1985 1/2 pricing

[coffeejolts]

Perhaps Darsie or another 85 1/2 owner can answer this. What is the going rate for a 1985 1/2 Pininfarina Spider?

I've decided to try to track my former car down. It had 91,000 miles when I last saw it, in 1993. At that time, I would have called it a 'tired runner'. I know the chances of finding the car at all are slim. Finding it in good shape with an owner willing to sell will be a 1/1000000 shot. Even so, I would like to know what a fair price is, if for no other reason than to give my mind something else to focus on for a while. I've made up some grades and descriptions.

1. Recent, good quality restoration (maybe not Darsie's car, but close)
2. Good Shape (no rust, runs fine. needs minor cosmetic or mechanical work)
3. Tired Runner (surface rust, some mechanical problems)
4. Intact project (some rust through. either not running or barely running. interior present, but in poor shape)
5. Rusted hulk (almost completely rusted. interior rotted. drivetrain not present or not salvageable)

My from-the-hip pricing would be

1. $10,000 to $12,000
2. $7,000
3. $4,000
4. $2,000
5. $500

I'm interested to know what the rest of you think. Any takers?

[Darsella1]

Always love to help!

As I told Jim, my opinions may/may not always be correct and that last thing I want to ever offend anyone with anything I say. I am a bit biased because I think of course they should be worth more (like all Fiat spiders).

Do you know the VIN# or where the car is? I have a vin list with the state & color combos if you want to IM me.

1 - Good quality is probably in the $17K range on up depending upon quality of restoration, mechanical work, original, & low miles. Any nice restoration is really expensive and getting your hands on a decent project 85.5 is more pricey than a Fiat.
2 - $7K to $10K.
3 - Under $5K
4 - Offer the least amount as possible because while you can save it, Pininfarina parts are a lot more expensive. But I did it because I loved the car, stuck with it anyway and partially crazy. Not sure it's possible to get one for $2K because parts alone are worth a lot more.
5 - do not purchase! I repeat, do not purchase!

The market might be different now. I think owners want either too way much for what people are willing to pay or they are unrealistic about the current marketability of the car. It's only worth what they can actually sell it for so that might be a good bargaining chip for you.

Just so you know, my car is not perfect and I've already put a gagging amount of money into making it what it is. I'm saving to get the rest of it finished (re-painting the rest, the nightmare drivers side door, re-chrome bumpers).

[coffeejolts]

Thanks for your reply, Darsie. I figured you would know better than anyone what these cars are worth. I expect to pay substantially more for an 85.5 than I would for any other Spider. Until last week, I didn't even know that there were early and late 85's. I had always thought that an 85 was an 85. Early 1985's are out there (I found two on craigslist), but late 85s seem impossible to find. An image search brought back only a handful of cars, including yours.

I don't expect this to be a profitable endeavor. I love cars, and this Spider was my first love. I took my wife on our first date in this car. My best friend and I had the time of our lives in this car. He ended up buying his own spider because of this car. My search is not really about finding and purchasing any 85.5. It's about finding THIS 85.5.

I know the VIN# because I have paperwork on the car. I know the approximate location when titled thanks to the DMV. I could not get any further on my own via the DMV, for fear that I might be Memphis Raines looking for Eleanor. I have an investigator tracking down the exact location for me. If I come up empty or find the owner unwilling to sell, I'm going to have to think long and hard about this. Another Spider, even one in better condition, wouldn't have the memories behind it.

[Flyingthere]

It is interesting that with old cars, people try to put a price range on them, even if you have a good idea what the current market price is. Coming from a sales side of things it is less what it should be worth than what someone is willing to take or more importantly what someone is willing to pay. You might find someone that wants to get it out of their site, like my first fiat, or someone who thinks it is worth far more than you would be willing to pay.

Don't let yourself be guided solely by what you have determined prior talking to the current owner or driving the car. If you can get the current owner tell you how much they think it is worth you may be surprised and buy it for that or leave laughing hysterically, as you would with my current ride. Old cars are like old friends, some you like to hang with and others you, well, may not enjoy their company as much.

Good luck with your hunt I hope it works in your favor!