Barn find 1974 Trans Am

[almanorgreg]

I am a new member. I joined to learn more about how to handle the sale of a 1974 Trans Am that is located in my neighborhood. (Northern CA) It is owned by a woman who asked my help after her husband died. Car has been sitting for about 25 years. ODO shows just over 60k. I think that could be accurate because of the storage time. Body seems in good shape. Interior is semi-rough. Has original wheels and even the space saver spare. 400c.i. motor. Auto trans. Have not pulled it out for better inspection. Any advice on how to establish a value for the owner? And just how does one go about marketing something like this?

[Frosty]

Several things will determine the value of the car.

1. Does it run and how well ? This is rather obvious but it still important. A running, all original car is worth more than a dead one. So some money spent on a tune-up, battery, new hoses, etc. will pay for itself.

2. Inspect the exterior and interior thoroughly. Rust, oxidation, and rot will devalue the car big time. If mice/rats/bugs have taken up residence in the car at some point in the past, prepare to lower the price or spend some money to clean it up / repair it.

3. Look at the tires and all the rubber hoses, if they are dry rotted or cracking then they have become a safety hazard - its buyer beware or they need to be replaced.

4. Hagerty Classic Car insurance has a good tool to get you in the ball park. Obviously the car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. However, here is the link to give you a starting point.

https://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools

 

 

As for marketing the car, that depends on you and your neighbor. How much do you want to spend? How much time are you willing to invest in trying to sell it? Selling vehicles on Craigslist, eBay are popular. Some people feel websites national websites like Autotrader.com are a good way to go. Advertising in magazines like Hemmings Motor News is always a possibility. Each option as varying costs and reach. Let's not forget advertising in your local newspaper or Auto Swapper.

If you do anything online, the more pictures - the better to attract a potential buyer. Some sites limit the number of pcitures or the file size (of the picture in terms of storage size), but use as much as they will allow you to.

Does that help answer your question?

[almanorgreg]

Thanks Frosty,

I did know that a running car is NOT a parts car. That is a description I want to avoid.  But I have to co-ordinate the next steps with the owner who isn't in town at the moment. I have a few photos because a friend said that it 's "barn find" status should be documented. In order to pull it outside and inspect it more fully I will wait for her, I guess. I did tell her that I would start the process, which I guess is what I'm doing.

BTW, my own car is a 1968 LeMans coupe. It has 72k miles on it. Unfortunately, it has a 350c.i. motor. I call it a poor man's GTO because it does have a 4-speed and a 4:11 posi rear end. When it was sold to my mother-in-law, (original owner) Pontiac called the limited slip "Safety Trac" or something like that. So, she bought. Car is in great condition. And not for sale.

Anybody else with an idea about the Trans Am, jump right in.

Greg

 

[Frosty]

Greg another thing would be to spend the $75 or so price and order the car's original documentation from PHS Automotive Services Inc (http://www.phs-online.com/). This documents how the car was built from the factory, the options it came with, etc. For a Pontiac owner, It is "the documentation" to have to authenticate that the car is indeed a numbers matching car. You will need to supply the VIN # when you request the paper work.

I won't knock a Lemans. I own a '72 Lemans Sport convertible myself. It was built with a 350 - 2bbl but when I bought it, it already had a 455 in it. So much for numbers matching. So now I resto-mod it. I have around 103,000 miles on it. I bought with around 65,000 miles on it over 22 years ago.

I also own an '86 Trans Am....black and gold, 305 Tuned Port. It only has 43,000 miles on it. I am the only of this car.

[Caddy]

Hope that's a good find. Great tip for that documentation Frosty!

[Frosty]

Thanks Caddy.  Pontiac is one of the few GM divisions that kept and organized its build data. Sadly most other divisions didn't do so well at record keeping and retention and the classic car owners now pays the price since that data is not available.

In fact, GM will often tell owners it is not in the business of authenticating old cars, they are in the business of selling new cars.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Frosty

[Caddy]

That's one reason why these classic cars are not well-maintained by their owners.