The value of brass top coils was one of our lunch discussions today. What do think a used original brass top coil in good working order would be worth? What would a full set of four be worth?
I don't have any to sell, but I think our lunch bunch would like to know how our guesses might compare.
I bought a brass top coil (with original black paint) for $5 at the last swap meet I was at. I have paid as much as $20 for one coil and $40 for four.
Be_Zero_Be
I don't know the answer, but there was a guy on eBay a few weeks ago that had a set of four with a low-low Buy-It-Now price of something like $600. He seemed a bit put off when I Best Offered him something a bit less than that. Needless to say, I didn't buy them and he didn't ever sell them.
To each his own I guess.....
Deron
If nobody at the auction knows what they are and the auctioneer calls them batteries, they're worth $1 each. The more informed the crowd, the more they're worth.
I bought one for $5.00, don't know if it works . . just wanted one to shine up and use for 'show n' tell' at Show & Shines instead of taking coil box cover off every 10 minutes or so. Goes with my other brass too. ;p))
Here's one unrestored and unspecified sold at eBay for $27.50:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item2 c64d575ce&item=190670271950
Fun Projects has them fully restored with new wood for $85 ($330/4): http://www.funprojects.com/products/4732.cfm
They were selling at Chickasha for $15 - $20 apiece unrestored.
I imagine the $15/20 range is about right for a swap meet where people know what they are. I've picked up a (very) few at flea markets where it's less likely they know. I course I ran into a $50 each guy at a local market who swore he was offered that before. No sale.
At Pate last weekend, a fellow had a couple of regular coils for $25 each and a copper top for $100----I couldn't run away fast enough.
There's an antique store about 50 miles from here that has a wood top coil locked up inside a glass showcase with $75 on it. Been there for quite a while. Maybe I should try to sell them some that have open secondaries.
Tim
When I see that, I remind the seller they made 75,000,000 of those coils and they are not that dear.
Ron the Coilman
This is an easy one. The value depends on whether I'm buying or selling.
Guys
Just a word of caution.
I generally recommend you not buy coils on eBay.
I have dealt in literally thousands of Model T coils for over the last twenty-five years.
If I truly needed them my highest bid on the eBay auction cited above would be $34 and take my chances. Buying coils on eBay is a crap shoot. Remember coils sitting around have been sitting around for a reason.
When I buy large (100+)lots of coils sight unseen 30-40% are not usable for various reasons. In those quantities I can afford to take my chances there are sufficient good coils to make it work.
If the eBay seller would advertise the coils with confirmed good secondary windings they would bring twice higher bids from knowledgeable buyers.
But all eBay sellers know it has Ford in script and "Rare". If not, in small quantities, your bidding on an unknown article.
Ron the Coilman
Hi Ron,
What do you think about the new (not rebuilt) coils that are offered by our regular vendors or some of the smaller guys like Bittner Engineering and Fun Projects?
The prices seem close to what the Coil Doctor charges (including core) for a complete rebuild. I know that coils don't really have operational stresses, but does it make sense to start the calendar again at zero years rather than using cores that are 80-100 years old?
I ask because my coils are a mixed set, some wood top, some metal top that went in the car around 1960. They are in great working condition. It would be nice to have a matched set and save the others as spares.
Eric, read this thread when considering where to buy your new coils - http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/276261.html?1332297640
Eric
Restarting the clock will not help and probably make matters worse if the manufacturer is not a competent engineer.
There are three manufacturers of new Model T coils.
Two are of very poor quality and one is excellent.
Know before you buy!
If you want details contact me by email.
Ron the Coilman
Just to let you know how far-sighted some people are, a so called auto parts collector (They have many overpriced car parts has one plain Ford coil at the Florence antique mall - offered as "Im told it might be a Model A part" for $90.00. Its been there for several years. That's how intellegent some of these dealers are! Of course that's the Florence Antique mall, and there is a large collection of "buyer bewares" there. What amazes me is sometimes like this item, the seller doesnt even really know what he is selling! (Kinda like American pickers idiots)
Here are pics of the brass-top coils made by Fun Projects:
As with everything made by FP, these are the good ones. They're not cheap, but top quality usually isn't. As you can see, I also used their coil box rebuild kit.