Hemi 53 Showcar FS

[Flashback]

OK, in light of all the fawning over this car, I suppose I'm once again sticking my neck out, but as far as I'm concerned, no matter how pretty the paint/chrome, a non-running car is a pig in a poke, and the price should reflect that.

If the seller doesn't want someone to "beat him down" on the price because it doesn't run, and it won't take much to get it running, then he needs to get it in shape before putting it on the market. Either the seller has no mechanical skills himself and is too cheap to hire someone to get it going, or he's covering up something. Or both.

Jeez. . . .

OR, he could be like me right now, can't do anything himself or can't afford to pay. Still may need to sell???

[black56hawk]

I spent three months in the hospital four years ago, had seven major surgeries in six weeks, almost died three or four times, and it took six months of rehab after I got out to get my left arm so it would work again. So I can understand how health problems can turn everything upside down.

Having said that, this car has only been driven "five miles" since being restored, and has not run at all in four years. I kinda don't think the seller's health problems are the issue. If I am wrong, I will apologize to the seller. Otherwise, it is a beautiful car, but don't everyone act as if its non-running condition is irrelevant.

[t walgamuth]

Looks pretty nice. I am slightly tempted by it but already have too many cars and too little money.

Looks like its missing the lower pan in front.

[studefan]

No idea but I wonder the same thing. Maybe the reason it was only driven 5 miles total is that there was an engine issue from the very beginning that wasn't resolved. Who knows. It is a beautiful looking car.

[sweetolbob]

Let's assume that the car upon inspection is a beautiful vehicle with the exception of the knowledge that the engine is questionable. The worst that can happen is you get a car home that needs an engine rebuild. I don't know what a 354 Hemi costs to rebuild but I'll bet it under $4K. Heck! the valve covers and accessory drive is worth that.

If you look at the engine and see the time spent on the exterior, I would suspect that the inside is pretty high quality also.

Take it home for around $30K, see what happens when you try to carefully start it and go from there. Even if the engine is junk you're still into a top grade 53K for under $35K. As JV says, try to build it for double that.

Way to much angst about the engine.

As far as the wipers, if one needs them, it looks like the drive is there so all it would take is a motor that goes roundy round in the correct direction under the dash. Without the radio and other things there should be enough room to pull that of.

Bob

[Flashback]

Must be the economy (WHY THIS CAR HASEN"T ALREADY SOLD), I mean??????????????

[black56hawk]

Ok, I really don't want to run this into the ground, and I don't mean this to sound like a personal attack on the seller, whom I've never met. Nor have I ever seen the car. But I think some of the "advice" given here is just bad, and understates what a potential buyer might be getting into.



Can this car be made to run and drive properly? Absolutely. With enough time and money, anything can be resurrected. The question is how much it will take. At this point, that is unknown.
Is the car beautiful? Has a lot of the work been done to a high standard? It certainly appears so.



But I am aware of a very high dollar Studebaker Coupe-Express that is now sitting in a local shop. Stunningly beautiful, awesome paint, super high dollar interior, all kinds of neat custom features. Been to several different shops over the past few years. The motor looked good but was a complete mess inside. It has cost the owner way more than $4,000 to redo the motor - about twice that, actually - and that doesn't include the cost of removing and re-installing the motor, or fixing some of the ancillary external issues. The front suspension is also screwed up, with, among other issues, front coil springs (that were chromed at no small expense) that simply do not fit and will have to be replaced. At this point, the owner has spent over $200,000 on his truck, and still has more to spend.



And it is worth noting that the cost of building a car is only tangentially related to its value. There is another Stude in the same shop. A 50 Champion 4dr sedan. Its owners have sunk over $100,000 into it. It is beautiful, and runs great. How much is it worth? Maybe 1/5 of what the owners have in it.



I have bought non-running cars myself. I'm not saying one should never do so. Shoot, Matthew just bought a non-running Studillac. And he got a great deal on it, too. But he has a long way to go before it is truly a good-running, good driving car.



Once again, my main point is simply that the non-running condition of the car at issue here is and should be a factor in its selling price. To get it running/driving might be as simple as cleaning out the fuel and brake systems (although, once again, if it will be this easy, the seller should already have done it). Or it may not be anywhere near that simple or that cheap. As long as one understands that from the git-go, have at it.

[t walgamuth]

I'd have to say that the seller not allowing a potential buyer to do anything except turn it by hand seems a little fishy.

My buddy and I once drove to Indy to look at a lovely Mercedes 350SLC. The guy would not let us drive it at all. He gave some bogus reason like insurance or something. We went to lunch to think it over and called him afterward and he said it was sold. We both thought there was some other problem that he was trying to hide.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Let's assume that the car upon inspection is a beautiful vehicle with the exception of the knowledge that the engine is questionable. The worst that can happen is you get a car home that needs an engine rebuild. I don't know what a 354 Hemi costs to rebuild but I'll bet it under $4K. Heck! the valve covers and accessory drive is worth that.

If you look at the engine and see the time spent on the exterior, I would suspect that the inside is pretty high quality also.

Take it home for around $30K, see what happens when you try to carefully start it and go from there. Even if the engine is junk you're still into a top grade 53K for under $35K. As JV says, try to build it for double that.

Way to much angst about the engine.

As far as the wipers, if one needs them, it looks like the drive is there so all it would take is a motor that goes roundy round in the correct direction under the dash. Without the radio and other things there should be enough room to pull that of.

Bob

Couldn't have said it better.

I don't have $35k to spend on another car right now. If I did, this would be in my garage...at least for a while . The non running condition is baked into the price already. If the cosmetics are as good as they look, this is AT LEAST a $45k car running and driving, and probably more. For $30k, it's money in the bank.

[TWChamp]

I'd have to say that the seller not allowing a potential buyer to do anything except turn it by hand seems a little fishy.

My buddy and I once drove to Indy to look at a lovely Mercedes 350SLC. The guy would not let us drive it at all. He gave some bogus reason like insurance or something. We went to lunch to think it over and called him afterward and he said it was sold. We both thought there was some other problem that he was trying to hide.

The seller wouldn't let me drive the 50 Champion I bought last spring. This was the first time that's ever happened, but I knew the car was worth much more than the asking price, so I bought it anyway. Sure glad I did too.

As far as this modified car, I have no interest, but could find a lot of other Studebakers I'd like to own for 30K or less.