1973 Value

I am considering picking up my first Wagon... I am a E-Body Challenger guy but have a chance to aquire a 73 Plymouth Satellite Wagon 400 cid. Interior is perfect condition exterior is in good condition with the exception of passenger rear quarter that was damaged and bad bondo job. Has not run for about 4 years and was smoking last time it ran. I will assume a valve job would fix this. Does anyone want to give me a possible value?

Thanks in advance!

Paul

 

Welcome. Do you have any pics? I just recently bought a 72 Coronet wagon for pretty cheap, but I am lucky like that. I would say around a grand would be fair. But I really don't know. Being a big block car it does help. Wagons are cool and you just don't see them. Plus, that would be a great cruiser to haul one of your E's behind.

 

Gonna put a road runner hood on it?

 

Road runner hoods won't work on them. You would have to graft the sheet metal into the current sheet metal. Would look pretty god too.

 

The Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of a 1973 Plymouth Satellite Custom station wagon in #4 condition (runs but needs pretty much full restoration) at $2,000. In #3 condition ("car show quality), it's $4,500.

With a good interior, it's perhaps better than #4, but with bad collision damage repair and an engine in need of work, it's certainly not #3. Maybe $2,500?

 

With respect to Jauntys post, Some only take book value into consideraation and thats fair enouph, point taken.

I consider book values as a guid and nothing more. What could IMO be considered a #4 car in one part of the country could be considered a high #3 car in a different location. Too many grey ereas when it comes to book values.

The best way any member here can help you is pics, show us pics, from all around up and down, inside and out.

What is the seller asking and just how bad do you want this wagon?

Just from your discription, to me is sounds like a good parts car....but then again I hav'nt seen it.

 

Cars, unlike houses, can be moved. WHERE a car is has very little, if anything, to do with its value as long as it's near a road.

As far as condition, an engine that smokes is an engine that smokes, whether it's in Detroit or Phoenix. Ditto for bad body work. If it's in "number 3" condition in Toronto, it's also in "number 3" condition in Los Angeles because if it's in Toronto, it can BE in Los Angeles in a matter of days.

Any car's value is determined by three factors: condition, rarity, and desirability, with the third one most important. A very desirable car will be worth more at all condition levels because it's the only one of the three that we have any control over. Any car can be brought up to any condition if one is willing to spend enough money. But you can't change rarity, and you can't change desirability.

Old station wagons have historically been relatively rare because they were not looked upon, even when new, as anything other than utility vehicles that their owners used and used up. So few of them were preserved, relatively speaking, and those that do survive are often in rough shape. Rarity would tend to increase value now.

However, they've also never been highly desirable, so the market of potential buyers is very small compared to other kinds of vehicles, and what that market is willing to pay has also not historically been very high. That will hold down value.

In the end, this '73 Satellite wagon's value will be determined by its condition as its rarity and desirability are fixed. With a bad engine and poor body work, its condition is pretty much fixed, regardless of how good the front seats or headliner might look. These will certainly affect value, sure, but it will be a second-order effect.

 

Sounds like a nice candidate for an engine swap for a 5.7 Hemi out of a salvage yard pickup truck. I think that if it hasn't run for 4 years and it needs body work on the right rear quarter panel, then the purchase price shouldn't be much over $1000.00, but thats just my opinion. The Mopar wagons that currently seem to be in the most demand are the 62-65 B-body wagons, and for those you could expect to pay much more for one in similar condition.

 

1'st statement.......NO!

2'nd Statement.....sounds like your trying to not say...it's only worth what some one will pay for it...kinda blows your book value.....

G'nite jaunty, I'll let you have the last word.....

 

I would say under $1,000. If you were just shopping for a daily driver for Mr. Fixit wagon, that would be the top end, expecially when you can get nice low-mileage sedans for under $700.

 

Heck Norm, I paid a grand for mine and look at the work I've had to do.
If the bondo and smoke are the only problems, and I'm sure they are not then if I owned it I'd be looking for at least $1500.

If I was selling it, "how much would I want?" is the question.

 

i agree. with a smoking engine ,you wouldn't get any more than that but the car look like it's in good shape. so find a good cheep used engine to swap in, so you can see how the rest of the drive train works,

 

The smoking engine doesn't scare me but the bondo would.

 

The engine is the killer in this deal. Without a reliable, running engine, it's just a 'project' - max value $1,000.

(And what's the deal with the missing left front door trim panel?)

 

Door panel is in the back, just needs to be put back on after the door release is re-connected.