>Question for list:
>I just ran into a 71 midget, all
>original, only 33000 miles. Has not
>been out of garage in last 10 years
>but it started up immediately and
>sounds excellent. Excellent body,
>paint, interior and exterior.
>Now for the question... he wants
>$5000.00, I already own a 77 midget in >restored
condition. What is top end
>price for a perfect 71 midget with all >orginial
equipment???
For starters, if it has not been out of the garage in
10 years, then it is not -perfect-. Every rubber part
on the car will be dry-rotted and needs to be replaced:
all tires, hydraulics, brakes, hoses, boots, bushings,
etc., etc,.You'd be surprised how much rubber stuff
there is on a car.... I know a guy who had to do this
work for a friend on a -perfect- MGA --- Believe me, it
can be quite expensive and labor-intensive. In
addition to the rubber, there may be other things that
are seized up from not being used. A little P-B
Blaster may free them up, but maybe not....
THe mileage may or may not be correct. Let's face it:
it's a 28 year old car. That speedometer may not be
original, or may have rolled over 3 times for all you
know. Unless it's documented, I would take the mileage
with a grain of salt.... I have a '71 that says it has
34,000 miles on it, and I don't believe it for a
minute!
As far as a -perfect- Midget goes, after my '74 had a
cosmetic restoration, it was appraised at $3900, and I
was told that there was nothing else I could do to it
that would significantly increase it's value. A
pristine Midget still wouldn't be worth more than
$4500, and a $5000 Midget would be an exceptional car
indeed!
That said, you may have found a nearly exceptional car,
but I promise you it will need the previously mentioned
rubber work. Pointing this out to the seller may
encourage him to bring the price down. In any case,
I'd probably offer $3500, and maybe I'd let them talk
me up to $4000 if the car was really like new, but not
a penny more, and certainly not $5000.
Heh, my 3 Midgets didn't total $5000 - tho' I've
probably put at least that much into them........
===
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