Can anyone point to a comprehensive description of the various quality grades and how that maps to price ranges? Extra credit if the descriptions are tailored to Pagodas.
Here are the categories as I see them, but I'm the first to admit confusion....
1) "Barn Find" ($7k to $15k) Anything that is complete and has more prospect than becoming a parts car. Doesn't run, so major repairs may be required. Body condition can be assessed and will have a big impact on value, but without running you are taking a big risk on what works and what doesn't, and what it will take to get it back on the road.
2) "Fixer-upper" ($10k to $20k) Anything that runs and drives, and is not a rust bucket. These can be pretty ugly, but everything is there and the basics work. It will need a thorough going through mechanically to make it 100% operational. Probably has rust either currently or in the past. Rust may have been fixed properly or poorly. To make it a pretty car will require some combination of paint, chrome, interior, carpet, soft top. These can be good candidates for restoration because there is no hiding what they are, and they will be priced accordingly.
3) "Low-end Driver" ($15k-$30k) Runs, drives well with no obvious mechanical problems, and looks good. Paint, chrome, seats, carpet, wood, soft top are all intact and presentable, but subject to minor defect. These items may be original and/or subject to past restoration but will be holding up well, or they might also be newly replaced. Under the hood and under the body repairs will have been made with readily available parts. Things like batteries, battery cables, replacement wires, clamps, screws, and hoses are unlikely to be original or correct material/parts. Gold and Silver spray paint is also likely in place of correct plating and metal finish. From the outside these cars look much alike, but on close inspection wide variation can be found. Poor body work with lots of bondo, poorly patched rust spots, rust sprayed over with undercoating, and painted-over problem areas distinguish the high-end of this category from the low-end. These are often passed off as #4 cars to unsuspecting buyers.
4) "High-end Driver" ($30k-$50k) Same as #3, but parts and material are largely correct, body work has been done well, rust repairs were done properly, and it's not just a cover-up job. Where possible correct materials, hoses, clamps, etc have been used to maintain originality. Capable of winning a local or regional show.
5) "Freaks of Nature" ($50k and up) These are the cars that bring the big $$, and cost the big $$. They might be a completely original car that has been very well preserved and is a unique time capsule. Complete documentation of history and ownership will validate authenticity. A car in this category could also be a meticulous restoration where everything is stripped down, refinished, and brought back to like-new condition. Every screw, band, clamp, bracket, washer, hose, nut, bolt, etc will be correct in condition, finish, and fit. A car in this category could also be of unique provenience, e.g. the John Lennon 230SL.
