To sell or not to sell? an INDECENT PROPOSAL

[Pistolpete]

Hi Gang,

Those of you who have followed my restoration know the time and effort that went into it - my 69 R/T 440 4spd., was brought up from AZ and is at the final strokes of a full rotisserie restoration.
I have just been given an "indecent proposal" and just when I thought "I would never sell her"

Bottom line - I put my heart and soul (as well as the majority of my savings) into this car, finished her the way I wanted not the way she came rolling off the line or the way "others" thought she should be done - 6 pack, pistol grip, Hi-po engine blah blah blah

A collector out in western canada decided he needs my Claudia to add to his collection, without giving you the exact number he offered me more than the recent appraisal (Which even I thought was high) and much more than I have into it.

Question is...................deal or no deal? anyone else been faced with this?

I have avoided posting pics lately because I wanted to get the WOW factor when I posted pics of her done...........I will post some pics soon!



comments please???

[moparguy01]

I'd figure out how much I have into my current car, and how much it would take to build another car just like i want it. If i can make it worth my time to sell it and start over ( i figure a good 30% over what i have in it) then i'd sell it. but i'm one of those odd guys that enjoys building cars more than driving them.

[TruckDriver]

I would keep it to not regret selling it later. Unless this guy is offering you a unbelievable amount of cash.

[69bronzeT5]

I would keep it but thats just me

[mikesbbody]

this one i simple, if you dont need the money keep her!

[charger490]

TELL THE GUY TO CONTACT ME AND I WILL SELL HIM TWO OR THREE

[69_500]

Personally I'd find it hard to sell my car. That is just me though. The only way that I'd even consider it is if I could sell the one I have, and actually get the one that I want. So unless there was a sure fire way to do both deals on selling mine, and getting what I want all within say a day or two then NO I wouldn't sell.

[69bronzeT5]

Id never sell my car. Well, if some guy offered 1 million dollars for it than yea sure, Id sell it but anything under...no way

[moparguy01]

Id never sell my car. Well, if some guy offered 1 million dollars for it than yea sure, Id sell it but anything under...no way

everybody says that, but if somebody comes up to you with 100 grand cash money talks. and no matter what you say i doubt you'd turn that much down.

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

Well sure sounds like a good amount of money. Its only a car

[69_500]

I think that bronze would sell his car for a good roll of film, that can be developed at a local drug store. It would be a fair trade.

[472 R/T SE]

Everything's for sale is something I hear from time to time. (for the right price)
I would and only sell something if I have a bead on something better to replace it.

Do you like the thrill in restoring them more than owning and driving?  I know some folks that are like that.  Nothing wrong with it, just a different kind of satisfaction.

The market's soft right now.  Will you be able to get the same money say 6, 12 months from now if you decide to sell later?  Nobody knows for sure.

[69DodgeCharger]

I wouldn't sell. If he is a collector than surely he can find something that will fill his needs elsewhere. Or afford to have one built to his specifications. When do we get to see some pictures of that Charger anyways?

[Old Moparz]

If it's the car you always wanted to have & you aren't desparate for cash, I'd say keep it or you might regret it. A lot of money might be hard to turn down, especially if it's more than what you thought the car was worth, but to a lot of people it's not always about the money. Here's a simple way I gauge the value of certain things, or whether I sell or keep something.

Will the sale of whatever item, change or improve your lifestyle, or your quality of life?

Not very scientific, but it works for me.

[69bronzeT5]

I think that bronze would sell his car for a good roll of film, that can be developed at a local drug store. It would be a fair trade.

what

[Charger1973]

Its really up to you...  Heres how I look at mine, I have got enough time, money, and work into it already...  and im so close to having it on the road, that I dont think I could sell it.  It took alot to get it this far and I intend to keep it.  Its not about money to me, its about finally having the car ive always wanted. 

[sixpack70]

I put one of my cars up for sale in 2003. I couldn't sleep for 4 days and finally pulled it from the market. Glad I did. Your car sounds pretty cool, I'd rather keep it myself and drive the piss out of it.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

Don't sell it, you'll regret it.  It's exactly the way you want it and if you don't need money, why even consider it?  I don't know, I couldn't do it. 

EDIT:  I just looked at the pics of your car.  DO NOT SELL IT!!!  That car is absolutely gorgeous!!!  I can see why a collector would want it, its one of the best looking Chargers I've seen!   

[twenty mike mike]

Drive it a few hundred miles before you make the decision, even if you lose this particular potential buyer (there will be others). You might find that it's not everything you thought it would be...then again, you might absolutely love it. You'll never know if you sell it now and you'll always regret it.

[69bronzeT5]

EDIT:  I just looked at the pics of your car.

Where!?!?!?!

[TripleBlackGator]

I think that bronze would sell his car for a good roll of film, that can be developed at a local drug store. It would be a fair trade.

I promised Troy I would not respond to "his" posts but I sure can respond to yours! Hardy F-ing har!!!!           

[Chris G.]

Question is...................deal or no deal? anyone else been faced with this?

How can anyone truly give their opinion without some sort of dollar figure you have been offered? If you are talking 70K for an offer, than I would say jump at it. Give us some dollar figures and pics, and the opinions will start to become real. 

finished her the way I wanted not the way she came rolling off the line or the way "others" thought she should be done - 6 pack, pistol grip, Hi-po engine blah blah blah

Ahhh, another pat on the back for the greatest car ever built....1970 Charger. 

[firefighter3931]

Some things aren't for sale....at any  price. 

You've been working on this car for what, 2 years or so ? I'm in the same boat only longer build time....the pay as you go plan.  While mine was in at the paint booth a similar offer was tendered and my paint guy laughed at him.....told the guy that I (me) was crazier than he (potential buyer) was.  This guy was very persistant and asked no less than 5 times for my phone number.

The point being is that this is MY car, I  built it and i'm  gonna enjoy it. I think (actually i know) you'll regret selling it after all the work that's gone into that beautiful ride. I can just picture you and your boy attending car shows cruising around in a bad ass Charger....those are memories that you will not be able to replace. 

My very first car was a 68 Charger and i've allways regretted selling it the most. My second Charger was a 69 and i regretted letting that one go too. I have 2 Chargers now and i don't plan on selling either of them, ever. These are special machines, and you are a member of an elite club....do you really want to cancel your membership. 



Ron

[The70RT]

If you haven't had it a long time it probably dont have any sentimental value and is just a car to you. I have had mine so long it is like a part of the family to me. Unless you have a few more laying around.....Like Chris G says - we don't have a clue what you have invested or what the offer is so 

[BrianShaughnessy]

   I get dumb offers all the time...  Just Say No.     That guy might seem sincere but I'm sure your car (if sold) would be on the next big B-J auction list.   The $ is only part of the value...  yours (or my) blood and sweat can't be measured.

   ps....   I hope you used a proper 69.5 aluminum manifold!     No sense adding 40ish extra pounds of heavy 70 cast manifold                Hi Chris 
   

[six-tee-nine]

I think you really have a problem here....

Sure you can sell and make alot of money out of your car.  Yo're even able to buy another Charger an nice as yours BUT....... will you ever find one that is 100% like you want it? and you know yours is because you know it inside out.

If you want to sell it because of the high bid you get and you will just end up buying another '69 Charger then i would not sell. But maybe now is the moment to finally buy that AAR Cuda  you've always dreamed of......

[OldGuy]

It's a simple decision -

What do you need/want more - the money or the car? 

If it's the car you have always wanted, the way you want it and money isn't a factor - keep the car.

If the need for money is an issue and you don't mind going through the process of restoring a car again and can do it for less than what he is offering - sell.

Unless your car is the center of your life - remember - it's only a car

[Silver R/T]

why would you ask someone about this, this is your car do whatever will make YOU happy

[pandamarie]

Keep it. I had a chance to sell my 70 challenger RT 440 6 pack  for more than twice what I have into it just a few months  ago and my wife ran him off, I wanted to sell it because of a few little electrical problems, I spent the time to fix them after that and glad I did, its one great car to drive and drive hard. Cant wait till I have my Daytona clone done to drive the hell out of it too. You will definetly regret selling it.

[kamkuda]

I really enjoy the build process of the cars, so building another may be a good offer.  The big money  makes for a great opportunity.


But recently (since I finally have most of the major issues dealt with) I have enjoyed driving my car around.  All the  and  makes driving the car you built a worthwhile journey.  Mmm... the rumble and feel of driving my car around is hard to beat.  You should take it for a couple drives first 

[aifilaw]

I bought my charger back in '99 for 3k. a vin'ed '72 charger brougham with the rear wing removed... original faded blue paint, perfect body, no rust, 318 car that someone dropped a 383 in. I stroked it to a 426 and poured more hours than I could ever count into it.

While driving it around town (my daily as well), I got looks from everyone, compliments from everyone... in fact I even watched a 40 yr old lady pulling up to a stoplight while I was pumping gas stare mouth-wife-open at my car as she obliviously plowed into the back of a stopped car at the red light (amongst the other dozen cars all stopped) at 40 mph.... (prolly lost her virginity in the backseat of one of these babies

I've been offered anywhere from 5-8k for my charger, most often I desperately needed the money, especially as I was finishing college.... but looking back even now, I'd much rather owe the bank money on my student loans than sell my ride, I know I'd regret it, even in the sorry shape she is in now, because I know someday I will be able to restore her.... once that's done... HELL NO!

[Brightyellow69rtse]

keep it i dont take my 69 to shows very oftenn at all i get bored quick.  when i do i usually get a heres my phone numbe,r or is it for sale??  i definatly could use the money no doubt but ive had her 7 years and it ws my dream car.i even had a guy offer me a trade for him mint and i mean mint 69 charger but it was a base model. he wanted a R/T se cant say i blame him everyone does lol. anyway his was in much nicer shape than mine is. the way i see it is i was fourtunate enough to my dream car at 19 ill be damned if im gonna sell it and maybe have to replace it with a lesser charger........Mike

[Brock Samson]

   I get dumb offers all the time...  Just Say No.     That guy might seem sincere but I'm sure your car (if sold) would be on the next big B-J auction list.   The $ is only part of the value...  yours (or my) blood and sweat can't be measured.

   ps....   I hope you used a proper 69.5 aluminum manifold!     No sense adding 40ish extra pounds of heavy 70 cast manifold                Hi Chris 
   

        3xyuk..


back to the subject...

it's about your appreciation and which YOU appreciate moe, the deal of making stupid money on the original idea or your oriinal automotive choice...
you'd lose the time it took you to git to this place too...
two years?.. that's worth alot...
so where's these pics?.
AND WHAT IS THE DOLLOR AMOUNT?...

  I like what Ron said actually...

Some things aren't for sale....at any  price. 

You've been working on this car for what, 2 years or so ? I'm in the same boat only longer build time....the pay as you go plan.  While mine was in at the paint booth a similar offer was tendered and my paint guy laughed at him.....told the guy that I (me) was crazier than he (potential buyer) was.  This guy was very persistant and asked no less than 5 times for my phone number.

The point being is that this is MY car, I  built it and i'm  gonna enjoy it. I think (actually i know) you'll regret selling it after all the work that's gone into that beautiful ride. I can just picture you and your boy attending car shows cruising around in a bad ass Charger....those are memories that you will not be able to replace. 

My very first car was a 68 Charger and i've allways regretted selling it the most. My second Charger was a 69 and i regretted letting that one go too. I have 2 Chargers now and i don't plan on selling either of them, ever. These are special machines, and you are a member of an elite club....do you really want to cancel your membership. 



Ron

[Pistolpete]

Hi Gang,

I won't post any new pics because she really is "that" close to being done - give me a week or so and I promise I'll put some good ones up!

Ok as far as you number's guys go - I won't give the actual number, but she appraised at 85,000 and he beat the appraisal - change anyones mind now?

just for my southern brothers info - the canadian dollar closed at over 96 cents US this week.............

Oh yeah, and in the end I know the decision is mine alone but I figure this must be something you guys have wrestled with so why not draw on that experience? Also, I LOVE my car but the problem is I finished her too well - I wanted a top drawer DRIVER something I could really pound on and still take to a show and shine - ya know? Mine is now a "trailer Queen" - exactly what I didnt want to see happen, just couldn't control myself I guess - LOL

[bill440rt]

Hey Pete,
I've been in your shoes many times with my '70 R/T. I've been offered LARGE money on several occasions, some of these people were big name collectors. I've owned it since 1989, & has much sentimental value so I don't think I could ever sell it. If I ever did, I'd have a seriously tough time replacing it.
You have a tough decision to make. This is only my observation, but most owner's who self-restored their cars appreciate their cars more because of the work they put into them. It's not a matter of merely opening your checkbook and asking, "How much?" You know your car intimately inside & out, it is essentially hand-made by YOU. How do you put a price tag on that?
I agree with some of the other responses. If you don't need the money desperately, and the car owes you nothing, then why sell? Enjoy it for a while, think about it. If you truly don't like it anymore or if it's not "the one" you've always wanted, well then there's your answer.
Good Luck!

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

It seems like at a car show everybody wants to know if your car is for sale until you give them a price and then they back down immediately and say well if I had the money. 95% of buying offers are just dreamers. There will be the guy who is loaded and just has to have that particular car no matter how much you tell him.

[Ghoste]

His beating the appraisal doesn't change my opinion.  Keep the car and let the guy go find his own and restore it.

[nakita7]

When you get a 'live' one, you sell...there are always other cars....

[70charger_boy]

 

[The70RT]

His beating the appraisal doesn't change my opinion.  Keep the car and let the guy go find his own and restore it.

I agree let him do his own. I almost hate.....well I guess call it jealousy if you like - when someone goes out and buys a car all done and then shows it. They get the credit and they don't know squat about the car

[69DodgeCharger]

When you get a 'live' one, you sell...there are always other cars....

Maybe you do.


To some people it is about more than the money. Is that why you always have wanted ads for cars? Because the last one got away to a live one? Sure you made a profit, but how much more time and work goes by with an ever dwindling supply of cars and parts to pick from does it take to get back where you were? After many years local people know my car is not for sale even though it never really seems to get any closer to being done. Every once in a while a straggler will see it in the garage and stop and ask about it but I just quote them an outrageous price and they leave pretty quickly. As far as driving a trailer queen, why not. Might as well get some return on your investment. It can always be redone later. Just make sure you have the proper insurance coverage.

[tecmopar]

This is a tough one but I know what your going through, kinda. Some years back I had my '69 Dart 340 Swinger (#'s matching) in the show at Garlits and all weekend this guy kept bugging me about selling it. At that time it was worth about 15K but I wasn't interested in selling. He kept after me, saying it was the exact color combo he has been looking for, it had everything he wanted, 4-speed, bench seat etc etc and he had been looking for a couple of years. Finally he made me an offer I couldn't refuse, almost 2 1/2 times its value. I think he was nuts or something but I took his money, bought another one very similar for 13K and put the rest in my pocket. Now, I did get to drive it for over a year but I think if someone wants to throw CRAZY money around like that just about everything has a price. Good luck in your decision, what ever it is.

[nakita7]

This is a tough one but I know what your going through, kinda. Some years back I had my '69 Dart 340 Swinger (#'s matching) in the show at Garlits and all weekend this guy kept bugging me about selling it. At that time it was worth about 15K but I wasn't interested in selling. He kept after me, saying it was the exact color combo he has been looking for, it had everything he wanted, 4-speed, bench seat etc etc and he had been looking for a couple of years. Finally he made me an offer I couldn't refuse, almost 2 1/2 times its value. I think he was nuts or something but I took his money, bought another one very similar for 13K and put the rest in my pocket. Now, I did get to drive it for over a year but I think if someone wants to throw CRAZY money around like that just about everything has a price. Good luck in your decision, what ever it is.

That's how you do it. There are always people who have more money that brains. If he got what he wanted, there's no guilt, you move on and buy another one. Doesn't matter if it's a car, a house or a lamp...if someone wants to give you more than it's worth, that should be a no-brainer. Don't get attached to 'things', life's too short...

[The70RT]

This is a tough one but I know what your going through, kinda. Some years back I had my '69 Dart 340 Swinger (#'s matching) in the show at Garlits and all weekend this guy kept bugging me about selling it. At that time it was worth about 15K but I wasn't interested in selling. He kept after me, saying it was the exact color combo he has been looking for, it had everything he wanted, 4-speed, bench seat etc etc and he had been looking for a couple of years. Finally he made me an offer I couldn't refuse, almost 2 1/2 times its value. I think he was nuts or something but I took his money, bought another one very similar for 13K and put the rest in my pocket. Now, I did get to drive it for over a year but I think if someone wants to throw CRAZY money around like that just about everything has a price. Good luck in your decision, what ever it is.

That's how you do it. There are always people who have more money that brains. If he got what he wanted, there's no guilt, you move on and buy another one. Doesn't matter if it's a car, a house or a lamp...if someone wants to give you more than it's worth, that should be a no-brainer. Don't get attached to 'things', life's too short...

As long as you live long enough to do another. Unless you are like the guy that want's his - buy someone elses and then you don't have to do it yourself. The same money would probably get you a NICE survivor car and then people won't ask who did what or what was done to what 

[nakita7]

True enough...

[Fitz73Chrgr]

EDIT:  I just looked at the pics of your car.

Where!?!?!?!

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,24612.0.html

[68charger383]

Well, were you into this car for the project or to "have" the car you always wanted when you were done. If you wanted the project, sell it and buy another...now you'll be fully funded, if it was to build the car you always wanted keep it and enjoy your hard work