VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions My dad's 1953 4 door powerglide

So my dad has decided to pass his car (Sunday dream driver) project on to someone who is up to the task of restoring it, it is a two tone white top black body 4 door sedan belair power glide (automatic transmission).

It has been sitting in the garage (shop) for a decade and I had always believed that when my dad retired from being a mechanic that he would restore this beauty and go for drives on sunny days, well here we are and even though he has retired as a world class technician for General Motors his to do list hasn't gotten smaller in fact it has gotten longer.

the condition of the car is not great, it needs to have a sandblasting possibly some body parts repaired from rust damage, and mechanical servicing to say the least.

all of the chrome pieces are there, and would be a great base for a true restoration.

I have two questions for everyone hopefully i can get some good feedback.

First question;
My dad has stated that he expects to get between four and six thousand for the vehicle as it sits, I don't think that is appropriate and believe he should expect more from the sale of the car and all the parts that accompany it I believe that it is worth somewhere between seven and nine thousand as is. Please don't hold back if I am out of line please tell me I simply don't have the knowledge to stand firm against my dad on it currently but i don't want him to sell it for pennies if he could get more for it.

Second Question;
Does anyone know someone who is looking for a restoration project that my dad and I could trust to turn this car into what it should be that will show my Dad the respect of giving him an offer due to the car that is the same year as my dad was born and should be his Sunday cruiser?

I will take pictures of the car and post them soon.

Pictures are a plus. At this point all we can do is guess. From what you describe, a non running car that may or may not need a lot of mechanical work and needs body work/paint, $6K is on the high side. Attached are pics of my '53 210 Powerglide that ran great (still does ) and needed no work to drive it daily, that I paid $4500 for. The seller even delivered for that price as shown in the pictures. I'm in Kansas and the car was in Oklahoma. Prices would be higher on either coast but not by a lot for a car that needs a lot of work. I sold a documented 29,000 mile 62 Biscayne four door (see photo) at Mecum for $8250 which was market. Don't get caught up in the all too common Barett-Jackson syndrome.

Thanks for joining us on VCCA Chat. I know that decisions like these are difficult.

I agree with Tiny that you need to be realistic in your expectations of value. Unless it is a highly desirable make, model, and body style, a non-running rusted car that has been sitting 10 years will get little if any interest in the marketplace.

The reality of the marketplace is that the original owner's intent and vision have little if any value. Unless a buyer has a tremendous passion for that particular car it becomes a question of economics. Based on your preliminary description it could easily cost $25,000 to $35,000 to get that car looking reasonable and running reliably and safely. Rust repair and paint are very expensive. If you do it yourself it is very time consuming. Remember that the buyer is also considering the market value of the finished car. Restored '53 and '54 Chevy sedans sell for $20,000. Those values are dropping due to the aging of the generation that remembers them.

Tiny's 210 is a great benchmark. You should also spend some time doing internet searches on asking prices for similar cars. Please do not be offended but you asked for opinions. I would be surprised if you could get $1500 for the car as is. To be very truthful the most interest in that car will be in the drivetrain. That is a full oil pressure lubricated 235 engine, a cast iron case Powerglide that starts in low gear, and a rear axle with a 3.55 rear end ratio.

I wish you and your father the best. Hopefully you can find someone who has the interest you are seeking.

Must not be too big a deal. The OP hasn't been back on site since the initial post.

I noticed that. Either that or he did not like what he read.

He hasn't been on site to read the replies. Maybe he read our comments if he opted to receive email notifications. Too bad. I'd like to hear his feedback.