What might this car be worth?

[LS65Speed]

I have a 1972 and started kicking around the idea of selling it. No idea what it might be worth. Not sure yet what I might do. Wanted to ask for some ideas from folks who are closer to the market for these cars than I am. I am the second owner, purchased in 1973. .NEVER been outside in the snow when I lived up North.

 

This car is not stock by any means lots of things have been changed. It appears almost stock from the outside but mechanically lots of things have been modified. Originally a 350 CI TH 350 non air car.

 

Triple Black (exterior striped to bare metal ) Base coat clear coat

All original metal...no patches or "cheese" filler except for skin coats before / during block sanding

Redone cloth bucket seat interior. No console.

LS6 Crate Motor: 1971 Vette 9.1 Spec Engine ( GM flat tappet solid lifter cam) 

Edelbrock Oval port heads (110 CC). Calculated C/R with heads 9.6 / 9.7

Richmond 5 Speed, Hurst shifter

67 Vette 3x2 intake system

3.31 12 bolt

Factory AM FM mono radio. Converted to Stereo /  USB & RCA input by Turnswitch in Minn.

Kick panel front speakers

Factory air ( converted from non air car ) R134 with parallel flow condenser and aluminum compressor

78 Corvette 3 spoke leather steering wheel ( re-wrap with hew leather )

Center Force clutch & PP

Rally wheels

New BFG T/A's

New Bilstein Shocks

Fast raito GM steering box (rebuilt by Lee Mfg.)

Custom dash...white face gauges in original factory housing behind factory plastic lense

Ford Mark ( ? )   2 Speed fan, with controller

MSD Distrib. and 6 AL box

New Battery

New Ignition wires

 

The more I work on the list the more I think it is worth and the more I have trouble deciding what to do about selling. 

 

Any opinions appreciated.

 

Thx

[MCfan]

As requested, JMO ... sounds like a fun, fast, head-turning first gen Monte - I love it!

 

It may appeal primarily to performance muscle car enthusiasts - probably even more than just first gen Monte lovers (many of which don't need or want to pay for the extensive performance mods).  Now, if you can find a first gen Monte lover that values performance modifications over originality, you just might get a reasonable price. 

 

I'm guessing you have over $30K (perhaps much more) in the car now and you can't expect to get that out of it in any market.  However, if it were mine, I would start well north of $20K and see what the reaction is.  You can always come down, but if you are not desperate to sell, why leave money on the table considering your unique creation?  There are plenty of pedestrian first gen Montes in the market for the buyers who want originality or have more limited budgets.  Like I said, JMO ... good luck!

[LS65Speed]

 

"It may appeal primarily to performance muscle car enthusiasts - probably even more than just first gen Monte lovers (many of which don't need or want to pay for the extensive performance mods.  Now, if you can find a first gen Monte lover that values performance modifications over originality, you just might get a reasonable price. "

 

Its not about recovering what was spent...been in the hobby long enough to know that idea is a non starter. It is more a matter of finding a number that is reasonable considering all the work and parts. I can pull they 3x2 off and sell it alone for $3000 all day, any day. Likely could take the Richmond out and score another $1500 to $1800 but to me those parts are part of the "ambiance" that I built in because I am a performance guy at heart after all.

 

Also the car had almost no options when it was ordered new so the idea of keeping it stock had no urgency for me. There hadda be thousands of SBC powered Plain Jane cars and the fact that this one lacked air was a big negative for me within a few years of actually buying the car. I have been a mid year Vette owner and the whole "chasing the numbers" deal drove me to sell the car. It totally put me off looking for things like correct date coded ignition wires and other silliness. I had fun building the M.C. and now it might be time to build another car.

 

Going to tack on a few more pics.....

[420ponies]

I think it's all about the buyer with these cars. You could put a price on it you could live with and always come down on it too. It's in Atlanta with lots of high horsepower rides there. Finding the right person to buy it is the tough part. Might find one around the dragstrips in your area or at a car show or cruise-in. E-bay it and you could set a reserve on it. You've also have to let them drive it (tough) ,or to understand the horsepower to weight ratio. That motor should make 425-450HP with a lot of torque with 3:31's in it. Nice ride, I'd like something like that ,but I'm still after my '65 chevelle build and that's my ticket for my Horsepower ride.

[cbolt]

I know its off topic, but how do you like those wheel dollies? I have been considering getting them but wasn't sure how well they work, whether you can lock them, etc.

 

No need to stray too far, just tell me if you recommend them or not. Thanks

 

Nice looking Monte by the way. I think north of 20K isn't unreasonable. I may even start at 30K and be willing to work with the right buyer.

[LS65Speed]

I know its off topic, but how do you like those wheel dollies? I have been considering getting them but wasn't sure how well they work, whether you can lock them, etc.

 

No need to stray too far, just tell me if you recommend them or not. Thanks

 

Nice looking Monte by the way. I think north of 20K isn't unreasonable. I may even start at 30K and be willing to work with the right buyer.

 

Dollies are GREAT. My garage is deep and 2+ cars wide. I can "stash" the MC crosswise along the front of the garage by myself with ease allowing 3 cars to be inside the garage. I also have spun the car 180 degrees within the garage...no sweat.  Word of caution: buy quality dollies...the rollers are the key. If the rollers are not up to the job it all becomes a big PIA. Those dollies I have are one piece stamped steel  and they are pretty thick. The stamped steel bolt together things won't get the job done in my opinion. As they say "Ya get what ya pay for" 

[LS65Speed]

I think it's all about the buyer with these cars. You could put a price on it you could live with and always come down on it too. It's in Atlanta with lots of high horsepower rides there. Finding the right person to buy it is the tough part. Might find one around the dragstrips in your area or at a car show or cruise-in. E-bay it and you could set a reserve on it. You've also have to let them drive it (tough) ,or to understand the horsepower to weight ratio. That motor should make 425-450HP with a lot of torque with 3:31's in it. Nice ride, I'd like something like that ,but I'm still after my '65 chevelle build and that's my ticket for my Horsepower ride.

 

The Richmond has a 3.27 first so the overall gearing in low gear is more or less the same as a 2.20 Muncie with 4.88's. No issue with getting the thing moving. On the highway the Richmond is 1 to 1 in 5th so the car rolls down the highway same as any Chevelle  / M.C. with a Muncie or TH 300 / 400 running 3.31 rear gears.

[Aceinsp]

Nice looking ride.  I wouldn't mind owning but no pace to store for now.  Later RJD

[72 LS5]

I LOVE what you have done with your car!   That thing must be a blast to drive.  

Curious why you went with stock exhaust manifolds on such a modified car.  Super cool ride..........

[LS65Speed]

I LOVE what you have done with your car!   That thing must be a blast to drive.  

Curious why you went with stock exhaust manifolds on such a modified car.  Super cool ride..........

 

 

Thanks for the kind words about the car. Like so many of these cars there is a lot of work in it and a lot of satisfaction seeing it done. Only issue is I can't leave the tools alone, always thinking about the next project!!!!!

 

The following goes in the "Don't get me started on ________" but here is the answer to your question.

 

I absolutely will never have anything but stock exh. manifolds on any of my cars. Headers are nothing but trouble IMHO. I had a 67 GTO with Doug's Headers. They were on the car when I got it. Changing the starter was almost as much work as removing the engine, the starter would heat soak in warm weather making it a "iffy" start when the engine was warm and the weather was hot. Heat inside the car was outrageous in the summer because those damn things were right near the floor. Did I mention noise and the constantly loose bolts at the header / head mating surface. Last straw was a fire as I pulled into my driveway....smoke and FLAMES down by the starter when the positive battery cable grounded after the insulation melted off.  It was a matter of seconds as far as saving the car. If I was anywhere but pulling into my driveway the car would have been toast.

 

I suppose there are now better headers and I suppose there were better headers than the Doug headers back then but for this guy "once burned" (pun intended) was enough.

 

I redid the car without the headers and ALL that aggravation went away. It was cooler & quieter inside, the starter was a drop out more or less, it fired up first time every time on the hottest days and the positive battery cable never ever had issues again. I would also add that there was no noticeable difference in street performance. The correct factory manifold for the Ram Air GTO engines was a 4 into one unit that was more or less what the Sanderson Shorties of today look like.

[Aceinsp]

I'd have agree about the headers. Finally got mine off and reinstalled the original exhaust manifolds that I had cleaned and porcelain coated.  Car runs so much better.  Later RJD

[MCfan]

 

I redid the car without the headers and ALL that aggravation went away. It was cooler & quieter inside, the starter was a drop out more or less, it fired up first time every time on the hottest days and the positive battery cable never ever had issues again. I would also add that there was no noticeable difference in street performance. The correct factory manifold for the Ram Air GTO engines was a 4 into one unit that was more or less what the Sanderson Shorties of today look like.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and sound rationale for using factory exhaust manifolds - I love it when objective facts and practical experience stand up to "conventional wisdom"! 

 

My '70 402 4-speed came to me with a set of long-tube headers (brand unknown) that had been heavily massaged to fit and manifested all of the problems (except loose bolts) that you mentioned.  If I had read your post before I replaced them with a set of mid-length headers last spring, I might have gone back to the factory manifolds.  It was quite a job to hook up a new exhaust system to the new "shorty" headers, but at least it solved the starter "heat soak" issue and gave me better plug-changing and ground clearance.  There are at least a half dozen choices of full length headers for BBC Montes with automatic (not manual) transmissions but I am no longer tempted to find a pair for my otherwise bone-stock '70 SS.

 

I'm sure there are many factory exhaust manifolds that would limit performance improvements with other mods but you have to believe a manufacturer would not ship a high-performance engine from their factory with a crappy set of exhaust manifolds.

[72-CLASSIC_RIDE]

When I installed the 402 BB in my car I also added Doug Thorley Long Tube Ceramic coated headers.  1st, the ceramic coating does keep the tubes slightly cooler and (knock on wood), I have had to but once tighten my header manifold bolts early on with header now on car since Jan. 2010.  Even so, I had heat sink issues when starting hot.  I purchased a heat shield for between Starter & Headers which seemed to help some.  I also replaced factory HD Radiator with an Aluminum one.  Still had intermittent hard starts.  The real fix in my mind was replacing the Ground Cable Lead at Battery with a more robust Eyelet type fastener.  I was told that that cable was not big enough to transfer the needed voltage to the Starter, thus the need for a more heavy duty application.  That was 4 years ago and have had no issues since.  PS - I did also replace Starter with a New AC Delco Heavy Duty Starter in the mix before I had Battery Ground Cable changed.  It may have been a combination of all these fixes that ultimately solved my heat sink problem.  It was a puzzler for a couple years though.  I would not discount Headers as an alternative based on the heat sink.  Took some reading and some time for me to decide on Thorley brand and happy I did.  No alterations required for fitment.  

 

Doug 

[LS65Speed]

"Thanks for sharing your experience and sound rationale for using factory exhaust manifolds - I love it when objective facts and practical experience stand up to "conventional wisdom"! 

 

My '70 402 4-speed came to me with a set of long-tube headers (brand unknown) that had been heavily massaged to fit and manifested all of the problems (except loose bolts) that you mentioned.  If I had read your post before I replaced them with a set of mid-length headers last spring, I might have gone back to the factory manifolds.  It was quite a job to hook up a new exhaust system to the new "shorty" headers, but at least it solved the starter "heat soak" issue and gave me better plug-changing and ground clearance.  There are at least a half dozen choices of full length headers for BBC Montes with automatic (not manual) transmissions but I am no longer tempted to find a pair for my otherwise bone-stock '70 SS.

 

I'm sure there are many factory exhaust manifolds that would limit performance improvements with other mods but you have to believe a manufacturer would not ship a high-performance engine from their factory with a crappy set of exhaust manifolds."

 

Here are some other thoughts on what you mention above....

 

Thanks for the kind words again. Sound rationale usually goes with being an engineer but I must confess to messing up on decisions a least a few times during my life. I have worked with other engineers who will have "The truth is in the numbers" on their gravestones.  They are very rational disciplined people.

 

That header issue was a big turnaround for me as far as hot rodding and hot rod parts. I just will nor screw around with anything that has to be persuaded to fit. Guys buy headers and they have to dent this tube or that tube, remove the engine to load the headers in then reinstall the engine, buy mini starters and God knows what else. If it is Ok with them to go thru that grief...more power to them. Not me...once "burned" was enough.  I stay as close to GM parts as I can as far as fit. 

 

Also if your car has A/C and is a BB I would suspect a NIGHTMARE as far as getting the passenger side header on. I can hardly get the plug next to the evaporator housing out on my BB. Its not impossible but it is a PIA. Also if the car has A?C you are putting more surface area near the evaporator housing with headers. That is adding more work for the A/C system because that Evaporator housing is just an uninsulated fiberglass shell. More heat under the hood will warm the area enclosed by the evaporator housing and that will to some degree (no I have no idea to what degree) effect the cooling process of the A/C system. .

 

I digress a bit  now......That rear passenger side plug is a PIA  in part because the my car has the AIR smog system on it. I lived in CT. and they would not even look at the car for emissions inspection if the car did not have the "factory" smog pump and hoses in place. The AIR hadda have a belt but there was no test for functionality!!!!  My buddy owned a shop that had the same sniffer that the DMV used. I "made" my required numbers with the 3x2 and the LS6 solid lifter cam and NO PUMP but they refused to even put the car in line before the pump and hoses and whatever were installed. Stupid DMV. I thought the idea was to meet to emission specification as opposed to meeting the "bill of material" specification for smog parts that were on the car from the factory. Once the pump was on the car they never even mentioned the ticking lifters. rough idle or the 3x2...the pump was in place the sniffer numbers were good: "pass" sticker on the window and off to the next car. It was insane.