Would Appreciate Your Insite & Opinion

[steelblue5505]

Many of you are much more active in the auto hobby than I so I am looking for your thoughts & opinions. The subject is today's pricing of our Retro Thunderbirds. They all have value, especially to their owners and especially to those owners who have purchased them new. By now many have rolled up many many miles but along with those miles many have kept their showroom beauty.

So where along the life of these beautiful cars does mileage begin to be the governing or the single concerning factor in determining a selling price? Some of our cars are showroom clean, winning First & Second Place prizes at shows and these car's odometers read way beyond 70-80K some even higher into the 100+K miles. But put that car up for sale and suddenly the high mileage turns buyers away. Why is that?

Yes, some of this is all in the eye of the beholder. Some of this is all based on what a potential buyer is willing to pay. But in reality as the number of miles goes up the selling price goes down. And yet many of these car indicate very little usage (low mileage) they often require service work that the high mileage cars never seem to need.

It is a puzzle to me. Just what is a valid selling price on a 17 yr. old or older Thunderbird that is eye stopping showroom clean, mechanically sound BUT it has been around the block a few times & has over 100K miles on it?

[carntz]

I seem to recall that in the past many postings of retros that had higher milege seem to require few if any of the more common repairs (fuel pumps, tranny, and of course coils). This seems to be documented in the past by many TBN members, Garage queens seem to record more repair, as many here have pointed out. Drive em and enjoy!! Of course a one owner car that has records of all repairs and service is a real plus and of course the perverbail carfax. Since I recently purchased my latest retro and I have seen the market here.From what I have seen the few one owner cars with 100 thou miles seem to be in in the 11000 to 12000 price range. Those I have seen in the 140 thousand mile and up range are fetching 9 grand or less. Of course for us in the know it depends on other things like hard top & cart, full or partial accent interior, the boot and mecanical history.I have looked recently in facebook marketpalce (which is how I found my Cashmere) and what I have stated applies to what I have seen in Western Washington(Seattle area )

[007Cruiser]

I don’t buy into low mileage cars having more problems. My 007 has only 18K on the clock and has been next to perfect for 20 years. I could take it out of the garage right now and go anywhere I want with confidence. As for pricing they’re worth what two people can agree upon. I don’t plan to sell but pass it on in the family.

[merlot4]

I can't answer your query, Mike, but can say it's nice to see you here again!

[BLACK BEAUTY]

you selling Mike?

[DavidA]

My only concern when going any long distance is parts. My car has 185000 miles and runs like it was new. Sure I've has some problems over the years ... cops changed twice, fuel pump, and of course tires. Not much else has happened but, parts, especially body parts are nearly impossible to find. If something should happen while away on a trip things could get quite problematic forcing unscheduled stays waiting for repairs. This is true for any 20+ year old car, but the relative rarety of these Thunderbirds only exacerbates the problem. The end result is going on any more long trips with this car probably wont be in the cards for me.

[TXBlueBird]

I suspect this is a holdover from the conventional wisdom of used car buying where lower mileage equals higher price. In truth, of course, the actual condition of a car involves many factors, including the quality of its original construction, how it has been driven, the type of climatic conditions it has lived and been driven in, and the care and maintenance that it has received. All these factors weigh more heavily as the car grows older. My unscientific observation is that folks seem to start questioning at about 50,000 miles and get more concerned at 100,000 for cars like ours.

Our T-birds seem to have been poised on the edge of the category of true collectibles for some time. I am afraid that they will never experience the demand that 60's muscle cars seem to enjoy but I think there will always be an audience that appreciates their appeal. Practically speaking, a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If you are planning to part with a lovingly cared for gem, you should probably be prepared to wait for the buyer who can truly appreciate its value.

My PCR has 87,000 on the clock. The repairs I've had so far are completely reasonable for a car with that mileage and of its age, so I'm not complaining. However, for the reasons David has already mentioned, I'm growing more cautious about taking it on long hauls. It has been well cared for but it also has some signs of wear. I know it will never claim top dollar. That doesn't mean that someone wouldn't have to pry the keys from my cold, dead hand.

Duane

[FUN X 3]

Our Bird gets regular maintenance, so many problems are tackled proactively. The biggest concern I have is the suspension and shocks. The car does not have the original ride, and not even close. We had a Ford dealer work on these aspects a few years ago but got totally scammed. I remember when we first got the car and early in its life, the ride was smooth, luxurious, and enjoyable. Not so much now. Not sure what to do, it will cost major bucks to restore that original ride feel. We don't drive the car much anymore, so we're hesitant to dump a bunch of money for something that may not be so necessary.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Probably the best move I made was replacing the original shocks with later LS Sport shocks..they were hard to find back then