Valuing an unusual car for sale

I think it's time to move on from the MG. I want to keep it, but it's just not getting used. But how do you set a price on a car like this? It's not BaT level, too much patina. The overall description sounds like a car that could be awesome or could be complete WTF Craigslist trash. WIth a more normal car like my turbo Miata, I have previous sales I can refer to. But an LS1-powered MGB GT is not something that has a large database of sales to look up :)

How would you do it? Just chuck it up on an auction site with awesome photos and hope? Set a price you hope is fair and advertise on your favorite forum? Effectively run a private auction by saying "make me an offer" and see what happens?

Keith, see

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-mg-mgb-gt-31/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mg-mgb-39/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-mg-mgb-30/

Looks like a great car and given the source probably built much better than many of them.

You may miss that one!b If I had a few less MGs I'd be interested - always liked the GTs but never owned one (do still have an MGA coupe though).

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Following as I might be in the same boat.

wspohn said:

Keith, see

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-mg-mgb-gt-31/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mg-mgb-39/

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-mg-mgb-30/

Looks like a great car and given the source probably built much better than many of them.

You may miss that one!b If I had a few less MGs I'd be interested - always liked the GTs but never owned one (do still have an MGA coupe though).

Yeah, the first two of those use old engines instead of a modern one. The last one is closer. And thanks for the kind words, but I'm not sure it's necessarily better built.

The paint quality prevents me from putting it up on BaT, I think. I suppose I could always give it a try.

I actually think BAT would get you a good price. Your MG should have a little provenance that internet bidders would recognize. 

I think the prevalence of 'v8' mgbs is actually a negative. the LS + t56 is WAY better than an olds 215 + t5

Kieth I think Bring a trailer is the perfect place to sell it. Not sure about the summer doldrums though. The markets get weaker late summer. 
But first list it here. You have a Sterling reputation and this site will probably value your work best of all.  

I'd also give BAT a shot - it might be unusual enough for them to accept it even if it is not pristine.

frenchyd said:

Kieth I think Bring a trailer is the perfect place to sell it. Not sure about the summer doldrums though. The markets get weaker late summer. 
But first list it here. You have a Sterling reputation and this site will probably value your work best of all.  

Which circles back to the original question - if I do list it here...how much?

Keith Tanner said:

frenchyd said:

Kieth I think Bring a trailer is the perfect place to sell it. Not sure about the summer doldrums though. The markets get weaker late summer. 
But first list it here. You have a Sterling reputation and this site will probably value your work best of all.  

Which circles back to the original question - if I do list it here...how much?

I'm sure you have a number in your head where if it sold for that, you'd feel saucy about it.  So a bit more than that, plus some negotiating room?  Then see what happens.  At least here we aren't likely to give you anything other than some good-natured ribbing if we think it's too high. 

If Bring a Trailer will let you in and let you have a reserve you can live with , thats the place 

it seems that the reserve price is often the deal buster when trying to list on BAT .

Keith, do you recall a certain Green MGB  GT V8 that was sold on BAT for 60 k. Yes it was immaculate and what not, but it was offered to the MG Experience crowd at 35k and told that it was way too much. Nothing to lose going straight to BAT.

As an aside, anyone here living in Canada that has done a US sale via BAT?

As someone who used to work for BaT, I would be surprised if they weren't willing to take this, assuming the paint isn't totally thrashed. Even then, it's a neat enough build to where I think they would be open to the conversation. The curation team will be happy to give you their thoughts value and where a reserve should be set, and they tend to be pretty frank with both numbers. Keep in mind that the reserve is always going to be less than what the "market value" will be. 

I'd say you should submit it with a detailed build list in the submission form, so that they can have as much information as possible. IMO, you'll likely get the most money there, especially with good photos and a nice driving video to show off the V8. 

Those BaT comps aren't bad - $15k RNM for a nice ecotec swap, 18k for a 215 with body/paint issues and 25k for a hotrodded 266 bring flipped. 

Your paint may be a strike against but as a named builder I think your swap work is worth a lot. Certainly lowers the chances that the BaT buyer has to undo stuff like I'm doing to my BaT find 

Assuming the metal's all in good shape and you know someone who can do a good job for decent $, maybe try about $25k and offering to have the car wrapped in the buyer's choice of color?

Keith Tanner said:

frenchyd said:

Kieth I think Bring a trailer is the perfect place to sell it. Not sure about the summer doldrums though. The markets get weaker late summer. 
But first list it here. You have a Sterling reputation and this site will probably value your work best of all.  

Which circles back to the original question - if I do list it here...how much?

Kieth.  Apparently you've not read all my posts. I'm cheap, and really proud of it.   Even cars I value highly must be shockingly cheap to interest me.   So you can imagine how awful my numbers would be and frankly I respect you far too much to do that to you.  

I'm not asking you to name a price, Frenchy :) It's more of a general question on cars like this in general. 

I would offer you all of the money that I have for it, but that would only set the bar at like $27.50. Seriously though, I love that.

Let me preface this advice by saying that I hate selling cars.  I hate the whole process and I have to constantly fight the desire to hang onto everything I own even if it's not serving any purpose. Despite that strong dislike I've sold cars both personally and professionally and here's my advice.

1. Figure out what your bottom line, I'll feel OK with the deal, price is.  That number is often completely divorced from the actual value of the car.
2. Put the car up for auction through whatever facility you think is going to get the most bidders for your particular car with a reserve of your feel good price plus auction fees and let the market tell you what the value is.
3. Take the money and move on or, if it doesn't meet reserve re-evaluate whether or not you really want to sell it.

Since I hate selling them, for my own cars I'll sometimes take my step 1 price and offer the car to someone who's expressed interest in it or who I think will enjoy it at that price.

I would echo that BaT would likely take this. Cars & Bids could work also?

Edit: A quick check shows that C&B technically calls for cars 1980 and newer but the B's were made into the 80's... and this one has a much newer heart. 

1972 chassis, 1998 drivetrain - on average, I guess it's a 1985 :) Fun fact, the engine has been in the MG longer than it was in the Camaro donor.

I'll get it cleaned up and see if I can convince BaT to list it. The smurf Miata is likely going up for sale as well, but that's a lot easier to set a price range for.

Photos matter , and the one you posted looks great :)

its probably worth it to have him take the BAT photos for you if possible.

Good Luck

I have been singing that song for a long time, I pushed hard for the $82k V8 Miata to have good pictures taken and I think that paid off.  Too many people try to skate by with mediocre photography and they pay the price - literally.

Travis is a personal friend so having him shoot pics is pretty much a given.

This isn't answering your price question (because I have no idea), but have you looked at Cars and Bids to list it? That clientele seems to be more into cool, different stuff than the BaT people. 

What about Cars & Bids?  Aren't they the competitor of BaT?

I've been looking for a higher performance replacement for my Miata but I think this might be too much.

You don't happen to have the link to the build thread, do you?  Just curious to go over it again, I remember reading it years ago.