Avanti R-2 Sold for $15,500

[jnfweber]

I was working in my 8 car garage with the doors open when a neighbor approached me and asked if I wanted to sell any of my cars. My wife was upset that we have 9 collector cars, plus 4 different "driver" cars, and an additional 2 car garage attached to the home. This left 4 cars on the street, which she did not like, in addition to the insurance premiums. Well, one is my "beater" which is my "daily driver", another is the AWD SUV, the third is the minivan, and the fourth is our "road car", all essential. And then there are the 7 Studebakers, now only 6, the Lincoln Zephyr, and the Lancia Beta Zagato. I told him I would be willing to sell the Lincoln, the Lancia, and the Avanti R-2, which looked just as good as when I bought it 20 years ago, and ran better than it ever had since I spent most of my last 2 years tuning it and modifying the AFB. So I sold it for what I paid for it 20 years ago, figuring the $5,000 I had spent for parts and repairs averaged only $250 per year, not counting that I did most of the labor and spent 10 times as much time working on it than I did showing or driving it 8,000 miles in 20 years. The agent cut himself a 25 % commission, which was on top of what I bought the car for, which the buyer paid, who had no mechanical expertise and had to borrow the money to purchase the car. I felt bad about that. C'est la vie! That's life.

You can access my photobucket albums by clicking on the thumbnail.

[StudeRich]

A little money in this economy is a good thing Jack, certainly can't hurt.
But since you and I have known each other about 42 years, you may remember how I feel about those rare '56 Sky Hawks! And that I, like others of course would all have different opinions as to what to do IF they were ours, which they are NOT.

#1 Keeper the '56 Sky Hawk
#2 Keeper the R1 Avanti
#3 Keeper and driver the best '64 Cruiser

The M Truck, the SUV, the "beater", the minivan, the Lancia, the Lincoln and maybe a few more Studes. IMHO not to MY taste would be gone, for sure anything pre-war.

Update: but then reality sets in and I realize that since you moved to Montana if they use salt, you might kill the Cruiser in Winter, so you would just have to keep the Minivan for that.

[63r2]

Congratulations, I think!

[Milaca]

Congratulations, I think!

Yeah....what Peter said....

[jnfweber]

A little money in this economy is a good thing Jack, certainly can't hurt.
But since you and I have known each other about 42 years, you may remember how I feel about those rare '56 Sky Hawks! And that I, like others of course would all have different opinions as to what to do IF they were ours, which they are NOT.

#1 Keeper the '56 Sky Hawk
#2 Keeper the R1 Avanti
#3 Keeper and driver the best '64 Cruiser

The M Truck, the SUV, the "beater", the minivan, the Lancia, the Lincoln and maybe a few more Studes. IMHO not to MY taste would be gone, for sure anything pre-war.

Update: but then reality sets in and I realize that since you moved to Montana if they use salt, you might kill the Cruiser in Winter, so you would just have to keep the Minivan for that.

Your colorful comments are always appreciated, Rich. The Sky Hawk and the R-1 are the nicest drivers, the M-5 is the most useful as I still use it to haul stuff, and I will use the proceeds of the sale to pay for the new paint jobs on the cream-colored and the blue Cruisers, both which are low mileage. I still will drive the FWD and AWD vehicles on the snow and ice. The '48 Starlight is the sentimental favorite since I bought it in high school, and all these "keepers" could use a fresh paint job. As you said, it's nice to have a little cash in this economy in order to preserve the marque.

[snowy_buffalo]

Does this happen to be the same car now on Craigslist asking almost double what you sold it for?

http://montana.craigslist.org/cto/3111262433.html

[PackardV8]

A bit OT, but I try to use those of you, such as jnfweber, as examples to my wife that my three Studes and our four daily driver cars/truck aren't excessive. Didn't work.

In reply, she said, "The jails are full of criminals who've behaved worse than you. That doesn't mean I shouldn't try to keep you straight!"

jack vines

[SN-60]

To: snowy-buffalo,------IT SURE LOOKS LIKE IT!!!! I realize that the new owner has every right to do this, but people like that still kind of 'bug' Me.

[gohdes]

yup, same license plate number!
(picture taken from the photobucket pix from OP)

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I would expect a lot more car for my $27,900 that the new owner is asking it for. Obviously someone was opportunistic in this situation but I have a feeling he is in for a surprise what he can actually get for this car. I say good luck to him, especially someone who claims little mechanical ability and had to borrow the money to purchase. Old cars can be expensive to maintain but relatively inexpensive to purchase without mechanical ability. C'est la vie! That's life.

Allen

[Gunslinger]

The guy is free to ask as much as he wants. He'll find out what people are willing to pay for it.

Maybe this is a case where his wife said "Sell it!" and he put an unrealistically high price on it so he can go back and tell her "Well, honey...no one would buy it so I guess we have to keep it."

[SN-60]

To: Gunslinger,-----Interesting observation!

[pdrnec]

The guy is free to ask as much as he wants. He'll find out what people are willing to pay for it.

Maybe this is a case where his wife said "Sell it!" and he put an unrealistically high price on it so he can go back and tell her "Well, honey...no one would buy it so I guess we have to keep it."

Every time I see a post like this I am reminded of why I have never remarried.

[jnfweber]

Does this happen to be the same car now on Craigslist asking almost double what you sold it for?

http://montana.craigslist.org/cto/3111262433.html

This was posted by the "agent" who recruited the buyer of my Avanti and added a $3,300 commission to the price I was asking. He called and told me he had a buyer who was going to pay $6,000 more than what he sold it for. Apparently he hopes to turn another big commission on re-sale of this car.

[jnfweber]

yup, same license plate number!
(picture taken from the photobucket pix from OP)

The new owner got a bonus with a PERM license plate. The NO is not married and left the car in town with the "agent", who is trying to re-sell it on Craig's list. It is sitting outside for the first time since transport from CA and the trunk will fill with water if it rains. I gave the NO the new trunk rubber to apply, along with the LH horn. He was upset because on a 50 mile RT he "smelled gas" in the cabin. It was necessary to leave it here as he had 300 miles to travel to his home and he had driven his Ford Escape from there.