Building a car for resale

[harponi]

I'm a lurker witha question.
I'm building a 69 Camaro Convertible for resale. This is the first time building a car that it wasn't for "me".
Would an automatic or stick be more marketable? I prefer manuals, but I know a lot of folks don't.
My other question is color choice. Red, Orange, Yellow? Pace Car (White/Orange Stripes)? I need all the soft parts fot the interior so that color choice is wide open. The car is was originaly a six banger, so its not and rare piece that would make you think it should be put back factory. Opinions? Thoughts? Thanks!

[Cyclone03]

Lets see,as a Ford Guy...Red,Cowl hood,Ralley stripes,Auto,350, Ralley wheels,Black or Red interior call it a day....
Should be able to pick up all the parts at K Mart or Wal-Mart put a $15k price tag on it and call it a day.

[antmnte]

Black on black with Cragar SS all around and a auto (for selling purposes) .

[Grumpy]

As long as you're going to throw money at it I'd turn it into a 4 speed Big Block Pace Car Replica, if you do it up really right somebody will pay good money for it, that's my 2 cents!

[Monk]

I've always heard........'resale red'

Just some thoughts.......you might consider a Tremec if you make it manual.......driveability.

Black on black with Cragar SS all around and a auto (for selling purposes) .

That'd look cool also.......put some redlines on it

[squirrel]

I just went thru this sort of from the other end, helping a friend figure out whether or not he wanted to buy an early camaro that was for sale at a local dealer. His concerns about the car were wanting overdrive, he would have preferred a manual trans Ilike a tremec 5 speed). he had to have AC, but in a ragtop not so big a deal. And it needs a decent paint job over good bodywork. Black interior is easy to match to anything, could be hot in a convertible though.

[BOOOGHAR]

I've always heard........'resale red'

ack, you beat me to it

and then theres Pomona Red too

btw isnt Groucho building a 6_ camaro for resale ?

[skullbucket]

I tried this several times and half way thru thru build up I sell it and make as much profit with whats invested as I would completely done, so I have to sell it.
I also added up converting a car to a stick and it cost almost as much as the car itself if you start from scratch and all it really does is get a quicker sale for about the same amount of money as an automatic.
My next car is going to be an auto im sick of shifting, I have nothing to prove.

[milner351]

Do the important things right, save money on the things that are easy to change later.

Most folks looking to buy something already built don't have the tools or talents to do a full on restoration - most folks are afraid of metal work, body work, welding, painting, and want to know that stuff is done right.

For resale you may want to build a "catalogue" engine - something from a magazine article with proven power output, or match a factory 350/350 sort of set up - or build a "cook book" set up - Edelbrock performer rpm heads, intake, cam, carb, etc. Many folks are turned off by "mystery combinations" no matter how good you and your machinist are - if the buyer doesn't know you - it won't matter to them.

It's a tricky business - I'm not sure there is any magic formula.

I wouldn't do black exterior or interior - it puts your body work under a microscope and especially in a convertible - it's just too hot.

I would think a pace car clone would be a safe bet, white, orange stripes and interior, ralleys, mild small block, 700r4 with a mild converter, and about a 3.55 gear, power front disc brakes, and air if the car came with it already or it's not too much to upgrade - even in a convertible if a guy is comparing a few different cars and some have air some don't - the car with working air will get the nod in most cases.

[SpiderGearsMan]

HAHA EFI so the wife can drive it

[Monk]

Here's a nice one on Ebay

Good color combo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Camaro-?cmd=ViewItem&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5581294423794824143&_trksid=p5197.m7&item=280805573874

[70chevyC-10]

Personally I'd want an automatic and a light colored interior pops with a dark exterior like burgundy or blue.
I like Maureen's Camaro a bunch


Here's some silver Siamese twins

[DanStokes]

I've done a TON of cars for resale and I have to tell you - from my experience this will be a tough one to make money on. I know it's a popular body style and all but you'll have so many hours in it and so many parts that it'll be a tough one. Depends on what you want to get paid for your time. I've learned to look for a one-problem car - bad trans, needs paint, needs an engine, that sort of thing, but just one of those. Then turn 'em quick. Before that I was losing a little on each car but making it up on the volume, which didn't work.

I never had any luck appealing to the Barrett-Jackson crowd but you may do better with that.

That said, red paint is always popular and a light interior (light gray, off-white, etc.) make the interior look more open and inviting. As some of the guys have said, a black interior is LETHAL in a convert, a mistake I made in my MGB. I had to carry beach towels so I could sit in the thing.

As far as the trans, I'd go with what the car had in the first place. It's expensive and a PITA to convert a car properly. My experience is that there isn't much difference in the bottom line but fewer people can (or care to) drive a stick so your potential market is a little smaller.

Best of luck with this
Dan

[milner351]

I would also recomend getting as much exposure as possible to sell it - ebay, hemmings on line, racingjunk.com, etc - get it out there with really really good pictures and a lot of them, with a well written ad that has as many details and specifications as you can.

Sold a '69 bbc 4 speed camaro that was very well done by a friend on ebay for $30k to a guy in California, who had it shipped.

Search as carefully as you can for what similar cars have sold for - then do some sharp pencil figuring and see where you think you can get yours done and still have a few grand to play with in the profit margin - if it looks tight from initial estimates, proceed with caution.


A friend did a TON of work on a 67 mustang coupe, lots of metal work and body work, went with a simple engine/trans/mechanical approach, and a basic interior - sort of a "bullet coupe" idea, dark green metallic, black interior, 5 spoke wheels. He had that car for sale for a long time - and ended up taking several thousand less than he originally asked for it - I'm not sure he ended up making $5 or $10 an hour by the time it was all said and done or if he lost money - but he hasn't started another "resale" project in the last several years.

[Beagle]

I've always heard........'resale red'

Just some thoughts.......you might consider a Tremec if you make it manual.......driveability.



That'd look cool also.......put some redlines on it

Beat me to it. Resale Red, even though I hate it.

If it's a restomod, I'd probably go Pace Car colors, see if I could get houndstooth interior on spearco sets cut down to original height, and a T56 or 4L60/4L80 behind the Oh hell, yet another LS conversion Escalade aluminum 6.2 with 17" converted Rally's.


If it were mine, I'd paint it Forbes Orange, stick a blower or a tunnel ram with a couple of four barrels on a cheapie edelbrock headed BBC, sticking right in your face through the hood, 325-50x15's and skinnies and a freaking LENCO.