What are matching numbers worth?

[jeryst]

Just out of curiosity...

Suppose you have two identical Chargers (or any other Mopar, for that matter).
Drive train on both vehicles is identical.
The only difference, is that one has the matching number drive train, and the other doesnt.

So, as a percentage, how much less do you think the car with the non-matching numbers is worth?

[hemigeno]

That's gonna depend on other factors... for instance:

Slant six/318/383/440/426 will all have different "values" for numbers matching.  Same goes for original equipment transmission.

What years are we talking?  '66-7 really don't have the same "numbers matching" criteria to go by.

What other options (such as original paint color) are in play with your hypothetical as well?


There are a lot of variables to go along with your question, and the answer depends on the combination chosen for consideration.

[68X426]

It's an un-answerable question, because you don't state the buyer's goals. (But ususally it's 10-20% for the buyer who wants to pay more for it.)

What ever the buyer will pay for determines what is less or more in the price. If the buyer wants number matching they may pay 5% to 100% more. If the buyer doesn't make it a priority, then it doesn't matter.

Same as the questions of which is worth more: auto or 4-speed, hemi or 440, red or black. I believe the answer is what the buyer will pay for. Most buyers, at a certain price (over $30k (?)) typically expect number matching. Does it matter is in the eye of the beholder.

[Alaskan_TA]

A third example is where some fool re-stamped numbers to make his car 'appear' to be numbers matching. It would be worth far less than a non-matching car.

No one wants to buy rolling evidence of a crime.

[jeryst]

That's why I wanted the cars to be absolutely identical, factory stock except that one was numbers matching and one wasnt. All other codes would be identical and 100% accurate.
It's also why I tried to phrase it so that the value would be a percentage. For example, I know that a Hemi is a lot more expensive than a six.  I realize that restored cars have different values than drivers, and some years have different values than other years, but overall, a percentage should still be somewhat accurate. I realize that rare cars may play by a little different rules, but I'm not looking for those special cases. Just muscle cars in general.

Rule out all of the other variations like date coded, restamped, etc.

I'm just curious because I've heard guys talking about how the value of a car is "Destroyed" because the numbers matching drive train was taken out. Well, how destroyed? Is the car only worth 25% , 50%, 75%? I'm just trying to put some type of average guideline on it.

[bakerhillpins]

I'm in this boat right now, and while your guidelines for the situation are pretty clear cut (IMHO) the answers that folks provided still ring true. It all depends. #s on a car that is 3x green to me are not worth much... why? because I don't want a 3x green car so it doesn't add or remove value from it. 

[68X426]

I'm just trying to put some type of average guideline on it.

I answered earlier, but I'll try it again. No match will get 80% to 90% of the match car, all else equal. Which will sell faster, ie have a better market, is another question entirely. That is a seller's question, you are the buyer at this point (or so it seems).

A perfect Bullitt Charger without numbers match is fine by me. If a numbers match is available I would not pay 100% for what I can get for 80-90%. But that's me.

If it's a 70 Hemi Cuda then I would want the numbers match and I'll pay a premium. But that's me.

A lot of folks will pay a premium for the match. Then again a lot of people will only buy a new car with leather and GPS. I don't care about those options. It is all what the buyer will pay.

I'll say that an accurate measurement is the 80-90% figure. Now go buy the car that you really want, match or no match. 

[hemi-hampton]

I can remember in the late 80's when car prices started taking off, Back then a real car or #'s matching meant everything while a phoney clone or non #'s matching would only get 50% the real thing it seemed. Until the rich guys with no knowledge & too much money to spend would pay just as much for a phoney clone non #'s matching car as the real thing, to these people they did not care about any of that, All they know is they had the money & liked what they saw & wanted it. Once this trend happened that seemed to make even the phoney clones non #'s matching cars pretty much the same as the real thing. When it used to be 50% is now more like 90%.

[jeryst]

I'm not looking to buy another car, it's just something that has always interested me. I mean, you can look up a car and get a value in regards to options, drive train, mileage, etc, yet there is no figure available to use as a guideline for matching numbers vs non-matching numbers. So does that mean, that the companies that value these vehicles do not deem it important? Some people wont buy a car unless it is numbers matching because they perceive the value to be greater, while others, like me, dont really care if its the original motor or not. To me, a 440 is a 440, period. I've had numbers matching cars and non-numbers matching cars, and the matching number cars were not faster or more fun to drive, or anything else for that matter. Some people seem to think that because they have a numbers matching vehicle for sale, it is worth significantly more than a non numbers matching vehicle. You see it mentioned in just about every vehicle for sale ad, either that it is numbers matching or not. Barret Jackson makes a big deal about it. Yet we, as a collective bunch of car nuts, have no simple way to quantify it, even though we seem to make such a big deal about it.

As Spock would say: "Fascinating!"

[Darkman]

Well IMO, I just bought a 383 68 Dodge Charger original with numbers matching. What did that mean to me?...nothing. Did that mean I payed more?....no. I paid 10k for it and for a car in that condition, it is about right. It did not add 2 to 3K on it just because it was all original. If it was a rare car then a collector may be willing to pay more for it because it is numbers matching. But as what was said, it is only worth what someone is willing to pay

[Troy]

Going back to what hemigeno said, the drive train does matter in this hypothetical discussion. I doubt if I'd pay more for any 318 automatic car if it was numbers matching. The overall condition of the car would determine the price. However, I'd certainly expect a difference in the value of an R/T - the original pieces would certainly increase the value. Obviously the rarer the combination the more money it's worth (which is why so many people try to "fake it").

Troy

[Belgium R/T -68]

Indeed an intresting subject. If a matching numbers drivetrain should be important then the complete
car should be matching or? What's the use of having matching# but wrong colour and for example
interior from another car? My recently sold GTX and Cuda were both matching but that didn't made
any difference in the price I got.

Per

[super_dave]

I think for a true collector, they want a car as it came off the line, thats what makes it valuable IMO.  If you had a 69 Hemi RT with 500 miles on it all original, or same car with replacement motor, interior etcc... all completely restored, both cars would essentially be mechanically the same.  I think it's obvious which one be more valuable to a collector, and which one will maintain it's investment value.  My point, it is worth something, but how much, I don't know.