I never thought......

[twodko]

I always had a hunch car appraisers were like pre-home sales house inspectors in that they all seem to be different and never on same page much less adhere to universal guide lines.

Where I'm at these days is like this and I'm bringing it to the forum for discussion and direction.

Today marks exactly 7 months since I lost my bride. It's said that no drastic decisions should be made for a full a full year. I'm walking that walk.

Our car took first place in its class at one of the biggest show in these parts in June. It was a bittersweet win. I was alone both days at the show, I was alone that night during the cruise....when I got back home it was just me and the car. In short the luster and excitement of our beautiful car, car shows and all the social aspects of it seems to have passed away with my wife.

This is not about a tale of woe, it's about moving on. How do I find out what my car is realistically worth? I'm just not
inclined to go the Barrett Jackson et al route so where do I turn to for its real world value before I make the decision to sell?

Tom

[shorty442]

Interesting, 24 reads and no responses.  I'm a motormouth so I'll speak up for 2 my cents worth.

First, my heartfelt condolences on your loss.  And the "wait a year before making any major decisions" is probably sound advice for those of us tending toward knee-jerk reactions, esp for emotional times.   If your wife was a big part of the car, car shows, cruising, meeting folks, etc, keeping the car might be more of a tribute to her rather than selling it since she's not there any longer.  What would she have wanted you to do?

Reference wise, there are numerous online sites to search for like cars being offered for sale by both vintage car dealers and private owners.
Here's several to get you started:
  - http://www.autotraderclassics.com/find/index.xhtml

  - http://www.specialinterest.com/

  - http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/?0=0&adtypeFacet=Vehicles%20for%20Sale&sort=c_time_desc&page_size=15&makeFacet=Dodge

  - http://cars-on-line.com/


Obviously prices run from the zillion dollar restoration category to the been in the family for years daily driver folks, and those in between.  Then you have to factor in what it's worth to you.  That's not always just in dollars spent when you also consider hours of blood, sweat, and tear, plus the good times.  You could also consult the NADA and Blue Book values for some more data points.

Hopefully none of this insults your intelligence, but rather is offered as food for thought.
Best wishes on determining your course of action and finding peace with your decisions.

Randy C.
Newaygo, MI

[johnnycharger]

Hi Tom
plenty of good information  was just posted by shorty 442. in my opinion the choices you make from here on out are going to be very tough and you know that without me telling you. The car that you have is beautiful and is worth a lot of money just off of what it is but nobody can put a dollar value on the sentimental stuff... that's something for you to decide for yourself. Tom you're a very smart guy that I have a lot of respect for so I know that I'm not telling you anything that you don't know, but hopefully bringing it into your frontal lobe will help you think about it and make a decision that is best for you. sorry to get so heavy...

[Chargerguy74]

Wow Tom, sorry for your loss.

[twodko]

Its a royal bitch to be sure.

John, you and yours have my back and I am grateful. Logan and Diane took to each other like PB & J over a backgammon board. I'll never forget that. You are wise beyond your years and you know I listen. Nothing heavy about it John just the circle of life. I should have found my way by now.

Shorty, I appreciate every word you took your valuable time to write. Thank you.

These thoughts are the reason I asked.

[burnout.dawg]

I just get all choked up imaging the position you are in and the decision making hurdles you are facing. If you have kids you might ask them how they feel. Depending how long you've had the car, they may have feelings and attachments as well. Wish you the best whatever your decisions.

[johnnycharger]

They sure did. Logan loved it. Also Remember Tom that you two were together a long time so it will take a long time to adjust and in the grand scheme of things 7months is short (albeit not easy.).

[hawkeye]

Time is a wonderful healer.  Give it another year, you might feel a lot different.

[Nacho-RT74]

Sorry Tom, I didn't know, ( or I didn't remmeber ) your loss!!!

About sell your car... I'm not sure what to tell you.

[resq302]

First off, sorry for your loss.  As cliche as it sounds, time does heal all wounds, some quicker than others.  The only advice I can offer is to consider what your wife would have wanted done.  If she was a big part of the car and shows, well then, maybe her spirit will stick with the car and be with you everywhere you go in it.  I really don't know you that well, nor did I know your wife but I could rest assured she would have wanted you to be happy, no matter what you decide to do.  Just keep this in the back of your head too that physical things can come and go like the charger, however, memories that are made from people and things can never be taken away from us.

I know that this will not be an easy decision but like you have said, I would wait that year just to be certain you think everything through.  In the end it is just a car but sometimes they grow more into being like a member of the family or prized possession.  I wish you all the best with your thought process and ultimate decision and again, my deepest condolences for the loss of your loved one.

[gsniegow]

One other consideration...  I have seen a couple of cars at shows where people have been in similar situations.  What they did is build displays containing pictures of the years past with their loved ones.  Many would have a display talking about the history of the car, the people involved, and stories for the show goers to read.  They display the car along with these dedications at the shows.  Soemtimes the dedications will capture more attention than the car itself!  Sure, some will walk right past it.  However there are people like me who will stop, look at the pictures and read the story.  Often times the owner and I will engage in a conversation about the car and it's history.  I always hope that my boys are listening and taking something away from those stories. 

Unless there is a financial hardship, I would not look to sell the car at this time.  I would encourage you to keep it, at minimum for another season or so and see how you feel about it then.  Perhaps you might also work on some displays / dedications to also display with your car.  I suspect that over time you will be able to share your stories with others and potentially encourage others to share their love of the hobby as you have shared with yours.

Terribly sorry for what you are going through.  May God bless you and help you through these times...

[stripedelete]

Time is a wonderful healer.  Give it another year, you might feel a lot different.

My boat sat in the barn for several seasons after my father passed.  I had no interest, motivation, or energy for it.
A decade later I can't imagine not having it.
Grief is a wierd deal.

Take care and give it time.

[NHCharger]

Tom- Consider putting the car in storage while you adjust. As mentioned above time does heal wounds, although some people heal faster or more completely than others.
My parents use to love boating, they had a place on the water here in NH and a winter home on the west coast of Fla with water access. My Mom passed away two years ago in May. My parents were together 54 years and were inseparable. My Dad didn't put the boat in the water that year, the year before he barely used it as my mom's cancer took it's toll. My Dad (now 78) swore he would never have another relationship. Last June my mother in law died, at the fellowship party my Dad bumped into an old friend, her husband died of cancer eight days after my mother. They hit it off and are now living together,(I'm still trying to adjust to seeing my Dad with another woman). She loves boating and they are always off doing something. My Dad knows I'm struggling to accept their relationship. He told me that Helen would never replace my mom, that he will probably never fully accept the death of my mom, but you learn to deal/live with it on a daily basis.

[bull]

What do you think your wife would want you to do? I can totally understand how the Charger plays into these feelings you have but I have to think eventually you'd regret getting rid of something that so significantly ties you to your wife and the time you shared with her.

[Cooter]

Tom, I know this of little consolation to you, but mom got rid of all pops toys, including his bike when he passed.
I sure wished I had the bike back. At the time I was only 13, and it didn't bother me then, but now I would like to have that old HD back. If for nothing more than just one more ride with it.

[bakerhillpins]

Tom,

I can't do much more than relate that which close friends and family have passed to me and with that it echoes the sentiments of stripedelete and NHCharger.  I wish you the best.

With regard to appraisals, my insurer requires it, he is a friend and related that they are typicall 20-30% off as the are meant to represent the cost to replace the vehicle and all the crap required to get one to that condition. And we all know that they are not typically going to make a return on investment, thus the difference.

[twodko]

Thank you one and all. Man, if we all lived in the same town what an Army we would make. Chronic gas shortages to be sure.

February will be a year. I'll revisited these thoughts then. Thank you my brothers.

Tom

[burnout.dawg]

BTW...Even though it has been said one year before making any important decisions, I've also heard one month for every year of your relationship...in other words, take your time. 

[polywideblock]

   I know mine didn't pass away just moved to the other end of the country ,quit a way in OZ ( again my heartfelt condolences )  but the pain and separation are the same so I've been told . it's taken me 4 years to get some semblance of a normal life again , everything we did all hobbies etc. seemed less appealing ! what I realised is it wasn't the hobbies it was the fact that all of my friends were "couples " and I was the "third wheel" once you meet some single older guys in the hobby you will find it all falls back into place      just give it twice as long as everybody keeps telling you and you should "bounce back " just takes that horrible word  "time"  . keep your chin up and a positive attitude and it will work out    

edit   
you will never get such a beautiful car for the money you've put in to it , same car would cost you way more if 12 months down the track you change your mind . with that being said maybe a "new" project is what you need to keep your mind busy  and you occupied

[chargerboy69]

Tom,

I have absolutely no advice on the cars value. . . So with that being said I am so sorry for your loss. I have watched my mom go through this for the past few years. She tells me the pain never goes away totally, but the intensity is not as strong.

If the car no longer brings you joy, maybe it is time to move on. Personally I would wait it out a little longer before selling, just to make sure. It would stink to sell it then have the regret of selling it on top of everything else. Prayers are with ya buddy.

[Supercharged Riot]

hang in there buddy!

i had some down times that made me wanna sell mine.
well...i still go mine and im still working on it

give it some time trust me!
if you sell I understand.

[Darkman]

Tom, it is a difficult decision and I can understand you rationale about this. Whilst the motivation and enjoyment of car shows is not there anymore, don't rush into it.

I suggest, getting a stack of photos of your best memories with your wife and the car, frame them and mount them to a wall you frequently see or pass by. Cover the car and store it for a while. Keep looking at the pictures and thinking about the good times you had. After a while (about a year or so), take the cover off the car and just cruise, don't worry about car shows (entering or even going to them) in this time. If the enjoyment is not there, or if the drive doesn't put a smile on your face, then maybe it is time to sell it and move on.

They say you can always get another car, but in this case, this car has way too much sentimental value and you will never get that back.

[69rtse4spd]

Years ago a buddy sold his 70, told him he would regret it. Six mounts later we tracked it down to the guy he sold it to. He wanted twice what he sold it for, last we saw of it, sitten in a back yard, keep it it, you can always sell down the road if you want.

[Chargen69]

I agree, you can always sell, but after that it would be gone, and probably really hard to take back.


I would forget the shows man, drive it

[Lord Warlock]

If you feel a need to set aside your toys, and refocus your life, I'd strongly suggest storing the car and coming back to it when you are ready.  I put mine aside for almost 30 years before i really started doing anything to it again and in my case it was because my best friend from high school who used to drive from Tallahassee to Jacksonville on a weekend every other month or so and was my car buddy died unexpectedly from a heart attack at age 40.  Figured if i didn't get started on mine it would never get done.  Still isn't but its closer. 

Sorry to hear of your loss, don't know if you shared interests or not, I know me and my wife don't have any real interests in each others hobbies, in our case opposites attracted, we tend to go our own way to do things we like, even though she is willing to go to car shows, she wouldn't be into them if we couldn't take side excursions so she could feel like we did something together like on a vacation.  Our daughter only goes to car hows to scope out teenage boys walking around. 

Don't sell the car, when your mind does finally refocus and you find your direction again, you'll wish you had the old car back,  I did without mine for 4 years while in the military, and within 2 years i was looking for another, then when i got out, i got my old car back from my dad who stored it for me. 

As far as valuation goes, probably the best appraisers would be from a collector car insurance company, and you'd get a realistic value of what the car is worth to replace.  The other way is to look in value guides and truly follow their guidelines for condition, such as condition 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.  (most driver cars fall into the 3 or 4 category, although most antique owners would think it falls into 2 or low 3.  Condition 1 cars are really concourse type vehicles.  Almost never see those anymore.  You can watch the auctions, but those really aren't going to give you a true value since those tend to be restored, or over restored examples.  Or you can search the sales ads in online advertisers and get an idea of what the car is really worth.  The final way is to just ask THIS site to give you an honest ballpark appraisal on real value.  We have people here with condtion 1 and 2 cars, as well as condition 5 or worse cars (non running basket cases that are being totally rebuilt over time).  Also keep in mind that value is subjective,  it changes depending on many factors, including how the economy is doing and how flush people are with cash.  The better its going, the more the car is worth.  Right now, its depressed and values are down quite a bit, but it will improve if you hold on to it a while. 

I used to locate cars for collectors, and kept up with values all the time, but i stopped when i stepped aside to focus on other aspects of my life, such as the wife, work, kids, mortgage, and getting by with no money for long periods.  Now i buy stuff for my cars when the work situation allows, and  do the work when time allows. 

Good luck with your life, I hope you figure out what direction you need to go, Find a few friends who can listen to you vent when you need to, and can offer advice, you still have to evaluate the advice and not follow it blindly, but it always helps to have people look at the situation from a different angle than you do.