40 Merc,how much?

I was following a nice 40 Mercury coupe on ebay which finished at $28,500
How much could you realistically pay for a solid project car?
I'm well aware of the custom history of these cars but I was surprised at its price and it didn't make the reserve.
Anyone got a good project for sale?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ebaymotors/19...MCQnBUV/zrANBk=&forcev4exp=true#ht_500wt_1361

 

If you were watching the green one just last week, its owned by a guy in Los Olivos, near me. It is probably the best restored Merc you will find! It would be way too nice to cut up. I would imagine $28,500 was no where near Charley's reserve.

 

I could see that one going for about $35k maybe. I saw a Very solid complete project awhile back, looked to have been drug out of a nice dry place and it was either $7500 or $8500. it was still forsale at the end of the day out at the Roadster Show..I might be low on my assumption, but they are just like the 49-51's, alot of guys want good money for stockers, but thats the problem, their stock...

 

You look to pay good money for a stock one, if you don't you'll be surprised at the cost of good second hand parts.

 

There was one in Oneonta NY about three weeks ago I would call a really good start, he wanted $2400 for it, it's gone now he also has a pretty nice 46 Chevy truck he want's $2,500 for.

 

They're too nice cut up not to cut up but I understand what you mean.
It's the combined purchase price and then the cost of the work which makes it unafordable.
What are the differences body wise between a 39 and 40?
I was customising 49-51 Mercs back in the mid 80s and have just come back to it and can't believe the price of everything and then the penny dropped. A 50 merc was only 35 years old then and now it's 63 years old and a 40 is 73 years old, there's fewer of them and fewer parts
Best
Neil

 

sounds very reasonable to me--

 

"What are the differences body wise between a 39 and 40?"

Some differences between a 39 and 40 Mercury:

39 has no vent windows in doors, 40 does have
39 has grooved bumpers, 40 has smooth ones
39 has straight grill bars, 40 has bent ones
39 has wide 5 wheels (36-39 Ford), 40 has 5,5x5.
39 has different dash than a 40 has
39 has buttugly taillights, 40 has beautiful ones
39 has floorshift, 40 has colomn shift
Probably forget some, but these are the easy to identify items.

Hennie

 

I have been sitting on a stock, 100% unrestored original for a few years. When I purchased it years ago it had Arizona Historical Plates, probably why there is no rust. Maybe it will be a custom one day.... I keep an pretty close eye on Merc's for sale and for a solid car 30K is not unreasonable. The ones that have sold for a few thousand would cost a mint just to get them to a reasonable state.