Thread: 57 Chevy Sedan Advice Needed

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Interesting thought. You're not alone thinking that as young young ones come along they'll be interest in the cars of their youth like, argh! tuner Jap cars and Tauruses. I've heard that concept before from AACA and CCCA guys. In other words the old cars rolling today will not draw interest.

I think for a wide variety of reasons that will not be the case but who knows for sure. What I do see is kids and younger people identifying with the standard cruise-in cars like 40 Fords and 48 Chevies.

Even when those 90s Tauruses are 30 years old they will never be valuable relative to the stuff out there now simply because they built a gazillion of 'em. And when they get to anything with computers that controll most of the functions it'll be interesting to see how that could be avoided along with all the danged sensors, relays, miles of wire and such.

The sad thing that ended and will never come back is the true ease of interchangability we enjoyed in those late 50s on throught the mid-70s. Each marque could interchange engines and trannies with relative ease. It was possible to build sleeper 427 Falcons, 426 Darts and 427 Novas with little major work.

Today the alternator, starter, fuel pump and all else is unique to each model which jacks up price and can often cause out of stock conditions. There was a time when you could use an Olds generator in a Pontiac in a pinch without flocking up EPA emissions and what have you. It was a bolt turner's dream.

But maybe in another 20-30 years those Tauruses will be sought after. Since the FWD cars with transverse mounted mills have nothing much worth rebuilding after 150,000 mlies they'll all be recycled.

The good thing is I won't be around to see it.

I haven't hung with any AACA or CCCA folk for about 20 years now, but if they share that opinion it's understandable. BTW, as you probably guessed I'm not advocating that a Taurus (with the long shot possible exception of the SHO versions) will ever become a collectable of any particular note. I used that because it's merely a very ordinary, not particularly valuable, used car. The point should also be made that any prediction of a dwindling market isn't to say it will disappear altogether, merely that it will shrink to a very selective minimum where quality/uniqueness/style (both perceived and real) becomes more important.

But back to the point (not of the thread,sorry, but this discussion). I'm going to use an example that may bewilder some folks because of the numbers, but it's a good point maker if thought of in a broad socioeconomic sense. A good example of yesterday's hero inching toward tomorrow's zero (in relative terms) is the Duesenberg (might be what's behind the CCCA thinking). The popular rhetoric is that the B-J auction inflates values, if that's true, the Duesenbergs are positively cheap. They sold only one, a dual cowl pheaton, for a mere million bucks, 1.1 million with buyer premium (yeah a million bucks is still a lot of money, but not what it used to be). Twenty years ago the Duesenberg, any Duesenberg, was the top of the market standard for collector cars. Speedster bodied versions competed with the dual cowls for top of that market slice, the more "mundane" sedans somewhat further down market, but all of them sold for well over a million, a few very desirable topped two million. If you think in general economic terms related to value of the dollar, the cost of the average home, the price of a gallon of milk, or a package of underwear, a car that cost a million bucks 20 years ago should be somewhere around 2 million today just to stay even in intrinsic value. To be at "only" a million today says that Duesenbergs have fallen in value by at least one half. Why? Market demand. The supply is still approximately the same (and small), so demand is the controlling factor. There just aren't as many monied people interested (or identifying with that golden era) in these beautiful classics. Yes, there's still some interest, just not as much. As an aside, certain versions of Ferrari sufferd the same price swings since the '80s. If it can happen to these elite automobiles, it will happen to our more "pedestrian" vehicles. Today's Duesenberg equivalent in the collector market is the early '70s Hemi cars. Last year the market makers were Hemi Cudas and Challengers, this year their prices were off, some nearly half. Again, the supply is approximately the same, growing slightly with "clones", but the bloom might be off the rose for demand. Change is happening pretty quickly here. And as a Hemi owner it pains me to some degree, but reality is reality.

Getting back to the thread(although its all interesting) If I had the opportunity to purchase the 57 in ? Id have to part it out. Everything is the same as a 2 dr except the DOORS and seats. Frame, fenders, trunk, dash, drive train. To me restoring a 4 dr is a waste of time and money. I'm building a 57 2 dr wagon now and you can get 4 doors for a 4 dr for .99 on ebay. There aren't any 2 door sedan doors on there at all other than repos. and there over $1,200 a pair. I made my own floor pans as I have the equiptment to do so, but to buy them There goes another 2K. I just can't see putting that kind of money where you'll never regain it back. I have a 57 4dr behind my shop just for the perpous of getting interior parts (heater controls and ductwork. dash and others.) Bumpers are under $300 each They make every thing you could need if you can afford it.

I don't think I would part it out.. Foose made a '55 2dr roadster out of a '55 4dr sedan on Overhaulin.. I could see another .. On average Tri 5 Chevy 4dr's go from $15k-30k restored/ compleated, compared to a 2dr's $40k- 100k depending on build quality. a 4dr would attract certin people, like faimilies with small children ect... of course, that car is in better shape than my '51 Fleetline 4dr ( altho mine is good ) and I'm restoring my car so I'm a bit biased. 4dr or 2dr, I'll take what I can get.

Matt- you're statement is the thought of the masses, "I'll take what I can get." If we aren't now we will very soon find only 4 drs. available in junkyards or sold as non-running projects. That goes for all cars. After the convertibles, 2 dr HTs and sedans get gone onlt 4 dr sedans remain. In some cars the difference isn't so dramatic due to popularity or lack of it.

Even if every repro part is available for 57 Chevies that doesn't mean that an original chassis # isn't more valuable historically. It's pretty obvious the 57 in the pics is roadable once the engine is turned over. Why the heck not build it? If on the other hand parts are interchangable for other body styles are they higher in price than the repro stuff?

For example when my friends were doing their cars the stainless rear fender arrow sweeps cost $485 each. These are repros. No doubt originals in fair to good would be acceptable if you were just getting the car on the road again or just cared about a driver car. There is no more NOS so there's your choices.

And while so called rodders or modders are disinterested in 4 dr sedans the folks the like 100% showroom stock in the AACA & CCCA groups have no problem with less popular car restoring and rebuilding. Makes no sense to part out a car like in Clinton's pictures cause someone from those folks would like to return it to stock new condition or at least a stock driver.

I was looking for a 2 dr Packard originally. They were running about 3K more than 4 doors. My wife said it doesn't matter and when I found this one I got it for a good price. Most of the gangster-look hulks are imposing 4 doors. Rodders and modders have little interest in chopping up 4 door sedans because they look stupid when done.

I have seen a good many 4 door sedans from the 40s with modern running gear but stock body- 52 Nash, 48 Chrysler. I've seen a fair number of parts cars that were built up to streetable drivers as their kind got rarer-54 Merc w/transparent top, 55 Ford Sunliner. It eventually gets down to plain old 4 door sedans as the last of their line being sought after.

Bob those rare and exotics went through weird price antics. At the same time there was literally no hobby car market as we kow it beyond the occassional 30s roadster or Ford coupes. People weren't yet into Studebakers, Hudsons or even 50s-60s Chevies and Fords.

My engineering editor friend at Road & Track explained the Euro-style collectors answer to the stagnant exoctics market. Most of the owners began listing them at auctions (before B&J) with super high reserves. Their 200K 1939 540K Mercedes would get bid up to 300K but no sale. Could they have used shills?! Owners did that with their collections then went to insurance companies to pow wow for higher evaluations. A few rounds of that and exotics were stumbling on their way to todays obscene prices. Let's not forget a high value auto collection can be usead a collateral at opportune times.