Re: Advice wanted on 1941 Packard 160

Posted by Packard 1941 On 2012/9/24 21:10:02

Hi, I thought I would put in my 2 cents, since I have been collecting Packards since 1968. I wise friend once critizied me for collecting sedans to restore because they cost just as much as convertibles, and convertibles hold their value. He was correct. How does that relate to your car? Just that it will cost much more to restore than it will be worth when finished. This is true even if you are able to do much of the work,unless you disregard the value of your time and labor. Therefore,you may have a great parts car, depending upon the condition of the valuable parts. It is difficult to tell from photos the actual condition of the body parts. Are the rear fenders rusty where they bolt to the body? Is there rust through at the bottom of the front fender wells? The taillights and lenses are valuable, but how pitted is the trim on the housings and are the lenses in good condition, i.e., not chipped or cracked? Unless you are able to sell it to someone in your area, not only is there the cost of transportation for the buyer, but he/she has to take into consideration the time (cost) to dismantle the car. If you don't have the time to take it apart and sell the parts, then put it on eBay with lots of good photos and see what it will bring, using a realistic reserve. If it doens't sell after the first run through, try it a second or third time. You always can lower the reserve. If you are interested in selling parts, you can try that if the car doesn't sell. You may realize more than you would if you sold the car as is.