Tell me what its worth / make me an offer

Hi,

Cant't sell this 1969 solid running MGB... so tell me what its worth or make me an offer.
The car runs strong and transmission shifts great with no grinding. The interior is OK, all gauges work, lights work, brakes just rebuilt by a pro. The body is in accident free shape but it does needs some body work in the lower front fenders and doglegs.

I am asking 3K for this car and that seems to be a steal for what some of this cars go for when you consider the work, new parts, and labor needed just to get the car into running shape... and this one runs really well.

So tell me what it worth or make me an offer. Thanks Paul Graff

Paul, I would say you are in the ballpark. Maybe $2,500?

I would say you are in the ballpark as well

Paul, I'm in a diiferent camp on this one!
Thats a sharp looking B and from what you've said is mechanically solid and (in your words) "needs some body work in the lower front fenders and doglegs"
I'm pretty tired of people nickel and diming these great cars to an early grave. For somebody that wants an MG and knows something about them and wants to drive one, $2K or much less over a period of say 4 years is;
1) a hell of alot cheaper than a new car
2) gives back pleasure to new owner
3) will last at least 10 more years before......? $5k total over 10 yrs? I say its worth it
Dont over-scrutinize what you have. Be honest, yes, but dont cheapen the experience and possibility of it needing work.
Maybe we're MG rich and cash poor here but others in the real (other) world are not.
If I had the time (summer) I would fly down there and drive it back. That alone is almost worth the price of admission!
Take some close-ups, really promote the car and what you've done and ask $3500-$4000
My $0.02
RS

Paul, I'm going thru the same thing right now with selling a project LE that I was going to fix for me wife. Some of the offers are downright insulting after you have tryed pricing it honestly. Good luck with it. I may just wait till spring and maybe a better economy.
John

Yeah, ditto. I've given up trying to sell my '71 (strong runner) that's very comparable to your car, Paul. I had it on Craig's list for $1750 and had a couple of tire kickers. I tried to sell it as a package with a clean, straight '68 (sans motor) for $2500....nothin'. So screw 'em, I'll hang on to them and wait for the market to turn around-which it will. I need the cash (for my GT project), but I'm not gonna give 'em away. It's sure a buyers'- no- make that a robber's market. Good luck to us all. Just remember- there are far worse things to me "stuck" with than an MGB.

Others have mentioned it, but pictures, pictures, and more pictures make all the difference. When I bought my car I paid top of the market, but I had a pile of pictures to really get a feel for it, and I have not been disappointed. With a car like this that needs work, that's doubly true because of the 1,000,000 people out there who list cars that are effectively swiss cheese due to rust and call them "a solid project" or "rust free" or "ran when parked" or "rust in the typical places, but to not too bad".

Providing plenty of pictures, including the floors with the carpets up, inside the doglegs, underneath the car, engine bay, trunk floor, etc will prove to potential buyers that your car is as described and worth committing time and effort to pursuing.

As for those who bemoan the low prices for cars with needs, the problem is that the good cars don't bring much more, so why pay $3k when you can get really nice car for $5-$6k? Maybe that's an anomaly, but it's reality.

Tom

Could just be you haven't found the right buyer. This time of year isn't ideal for a convertible. Also, keep in mind that the economy is down right now, so people are hesitant to buy more than the necessities.

If the car is what you say it is, I would hold ground at that price or maybe bump it a few hundred to give yourself some bargaining room. But, don't count on selling it quickly. As others have said, the right person will come along eventually. With the economy the way it is, a lot of people are trying to take advantage of those who are in need of unloading some assets. Hang in there until spring when the REAL MG lover's get the bug.

Cheers!

Paul,

Also keep in mind that in Spring, more potential buyers will be thinking about getting behind the wheel of a classic convert like yours. By the way, any water damage with the hurricane(s)?

Good luck,

Brad

[quote=denvermgb]
Paul,

"By the way, any water damage with the hurricane(s)?"

No water damage to this car from flooding from huricanne Katrina, but if you are speaking about me personally lost everything at work to 9' of water.

PG

Paul, I'm in New Orleans also. I don't know where you're advertising, but New Orleans is just NOT a classic car city. Now, if you had a pickup.......Seriously though, in the 7 years that I've had mine, and I drive it every day all over the city, I believe I've seen 3 others. You'll have to list nationally. Even so, as you've seen above, people will question buying a car from here.

"Did the car get flooded in Wilma?" is always, and should always be, the first question asked when people look at a car here in Key West.

I would suggest that people's questions about flooding have less to do with a lack of understanding and more to do with endless amazement about what some people will try to pawn off on another when selling an old car....

If the car can be put on the road AS IS then it is a great deal for someone who wants to DRIVE an MGB. I see 5 years of carefree driving beofre you would need to pay attention to the shell.

People who want to RESTORE an MGB pretty much need to steal the thing since they know going in that they are going to be tossing good money away on the other end of the project. So don't be too hard on them!

If ya need to get the most money out of the thing, then what you have there is a nice "Parts" car that you can e-bay. Sad, but true.

Pete

Peter, I wouldn't consider that a parts car from that one picture. If it is a $3000 car would depend on alot more pictures or having someone look at it. Plus depending on where you are you may need to consider shipping costs. I would suggest e-bay with plenty of photos. I just sold an LE project on craig's list. That was alot of agravation in dealing with a bunch of bottom feeders and ridiculous offers. The first person that looked at the car purchased it and his was the one decent call.
John

I have said it once and I will say it again. Pictures, pictures, pictures, pictures.

Take about 30-50 pictures (seriously), including all potential problem areas and post them to your favorite photo hosting site (I prefer PicasaWeb from Google). Then use the IMG tag to embed them in your for sale post here.

Buyers aren't going to go out on a limb for a car that isn't in their local area if they can't feel confident that it is as you claim it to be.

There are no film costs, no developing costs, no hosting costs, so it only costs about 30-60 minutes of your time. Well worth it.

Tom

John: I am certainly not insinuating that the car is only suited for parts. I did mention that someone who was not too anal about the odd rust bubble could drive it for years and ennjoy it.

Saddly due to the economics of this game, any unrestored MGB is going to be worth more as parts than the people on this board would pay for the whole car. LIkewise, if that unrestored car were restored, it would not be worth the cost of the restoration.

This game will be played out until the parts/cheap cars are gone. At that point, restored cars will start to sell for about what they cost to restore. Figure about 20 more years for the MGBs to join the Healeys and Jags. The MGAs are already on their way.

I really hope that someone buys the car for the advertized price, develops an attachment and restores it for future generations to pass along.

Pete

Try Ebay or if you have family in another state try and have them sale the B for you. Where you live buyers are going to think the B was a flood victim. Between $3000-$3800 would be a fair price.

I can see how some people want to pay less than $3000 for the car, because the word 'rust' is present.
B's have the inherent rust problem that when it first shows up, it's already deep in rust damage inside the structure of the car. People in the know realize that rust repair on a B means replacing sheetmetal (PITA and not cheap) and then finally a repaint. These days, and so far from the get-go, those expenditures are always of more cost than the value they bring to the car. The result is quite nice but is not a prudent economic wise decision.
For a seller, it's probably best to wait for someone who wants a B and who will kid themselves into ignoring the rust. These people are more in love with the idea of the car than their money.

I personally prefer a car with a good body and shot mechanicals to a rust containing body with great mechanicals. Cheaper and easier to fix. Unfortunately, rarer...

I think the market is just in the toilet....I'm seeing rust-free, running resto candidates here in Northern Calif. in the $1000 range- and I can't buy them up because I'm counting pennies as well....can't sell my cars, either. You might just have to hang onto it or drop your price. Don't even get me started on the economy....I'm in Calif....in construction-or, was, anyway. Good luck- I,too, like the looks of your B.

If it's still available in March I come and take a look...