12000 for a complete project.
To $750,000 for a flawless #1 car.
You can take it to a professional restorer and easily spend $300,000. Most cars currently for sale are in the $45,000 to $35,000 range. These cars are drivers; they are not show cars. Larry had a 99 point car for sale for just over $100,000. He had a flawless car and countless hours invested. So, in short, values vary based on condition.
It is super easy to get upside down in any classic car especially when you hire out all the work. Everyone gets paid but you.


Please go to the for sale section of this forum. Look at the cars currently for sale. Getting $50,000 for these cars means you have a car in superior condition and it usually costs big money to hire people to get it there.

Many cars for sale start out overpriced. They stay unsold for many months or years. Eventually prices are reduced to a reasonable price based on market conditions. It's a very competitive market and your car has to be the best at that price point; economics 101.

[Milsteads Garage]

I did a post not too long about overheating and steps I took to correct it. Not the end of the world.

[Knickoliss Iv]

A Mark II is not an investment car. I am in somewhere around $8,000 in parts for the chassis assembly only. Front and rear suspension all related, driveshaft, brakes, all lines, fuel,brake, and exhaust. There is still more I need. Hardware, paint, tires, miscellaneous parts. I have about $200 in on metal to make brackets just to mount the chassis on the rotisserie. Oh and a days work making them. In a shop you will pay that so there's about $1,400 (at $150 per hour shop rate) for something that will never be on the car when completed. Further down the line is the physical cleaning, media blasting, painting, and finally reassembly of all parts. I am doing all of my own work if not imagine how much I'd be upside down in labor. Did I mention that this all for the chassis assembly only? You have to restore a Mark II because you like it, not to make money. They aren't very valuable indeed because of availability. It was a special car back then so people held onto them so the advantage that so many are accounted for is also the disadvantage economically.

[Barry Wolk]

When I test drove my car it had some type of transmission hiccup that shook the whole car. I babied it and I never happened again.The seller said it never happened before, but I learned to not trust much of what he told me. A transmission guy that lost his shop did private transmission work diagnosed it and said the engine had to come out. He told me to have it pulled and send the trans out to a shop at 8 & Southfield. They rebuilt it, even after finding out there was nothing wrong with the workings of the trans. They did it because they were told to.

I had had the engine removed by another hobby shop guy at a cost of $2,800 2002 dollars. The rebuild cost $800 more, but it went back together and had the same problem. I was fit to be tied. I couldn't be mad at the guy that took it apart and put it back together again. I couldn't be mad at the trans shop so I had words with the guy. He offered to check it again and found it had a bad pressure regulator that was easily replaced through the pan. He swapped one from his Thunderbird and the problem was fixed. In that time shop time has gone from $35 hr to $150 hr.

The problem was fixed. I thanked him but avoided him when I could.

Like most have said, it's a labor of love. It's great to have the family connection. That's a great story. If I had the means I would do it simply because I could. We're just cautioning you that realizing a profit from its survival could get expensive.

There's a whole class of cars called Survivors. I believe one took a top prize at Pebble Beach. Not every car that's perfect is valuable. I agree with the sentiment that they're not very rare.