We will be moving out of state next Fall, and I will likely not be taking the GT with me.
I wanted to get some thoughts from the community about price and a good strategy for the sale.
The car starts, runs, drives, and stops well. Overall condition is very good, and paint still looks new
(2005 respray) Body is straight (no dents, dings or scratches) and rust free (Texas car originally)
Less than 20K miles on rebuilt 1.9. Drivetrain is mostly stock, except for 32/36 weber. Lots of
chrome bits in the engine bay. Small ATF leak (dipstick tube o-ring?) Sound system is dated.
This car was built mostly for shows, rather than for performance. Multiple awards, including best Opel from
last year's Mother Road Festival in Springfield. I put a few recent pics in an album here.
Let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
advertise on bring a trailer, take tons of pics, especially underside and any areas of concern. Make a nice detailed listing and first $15k plus takes it.
Might even be a great candidate for selling to overseas. But I wouldn't sell for less than 15k. Long exposure in ad will grab more audience. Short term Ebay ad will not provide enough exposure.
You have a very nice GT and will be one of the first fine examples to be sold post wheelerdealers/hagerty articles. Your car will be the benchmark going forward what rust free Opel GT owners can expect for their cars.
Thanks JJ,
I recall that you sold a GT on BAT several years ago. It sounds like you were pleased with the results.
Opels seem to get a good reception on that site. I think they charge 5% plus $250 listing fee, so a
sale @ $15K nets $14K. Not unreasonable.
Cheers,
RR
Upps !
Sorry to read that!
When the GT would stay here in Europ.I think it would be sure in the €25K to €30K range:yup:
But with classic wheels it will get more points,those modern ones is not my taste:yup:
Ron,what kind of paint was used for the paint job in 2005? A classic paint or a thermoplast paint?
Thanks Norbert,
Yes, the wheels are definitely not "period correct" and initially, I was unhappy with the look (they came with the car)
but after a while, I decided that they sort of went with the concept of "show opel" Anyway, easy enough to change.
The paint is two stage (base coat/clear coat) and is a pretty good match for the original rallye orange.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
Ron, sorry to read you might be parting with your GT. A very, very nice one at that. I like Frozen Tundra's advice about BAT. GT's get a very welcome reception on BAT these days and with that, a strong bidding base.
If you go, say, the Ebay route or put it up for sale on craigslist, the site Barnfinds could pick up the ad and feature your car on their site. But they don't have the reach of BAT at this time. Plus, a well put together car like yours aren't usually found on Barnfinds.
There is also Hemmings on-line to consider.
Best of luck with whatever you decide to do, as well with your pending future move. More important, whether you sell or not, continue on with your presence and contributions, here!
Thanks Mike,
I need more dust before I can list it on Barnfinds.
I'm planning on hanging out here-Opel or no Opel.
I'm hoping George returns to search for his lost "O" and I wouldn't want to miss that.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
Looks in pretty good shape. I'm guessing it's value to be in the 11-12 k range. Would get more if you had the 5 speed & more powerful motor. What upgrades do you have on suspension & braking.
Yes, the car is in very good shape. Pretty much stock suspension, steering, and brakes. The larger wheels and tires help a bit with handling, but also add to the road noise.
Ron: you can always go with the "Best Offer" price, if no one comes in with a good offer, then relist it. It is a good looking car, if someone wanted something like it, and they had "normal" GT, they would spend more than $10,000 to get it like yours. I don't think $15,000.00 is too high. Mine is similar on the work done to yours, It has an agreed value of 30,000.00 through Hagerty insurance.
I'd list it on BAT and go post over on German Opel communities. I'd say between $12-15k is reasonable for the American market, easily $25k in the European market.
Having seen Ron's GT on a few occasions, and having been to most of the national events at one time or another I would put it in the top 5% of what's out there in this country. A good looking very well maintained GT. If I could work it out I would sell mine and buy Ron's.
Anyway, Ron I would contact Paul Tipton. He ended up selling his black GT to an overseas buyer I think thru contacts on Facebook. I think it is now in Norway. If I remember correctly he had a number of offers from that side of the pond at better prices than here. I would think someone from there could pick it up for $20-25 Grand, ship it over there and still come out ahead.
Thanks John,
I'd love to see it stay in the area, but I also understand that this isn't exactly an impulse buy.
I hadn't seriously considered Europe, but it sounds like I should at least look into that.
To me, it is always preferable if the buyer can see/drive the car before making a deal.
Cheers,
RR
It is a very beautiful GT, I remember it from Springfield (yes, I voted for it!).
If you want to sell it to Germany, I'm willing to help with translating your description. Be ready to take and host 100+ pictures to cover everything for a potential buyer.
Thanks Dieter,
Norbert has a friend who has expressed interest, but I never sold a car overseas, so I wanted to do some research and see how that works.
Yes, I agree that the more photos, the better. I would welcome an independent inspection by a third party also. I want to be 100% transparent
about what the car has, and what it needs-particularly if the buyer isn't able to view and drive it.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
Wish I had some money laying around. I would flip it to Europe.
But since I don't have any money just laying around I offer my listing services. Nice description tons of pics and Dieter's translation it would be well worth the extra headaches of going overseas.
Your car is a credit to you. Very well presented. Good luck with sale if you proceed. FYI a '71 GT sold at auction in Dublin last month for €14,700 and it was nowhere near the standard and quality of yours.
It's never good to see another GT leave the states but you certainly can't be faulted. It would surely be in good hands if a hobbyist goes to the trouble and expense of buying and shipping it from the US. Good luck with the sale, whatever you decide.
Yes. When the previous owner painted the car, he must have decided to not use the stock position for the OPEL letters.
They are somewhat more spread out than original, and I suspect they are put on with emblem adhesive. After 10 years in my
hot garage, they are still firmly attached, so I don't know how easy it would be to move them.
Cheers,
RR
Ron
Do you have a firm buyer yet. A local Opeler here in Springfield has a friend from Europe looking for a GT. If it is still for sale PM me your phone number and I will pass it along to him.
I have sold a car (not an Opel) on BAT previously and was very pleased with the experience. My car sold for a good price ($$) and the buyer even asked to buy any spares I had for extra $. Fee was reasonable. The forum participation in each listing is part of what makes the site and experience great. BAT my even bring European buyer into the mix for you. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.
Peter,
Thanks for your thoughts on BAT. If I understand the process, they actually get to decide which cars are listed on their site.
I'm still considering going down that road, but I need to get more photos/videos first. Bud's 1968 Opel Kadett Wagon is a good example
of the kind of listing I would shoot for.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
Hello,
I am French, owner of a Corvette C6 LS3, that I want to resell and buy an Opel GT.
I read inaccurate things about prices in Europe. The prices displayed are not the selling price. GT posted at 15000 € can be sold at 8000 € because the bottom is rusted.
Then we must add to the US price, land and sea transport.
Example A Mustang bought in Dallas for $ 13600 and shipped to Miami for the boat, to France, costs a total of € 17,000 ($ 19,000) to the port of Le Havre.
I enclose the photo of a GT that comes from the USA sold in France 10000 €.
What interests the Europeans are GT to restore but with a rust free bottom (California ...)
I am interested in your car. I actually have a low-mileage 1973, no rust, Orange GT but the math to restore it just doesn't make sense. Plus mine was in storage so long (since 91) and as much as I have done on it, I really would rather have something that has been completely gone through.
So looking for something really nice -- but not a trailer queen as I want to drive the thing -- and maybe yours is the answer. Love the color and the high compression motor would be an upgrade for me.
Let me know if can talk /if you still have the car.
Not sure if I can PM you with my info but I shall try.
Just a quick update to this thread.
My GT is still for sale. I spoke with BAT, and they wanted to list the car, but
we couldn't agree on a reserve. I'll likely put it up on eBay later this month, but I
wanted to see if anyone here might be interested before I go down the auction road.
I posted a few videos to YouTube (forgive my crappy camera skills)
and have about 100 pics in a Google Photos folder that I can share with anyone who
might be interested. Just PM me your email address and we can chat. Based on the feedback
here, I'd like to get ~ $15K but I'll entertain all reasonable offers.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
I have a pretty strict (and self-imposed) "use it or move it" policy. I would hate to see this car in exile for
several years while I tried to accommodate it. My hope is that another Opel fan picks it up
and enjoys it as much as I did for the last 10+ years.
Cheers,
Ron in Indy
Speaking of having fun, I showed this car locally for a few years when I first got it and seldom left without hardware.
Here's just some of the 'booty"
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