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1932 LaSalle RestoMod - Should I Do it...? Please Help....

Started by Crazylumpy, September 20, 2013, 11:29:42 AM

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C.R. Patton II



Hello Al

I just finished dinner with CLCMCR member Bob Dowell. We are attending the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Museum & Research Center Cadillac Fall Festival for tomorrow's ground breaking ceremony. Bob is a great family man that retired from a career as a successful businessman. He is someone I admire and respect.

He has restored several LaSalle automobiles. Mr. Dowell also enjoys the winter months in a southern state driving a 1933 LaSalle was restomoded by the prior owner. His wife and family love amenities and comfort. I presented your situation and specifically the original condition/rarity of your vehicle for transformation to a restomod He advised that you keep your LaSalle in the current status and find a common Cadillac to modify. If you are a CLC member and possess an international directory like I,  Bob is willing to talk you off the cliff.
All good men own a Cadillac but great gentlemen drive a LaSalle. That is the consequence of success.

Crazylumpy

Thanks for the feedback, What makes my Lasalle more rare than all the other 32's? What do you think its present value is?

Thanks, a lot everyone....

Al

gary griffin

#22
If you are thinking of present value vs. restored or a hot rod I have an example. A  friend of mine has a fairly rare 1942 Cadillac fast back. It is  a lovely  car and has about $80,000 worth of modifications including 500 Cubic inch Cadillac engine and a beautiful leather interior and also lots of chrome under the hood. power seats, disc brakes air conditioning, stereo, power windows, and all of the possible goodies. He wins almost all of the local car shows he goes to and the car is a pleasure to drive. It was what I call a widows car. It was listed in Hemmings for $90,000 and the price went down monthly to $20,000 where my friend bought it.  Modify a classic and you are wasting your time and money in my opinion, but it is your car to do what you want to do with it. So many cool cars to modify why ruin this one?? Good luck in your decision, you will need to live with it for a long time.

   By the way these cars are capable of making your cross country trip if they are in good condition.  That is what our grand parents did.
Gary Griffin

1940 LaSalle 5029 4 door convertible sedan
1942 Cadillac 6719 restoration almost complete?
1957 Cadillac 60-special (Needs a little TLC)
2013 Cadillac XTS daily driver

Gene Beaird

If you're itching to drop a CTS-V drivetrain into something, I'd really consider something like this:

http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=127363.0

Ultimate sleeper!  NO one would suspect it, and unless they knew exactly what it was, no one would steal it!!!   ;D

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

INTMD8

I have a question I don't see addressed yet. What are your intentions for the car when completed? You seem to be hung up on what it will be worth when completed, so do you just plan to sell it?

If your plan is to build it for profit I don't think it would be worthwhile.

The car on ebay, I'm surprised to see a bid on it at 185k if it is in fact a real bid. I don't think it was built to a level that would command that kind of money.

Crazylumpy

My intent was to keep it as a driver, I want to be able to get in and drive anywhere in comfort and style.

All I want to know is..... what my Cadillac worth in its current condition...???

Thanks,
Al

gary griffin

#26
Hi Al,

    There are several references to classic car values and suggested prices, just Google it and I think Kelly has one and Hemmings and so forth.

    Rarity and condition are the main points in rarity and we can not judge that here, also market factors even your location can make a difference in value, for example it would be less in Montana. I just flew to Phoenix to check out a 1940 Lasalle and purchased it.  If you are going to keep it long term current value means very little. I have a small collection of fairly rare vehicles and being 72 years old I imagine the value will be decided by my kids when I am not longer able to drive them.

   Good luck in your decision making!!

   Gary Griffin
Gary Griffin

1940 LaSalle 5029 4 door convertible sedan
1942 Cadillac 6719 restoration almost complete?
1957 Cadillac 60-special (Needs a little TLC)
2013 Cadillac XTS daily driver

Brad Ipsen CLC #737

This car was on Craig's List not to long ago in the Seattle area.  I saw it and certainly other Cadillac buyers saw it.  I forget now what it was listed for but it seemed like a fair price.  I thought it was a good deal so sent the listing to other Cadillac people.  You were not the only potential buyer that saw it advertised so when you bought the car you set the value in its present condition.  If you market it world wide and find some of the missing parts you may add value to it and then it may be worth more.  If today you marketed it with a Craig's List ad in the Seattle area the value may be less because you won't be a potential buyer and it will have to go to the next guy who may only be willing to pay say $2000 less.   
Brad Ipsen
1940 Cadillac 60S
1938 Cadillac 9039
1940 Cadillac 6267
1940 LaSalle 5227
1949 Cadillac 6237X
1940 Cadillac 60S Limo

Stinson

There is another '32 at the top of this "General Discussion" list. Sell your car for someone to finish it. Try to purchase the other one and mod it. You would be far ahead of the game. and save a good car.
Ty Stinson
'37 Cad 8519 Touring Sedan V12
CLC22330

Thule

this car is way to good to be hot rodded.   as well as i like hot rods. and want to build one
Ivar Markusson.  icelandic cadillac club (part of CLC)
73 Eldorado coupe.

rich neary


Old Guy Cadillac owner and lifetime hot rodder here.
Judging from photos, your car is too nice to resto-mod and deserves to be preserved.
Building that long distance family rod you want will require alot more than just dropping in a small block.
Shop around, buy something that's already done or an unfinished project with modern running gear ie: brakes suspension etc. that you can personalize the way you like it. There's lots of good deals out there.
Offer your car for sale  in the meantime. It should bring a good buck.
Rich

Rich Neary
Statesville, NC

1957 Series 60 Fleetwood
2013 CTS
1955 Jaguar XK140MC  FHC
1965 Deville Convertible
1998 Jaguar XK8 Coupe

yachtflame

I've done several restorations and a few resto-rods. I'm currently working on a 1931 Lasalle convertible coup. The body sat without a chassis in mud for some 15 years and the bottom 2-3 inches was rotted all the way around. The cost to try to restore the car to factory specs was going to cost a lot more then it's finished value. So, I bought a Chevy C10 and which had the same wheel base length. The plan was to put the body on the truck frame. Sounded "good on paper" but turned out the engine on a modern truck is much farther forward then 1930's cars, so that didn't work out. As someone above stated, the wood frame isn't made for modern power and will start to crack and separate. I took what was left of the wood out and replaced it with 1" x 1" steel tubing. I
Wayne Elsworth
CLC #17075

yachtflame

My reply got cut short somehow but it was getting too long any way. A friend has been able to make serious money rodding 1931 Cadillac coups but it takes serious money invested to get to that level. After 8 years on my coup, I kinda wish I'd just bought some one else's unfinished project.
The pictures look as if this one is too good to rod. There are enough "bones" out there to rod.
As for a value for the drive train, I buy lots of parts for resale. I usually pay $1000 to $2500 for every thing taken out of a car including drive train, suspension, upholstery and gauges. Not enough to really help out the repowering and rebuilding.
Good luck with what ever you decide.
Wayne Elsworth
CLC #17075

TedZ

Hi from the owner of a 32 Town Sedan,
     Yours is called a Town Coupe. - I have had my 32 for over 50 years now. - When I got it it had less than 50,000 miles on it. - When it got over 80,000 miles it lost its compression and would not start or run any longer. - Now after rebuilding the motor it runs just fine again and is willing to cruise along at 60 all day long and I have taken it on many trips with very few troubles. - I certainly would not attempt to change it around because that body style is not the common one. - I certainly think you would have more fun just fixing up so that would be safe to drive in its original condition. - Once you have it fixed up and started driving it around you would find it a fun car to drive, certainly after you got use to it.

Ted from New York
Ted Zitzmann
CLC ID# 361
32 LaSalle
40 LaSalle
54 Dodge

Brad Ipsen CLC #737

Brad Ipsen
1940 Cadillac 60S
1938 Cadillac 9039
1940 Cadillac 6267
1940 LaSalle 5227
1949 Cadillac 6237X
1940 Cadillac 60S Limo