Projects Does anyone else have a hard time selling old body panels?

I have a perfect flat 69 Camaro hood I got for free from a friend. He also could not sell it. But I am cutting it up for patches as well.


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Yeah, stuff I've been selling on CL barely gets a sniff now... And it's not just car stuff either... My wife sells general vintage stuff and the bottom's fallen out of that market too. Very hit and miss on what sells at all much less what brings decent money.

 

Shipping kills the deal for me, cost and the mystery of what will it actually look like when I get it, if I get it haha! I bought a 59 Chevy dash from a member here and had it shipped Greyhound. Greyhound lost it. It took many months for Greyhound to pony up the money. Unfortunately the board member that sold this ended up getting screwed. He gave me back my money, but he lost a part.

Even though I have had a couple of large items shipped without too many problems (just took longer than expected) I just don't like the stress of wondering what's happening with my part, and will I get my dough back if there is a problem. So after that incident I only purchase the big stuff locally.

Plus seeing body panels in person is really the best way to go before purchasing.

 

Im far west Chicago burbs, large market but getting to it around here is not fun. Seems they all the deals go down at 9pm or later. Sheetmetal takes up a lot of room and is not a fast sell.

I seem to get the guys that sees a repo panel is $350, so his rust hole and dented fender is $300 because the patch costs $40.

 

Down here its slow but the prices some people want as per what you say a rusty damaged panel is never worth near new price, but, I see Model T guards used for $80 the pair (repairable) and a full set of repro for Model T , used for A$5000 (stupid price), neither have sold, so its probably the market here has shrunk, not too many T's or As being restored now and seems a lot of guys are happy with the "no work required " fiberglass stuff.

 

Did you not have/add adequate insurance to cover what you paid for the part? Greyhound Express includes $100 insurance. And like any shipper, they offer additional insurance; $5.00 for $500.00, $9.00 for $1000.00 an so on.
Having said that, IMHO, I think it's a racket that we have to pay a shipper additional insurance $ to insure US against THEIR business incompetence.

 

Indeed curious, but I expect in most cases, they're charging to cover "your" packing incompetence which will then become claimed against them.

 

I was referring to the fact that his parcel was lost by the shipper. That's cut and dry as is a parcel clearly crushed during handling by the shipper.
Fair enough on your point though, that some folks don't know how (or don't care to invest in the time needed) to properly package parts in a parcel, and create an environment where part damage is pretty much expected. I recall reading here once where someone received an empty box, where their dropped axle punched its way through the box somewhere along the line, as the person shipping the axle simply dropped the axle in a box-without attaching it to the inside of the box.

 

I have been trying to buy the upper part of a '26-7 T coupe drivers side quarter for some time now. I thought that someone out there has a messed up bent, or one that has the bottom rusted off, that would sell it off of. But everyone that contacted me, want's that same as a good complete quarter go's for. I thought someone would like to get some money for a junk part, but nope! I sold two T quarters for $150, then found out my problem was buried under thick mud.

I still need it if someone has one. Just need the upper part.

Pat

 

Even the most popular sheet metal is tough to move, especially at swap meets. Out of all the paid gate shoppers maybe 25% of them need some form of metal but it's never what they came for. I had 2 perfect 70-82 Camaro doors. I-MEAN-PERFECT. A skin was over $100 back then, and these had perfect windows, regulators, hinges, as bolt-on as you could possibly dream. I wanted $150 for the pair and never sold em. Let them go with my racer when I sold it (73 Camaro) since I had gutted no glass doors on it. All I can suggest is look into restoration and hot rod shops. If they're busy they have paying clients and need supply that's easy, good and right now. Send them a list, include pics. Search wanted ads for the cars you have the stuff for. I don't know the reason, but most will by import shit that's too thin, usually damaged in transport, doesn't fit worth a bent dick, and that's nothing to say how proud the sellers are regarding price (!), but hey it's new. Please, don't start with the "...nobody wants this stuff any more..." bullshit. Cars are at record prices again but interest is lower for a while. Parts too, and tried to by automobilia or petroliana lately? Bring your KY Used to be the only sheet metal parts that incited lightning fast sales were 69-70 Mustang left doors and left front fenders. Package it all up at 1/3 $$$ and sell it to a specialist. Be creative, market the shit right, look for the target buyers. They would be pro builders, car flippers, restoration shops. I do restoration as some know but unless you have a bunch of 32-4 Packard shit I wouldn't have any use. Got any Model J Deusy front fenders? Hey, ya never know...

 

I like the "Doesn't fit worth a bent dick" quote.
Going to steal that one!


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Nope. The only ones I ever sold are the complete steel front end of my Willys coupe after I made the fiberglass mold for a tilt front. No lack of suitors for that metal!

 

Heck, I'd like to just find a rear stone deflector for in front of my 48 ford rear bumper.

 

From what im seeing, most people don't give a rats ass now a days about even wanting original sheet metal. One of the guys I work with talking with him he literally told me "why bother fixing anything original if you can buy a repop and not worry about fixing it". He has a point, I like my original shit though so Id rather fix it but from a shop view, whats cheaper, that 600 dollar repop fender, or 10-12 hours of building patches welding and body work at 75-120 an hour. Plus then the shipping costs too. Fastenal aint bad considering I had a whole axle sent to me for 175 but now you send a hood or fender or door, I don't even want to know that cost now.

 

Yeah same problem. I have nice fenders for 49-50 Chevy. I have had them listed forever and no takers


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Firsthand I can tell you, repop sheet metal is close. However, nothing fits like an original part.

 

and a lot of folks that are into this car lifestyle make their own parts
a 4x8 sheet of cold rolled makes a lot of pieces
I stopped looking for patch panels, just make em now
and muscle car parts? the factory stuff fits almost as bad as the repop parts
50 merc stuff = gold
some guy, a couple month ago, offered me 450 for a decklid that needed the inner bottom replaced
59/60 Impala parts as well, A friend of mine bought 2 rust free decklids for $1000 shipped and was tickled

 

A 69 Camaro hood makes a lot of patch pieces as well


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I got one as well leaned up against the shop
I just hate grinding off the paint to weld, that why I like the new steel

 

At 73, I grew up with old cars. They were everywhere, family, friends, prices were cheap. I bought a '29 Model A in 58 for 75 bucks and drove it to High School. I've bought and have sold several hundred old cars since I was 15. Always had an old car. The younger generation are not replacing us in the hobby. Also the Auctions and the internet have driven prices up.

Occasionally you'll see some young people that are probably relatives or friends of the older people. It's sad, but in 20 years, most old cars will be only be in museums and private collections. The families that inherit the "old man's stuff" usually sell it. They want the later stuff with $5,000 wheels.

Yep, better enjoy our hobby while we can..........

 

I'm only 44 now, but I've also almost always had a classic. Spent some time living in the Caribbean and went without for a few years.
But my father was a car nut. So I guess I inherited the gene
Dad sold me my first car when I was 8. Learned how to drive on our farm that same year in the 54 Chevy I am building now. Dad and I used to go hang out at wrecking yards just for fun. Checking out all the cool old iron they had. In the late 70's to mid 80's. There was still a lot of classics in those wrecking yards.

Now, your lucky if there is anything there older than about 1975.
Even when I was old enough to drive. Cars were cheap and plentiful. Now $10,000 hardly touches a car I could get for $2500 20 years ago.
With as hard as it's getting to just get by these days. A kids got to be pretty passionate about the hobby, craft, obsession, and sickness. To dedicate so much energy to it.

But they are there, with shallow pockets, a dream, and a little chrome glint in their eye.


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I keep everyone else's leftovers to sell, trade ,give away ,or build shit - It's all GOOD. My buddy Walter at the Amherst NH Swap always says "You know, they don't make this anymore." ( re-pop stuff SUCKS , and it's more fun welding dust)

 

Is that a convertible chassis?


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I have a dash from a 1934 Chevy pickup with stock gauge holes that would fit some SW's perfectly. I just keep the advert up until someone buys, like with all of the other stuff I've sold. I'm not even asking stupid picker prices either, eventually it will go to someone who needs it, that is how I see it.

 

I pretty much buy any 1928-1932 roadster parts I find affordably because as someone above states I might need them later. I have already.

I'm hunting for '32 roadster parts if anyone is having a problem selling them... need a subframe and quarters especially....


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i have all kinds of parts for sale and no body wants the stuff. i have a storage garage that has a lot of stainless mostly 55-57 Chevy and a lot of odds and end parts brackets etc. 1 want to sell the whole thing for 900.00 and no takers

 

Well, I finally unloaded the 57 Rambler hood. Last week, I reworded my Craigslist post to display it as man cave wall art.
Just that made it sell! Been posted for over a year and as soon as I said it was an art piece, it was gone! He even thanked me for giving him the killer price of $100.00!
Just glad it's gone! Now I need to do the same thing with the rest of my sheet metal.
Who'd a thought!


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I have to think you're advertising in the wrong places. Last car auction I went to that stuff was going for quite a bit-mostly bought by a guy who was putting it on line.

 

I had a friend try to give me '50 Mopar fenders about 2 years ago as he was moving and hated to toss them after trying to sell them at swap meets. I had to pass. If he couldn't get rid of them, there was no way I could