I understand the concept of what it's worth to me, but I'm purchasing this for a friend and need some support that this is a fiar value. I know very little about it and the photos are in a dark barn, so it is what it is.
27 Depot Hack
Wire Wheels
Body from Chicago in the .0's
Side curtains
Parade ready
I see wood body cars going for less than metal body cars and there are no hacks on eBay to use as a reference. If I were to obtain this hack for $7k, would that be a good value?
I'll hang up and listen. Thanks in advance.
If the drive train is good I would say it is a good deal but pictures often don't give you a true sense of condition. If the rear needs rebuilding and/or there are issues with the engine or transmission you are starting to add considerable expenses that,when added to the purchase price, make it less attractive.
I'm not a T owner but have been working with antique cars for over 50 years. Price doesn't sound bad but you need to drive this thing. Whenever I see a car with silver spray can painted trim and a cheap plastic modern tail light I can't help but wonder what else was too expensive to restore properly. I could be wrong but I doubt it.
Howard Dennis
Why is the steering wheel mounted upside down? look very closely!
The mechanical condition is always a factor. Even if it runs and drives well there can always be problems lurking. From what I see the body looks well crafted. For someone who wants a depot Hack and could do repairs as needed $7K might be a pretty good deal.
Model A station wagons do well. I'm not sure why T's don't have that kind of value.
Nice wood.
At 7 it's a steal if the thing runs half decent. You don't see hacks on eBay too much as they sell pretty quick, usually local and word of mouth.
I'd also say that chances are that thing has never been out in the rain. Even in the low light there'll are no water stains to be seen and someone knew to make a 2nd firewall to act as a hood former. If it runs decent...do it and don't look back.
To buy a Hack body new...by the time you add seats and upholstery and finish, there is close to 5K sunk. A decent set of curtains new goes close to a thou'. It has wire wheels that if not worm eaten are another chunk from the wallet. Yeah this Is used but apparently not much
From everything I see, the wood, flat non-opening window, the seats and including the flat, non-forged metal bits on the body, tailgate, etc, it is absolutely identical to my dad's Hack. His is a 1970's Syverson Kit. This is not an original period body.
That said, if it runs halfway well it is a DEAL.
It has seen some rain, look at the side curtains inside shot of the back seats. There is staining on them. Nice looking rig. I would want to hear and drive it before buying also make sure it has the proper paper work for your state and if it does not, tell the seller they need to get it in order.
Yes I recognize this as a body my father built, and sometime in the seventies seems about right. It does have a tilt open windshield, although the hinges seem to be mounted slightly high. If there is still a brass tag with a number on it, probably on the front seat riser, I could tell you when the body kit was made and who bought it.
That confirms the owners representation of the body kit. Someone pointed out a resistor of some type on the firewall, so I need to ask if this is a 12v conversion and what issues that represents. Does the mag work, why 12v, issues with starter Bendix and ring gear, etc.
Thanks to all for leading me towards what information I need to obtain to make this a fair deal.
The owner of this car is in GA, as am I, and no titles are issued for vehicles this old. So, bill of sale only, but there is nothing to do about it. It will end up in KS, so I have to research what KS can and cannot do for registration and possible title.
The title issue is a major one, a deal breaker in my opinion, depending on the rules of your state. Legal fees if a court order is required to establish ownership could easily be over $1k. Right or wrong, this is the world we live in.
I think $7k is on the middle to high side, depending largely on mechanical condition. Cars with Ford bodies are regularly being advertised for less than $10k on the classifieds.
Robert, my 26 fordor came from Waycross, GA with only a Bill of Sale, and I had no trouble getting it titled in Texas.
Do you have an old copy of a GA registration for this car? That would work for a title app in MA.
If it runs good, $7,000 is a bargain. It has a lot of extras such as the side curtains. The steering wheel looks like an aftermarket rim and possibly the spider too. It doesn't look like it is upside down, but it is made to come closer to the driver. The reason the original wheels were made the way they were is to keep the rim of the wheel concentric with the gear box so that you don't tilt the shaft which would cause more wear on the shaft and gears. To change the steering wheel would be an easy fix.
If you have a car registration person, other than DMV,or maybe AAA you could get the title first. Make it a stipulation of the deal that you would pay $7,000 for the car if you can get it registered in your state. If not, the deal would not go through. put that into writing. Or maybe if it were to cost much more to get it registered subtract that from the price. If the seller will agree to that, then go for it.
Norm
NY does not issue titles for vehicles built before 1972 but I had no trouble getting titles issued in Florida when I moved down there. I had registrations for most of them and one of them had not been registered by me in NY so they took a bill of sale for that one.
OK, guys, thanks for all the input. Let's not turn this into a state by state title thread. Been there, done that. I'm driving over tomorrow to feel it closer and start it up and drive it around and see what it would take to make it "correct" and then base my purchase offer on that. I now know what to feel for.
Steering wheel, spray painted radiator shell, some resistor in place on the electirical, 12v or 6v, tail light and license plate bracket. I want the hood on and see how it fits and it's condition. Condition and match of tires. Verify T and not A wire wheels, check for the dimples. I want to get engine number and check the data base and see what it's DOD is and look for the brass plate on the seat riser for the hack body kit information.
Wich me luck.
sounds like a plan. Good Luck
Luck!
From the photos, I think the fronts at least are T wires. Can't see the rears well enough to guess.
I paid 9400 for a nice one like this last fall at Auburn Auction
It followed me home today. Here's a video of it running right off the trailer on mag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWZuxioSr68&feature=youtu.be
A little rough around the edges, hasn't been driven in 4 years. We'll clean it up, refinish the wood and do some cosmetics, maybe a color change.
4k got the deal done.
Thanks to all who offered advice and assistance. A nice little addition to the motor pool.
Heckuva deal for $4K.
Always a little like Christmas when you get a new T and go through it and find some surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant.
Accessory gas pedal, T wires with correct enclosed lug nuts, good tires, all lights work, runs on mag, battery hor, all side curtains excellent shape as well as top, good radiator, full set of Champion X plugs and 4 working coil boxes, running board mounted battery box, good working bands and large drum e brakes.
Gas tank under seat needs to be removed and cleaned out, lot of rust, no brass sediment bowl or ss guel line, glass bowl, rubber line with in line filter, shut off at carb. Aftermarket steering wheel. Radiator shell and headlight trim rings painted silver, will get down to bare metal and see what they are made of and then paint body color. Some rust through on running boards and some bondo on fenders. Every nut and bolt needs to be tightened and doors and wood body adjusted and tweeked. Some light sanding and spar varnish on all wood. Re spray metal work gloss black or maybe a color change?.
Putter around with it the rest of this summer and then a nice winter project.
Bottom line, I'm energized about it.
TO THE WALLET!
Robert, very neat hack.
I thought you were purchasing this for a friend? Sounds like you've taken a shining to it and are keeping it for yourself ;-)
No, but I want to give this to him ready to "go". He is not a T guy and will do the parade and family drives, but will probably not get the "bug". So I'd like to give it to him where he can enjoy it and be proud of it for years to come.
And, I won't feel obligate to go over every few months to tinker with it.
A Model T is not a get it and forget it vehicle. It takes a lot of "tinkering" to keep running.
Parades are hard on T's unless you know what your doing and are careful.
Much of the fun of owning a T is the tinkering part.
Just a follow up with a pleasant surprise. After being led to believe that the radiator shell and headlight trim rings were spray painted, turns out they are the original nickle plating that we are being careful to clean up.
Boiling out the gas tank and replacing the entire fuel line from tank to carb. This way, when we give it up, it will at least run enough to get it on the ttrailer and out to KS.
Robert
I think this is a very nice thing that you are doing. Good for you.
I've registered two out-of-state cars in Kansas with only a bill of sale. One was hand-written. I don't know if procedures have changed since then, but both were easy. I know registrations like that are a nightmare in some states, but I guess our politicians have been too busy working on other ways to ruin the state.
I'll register it here in GA. No title, but that is a different animal. The police come to the house, look at where you point to and sign the form you have filled out in advance. They are just checking the "vin" to see if the car is stolen. Take the bill of sale, the insurance card, the police form and register the car and get a plate and it takes a whole hour.
Then, when I get to KS of FL or somewehre else I own property, it is much easier to transfer the registration and possibly even get a title. Then it's easy peasy. I've never had not having a title prevent a sale here in GA.
Robert, Looks like I was wrong, a pleasant surprise indeed!
Howard Dennis