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Veteran
Posts: 214
| I'm still trying to sell this car. It's been more than two years. Is the price really that high? I've seen similar non running cars in far worse condition go for 5 to 6k. They are "asking" those prices, but probably not geting them I suppose. I guess it being a Firesweep doesn't help either. Nick
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/4850026815.html
Edited by Nick Nichols 2015-01-24 9:16 PM
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Location: Parts Unknown | Nick ~
Personally, I don't like the 59 Mopars, but many do, and it seems to me this being a low-line
Firesweep with the very rare dog dishies would make it extra appealing as an unusual example
that would stand out from 99.9% of the other 59 DeSotos still surviving.
Given what some people pay for real junk, your price seems perfectly fine. If it were mine, I'd
run it on blackwalls to make it extra ugly and "stripper" looking, but some whitewalls would
probably get the hoy pelloy more excited to buy (?).
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 692
Location: Los Angeles, California | I've been keeping a eye on it over the years Nick, I think the lack of options is what sets people off, less interest. Also the fact the rust has taken it's toll on the old gal, not that it isn't drivable or fixable later on, but I feel many people would be un-satisfied with the look of the car "as is" and as soon as they do some paint work, they get into rocker work, the rust around the windows, repairing the seat, detailing the engine, list goes on and on, and it turns a lot of people off. Someone has to be committed to a full restoration of a bare bones car, or drive it with a bit of rough edges, and both of those kind of people are un-common. Your on and off selling of the car might have as well turned off a lot of buyers, I think when I had the money, you weren't selling it at the time, might have a deal coming through in the next few days, I'll shoot you a pm if it does. Your not far off on the asking price, you just have to get into the mindset of the buyer as well, this is the only good deal on the west coast I've seen for a long time, its why I want it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 214
| Yeah, I've been on and off selling it because I get tired of trying to sell it. And yes, the rust has scared off many a buyer. I'm into it about what I'm selling it for. I would rather just keep it than sell it for a lot less. It does still drive good. All the wheel cylinders were replaced including the master when I first bought it and the rear shoes as well. The front shoes were okay back then so I didn't replace them but I think they need replacement now. I've put around 8,000 miles on it in 14 years. The longest stretch of it not running has been 2 weeks. Mostly it is driven once a week |
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | I don't think being a FireSweep in this case hurts it all that much as compared to, say, a '58 where the front end looks very different than the larger models, most people could never discern the slightly shorter front fenders/wheelbase of the '59. It might help to show in detail the rust ares so one could decide if it was fairly minimal to repair - on the East coast this car would be considered super solid. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Good points, Rogelio.
From the northeast coast perspective ... "if you can't see all four wheels from the
same side of the car, then it's rust-free !", this car is pretty darned nice.
I wish DeSoto had just shortened the regular fenders like this for 57 and 58, instead
of using the Dodge heavy eyebrow jobs. Had they done that, I think I'd dump my fancy
Fireflite and build a stripper Firesweep !
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | " I'm into it about what I'm selling it for. "
I hope you sell it, but the above statement is inherently flawed. Whenever I sell an old car, I take the amount I have in it and divide it by 2 or 3 or 5 to come up with the sale price. |
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Veteran
Posts: 214
| So if I divide it say by 3 then that is $2000. That seems pretty low doesn't it? Your system seems "flawed" to me. Maybe a good system for a buyer but not for a seller. |
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Expert
Posts: 3069
Location: Scotland | one for comparison http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=56280&... |
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Veteran
Posts: 214
| That one looked like an incredible deal!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | That's my point - usually when you sell an old car you take a thumpin'. Especially if you've done anything to it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 214
| I disagree. If I've owned an old Mopar for more than 10 years, I always seem to sell it for more than I paid for it, which includes work I've done on it. Prices have gone up since 14 years ago when I bought the DeSoto. Why does a seller have to take a thumping? Aren't these cars increasing in value each year? |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | I've been watching this car "for sale" and get listed and removed since 2010. Its always been $6000 and once it was $5000. I personally like this car. Its a cheapo with dogdishes. Of course that isn't most people's fancy. But it is what I like!
I've inquired about the car twice. Once a few years back and a few weeks ago. Both times I requested more photos...mainly of the rust issues. And both times you replied saying that the photos wouldn't go through. I then ask for your telephone number and you never reply...then the ad is usually deleted shortly afterwards. To me it doesn't seem like you are wanting to sell.
I recently got some photos of the rust issues from a friend. The passenger side needs alot of work: lower quarter, wheel lip, dogleg, rocker, and lower door skin needs replacing. There could be more issues underneath that. Who knows until you start cutting metal out. I know that the rust holes were "fixed" with fiberglass and bondo or something of that sort. Of course that all needs to be ripped out and fixed properly. One would have to buy replacement panels or make them, cut out the bad metal and weld in the new. That costs big bucks if someone can't do it themselves.
Of course that leads to bodywork and paint. Then the interior needs redone, the front end is clunking as you said so that needs repair, I always go through the brakes, tires, electrical, etc. You always find issues that need addressing. The trim has dents and dings. I'm sure the body does too.
All that work adds up as anyone knows. I can say that the rust probably scares away most of the folks that would think about buying this car. And the '59s probably aren't the most popular year. Plus the fact that this is a no frills, cheap model car doesn't help either. Also having the car shipped can easily tack on $1400 bucks to the price if they are on the east coast.
After adding up the parts, work, and money needed to bring this car home and restore it...some people figure out they can just spend a bit more and get something that doesn't need the work. For example the one '59 hardtop mentioned that sold for $10,500. Maybe that was too cheap? Or maybe it wasn't. But for $4500 more than your asking price on your car the extra work doesn't need to be done. And that one is a Firesweep in a more popular color combo that looks decent, with a nice interior, dual antennas, the sportone inserts, etc. etc.
Better communication and working on that price would help. If somethings been for sale for the past 5 years and hasn't sold...its probably a good indication that a lower price is necessary if you want to sell. I've had to "cut my losses" a few times...it just happens that way sometimes.
I would still be interested in the car...I do like it. And she would get the attention she deserves.
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Veteran
Posts: 214
| Yes, you make some good points. I do however think the 59 that sold for only $10,500 is a fluke. I think typically a car like that would sell for 12-14k. Yes, I have fluctuated on the price between 5 and 6k. Throw out a number. I won't be offended. |
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Expert
Posts: 1324
Location: Hickory, NC | Nick I have sent you a PM. |
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | "Aren't these cars increasing in value each year?"
Not necessarily. I've been following FL cars for almost 50 years, starting when they were 4-5 years old. Prices sometimes stay flat for awhile, spike, fall back, go back up again, usually slowly, sometimes not. The general crash in car prices in the late '80s is a case in point, they took quite a few years to recover. IMO prices on all but the very most special (and this '59 is not special) FL cars have been fairly flat since 2008, with some slowly appreciating. All depends on the economy. IMO, the rosy forecasts for the US economy 2015/16 are highly inflated, I think we're headed for another recession, worse than the last one. Watch what car prices do then.
In general what you have into a car has no relation to it's value. It's like the house seller who says "I need to get $xxxxxx for my house because I did this or that to it." The market is what it is and doesn't care what you spent on it, or need for it. Only the most sought after cars can stand having much invested in them with any expectation of recouping it. Converts and factory HP models lead the way in this respect.
Edited by firedome 2015-01-26 10:01 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2596
Location: Upplands Väsby, Sweden | firedome - 2015-01-26 9:54 AM
"Aren't these cars increasing in value each year?"
Not necessarily. I've been following FL cars for almost 50 years, starting when they were 4-5 years old. Prices sometimes stay flat for awhile, spike, fall back, go back up again, usually slowly, sometimes not. The general crash in car prices in the late '80s is a case in point, they took quite a few years to recover. IMO prices on all but the very most special (and this '59 is not special) FL cars have been fairly flat since 2008, with some slowly appreciating. All depends on the economy. IMO, the rosy forecasts for the US economy 2015/16 are highly inflated, I think we're headed for another recession, worse than the last one. Watch what car prices do then.
Good Point, what you say |
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Location: Parts Unknown | It is my personal opinion that when selling a car, the seller needs to make the car
appear as appealing as possible to the widest possible audience with a balance of
cost to make such a car more appealing vs. possible return.
All of this hinges on the car's base desirability in the market as a starting point,
largely reflected in the old phrase "what the market will bear". If this car has not
sold in 5 years at a price of "X" (hell, I'd make that time frame more like 3 months !),
then I'd say the market has spoken and it is overpriced for its condition, basic
desirabilty, etc.
What would happen if this car was gussied up with a set of whitewalls ? The exterior
cleaned up as much as possible ? To my eye, NOTHING makes a fin era car look dumpier
than a thin stripe set of radials. This does nothing to make the car more appealing and
actually serves as a negative.
If a person really wants to excite buyers, they need to think about this stuff and do
as much as they can feasibly do to make the car as appealing as possible.
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Location: The Mile High City | The price doesn't seem bad to me, Nick. Have you just listed it on craigslist? You may want to try simultaneous ads in Hemmings, NDC Adventures, Old Car Weekly, and your local paper. Maybe wax and buff the paint before the next pictures? It seems like it should sell at that price to me. |
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1959 DeSoto Firesweep--San Francisco Craigslist
