A gap in my education...?

[Lee_Burough]

We have purchased our new home and I now have the funds free to shop for a new TR or TTA. Would you please help me understand some things about the 'value' of these TR's by participating in this poll?

My own view is that a low mile, unmolested Turbo Regal in good condition (a 'survivor' if you will) is worth a premium at sale. A TR in equal overall condition with a rebuilt engine, several modifications (including billet pieces, chrome, GNX cloning, cage or fuel cell) is less desireable to me, and worth less.

In my view, when you cut up and modify, replace and upgrade major components of the drive train, suspension and body panels, it is less desireable as a 'collector' car. This seems obvious to me, but as I shop for sale ads, many seem to ignore value at future sales when they modify their cars....Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. For me, if you cut one of these cars, the 'collector' value is sacrificed for short term fun.

This thread is not intended to point at any particular person or car, please don't take these comments personally.

 

[jcawley3]

often wonder the samething........

 

[BLACK6PACK]

A clean original car with a fresh rebuild done by a TR guru is the most valuable to me. The cars are 20 years old. Also something with fresh bushings etc. I bought my GN 10 years ago with a fresh rebuild, but the rest was pretty much stock. I still have the same motor, but I've had to replace, bushings, brakes etc. That stuff adds up on a 20 year old car.

It really depends on what kind of car you're looking for. If you want a low miler to drive on sunny days once a month, get a virgin. If you want something that gets driven more, taken to the track, and gets modified. Get something that is a little more updated.

 

[Grumpy]

Stocker's... NICE, CLEAN, and LOW MILEAGE :biggrin: DO as I say not as I do we bought Buicks to have fun with them. race and modify em to death BUT they are just a car to me.. I am old and the cars in "my" day are worth more stock .. NO NOT Model T's Look at the old late 60 stuff... Cars are worth way more STOCK . Hell back in the early 90's I wanted to put a GN motor in a 66 Shelby Mustang Imagine how that would help the value of that car today Guess it's just up to the person buying it .. what are ya goin to do with the car ?? :wink: Oh my "old" GNX :wink: here is really neat to look at as it only has 2600 miles on it .. NICE car BUT ya can't use the damm thing

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Lee i always look at it this way when buying another turbo buick.

If the motor or transmission has been rebuilt, i consider it a downside because alot of shops just dont know how to build them even back to stock specs! No matter what the miles are on the car.


Now on the other hand, if someone had their motor or tranny built by turbo buick professionals that everyone here has good luck with, then i consider that a added plus as long as its the way i would have wanted it built if i was getting them rebuilt.

As for modifications, it all depends on what kind of car you are wanting.

Are you looking for that all original garage queen that your going to feel guilty for modifying in 5 or so years if you decided to sell the car?

Or are you looking for a really nice show/ driver car / take to the dragstrip and ACTUALLY ENJOY THE DAMN CAR:biggrin:

If your looking to get into a turbo buick car that your gonna hit the track once or twice a year, install Julios methanol kit, bigger turbo ect.

Then look for a mid mileage car that has been taken really good care of, has tasteful mods done to it, and get it at the right price.

Ive seen alot of those garage queens sitting, and since they sit so long, once you start driving them, they fall apart, one thing after another.


If you found a 87 GN with 41K on it, had a great history, paint was perfect and interior was as well. If it had every single bolt on under the hood known to man, Mark Hueffman cold air kit, Precision turbo, THDP, Bweavy stretch intercooler, Julios meth kit, champion iron heads, Mike Lichts roller cam,vigilante 5 disc lockup convertor and a Lee Thompson 2004r trans, high z 60s,aftermarket wheels,RJC pulleys, powdercoated intake and valve covers for $17,500

vs.

a bone stock 87 GN with 41K on it for $17,500


You know my answer :biggrin:

 

[ROYAL_6]

" Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder"................... every one doesnt have the same taste or thoughts when coming to a car... some folks might see eye to eye, while others are in two seperate worlds...... Both cars arent wrong, both are great...... regarless if its a trailer queen or a killer street bit*h..... just enjoy the car.... The prices will be roughly close to stock low mile TR and a modifyed one.... you cant really goo wrong.. this cars look great stock, and also look wicked with performance parts and wheels...... so really you should ask your self what is it that you want and go from there......

 

[Pablo]

Depends on what you want.

If you want a car that you can put in your living room, never drive, and tell your stock broker about it at the golf club, the low mile stock TR is for you.

If you want a car that you actually drive and enjoy for the performance, or are like me, race regularly, you look for bang for the buck. I bought my car with upgrades I would have done anyway and saved a ton of money doing it.

Buying a modded car is usually a great bang for the buck deal.

I don't understand the huge attraction to a bone stock turbo regal. They are slow relative to cars today, handle poorly, and don't have very good fit and finish. The whole reason TRs got big is because they can be modded to be ridiculously quick very easily.

I guess it comes down to whether you think collecting things for the sake of collecting things is cool. Like baseball cards and such.

 

[Aztlanahauc]

Depends...

My car is a salvage title and is a driver. I bought it cheap (2500) and have no problem modifing it. I may even do one of those Air Ride Suspensions that seem to be all over in Hot Rod magazine and on Horsepower TV.

If you want a nice weekend driver. A nice Low milage one with some bolt ons would be good. (Which is what I hope to do soon.)

 

[BlackMetal]

I think the best option for both buyers and sellers is to have a modified car that has all the old parts kept for it and can be returned to stock if wanted.

 

[toofastforyou]

I voted for the ("bolt-ons are OK"...) even though I've sold a lot of original parts. Even if they could been reinstalled at any time, I plan to keep it "modified" the way it is now. After all, that's how I wanted it to be...Most of the parts I've sold can be re-obtained again...so I'm not really worried about the "impossibility" of my car being returned to stock.

Claude.

 

[SS_Sean]

Your poll does not answer the question, as I view it. If you look at the muscle car market today you will see the cars that bring the big dollars are the concourse restorations, or 'correct restorations'. The vehicles that are nicely restored will bring a premium, as well, but not anywhere near an actual concourse restoration. Then there is everything below that, which includes mild mod's to wild mod's. In that market your vehicle is worth what someone will pay for it. Someone who has a wildly modified TR up for sale would have a very tough time selling it unless his seller is an idiot with lots of money, or someone who understands the vehicles.

Essentially what I'm saying is you can't really dictate decisions on what you want to do with your car based on future value, unless you consider things like, is the car a low miler worth a restoration, or is it a high miler that has already been modified, and I just want to have fun with it. Low Milers, restored are going to bring a premium some day. But what do I know? Hell, at this rate our buicks are all going to be sent to the scrap yard because they are smog poluting, gas guzzling, wastes of resources, and we'll all be driving jetson's saucers.

Enjoy your car....

 

[ES1]

I would get a low milage fully loaded GN and leave it alone.
Example a moonroof & a G80 might not add that much to the price but down the road add-up big time.

My totally stock 69 - 442 is worth maybe 20,000.
If it were a W-30 - 4 speed that would of cost me another 300 in 1969, it would add 5,000 to the value today.
If it had been the Hurst Olds that I wanted that cost 500 more, it would be worth 50,000 today.