I have a question., if you had an all original SS Chevelle but it needed restoration and you were considering selling it instead of resto, would a Detail help or hurt it ?
The dash board is in excellent condition but very Dry and it would soak up some Armor-All, but i am concerned that the dash would look like i just installed it if i did this.
Car is original paint, drivetrain, interior etc... but needs attention.
I dont think i would paint anything, just use some dressing to freshen it up.
Any ideas on best way to market it and get top dollar ? ?
Look forward to any idea's - Thanks

It couldnt hurt to at least clean it up a little where it needs it. Most famillair buyers will still be able to tell its an original car. You cant hide stuff that requires repainting very easily.

A good detail job, inside and out, will help sell the car. Presentation is everything - clean it up, armorall the dash and door panels, wipe down dash controls & door jams, clean the carpet, clean out the ashtrays, minimal stuff in the glove box, wash the car and cleanup the engine compartment as much as you can. You get the picture. You could drive it over to a car detailer and pay $100/$150 to get it fully detailed...

Marketing - the usual eBay, CraigsList, various classic car buying sites and local newspaper under "Classic Cars". Is there a Chevelle club near you? Why not post it on the Classifieds here? Someone may be looking for an unmolested original Chevelle to buy or restore.

in watching muscle cars bought and sold ive learned one thing, people will alway pay more for somthing that looks good than somthing that looks crappy but runs great, it amazes me but ive seen it happen time and again, but if its a original ss it wont matter if you get a chevelle guy looking at it

How about posting a picture of your one of a kind. I think we all would like to see it.

I dont know where the one of a kind car from ? But the car i was asking about is a One owner, all original , unrestored, never painted - 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS-6.
here is a pic as i dont know how to make the pic appear in the post.

http://hometown.aol.com/ihav1/index.html

and what i wanted to know is, should i leave it alone or detail it up ?
Some dressing would go along way to making the car more presentable.

Thanks

If I were to buy a car like that (looks very tempting, BTW), I'd go for something that was clean, with no signs of being fixed up or anything being hidden. That would make it much easier for me to determine the true condition of he car. Original paint is better than primer, even if there's rust showing.

When I look at a car, the key word is "clean". It takes a while to clean everything thoroughly, engine bay, suspension, carpet, glass, dash, seats etc but IMO, it looks so much better (and gives a more honest impression) than a half-a$$ Armor-All job.

Then again, people who don't know what they're looking at might fall for a shiny coat of Armor-All, four new $30 tires and a cheap Autozone engine trim kit. But I think that people who would be serious about buying something like your car won't be very impressed with that. Personally, I just hate cars with obvious signs of being fixed up for resale, and I usually try to stay away from them.

I'd clean it up as far a posible without changing anything or painting ... I belive most people who are looking to spend the money for these cars will KNOW what is right or wrong & what its going to cost to fix it up ... I'd much rather find an orignal car such as this then one thats got a 149. dollars paint job & seat covers !! with engine compartment covered in oil spray goop !

No need to detail this car. Just take out any accumulated waste in the glove box and trunk. The car will sell for what it is.

You have a PM.

I'm in Florida too, and have a customer looking for a Documented LS6 project. Do you have any paperwork?

I sent you a PM

Yes, i have the original Build Sheet still attached to the driver door panel, and in mint condition, and another build sheet was under the front seat., I also have the pre-delievery inspection sheet with the original owners name, a Florida Title with a 05-20-1970 date, and an Owner Affidavit stating car is original drivetrain and a one owner car. I also have the dealership packet from selling dealer, the original selling dealer decal is still attached to the trunk lid, and it still has the Blue mylar Door decal on the driver door. -
Here is a pic - http://hometown.aol.com/ihav1/page3.html
and the one on the door panel -
http://hometown.aol.com/ihav1/page2.html
A real LS-6 ONE Owner car in un-restored condition with no body panel repairs or paint work - ever.
I am still on the fence about letting it go as i know i cant replace it, but really dont have the time to do a proper resto right now, so its either let it go or store it as a future project ? ?

Check your PM again

It might be my monitor,but it looks like white 396 emblems on the fender instead of the red 454 emblem,do you have a better picture?

Did you sell the car ? I sent you a PM .

I've been a car nut since the 60's. Over the years certain life changes (including storage crisis') have inspired me to sell various cars. I HAVE NEVER SOLD A CAR THAT I DIDN'T REGRET IT. repeat: I HAVE NEVER SOLD A CAR THAT I DIDN'T REGRET IT.

If you sell that car and you're really a car guy, it'll probably always be the one that got away. If it is in fact original paint/drivetrain it's a very unique piece and doubtful that you'll be able to replace it when the seller's anxiety hits. High dollar stuff with big profits also triggers tax consequences that may sour the sweetness of the windfall. Thinkin' about duckin' the tax? Big risk........... wouldn't recommend it.

Yeah, you have documentation. You have a PM.

Sent you a pm just tell me you sold it or do not want to sell it.So I Dont waste yours and my time. The little green light says your online???????? Thanks Dave

i wouldn't detail it. when i buy i'm leary of a car that has been detailed and super cleaned. that removes a lot of evidence of neglect and abuse. i'd rather see a dirty engine to know what i'm getting and then i'll do the detailing.

Put it up for bid on ebay, that way you can get much more than it's worth and you won't have to do anything at all to it.

If you are DETERMINED to sell it, (again, STRONGLY recommend against it) I'd like a shot at it also. I'm NOT a dealer and don't buy and sell and would pay a fair price, but like Dean said, E Bay is probably the top dollar for it if you're cautious of all the scammers.

I'd roll it back into the garage, throw a cover over it and let it sit until you are ready. LS-6 cars are hard enough to come by... ones like yours don't exist anymore. DO NOT SELL THAT CAR!

If your looking for something thats like a 401-k. Thats it. The longer you keep it the more its going to be worth when you sell it. I would keep it also. Most people dont have the privelage of owning a piece of history like that in the first place unless they can afford it to begin with.

I think your right and since i am going out of town for the next few weeks i will put the car in storage.
I really didnt want to let anyone know that i had the car when i started this post, just asking what the true Chevelle purist thought about having an original car detailed before selling, and it would seem that the Un-touched kind of Barn Find is very hot right now.
I think most people find it hard to make time for a restoration in our busy lifes, and after seeing partial cars pulled out of the side of hills selling for what most would call crazy money it looks very tempting.
Thanks for all the encourgment to keep the car - as i am sure i could have
some fun listing it on e-bay with a $3000. reserve and watch as everyone goes nuts watching the auction. Lol.
just kidding. :>)

To whom it may concern, lol! I thought I would let you guys know I finally got together with the owner of the LS6 in question here and went and looked at it.
I thought many here would have some level of interest, and since I saw it, I thought I would post my findings.

The good news is I think I talked him into selling it, bad news is he is listing it on ebay. Before I say anymore, most of you may not know me, but for many years I was restoration director for Super Chevy's LTD, who specialized in LS6 Chevelles. From the mid 80s to the mid 90s, during the first muscle car craze, we bought and sold 50 or so documented LS6 cars. For years I restored, bought and sold, nothing but LS6 cars, COPOs, Yenkos, etc. LS6s were my expertise. So I know a little bit about these cars. However now, I wish to only do customs or really, REALLY off the wall restorations. So you can throw this in the " for what it's worth column"!

With that said, here is what I saw.

The car is a total project and needs everything, but positively is 100% legit. The paperwork is fabulous, the buildsheet is perfect, still attached to the door panel as Atlanta cars often were, and the car has a second build sheet in good condition as well as an original owners statement with it. What has to be the original block is in the trunk, decked, and bored 100 over, but dates perfect. I have to assume it is indeed the original motor, and was just to worn out to build again since it 100 over. It has another motor in it, a 1971 # 3963512 4-bolt with ZL1 heads, so original heads would need to be located. It's a ex-street-strip car, but not tubed or cut. It needs everything, but everything is there. The cloth interior is super rare, especially in a LS-6, and I think that is very cool. It is indeed original paint, but that means it is surface rusty in many areas, and rusty in others. I've done a lot worse over the years with less paperwork for sure. Car does have original Transmission and Rearend. I will be watching carefully for the auction, he promised he would e mail me when he listed it. Since I am not doing restos anymore, I am admittedly half heartedly interested. I guess I went and looked because it was close and curiosity was killing me more then anything.