1940 Plymouth Sportsman (Woodie)

[James_Douglas]

Hi All,

 

Anyone have any information on recent selling prices of 1940/41 Plymouth woodie wagons?

 

I have come across one that is for sale.  Not on ebay or craigs list yet.

 

This car is VERY original, all there including the 3rd seat.  It was repainted and that is about it.  The engine runs, the brakes are shot, the trans has some issues.

 

The wood is original and in good shape, however, it does need to be stripped and re-varnished.

 

As you all know, I am a Desoto guy.  So, I don't play in the Plymouth arena.  I have looked up in NADA, OC Price Guide, and the like,.  Problem is hard to "nail down" the category for this car.

 

The ones that have been restored and sold in the last 5 years sold for about $50K to $70K depending on the quality of the restoration.  In my world, not everyone's, I work back from there to get what it would take to get the car in question to that $60K value.

 

From what I can tell I would be looking at something like $30K to $40K to restore this car if I did the majority of the work.  So, if I subtract say $35K from $60K, then I get a value of $25K.  If I paid more for it then I am paying too much.  Now, that is not to say that some idiot would not pay more.  Market price and value to a discerning informed car guy is not the same thing.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks, James

 

 

[Don Coatney]

Contact forum member Jim Yegin. He recently sold a woodie and may be able to assist.

[Bob Riding]

Hi All,

 

Anyone have any information on recent selling prices of 1940/41 Plymouth woodie wagons?

 

I have come across one that is for sale.  Not on ebay or craigs list yet.

 

This car is VERY original, all there including the 3rd seat.  It was repainted and that is about it.  The engine runs, the brakes are shot, the trans has some issues.

 

The wood is original and in good shape, however, it does need to be stripped and re-varnished.

 

As you all know, I am a Desoto guy.  So, I don't play in the Plymouth arena.  I have looked up in NADA, OC Price Guide, and the like,.  Problem is hard to "nail down" the category for this car.

 

The ones that have been restored and sold in the last 5 years sold for about $50K to $70K depending on the quality of the restoration.  In my world, not everyone's, I work back from there to get what it would take to get the car in question to that $60K value.

 

From what I can tell I would be looking at something like $30K to $40K to restore this car if I did the majority of the work.  So, if I subtract say $35K from $60K, then I get a value of $25K.  If I paid more for it then I am paying too much.  Now, that is not to say that some idiot would not pay more.  Market price and value to a discerning informed car guy is not the same thing.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks, James

I have a '40 with a '41 wood body built by the Kline Brothers in PA. The cost to build a stock wood body ( if you can find someone like the Klines, because nobody else seems to have a complete pattern), is probably $30k+ or -. USHCO aka US Body and Forging Company, did the original pre-war bodies for Chrysler, while Ford woodies, with in-house manufacturing, although having inferior mechanicals, are the most popular at auction, fetching $70-90k recently. I 've being doing a ground up resto on mine since 2003 ( ask Don C!), and including the 10 coats of varnish, OD, dual carbs, split exhaust, front disks and Coker radials, it will be nicer than alot of the existing, older restored Fords, yet command lower dollars. I would be surprised if I could get $75k out of her, but since I never plan to sell, I really don't care

[mrwrstory]

There was a 40 recently for sale here in OC Calif. for $65K.  A nice but well used restoration.  I'd be surprised if it would fetch $50K