NPOCP: $6000 Two-Face Edition

"GhostZ" (GhostZ)
11/22/2013 at 21:45 • Filed to: None

NP!

Nvm, CP.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/ctd/418255…

DISCUSSION (16)

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 21:47

Cheap black paint job, take off the hub caps... Quick rat rod for the next summer, then try and flip it for a profit.

N/A POWAAAHH > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 21:49

That's weird man. I wonder if it got hit and rusted, or only exposed to the elements on one side, or..

GhostZ > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
11/22/2013 at 21:51

^ This guy knows whats up.

Or, better yet, cheap black paint job, take off hub caps, drive for a summer, and then sell the good fenders and interior bits for profit ...

....and take the engine and transmission and stuff it into a Mustang II.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 21:51

CP all day long, needs full restoration and doesn't even run. "needs a carb" usually means it needs a complete engine rebuild. The carb comes off so there is no way to know just how bad the engine is, oldest trick in the book. this is a 1500 car at best.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 21:51

Double post, sorry about that

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 21:52

GhostZ > N/A POWAAAHH
11/22/2013 at 21:53

It probably got sideswiped a long time ago, and just took forever for rust to show up.

Aaron James > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
11/22/2013 at 21:53

you could start with something much cheaper that actually runs, do as you say, and actually make a small profit. The admission price for this basically wipes out any profit potential.

GhostZ > Aaron James
11/22/2013 at 21:57

Would be true if you were talking about something other than a 1965 Lincoln Continental.

Considering the size of the restoration market, you have a $14,000 range where you can make profit if this car is properly restored. And at the very least, the rims, hood, grill, fenders, lights, and interior bits will more than make up the $6000.

That being said, I only posted it because of how funny it was to see one that was trashed on one side, but still pretty clean on the other.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 22:02

I didn't realize these were that desirable. I think they are sweet but I in no way represent the masses. It's a big car with lots of body that needs repaired and refinished, the interior is totally shot. I can see a reputable shop making a few bucks on it but I'd think it would be hard for a guy in his garage to get 20k for this with a respray and some seat covers. I could be totally wrong though. I'm assuming the engine needs a complete rebuild too.

GhostZ > Aaron James
11/22/2013 at 22:16

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lincoln-Co…

I'd post more, but they really are rare enough that only a few restored versions show up on ebay. For every restored one selling at $20,000, there's about 2 ones like the ad I posted, not running between $5000 and $10,000. And that's it. No other ones for sale in that year range.

It's the most luxurious, expensive lincoln made during Lincoln's best decade. It's the car from Entourage, The Matrix and JFK's assassination . It's basically the poster child for all of those "THIS IS WHAT LINCOLN SHOULD BUILD" comments on the front page. For 1965, there were 30,000 of the sedans and far fewer of the convertibles. The Continental, like the Corvette, and Coupe DeVille, have always held this long-standing premium on the market for their good years.

Now, a 1975 Continental? No way. They're still considered ugly land yachts. But 1965 is the perfect year. This one is juuuust beyond saving for a driver, but could be worth restoring or parting out for some good money.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 22:23

Ok I'm tracking with you here. I've never been any good at body work so I'd have to farm that part of it out. Do you think you could get the car to the same condition as those 20k examples for around 10k so you could make 4k? If so that would work. I just see 15-20k in interior and body work from a shop since I could only do the mechanical work myself. I tried to do body work one time and it turned out like the ocean, wavy as hell. I think it needed like 10 more days of sanding to be decent.

GhostZ > Aaron James
11/22/2013 at 22:28

I have no idea. It probably comes down less to labor, but how many things need to be outright replaced. The body work shouldn't be too hard (thick steel, simple shapes) but the interior would be killer. Those cars had a lot of bespoke bits, so you can't make or buy new ones, and you have to rely on getting replacements off another similar-year continentals.

If you got a later 460-engined model, any engine work would be a piece of cake. They still manufacture parts for those engines, even 50 years later, since they were used in trucks all the way up into the late 90s. But this one, in particular, would be a MEL V8, which is a bit rarer and not nearly as cheap. Still possible to get parts for though.

If you knew what you were doing, $10k is probably reasonable, but I'm really not sure.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 22:33

The other thing that I question is that a shop is obviously the one selling it so they must have decided it wasn't worth restoring for whatever reason. I'd hate to buy it and have to find out those reasons the hard way, know what I mean.

Aaron James > GhostZ
11/22/2013 at 22:35

My Friends dad, who taught me a lot of what I know about cars always said to never buy a project from a shop because if there was money to be made, they'd do the work themselves.

GhostZ > Aaron James
11/23/2013 at 11:35

There's a lot of truth in that. It basically only works if the buyer has some comparative advantage (like, lets say you have a continental parts car already or an awesome deal on one, and the shop didn't) over the shop.