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Help with price/value of a 58 Commander V8 4 door

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  • Help with price/value of a 58 Commander V8 4 door

    There is a 1958 Commander 4 door that looks to be in fairly good original condition on Craigslist near me. Looks "rust-free" other than some surface staining, no idea of the interior. I'm guessing it would need the usual cleaning and replacing of fuel system, brakes & cooling system to get it running. No idea if it has a title which is a major issue here in Nebraska. Asking $1200. Seems like a deal to me. What do you think?

  • #2
    Define "staining".
    No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

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    • #3
      here is the listing with pics:

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      • #4
        Exterior looks like the usual trim clip rust from longterm weather exposure. I'd want to check the floorpan, though, before rendering judgement.

        Clark in San Diego | '63 Standard (F2) "Barney" | http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

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        • #5
          That's why I asked for a definition. That's NOT trim clip rust running down the rear quarters - it's staining from the rot going on under the tacked on fins. The spot welds that hold the fins on will have to be drilled out, and the fins removed to address the progressing cancer that's lurking there. And too, I wonder when's the last time the carpets were lifted for a look-see.

          "Good condition, but needs work to be road ready." Man, that leaves alot of room for interpretation. Just from those 4 pics and that description, I'd think $800 would be a fairer number.
          No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Roscomacaw View Post
            That's why I asked for a definition. That's NOT trim clip rust running down the rear quarters - it's staining from the rot going on under the tacked on fins. The spot welds that hold the fins on will have to be drilled out, and the fins removed to address the progressing cancer that's lurking there. And too, I wonder when's the last time the carpets were lifted for a look-see.

            "Good condition, but needs work to be road ready." Man, that leaves alot of room for interpretation. Just from those 4 pics and that description, I'd think $800 would be a fairer number.
            I agree. That "staining" out from under the fin is indeed an indication of some unpleasantness under the fin itself and since they are not simply bolted on, it could be a chore to find said unpleasantness and correct it.
            Joe Roberts
            '61 R1 Champ
            '65 Cruiser
            Eastern North Carolina Chapter

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            • #7
              Originally posted by 50Ragtop View Post
              There is a 1958 Commander 4 door that looks to be in fairly good original condition on Craigslist near me. Looks "rust-free" other than some surface staining, no idea of the interior. I'm guessing it would need the usual cleaning and replacing of fuel system, brakes & cooling system to get it running. No idea if it has a title which is a major issue here in Nebraska. Asking $1200. Seems like a deal to me. What do you think?
              I saw this ad. I was initially tempted (I'm in the Omaha area), but I found a '63 that was very pretty and ran well for not too much more money than this. In fact, that fact alone makes me think the price may be a bit high on this car.

              One thing you have absolutely got right is that if this thing doesn't have a title, it's going to be painful to get one. Considering it's in Crescent, it was probably registered last in Iowa which makes matters so much worse. This is exactly the problem I've had with my Grandpa's car (which was transferred to Iowa at some point in the 80's), and I complained and questioned my way up the DMV chain of command to a very pleasant director whom I've emailed numerous times and have learned quite a bit. Getting a replacement title for a long lost car that was last registered in Nebraska is relatively straightforward. Nebraska has always been forward-thinking, and so they've archived every DMV record since gasoline-power took over for the horses.

              The problem though, is that if this car was titled last in Iowa, it's a headache even if the owner has the original piece of paper. Unlike Nebraska, Iowa seems to feel that the best route to go is to purge any and all records that have been inactive for more than 7 years. In other words, if this car was titled last in Iowa, and the owner hasn't got plates for it since 2005, Iowa no longer has any record at all that this car ever existed. Seriously. If he has the paper title, my Nebraska DMV director gal told me that the process is that he would need to take the car to an Iowa DMV, and get it re-entered into the system. From there, the title can be re-issued, signed over to you, and you just cross the river to have the car inspected at the Sheriff's station at 84th & Dodge and you're on your way.

              If the title was lost (as it was with my Grandpa's car), then it gets really really sticky. You need to get signed notarized bills of sale from the current owners, signed and ideally notarized affidavits from the current owner, explaining what happened that he does not have the title and why, as well as any info he might have on the owner prior to himself. Then you have to write a certified letter to the last known owner (even if it's this guy) saying that you intend to apply for a title, and that he has 30 days to dispute it. Etc, etc... It's a big headache.

              If it were me, I'd probably pass if there's no title, unless you were just going to use it as a parts car, or if you have a really good friend in a non-title state like Georgia who owes you a big favor. If it has a title, it still will be a little bit of a pain, so I'd offer him a bit less and see where it goes.

              Beyond that, I agree with the others here. Look under the carpet, check those fins. You might have a basket case hiding under a pretty exterior. If you do go and look though, take pictures for us
              '63 Lark Custom, 259 v8, auto, child seat

              "Your friendly neighborhood Studebaker evangelist"

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              • #8
                Wow, thanks a lot Jim. I might be in contact with you to find that DMV person. I get nowhere asking questions here at the Seward Co. Treasurers office.

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                • #9
                  Hey, you might actually have an easier time in Seward County. Douglas county is one of the biggest sticklers. The director gal who I've been emailing is stationed in the admin offices in Lincoln, and she highly recommends going to Lancaster county for anything old car related, as the people there have access to the admin folks who are slightly more knowledgeable about old car stuff. Feel free to shoot me a PM. In the last several months I feel that I've become somewhat an expert on Nebraska's DMV system. Of course, having said that, one of the reasons I'm giving up on my grandpa's car and scrapping it is that it's just too many hoops to jump through to get it titled. They actually wanted me to re-assemble the entire car before going through the process, and if so much as a fender wasn't original to that car (how would they really know???) then you can't get a bonded title and instead have to go for an assembled vehicle title, which would basically resign your car to never having hope of being a true "show car". It was a major hassle, and that's for a car that has been in my family for 40 years!

                  A title-less car from Iowa is horribly inconvenient in Nebraska. You'd be better off to pay hundreds more for a car from Nebraska, where the title is going to be on file in Lincoln.
                  '63 Lark Custom, 259 v8, auto, child seat

                  "Your friendly neighborhood Studebaker evangelist"

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