VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 1951 chevy 4-door deluxe - worth

have a friend looking at a 51 4-door deluxe black with stock interior all original car no modifications other than seat belts 6- cylinder i presume it has a 235 because it is automatic trans 94,000 miles wide whites ( condition not known at moment) great looking car what does our club think its worth he liked my 50-coupe so he wanted something old to drive around in

That engine is a hydraulic lifter 235 but it is does not have full pressure lubrication. The rods use dippers.

It is really hard to value a car without more detail. While it might look great, the real question is how often and how much it has been driven. If the car has been sitting for a few years it will take a lot of work on the brake and fuel system to get things going. A set of tube type bias ply tires is between $1200 and $1500 by the time you get them on the car.

I often use the Hagerty Valuation tool to start the discussion about price and sometimes the NADA guide.

it has been parked inside a concrete floored building ,it hsa been driven the interior is in great condition paint looks real good still shiny, tires are fair . by being inside there should not be too much wrong with brake lines brake shoes dont know .the owner has kept up with basics oil change coolant etc. will go with friend and crawl under and get a better look of whats going on under neath the owner is asking 5000.00 will just have to go and take a look

Based on your latest information it is definitely worth investigation at that asking price.

Remember to take a good look at the wiring harness at multiple locations. Those can be replaced relatively easy but there is a cost.

The one other area that really deteriorates with time is all the weatherstripping on the doors and around the windows. I agree those do not affect now the car runs and drives. If the car is not going to be out in the rain much it is not an issue. You just have to be careful when you wash it.

RUST RUST RUST
Rocker panels, body to frame supports, above rear wheel openings and body and trunk floor.

The 55 counties of WV had to adopt a universal valuation method for antique cars. The state tax office has the counties use “old cars report price guide”, a magazine sized bi-monthly publication sold at stores with large magazine selections.
The guide only used in WV for about 10 years now really helped me and the tax office negotiate a value for dismantled partly rebuilt 70 yr old Chevy thats slowly being restored each year.
The six values from #6 “stripped/ useful only for parts” to “flawless/ original or restored museum quality car” and the six detailed descriptions were extremely helpful.
The price guide states the #1 value is only for a small percentage of cars, generally a trailered and rarely driven car.
The values are based on sales and auctions of the vehicle in all its forms and list values for each form such as 2dr, 4dr, coupe, convertible, etc.
The car values start from about fifteen years prior to 100 years or more back in time. All domestic and many foreign makes are included as well.
Pricey for a magazine at $6 or $10 per issue but, worth every penny when trying to value an old car.
Also nice to have a current (printed bi-monthly) 30 page magazine “price guide” in your hand to show the seller as opposed to values printed from the internet on a single piece of paper.
I think allowing the seller to see the values of models above and below theirs including the six condition values of each model is invaluable. The seller can easily see for themself where their asking price fits in based on the six conditions and the various models.

olddominion, i have subscribed and used the Old Cars Price Guide many times and still do.....the problem usually then rest with both parties agreeing on it number condition with the owner thinking its "one better" than it really is.

....AND as is indicated it is a GUIDE so a personal inspection is always in order. Many times I have ended up with a price in between the numbers simply based on the pluses or minus on inspection. After I believe 40 years of following the car hobby OCW is pretty much on the money....just my .02

What does OCW stand for?
I agree you have to look at a car to get a price you’re willing to pay and then negotiate that price with the seller or start at the sellers price.
I had trouble determining value of my car thru others like NADA,
Edmunds and Kelley blue book. My car is in 100 pieces and even if fully assembled would have rust damage and original wiring harness, and other things I’m not willing to repair or replace. The old car price guide was a great help determining value mostly due to the range of six conditions, the value of the various models and updated values every two months. Once the state tax office began using it to value cars I was even more content with my value and theirs.

Soory......ocw stands for Old Cars Weekly. Kind of a sister to old cars price guide.

....ocw is a good read. It comes out 38 issues a year and usually has good stuff in it andit covers and list car auctios around the country.

I believe it just goes by Old Cars now not Old Cars Weekly. Like so many other things that changed their name recently

Dick

I'm looking at a similar car like yours and my concern is the automatic transmission. The car I'm looking at shifts OK now but what would I do if the transmission ever failed. Nobody in my area knows what a power glide is much less work on it. And if you could find a shop somewhere it would be cheaper to ship the whole car.