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.