buggy project prices

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lastmanx
Posts: 394
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:40 pm
Location: Ashland Massachusettes

buggy project prices

Post by lastmanx »

just curios if it's a trend or the future; prices for buggys needing major work are priced unnecessarily high and are described as needing little work or described deceptively. for instance locally in my state a project is priced at $4800 described as needing little finishing such as body not fully bolted. most wiring done,interior need finishing,unclear description of clear title, brakes needing attention,original gel coat that will clean up. by looking at photos and knowing the body type very well I could see the truth. So I called the seller he said: it has no title, (knowing this buggy type is usually painted) he said he was unsure if it was painted or gel coat, but said it looked good (photos show not), the wiring; wipers started then stopped,the horn button on dash works but horn doesn't sound the stereo he didn't bother with (so no it does not work) photos show floor mount high/low switch hanging in way of peddles un mounted, main brake line missing so brake lights wont work. listed as having fiberglass seats (that are poly) with no covers are not mounted; he mentioned floors had seat rails( but no seat frames or sliders) said motor has new flywheel and matching starter but was vague on why (obviously 6 to 12 volt conversion) picture showed mechanical gas gage. I asked if gas gage worked he said it was an early one wire gage that was unconnected and should work but the tank had only one gallon of gas. advertised as running and yard drives (but with no working brakes you can't test all gears). his enthusiasm of its quality and easy repair never waned. his profile listed him as a mechanic by trade (yet nothing was fixed) he was unwavering on his high asking price even after I refuted all of his stated facts in the ad. I am looking for a major project buggy which this clearly is but not at full finished retail pricing. others I have seen listed had similar stories. being the dirtbag I am I will wait patiently for it to be buried in snow and then offer a fair value price on it probably the day before Christmas. hopefully an exited newbie won't have bought it believing his nonsense before then. So my question is have other members of the club seen similar trends in other parts of the country such as this or is this just me whining. is the future of our hobby intent to rip off newbies for a quick high profit? And if you are a newbie beware for ads similar to what I have described as you are the obvious target for them.
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jhkinca
Posts: 105
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 2:04 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: buggy project prices

Post by jhkinca »

We spent a few years watching the entry level buggy market in multiple west coast states. No-op trailer it home projects from $750 to $6,000. Street legal and running anywhere from $4000 up to $23,000. To me, there is no such thing as a turn key or complete "used" buggy. No matter how nice, the next owner wants to make it their own with personal mods. So we chose to by cheap and modify to our liking. What the seller wants and how bad they need the cash is what really determines the price.
John & Sonya Kieslich
bclem
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2016 6:49 am

Re: buggy project prices

Post by bclem »

I just bought a unknown make car for $300. Body is off the chassis and needs a fair bit of glass repair. Early 6v chassis with solid pans but brakes are stuck and it will need a full mechanical resto. Has a trans of unknown condition but no motor.
I'm a retired VW mechanic with a large stash of old and new parts plus a lot of experience building kit cars so I can build this car fairly cheaply. I'll probably have less than $1500 in it when done.
$200 - $800 seems to be the range around here (Arkansas) for rough cars and $2500 - $8000 for runners. Paint and chrome seem to be the price drivers.

Here's the $300 car.45454550454645484547
lastmanx
Posts: 394
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:40 pm
Location: Ashland Massachusettes

Re: buggy project prices

Post by lastmanx »

bclem wrote:I just bought a unknown make car for $300. Body is off the chassis and needs a fair bit of glass repair. Early 6v chassis with solid pans but brakes are stuck and it will need a full mechanical resto. Has a trans of unknown condition but no motor.
I'm a retired VW mechanic with a large stash of old and new parts plus a lot of experience building kit cars so I can build this car fairly cheaply. I'll probably have less than $1500 in it when done.
$200 - $800 seems to be the range around here (Arkansas) for rough cars and $2500 - $8000 for runners. Paint and chrome seem to be the price drivers.

Here's the $300 car.45454550454645484547
thanks for the response. looks like a fair deal. must just be my area where prices are ridiculous . have fun.
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