Chip Foose's Overhaulin' Model A at Auction --Not Sold

In a 2007 episode of the TLC channel's popular car-makeover themed TV show, Overhaulin'.  Host Chris Jacobs "lifted" the show's first & only Ford Model A "hot rod", a 1930 touring. Today, if you are interested in owning that car, it is for sale for incredible $100,000+!

Before...

The car was on eBay recently for a ten-day auction starting April 1st through the 11th. With nary a bid, nor question posted, the auction closed as quietly as it started.  The opening bid was set at $99,900 (which included a reserve).  Which raises the question; Was the selling price too high???  In this authors opinion --hell yes!

Why would the seller think that a lowly two-door touring car be worth anywhere near the price of the ever increasing value of a 1968 Shelby Mustang, or worth more then many real Henry Ford '32 roadsters?  At this price, it would also make this one of the most valuable Model As in the world, and perhaps one of the Top-10 most valuable modern-built Model A hot rods?

Perhaps this Chip Foose quote might let you in on the seller's false sense of value:

History of the Overhaulin' TV show builds: "Overhaulin' builds an incredible car in just a week." Could they build a traditional hot rod in seven days? "Chip Foose replies that if you took 30 guys at a shop and had them work 16 hours a day, you could do it." Thus, a normal shop with a few guys couldn't do it. Foose continues, "Besides getting this kind of job done in this kind of timeframe would be expensive. ‘An average shop rate is probably $2,500 per guy per week, ‘says Chip. ‘If you do the math, if it's straight time, that's $150,000 in labor alone.'" So with this type of labor and the multitude of custom-crafted parts, including frame, suspension, engine, and interior this Model A has upwards or over 200K into it.

1950's Y-Block Ford engine

This isn't news to me, but we all know that some guys get carried away, and spend more on a car then the car will ever be worth.  We call it a "labor of love", but this is plain stupid! So does association with Chip Foose add like $65,000 in value?

Room for the kids.

Now the last time this car was for sale was April '09 on Craigslist for $75,000 according to Jalopnik.com.  So has the car really gone up that much in value in these "tough economic times"?  Or is the seller just casting a line hoping someone might tickle the hook, then give them a generous discount?  Maybe down to $75,000?


Whatever the seller is thinking, someone should give him the bad news...  your touring-car (he called it a roadster?) price should be slashed in half!  Then slash is again by 25%, now maybe you can sell it.





UPDATE Dec 2011:  No surprise the car is still currently for sale in St. Louis, now for $115,000. To see it CLICK HERE.

Parts Listed, I'm Back In Business

In an effort to make some cash and clear some space at home, I've started to list parts on ebay again. I'm hoping to make selling vintage auto parts a habit once again.  Although it takes a lot of effort, the rewards can outweigh the work involved.

And so you don't think this is an entirely blatant attempt at getting more bids --I'm giving you, my loyal readers, a special discount.

If you win an item, I will subtract the price of shipping (up to $10 off) from the final value (but only antique car and speed parts at sell for over $10).  Just send me an email through ebay stating that you read The Hot Rod Disorder, and I will revise your invoice crediting you the price of the shipping.  So I guess it can pay to read my written rambling.

Check out my auctions here:  LAHotRod

These are a few items that ended February 22, 2011:

All my items start at 99¢, even the intakes.  And I normally never have a reserve.  I like the action!

Here is 1950's 4x2 intake from Edelbrock.  It was to used on the 27 Track T, but now I have a Weiand 4x2 to match the cylinder heads.  This is a nice one!

Final Sale Price: (A somewhat low) $332

Here is an intake from the Bill Bair collection.  A very early BURNS intake for Ford Model A/B 4-cylinder engines.  Designed for use with a Stromberg or Holley, to replace the factory updraft carb.  Pretty rare, and old.

Final Sale Price: $170.50 (a fair price)

Salvaged from an impossibly poor GUIDE 682-C headlight, these were the only solid parts left.  They are perfect if you are missing a something.

Final Sale Price: $29.50 (another fair price)

And something I bought at the last LA Roadster Show swap as an impulse buy.  A very cool set of Ford script chopped out of a late 1930's commercial truck.  Beautiful natural patina.

I hate to give them up because they are really cool.  Ford used incredibly heavy steel for tailgates back then, easily more the 3 mm thick!

Final Sale Price: $202.50 (much, much better!)

There was a fierce bidding war in the last minutes. This makes up for the low intake sell price.

Selling on ebay use to be a regular thing for me.  Then things changed at work, and listing parts wasn't as convenient as in the past.  I was really good at it too (I'm bragging again).  So here's to new starts!