1930 Cabriolet estimate value

[1930 Cabriolet]

Description-1930 Cabriolet

The engine and transmission were rebuilt
with a rebuilt carburetor they have less than 100 miles the rear end was completely gone over ring and pinion we're good new bearing, seals, and gaskets, brand new brake shoes, emergency brake band shoes are like new, all four brake drums were turned. Six volt electrical with new wiring harness, with cowl lights.The body was repainted three years ago is in good shape. All new upholstery and inside panels with rumple seat and new carpet. I had a new top installed. The rear fenders are new the front fenders could use some work. Tires are good. It needs somebody to give it finishing touches. I tried to add photos but it would only allow one, Please email me and I will send you more?
][email protected]

[Joop]

Pictures!

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[ronn]

wild guess? 15-18k

[Tiny]

I'm not sure on value, my guess would be in the same range as ronn's. Maybe lower based on these observations. How long has that car sat? No fuel line and the gas in the sediment bowl looking like vanish would deter me. Whats hanging off the running board? Do you have carpet or a mat? Why is the ebrake all wrapped up? How about the metal plates around the shifter? Door panels? For a 3 year old paint job it looks pretty beat up, lots of chips that I see in those pics. Also it may just be the photos but it looks like the sides are orange peeled pretty bad. Why is it sitting on boards? I would think that the non-stock red piping on the top would deter from value also. Who built the motor and tranny? Do you have receipts for them?
Just observations take them with a grain of salt.

[jhowes]

how do you get into the rumble seat? no step plates.

[ped58]

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Is part of the floorboard missing in front of the shifter, and what's on the fan ?

[dpson]

Okay, lets put this in perspective, what do you think the car is worth and we'll go from there?

[d.]

no fuel line to carburetor, no accelerator hook up...don't think this car is in the "runs and drives" category.

[Bill Underwood]

You can't really put a value on it without more info.
How much is right and how much is wrong? Looks like the top angles are way off. Are the top assembly and irons even correct? How much will have to come apart.
Way too many questions could be worth $6k-18k
As just a good ole fun car if it runs close to ok- $10k max

[1930 Cabriolet]

I think the car is worth $18,000.

[mshmodela]

Are my eye's shot --where the fuel line?




$10-12k is what I think it's worth --with all due respect (after it's actually running --fuel
line etc. corrected.)

[pgerhardt]

Good eyes everyone! Next time I am considering buying an A I am taking you all with me!!

[1930 Cabriolet]

I took the fuel line off to keep the fumes out of the garage and out of the house.

[700rpm]

If you think it's worth $18k, why ask us? Sell it for $18k.

[Mike V. Florida]

Value? I think 4 grand, but I'll give you 5 because your a nice guy and post here on the barn.

[montanafordman]

Originally Posted by 1930 Cabriolet

I took the fuel line off to keep the fumes out of the garage and out of the house.

I would suggest draining the tank and changing your shutoff valve so it doesn't leak, and also getting a new carburetor float so it doesn't leak, then you won't have issues with fumes - also the missing fuel line won't raise eyebrows and suspicions about the issues the car might have. A lot of those little details will greatly impact a potential buyers perceived value. Just my humble 2 cents. Sorry you feel you might want to part with it, and hope it finds a good home where both seller and buyer are satisfied.

[Kevin in NJ]

My observations. Please do not kill the messenger, I will be frank in what I see and I sometimes get in trouble with my comments.

A potentially nice car to have fun with, but there are obvious issues and questions that need to be answered before one can come up with a value.

Since we are not talking show quality points car we need to know about how well it drives. Kind of a first question, can you take this car out on the highway and run 55 MPH for 4 hours straight and feel comfortable driving it? Who rebuilt the engine, was it balanced, did the guy know how to do babbitt, what parts were new and what was thrown into it used? Same goes for the tranny and well every other moving part. Too often either the wrong type of repro part or a 'slightly' used worn part is put into the rebuild of a driveline.
I know of a few people who bought 'restored' cars from reputable shops. The cars were dogs which were not reliable nor able to run the 60 MPH a properly restored car should be able to run without batting an eyelash. So $8000 to $10,000 later (the guys had to pay others to do the work) they had a car that would go anywhere.
So that is one factor when looking at a car like this you must consider in the value. Quite frankly running is a meaningless factor. I know of running engines that were essentially scrap metal.

Now the body, lots of questions that should be answered. As a cabby owner I know what to look for in a body. A cabriolet is unique in its construction and you can not look at it like you would a coupe. The 68B's have potential wood issues. How tight are the doors? What wood was replaced? Are the bows close to correct? Why is the passenger side landau not locked? That can be an effort to correct. That could mean a loose hinge on the landau or the geometery is wrong. If the hinge is loose then after you fix that then you might have to move the upper or lower bracket to correct the problem. Of course the big question, are the correct cabriolet parts there and restored in such a way they are working. The body is essentially a big 'device' and the parts have to work right. So how do the doors close? Does the body pull funny when you put the top up or does it snap funny when you take the top off?
I will also add that body in the pictures does not look right. It could be the angle of the pictures. The reflections on the passenger side do not look even like the metal is not evenly curved. The rumble lid gaps do not look right like the side of the qtr panels might be pushed in a bit (guess how I know this, it is a problem my car had). But again these could be issues with the pictures, but none the less it raises some questions that need to be answered before I would consider the value of the car. To correct the issues would not be cheap. It also leads me to question the overall quality of the whole car.

In my mind the car smacks of a potential fun car, provided the body was not some horrible mess thrown together. It presents well, but is not something you have to worry about. Drive and have fun. Since it is cabriolet that puts the value starting point at the loosely $20k mark for starters. Experience tells me that the mechanicals are not where they should be (but I could be wrong) for what a Model A can do. That thrown in with the issues that might be found in the body, this starts dropping the value.
So depending on an inspection the value can range widely from $10k to $20k. Properly restored the value ranges from $20+k to $30k of course depending on the market, but you would need $20k to get this car to the $30k mark (doing it right is NOT cheap). Plus this depends on the body being fairly unmolested or good metal work.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Are my eye's shot --where the fuel line?




$10-12k is what I think it's worth --with all due respect (after it's actually running --fuel
line etc. corrected.)

I agree with you and I don't think it will sell too quick at that price. Wayne

[Rex_A_Lott]

Nice looking car! I think for you to have any hope of getting 18k for it, its going to have to run and drive. I would be suspect of a rebuilt motor in the shape that one is in.
Good Luck!

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Rex_A_Lott

Nice looking car! I think for you to have any hope of getting 18k for it, its going to have to run and drive. I would be suspect of a rebuilt motor in the shape that one is in.
Good Luck!

What do you see that I'm not seeing as far as the engine goes? Valve and carb leaks are easy and cheap fixes.

Now maybe it's the pictures, but the sheet metal looks wavy to me. Is that a correct color top?

I think 18 is a little high but if the sheet metal is not wavy, not by much. How many were made and how many come up for sale? There was a '31 that sold on ebay that had some rot and dents and it sold for $25,500.