Interest in 1960 Tbird with 430 Option

[Guest]

Hi there, newbie here.

I have a chance to pick up a 1960 with the 430 in it. I'm currently building a Cobra replica, so I'm pretty sure I don't have time to mess with the car, but the guy is pretty desparate to sell it, and if I make a little on it, and someone gets it to restore, that would be good, keep it from rotting away.

The body is straight, not a lot of rust. Most of the chrome is there, it appears, but it might need some. The 430 runs, but the tank needs to be drained, and the guy said he drove it a year or so ago, but the front brake is locked up. Both door glasses are broken, but the windshield and rear glass are intact.

I'm trying to figure how what this thing might be worth.

Any help? Thanks!

[simplyconnected]

There's no way to appraise the car without seeing it. Rust is a big issue. In a convertible, it's even a bigger issue because Squarebirds are unibody construction and the first thing to go is the all-important rockers. They are the backbone of the body. Get on your back and carefully inspect them using a mirror.

The 430 is not cheap to rebuild but it is more rare than the FE 352, and therefore worth more.

Glass is available and can be replaced. The interior can be restored using new seat materials and a new dash cover. Gas tanks are available. I don't know what else you may need without seeing pictures. - Dave

[Guest]

Thank you!

In Montana, where I live, and where the car has been for at least 30 years, there's very low humidity. We also don't use salt on our roads in the winter, so that helps. As far as I could see, not a substantial amount of rust on the car, in terms of more than surface.

This is a pic of the car, which doesn't tell you much, I know.

I think it would be worth my time if I could get $2500 for it on resale, but if it's only worth about $1500, probably not worth it. Sort of a crapshoot I guess with these old cars.

[jopizz]

Coupes needing restoration aren't bringing that much right now although 430 equipped cars have a little higher value. If you are just going to resell it without doing any work it's probably not going to bring a big profit. If you can get it for $500 maybe you can flip it for $2000 but without seeing it that's a stretch. Doing a total restoration on a coupe usually costs more than they're worth. Convertibles bring much higher prices.

John

[Guest]

Thanks!

This really helps. He doesn't even have the title, which isn't a huge deal in MT, but still more of a pain, so for $500-1000 worth of profit, not sure if it's worth it. It'll cost me $1000 probably, plus the title fees, so if $1500 is more likely, it's definitely not worth the effort to pick it up, trailer it home, and sell it non-locally.

[YellowRose]

Interest in 1960 Tbird with 430 Option

Kevin, I see you tried to upload a picture of that car. There are several ways to do that. Look down in the New Members Welcoming where I posted the welcome to you. You will find the details there.

[Guest]

Kevin, I see you tried to upload a picture of that car. There are several ways to do that. Look down in the New Members Welcoming where I posted the welcome to you. You will find the details there.

Oops, I just forgot to finish it.

Here it is:

[tbird430]

Looks pretty solid in the pics, straight too. The only chrome I see missing is an antenna, the nose Bird, outside mirror(s), & the rear 1/4 hash marks...


I'd make him a low offer.

[Guest]

Looks pretty solid in the pics, straight too. The only chrome I see missing is an antenna, the nose Bird, outside mirror(s), & the rear 1/4 hash marks...


I'd make him a low offer.

Would you pay $1000 for it? $1100 by the time I do the title.

[partsetal]

With that tinted glass, it might even have A/C

[Guest]

With that tinted glass, it might even have A/C

I believe it does, actually.

[tbird430]

See the 430's with AC are rare too....


I would buy it for $1100, yes.

[DKheld]

Front bumper over rider is bent so if the bumper is bent too that's going to hurt the value a little (might be a $100 difference simply because the bumpers are expensive to ship and re-chrome etc). Overall though the $1100 sounds fair (making the assumption that it is the original 430).

Would add value if it were a highly optioned car for example with black leather interior (sort of looks like it), power windows and seat or if it is something low production such as the cloth/vinyl option interior. Post the door tag when you get time and believe it or not the build sheet could still be under the back seat (tucked in the upper or lower springs). If you can match the original equipment on the build sheet to the car I think it would add value (JMHO).

Post pics of the interior, engine, and trunk if you have time.

Hopefully someone here will pick it up - like you though - I have some other projects at the moment so I'm out.

Eric

(here's what the build sheet will look like)

[Guest]

Thanks!

Just got some news yesterday from the DMV that might kill it completely. The guy originally bought it back in like 1990 from an older couple. He never got the title, and screwed up and NEVER retitled it based on on the bill of sale he got, which is technically illegal. So, he can't legally sell it as a title-able car until he gets the title himself, which probably requires getting bonded title and all of that.

I basically told him I'm not interested in it as a parts car (that wouldn't make much sense), so he needs to go get the title stuff figured out. Once he does that, I'd be interested again. There may be someone locally that will snatch it up as a parts car, but seems unlikely, so we'll see how it all turns out.

The car has every option but the sun roof. It has power windows, seats, etc. And I believe the seats are leather. He had a bunch of crap in the interior, so it was sort of hard to see everything, but it was verifiable.

The biggest expense would be the chrome pieces, and figuring out what's there and what's not. If I do get it, I'll have to do a full inventory and see what's missing. The bumper is not bent, the overrider seems to be unbolted or loose, not sure if it's bolted or welded (suspect the prior).

I think it would be a good buy, just have to get the title stuff situated.

Front bumper over rider is bent so if the bumper is bent too that's going to hurt the value a little (might be a $100 difference simply because the bumpers are expensive to ship and re-chrome etc). Overall though the $1100 sounds fair (making the assumption that it is the original 430).

Would add value if it were a highly optioned car for example with black leather interior (sort of looks like it), power windows and seat or if it is something low production such as the cloth/vinyl option interior. Post the door tag when you get time and believe it or not the build sheet could still be under the back seat (tucked in the upper or lower springs). If you can match the original equipment on the build sheet to the car I think it would add value (JMHO).

Post pics of the interior, engine, and trunk if you have time.

Hopefully someone here will pick it up - like you though - I have some other projects at the moment so I'm out.

Eric

(here's what the build sheet will look like)

[simplyconnected]

We've been here before with other 'suspect' cars. You're doing the right thing by making the rightful owner title the car. If you don't, you may end up losing the car and your money. We don't want that to happen. Now you know why the car sat for so long and why he's willing to dump it for cheap. You don't want to be the 'end guy' in a roulette game of musical owners.

Our members register their Thunderbirds. That way a person can track the car years after it is sold to find the present owner.