GT/CS Appraisal

[Mustanglvr]

Hello everybody, I hope all of you are making it through the holidays unscathed. I am done being stressed out about Christmas and am now nervous about what the new year will bring. I thought I would pass on my story about going to the Antiques Roadshow last June in St. Paul. First off I want to explain that my GT/CS is in fair to good conditon and paid a fair price of $7800.00 for it last February. It originally had a 200 6 cylinder in it but had a fresh 289 4 barrell when I bought it. The new carpet, seat coverings, door panels and headliner was all new in boxes in the trunk when I received it and still hadn`t put in any of it when I had it appraised. The car has from what I can tell an old restoration and has chips in the paint and a little rust bubbling in the corners of the panels. Now mind you I have had it in a few local parades since this after putting the interior together and people suck in their breath when they see this car because it is still a beautiful car and runs perfectly. Anyway I parked it in front of the River Center in St, Paul, Minnesota and talked with the security man at the door and explained why I wasn`t parking in the pay parking lot like everybody else and that I had the car there for the appraisal. He said he thought it was a little unusual but that he would send word to somebody on the inside about it. A half hour later an appraiser in a business suit and his female assistant came out and looked admiringly at my car. He said he had heard from the description that it might be a rare Shelby but was still pleasantly surprised to see it was a rare California Special. He said no one had ever brought a car to the show to be appraised before and that he loved the idea of having it on the show. I told him I thought they could do a special segment on the Mustang with it since it is the Mustangs 40th anniversary this year. He loved that idea too. He looked it over top to bottom and looked over the Marti report I had. He said he would have to take the idea to the producers and went back into the building. We waited another hour and while sitting in the car I estimate over a hundred people stopped and felt the need to tell us how beautiful they thought the car was. I had many conversations about it with perfect strangers. I live in a tiny town in southwestern Minnesota and was worried being in such a big city that people wouldn`t be very friendly but I was surprised to meet so many nice people. Finally the appraisers` assistant came out and said that he was very sorry that the producers of the show had decided against having the car on the show for unknown reasons. We were pretty disappointed but she said he had appraised it at $10,000 to $15,000! I wished I had gotten that in writing. I don`t know if anybody would want to go by what an appraiser from the Antiques Roadshow would appraise it at, but it does seem to be a high estimate especially compared to the price guide on this website. I really wish it had been on the show because I feel the value of this particular car would have gone up just because it had been on national TV. Not to mention the value would have gone up on all GT/CS`s when more people found out how desirable and rare they are. I would have given a good plug for the California Special website while on there too. Oh well, maybe someday somebody else will get the chance to have their car on the show. It was a fun experience anyway and I even got a free T-shirt! Thanks for reading my story. I would appreciate any comments on this. Happy Holidays! Rhonda

 

[hookedtrout]

That would have been cool to have your car on the show. They probably passed on the opportunity out of fear that the show would eventually turn into a car show if they started having auto's on it. I haven't watched the show very much but occassionally I will watch a few minutes of it. Don't remember ever seeing a car on it.

Hook

 

[rjw]

Gee, what an opportunity for the Antiques Roadshow to boost ratings! I have seen that show a few times...it always seems they have something of value that we discarded years ago.
Richard

 

[case12]

Wow - this sounds like a great experience! Getting the word out on these cars will definitely increase their desirability to the general public, and even with those knowledable in mustang ranks. I know I plan to think of similar ways to get the buzz going here in northern Illinois, since most people have never heard of the CS.

I recently had a gentleman over from the transport company who shipped my vehicle last month to appraise a broken vent window of the CS during transport - He had worked in the parts department at the largest dealer in Wisconsin for decades (including the sixties) and could quote every part number on my car (I tested him by pulling a parts book out - and he could quote them all by memory). BUT - he had never heard of or seen a California Special. Needless to say, he spent a long time looking it over and drooling.

Could it be time to update the price guide? Collector car values have been escalating...Casey

 

[68gt390]

Casey;
Take a look at the following site. Gives a pretty realistic capture of current prices.


http://www.nadaguides.com/Values/Va...8000&wSec=2&wPg=1270&CategoryId=8&MakeId=1065

As far as these listings go, I myself consider them a starting point. I know my GT was appraised much higher than NADA showed. Besides, an appraisal is just that, an appraisal. You may or may not get that. It's based on supply and demand and what someone is willing to pay.

Don

 

[-=MUSTANG=-]

Don,

Thanks for pointing out there is usually a big difference between what a car is appraised at and what it will sell for. I love GT/CS's as much as the next guy but certainly wouldn't pay what some people are asking for them. Rarity doesn't always equate to high value, just ask the holding on to his concours pinto.

 

[68gt390]

=MUSTANG=;
That's the problem sometimes when someone goes to sell their car. They think because they have a written appraisal that locks in the selling price of a particular car. I have learned over the years an appraisal is good for basically 2 things.

1. A starting point for which to price a car and,

2. Insurance purposes should something happen to the car.

Don

 

[rvrtrash]

Sorry about your near miss on getting your car on TV. I had a 72 Mach 1 that was on TV when I lived in Portland Or and that is still a high point for me.
Steve

 

[Mustanglvr]

Thanks for all your comments and input folks. This a fun and informative website and it makes being a GT/CS owner so much more enjoyable. Thanks again, Rhonda

 

[PB gtcs]

Folks, I may be trying to talk our position, but I really think the value of these GT/CS is a steal. I realize it is not the performance package that is a GT 350 or Gt 500, but frankly not everyone is interested in racing. Some folks like to "be styling" 8). Lets assume for one minute you are a vintage Mustang buyer. You had one when you were in high school or wished you could have had one. You have three choices, 1. buy a convert (I love those cars) and pay a certain premium but still have a car you will see a lot on the streets. 2. Buy a fastback, again nice but you will see more than a hand full at any car show. 3. buy something that is a little different. If you choose option 3, you are left with the "specials" and the shelby cars. The Shelby cars are all at multiples of the rest of the cars. The buyer can get more than half way there with GT/CS or HCS and when they show up at the Mustang club or a car show, likely to be the only one there. They are just cool. My point, is our specials will/should, in my opinion, draw better values every day than the more "standard" cars. To me the hole point of having a cool car is to have something a little different. Ford believes that is so as well. Look at the premium for the Roush and the Cobra stangs today. I like having a car that nearly 50 pct of the general pony car population thinks is a Shelby. As the Shelbies get out of price range, our cars are next. In short, you cant have our car for 20k today. Thats my 2 cents.

Brian

 

[-=MUSTANG=-]

True you can't have our cars for 20k today, you can have them for thousands less. While I agree with your position that a GT/CS will bring a premium over a plain jane mustang, convertibles, fastbacks, Bosses, Shelby's, GT's, and big block cars are more likely to bring more dollars and appreciate faster. As far as taking the gamble that our cars are next in line for a big boost in value, I'll sit that one out.

 

[68gt390]

I only have one thing, well maybe two things to say about that. Having owned a 67 GT 500 and a 70 Mach I, 428 Cobra Jet car, to me my GT/CS is much more special. Let's be honest about these cars, how many folks in any given area other than Southern Calif., know what these cars are all about? Answer: NO ONE. Since I bought my Special back in Feb 04, every show I go to here in Central Ohio, folks continue to come up to me and say they have never seen this type of Mustang. That should tell us all just how special these cars are. It's kinda like the stock market, with my GT/CS, I'll gladly take my chances and, guess what I'll smile all the way to the bank in the long run. And guess what, my GT/CS just happens to be a "BIG BLOCK". Doesn't make it any better than any other GT/CS but, when you start looking at the Shelby's and what I consider to be "CLONE" cars (Elenor), it just makes the GT/CS that much better. I look at it this way, right now everybody is riding the wave of the "CLONE". Guess what, it will die out after awhile and there sits the GT/CS, a car that has never gotten the recognition it should have gotten.

Hey, that's just my opinion on this subject.

Don ;D ;D ;D

 

[Mustanglvr]

The Antiques Roadshow I took my car to in St.Paul is on during the next 3 weeks. Apparently they were doing a special segment on boats, so I can only figure that they would`nt want to do anything on cars. Just bad timing I think. Next time they`re in a city near me I`m gonna go for it again. I`m bound and determined to get some recognition for these cars. I`m originally from South Dakota and I had heard of these cars when I was a kid. Well, my mom was big on Mustangs too. One of my boyfriends in the 80`s even had a clone of one in Sioux Falls, S. Dak. Which now that I look back on it it was really sad because the tail lights he had on it were just an extra set of regular 67 lights rather than the right ones from a t-bird or shelby. I thought it was cool at the time but now it would seem pretty tacky. I would have never guessed that someday I would own a real GT/CS. I wonder if he ever got a real one? Anyway, I know that someday the prices of these cars are going to skyrocket.
Rhonda

 

[Sarge]

OK, I just could'nt sit on the sidelines anymore. I run into three kinds of people: Those who know what the GT/CS is (after all, I live in Milpitas, where they made the cars, and have run into several folks who used to work on the lines) those who don't know what the car is, and those that don't care.

For myself, I wanted a car which I didn't see every day. When I go to a car show, I see several nice Mustangs, Shelbys, Convertibles, Clones, etc. but rarely do I see a GT/CS, but NEVER two (not counting mine...) Would I trade it for a Shelby? Absolutely... but I would go out and look for another GT/CS immediately.

I don't really care if the car goes up in value, (although obviously that would be nice) that is not why I bought it. I love the styling, the look, the heads that turn when I drive it, and the nostalgia of driving it... It would be very tough for me to EVER get rid of it!

My two cents (which may or may not matter to anyone). Enjoy the ride, and enjoy the rarity!!!!
Robert

 

[meadowsdk28]

OK, my turn. Everything you all have said is on the money. Would I like my HCS to go up in value? Yep. Do I think the GT/CS is one of the most bang for the buck lookers out there today? Certainly. I've been in many a great car in my day Hemi Cuda's, Rat motored camaro's, a Boss 302 AND 429 SCJ Cougar Eliminator, etc, etc...My dad was the head mechanic for years at the Lincoln Mercury dealership in Bloomington, IN and the only man authorized to work on Ol' Doc Links Cobra by Ol' Doc Link. I was 7 or 8 when my dad took me on a test drive in that monster and vividly picture it today. Now, supposedly, it sets behind velvet ropes at the Shelby museum. Who knows for sure. Point is...all those most righteous of the righteous muscle cars and none...NONE of them have stopped traffic like my HCS. I have literally missed green lights while some "pedestrian admirer" has come up to the drivers door to ask(what's the #1 question? Anyone?)"What is it?" "Yeah, I can tell it's a Mustang, but what is it?" "Wow, you really have a great car there. Ever gonna sell it?" The ironic thing is I get that from car people and non-car people, Ford and Non-ford people. I got it when I was in Colorado and for sure in Indiana. Should these cars be worth a meager % over the base price of a regular 68 Mustang coupe? Duh!! Should it be worth just a fraction below a GT 350 or 500? But it's somewhere in there. Bottomline...I care not a D-mn what it's value is because I will not part with it (except maybe to buy up to a 69 or 70 Boss, Competition Orange, rear window slats ( I just love those) and so on and so on. Naw, forget I said it.

BUT EVEN THAT CAR WON'T KEEP ME AT THE FREAKING KROGER OR WAL-MART AS LONG AS MY HCS!!

Doug

 

[Russ]

This is a very interesting discussion, because the value of our GT/CS and HCS Mustangs is so relative. In my estimation, an appraisal is only used for insurance purposes and should not be used to determine the true value of a car. As seen in this forum, we are avid CS/HCS enthusiasts, and that makes these cars very valuable to us. On the other hand, to other car enthusiasts, these cars are little more than factory modified Mustang coupes.

The point I'm trying to make is that the value of our cars is what the market will bear, based upon the interest of the buyer, and the determination of the seller. There have been many discussions in this forum about the relative value of big block CS/HCS cars or cars with special options. While this type of car is rarer, it's the seller and buyer who will decide what the value of that car will be. Small block cars can bring many times the price of a big block car, based upon the desires of the seller/buyer.

So based upon my ramblings, what is the value of a CS today? I believe a concourse CS/HCS can fetch as much as $30,000 (excluding Bob Teets beautiful 428CJ, which has a value that is out of sight!) or as little as $2,000 for a "project vehicle." This is quite a range, but is realistic when dealing with a buyer's emotions, a seller's desire to sell and a market that continues to soar off the charts. I don't expect to see our cars to decline in value as the current craze for Mustangs continues.

Just my two cents,

Russ

 

[bigskygt]

Howdy. Just a note on NADA, I received the new NADA National edition, and comparing the HIGH book for 2003
at $18,800.00, to the 2005 at $25,600.00, It looks as if the GT/CS is on the rise. $6800.00 appreciation over 2 years ain't bad. Average value range increased $3650.00. which NADA considers a "20 footer". NADA has changed thier price guide from a yearly issue, to a three issues per year subscription. Sounds like classics will be re-evaluated more often and may increase value more rapidly. just something to ponder. Have a great Day. Dan

 

[rvrtrash]

According to their website, add in a J code and air conditioning and it climbs to $32,000. By the way, where in Montana are you? There's 2 of us here from Idaho.
Steve

 

[bigskygt]

I live in Polson Mt. I am looking forward to the car show in Post Falls this summer, never been to it, but have a friend that has been there, He said it was awesome. Have you been to the show there?

 

[rvrtrash]

If you mean the Hot Rod Cafe car show, yes I've been to it but don't go anymore. They serve alcohol there and the last time I went, I came back to my car and found some drunk leaning against my car and the rivets on his jeans scratched my paint. I kind of lost interest after that. Other than that, it is big and you get to see a lot of stuff.
Steve