We’re pretty sure this is fact but there’re really nothing more expensive in the world of the small block Chevy than putting a nut and bolt late 1950s fuelie engine together. Seriously. Guys are getting $12k plus for the FI units and then you have to have the correct ancillary pieces to go with it, like say exhaust manifolds. In this case we found a guy selling a right hand manifold that belongs on a 1958 vintage fuel injected car and it carries an asking price of $6,500 bucks. That is for ONE cast iron exhaust manifold. In essence you’d be closing in on $30,000 into this engine before you really had anything to bolt this stuff to following along with the pricing of the stuff we just mentioned.
It’s the same point we bring up every time we see items like this that are priced to the moon for something as simple as an exhaust manifold but the decision to buy it is purely a business consideration. Firstly how much value does it add to the car, secondly can I find another one, thirdly, am I mentally ill? If the answers are “a lot”, “probably not”, and “yes” you’ll be the person triggering the purchase. The reality is that a fuelie 1958 Corvette restored to a Bloomington Gold standard is going to be an insanely valuable car and the guy selling this manifold really understand that the only person who would want it in the first place is someone with enough money and singular focused drive that they would score it. We just wonder why the guy had this manifold for so long?!
So you can score a repop for under 300 bucks and make it look damned close or buy this original for $6,500. You tell us what the better option is.
eBay Link: 1958 Corvette fuelie exhaust manifold with insane asking price
Couple years ago a local ’57 fuelie was sold at auction for 93,000 dollars. Very nice correct car. Then the new owner proceeded to have complete total nut and bolt restoration
Don’t want to give names, but this is not rumor
People have money to spare,
I wouldn’t put cast iron manifolds on anything. For any reason.
Is all the hoopla over the lack of a heat tube hole?
I DO understand the value of a [correct] casting number, though.
Now I’m going to check numbers on my stack of manifolds.
and this is why people continue to lose interest in the hobby and eventually the hobby will die.
OR,
Parking lot and entry-fee gatherers like the (so called) Goodguys will keep raising the years included in their ‘shows’ until a Prius qualifies as a hot rod or custom.
Sad.
This is the way the classic car market is going unfortunately. Although I generally hate Chevys and all they stand for, I love the Corvette in all its forms. But as ever the first models that were free of electronics and anti smog devices were pure sports cars and will soon be worth over $100,000. In fact a friend of mine who used to be in the motor trade in the UK told me that Mk3 Ford Cortinas in mint condition are now going for over £20,000 which for a rust prone family sedan is quite insane.
Its only worth what someone else will pay…
I have an orchard crate full of manifolds, I know what my teen age sons are doing this weekend!!
iv got one of there sitteng in my barn ,I know its worth something but come on not much
I tossed one for a 60 Corvette earlier this year.
Yeah, if you need one, this is probably your one and only chance of getting one. I imagine 99.999% of these were lying in a big heap in a scrapyard by 1968.
This guy’s son is prolly the asshat on eBay, selling $30, 1980’s BMX pedals for $800. Stupid is money, though.