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Bigger Project Than It Seems: 1968 Chevelle SS

Photos can definitely be a little deceiving sometimes. Take this Chevelle SS, this first photo it looks like it might be a fairly simple project. There’s clearly some damage to the trunk, but other than that, it looks pretty good. Then you walk around to the front of the car and discover that it’s more than just a simple project, it’s going to be a major undertaking. The seller does have a ton of spare and replacement parts for it, but it’s going to need an engine, transmission and the entire interior. I’ll let you guys debate whether it’s worth the $8k asking price or not, just be sure to take a closer look at it here on eBay in Enola, Pennsylvania to get a better idea of what all it’s going to need.

I’m going to guess the seller started on this project, thinking they could handle fixing all the issues, but part way into it they realized the magnitude of a project like this. It doesn’t just need parts replaced, it appears the roof sustained some pretty serious damage, so who knows what all it will take to make it road worthy. Given that it’s a ’68 SS, I hope someone will take it on and save it, but I’m not sure that will be what happens with it. Since you can buy a replacement body shell for $16,500, that might be the best option for this one. Thoughts?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve65

    Extra zero in the asking price. Maybe even two extra zeros…

    The baby boomers who drove the market for cars like this are entering into the “dispose of possessions” phase of life at ever-increasing numbers. The chances that this car will ever be restored are near zero. There’s no shortage of driveable Chevelle SS’s on the market, spread from over restored trailer queens to driver-quality runners. Anything that could be accomplished with this “project” could be done quicker and far cheaper by simply writing a check, and letting somebody else take the massive loss.

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  2. Avatar Oil Slick

    Junk status

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  3. Avatar Superdessucke

    +1 on Steve’s comments. The Baby Boomers always kept these cars just out of reach of the subsequent generations. As a Gen-Xer I painfully know this firsthand ;-) I always wanted a ’69 GTO but just could never quite afford one, until I outgrew really wanting one, LOL!

    The upside was the Boomers did very very very well on the whole and drove the prices up to mortgage payoff levels for those who got in early, especially during economic upticks like the Morning in America era, the dot.com bubble, and the housing boom.

    The downside was Gen Xers and Millennials never really got to know the cars, with some, mostly regional, exceptions. So they’re not going to pay big money for them now, even if they were as well off as their Baby Boomer parents, which most of them are not.

    Bottom line is I think we’re going to see a major market adjustment for muscle cars over the next 5 years where values will fall as Boomers (or their kids) start to get rid of the toys to take care of less sexy financial obligations.

    So I definitely wouldn’t dump the necessary money into one like this. It would take 50 grand, if not more, to merely get this into the ranks of the 100,000 other over-restored ’68-72 Chevelles out there. Nor would I invest big money in a trailer queen. I would just buy one with some rust and faded paint and enjoy it, or wait to see what the market does.

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    • Avatar Steve R

      That was said about the brass cars too.

      The generic run of the mill cars will take a hit, but not the real muscle cars. If and when you stop seeing them in movies, music videos and other forms of pop culture you might be right, but that seems to be a long way off.

      Steve R

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      • Avatar Steve65

        This IS a generic run of the mill car.

        Brass era cars were hand-built in the dozens, or hundreds. Near as I can tell, they built nearly 60 thousand of this car, and another 160+ thousand Malibu coupes which could be easily upgraded to the same spec. There does not seem to be anything special about this particular example which would justify pouring ten of thousands of dollars into it, to get a final result worth – at best, maybe thirty, given that the only “originality” it would possess is the VIN plate.

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      • Avatar Superdessucke

        With all due respect, I don’t think the brass era cars are a good comparison. As Steve said, those were much more limited production cars so they’re always going to have a rarity element.

        You do raise a good point about the publicity and hype these cars have received over the last three decades.

        I didn’t mean to imply that they will become worthless and unwanted. I think they will always be desirable as a piece of American cultural history. I’m just not sure they’re going to command the same prices that they do now is all I’m saying. Particularly the more common examples like your basic SS396, GTO, or Torino GT.

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  4. Avatar Oingo

    Even a driver can be a good bit of work to keep up especially if you don’t drive it enough and or drive the snot out of it which to me is the idea. I could afford the old muscle back in the day as they were cheap to buy… but costly to run due to their appetite for fuel and insurance costs but never had the place to store and or the ability or resources to maintain one. I resorted to buying modern vehicle that I enjoy driving and I can do most of the simple maintenance items myself.

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  5. Avatar Joey

    Lets watch and see what this sells for:

    http://tinyurl.com/y9wpfnz5

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  6. Avatar LAB3

    There’s a couple of 68-9 SS cars advertised in my area in the high 20’s that are road ready, I’m all for getting dirty but can’t imagine getting this one into drivable condition for less than what I could buy one of the other ones for.

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  7. Avatar 421HO

    A Fool and his money, soon part!!!

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  8. Avatar George

    the guy doesnt even give cowl tag info or any docs on if it IS really an SS, or what drivetrain was originally….BBBOOOOOOOO.

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  9. Avatar Craig

    A good buy at a 1/4 of the price,,,,, much to common to be worth more. No motor, no trans, no interior,,,,,,,,,, Pass on this one. Nice project if you have the time & skills, but not for 8K !

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  10. Avatar Paul & Jen A

    Ummmmm guys scrap is about 300 bucks take it and run find something thats remotely fixable

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  11. Avatar john

    This one looks like it may have had FLAMES on the front at one time?? To crispy for me.

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  12. Avatar RS

    I look at a sad car like this and I can’t help wondering just how it went from someone’s beautiful new muscle car, cruised on Saturday nights in summer, waxed every week and pampered, to a half disassembled hunk of junk.

    Like 0

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