Price/Value Guide Continued

As for those reproduction body panels, they come in varying quality, so only use the best examples available when doing a restoration. But keep in mind that they too, must be installed in the exact manner in which the original body panels were installed if the car’s restoration is going to be considered correct.

The quality of the exterior paint is another point that greatly affects a car’s worth. Paint that has a deep luster and is ultra smooth, without any traces of orange peel, adds value to a car’s overall assessment; conversely thickly applied enamel with noticeable roughness and runs reduces its value. New paint that’s been applied to a body with tape covered trim, with overspray everywhere, can’t compare to a proper finish on a car that has had its exterior completely disassembled and stripped down to bare metal prior to refinishing.

The biggest debate going on today regards the use of clear. Many serious owners and hard-core collectors feel that a classic car refinished with basecoat/clearcoat is akin to a custom car, because manufacturers never top-coated their cars with clear urethane. Unlike a single stage urethane, clear makes the paint look like thick plastic, with very little depth in the final finish. This is the type of look that purists do not want; thus, many feel it reduces a car’s value. But others like the added protection that the clear provides, so this argument can go both ways.

On the flip side, unrestored cars that are still covered in their factory applied paint (especially if the paint is in very good condition) will be worth much more than a similar car with perfectly applied new paint, simply because cars still wearing their original paint are extremely rare. More collectors are realizing just how special original-paint old cars are, and how few have survived, so they are willing to pay a premium to add one to their collection.

Is the trim on the car in perfect shape or is it weather worn? If the bumpers have been rechromed, does the new plating have a perfect finish or does it look like it’s been sprayed on? Quality chrome plating costs money, and stands apart from cheap plating at a glance.

Has the old, cracked weather-stripping been replaced? Is the new carpet a single, molded piece as on the original, or is it the cheaper type, made of multiple flat pieces sewn together? Is the headliner original or has it too, been replaced, and does the replacement feature the correct pattern of perforations? Same goes for the door panels and seat upholstery. Original fabric without small rips adds more value to a car than new reproduction upholstery does, but only if the seat cushions below still hold their shape and there aren’t any stains or noticeable blemishes.