Hello, I am new to this board and I joined because a customer of mine has a car for sale and I really don’t know what the value is. He asked me and I told him I would do some research.
It is a one owner, 1970 Cougar Eliminator. It has approx 60K original miles. The interior is black and reflects the low mileage. The exterior needs paint and body work. No rust. It has been in the SF Bay Area all of its’ life. The engine is a 428 SCJ with the drag pack option. The smog is still there. The rearend is 4:30 and I suspect a Dapco unit. I haven’t had the car in my shop for a while, so I don’t remember all the options and I will get that info in the near future.
I remember it does have the AM 8 track player and the owner has a bunch of 8 track tapes. It is in running condition.
Any thoughts on what a realistic price (in todays ecomony) would be.
Sounds like it could be one heck of a car. While I’m not gonna hazard any guesses as to the actual value, I can point you toward some current ads for 428CJ Eliminators.
^ the thread elsewhere on this site has several 428 Eliminators listed, with links and prices to the sale sites or owner info. Most of them have been available for quite a while, so either the prices are high or the market is soft, or a little of both. I dont’ think any are currently listed as SCJ cars though, so that might make for a good selling point.
I would highly recommend your customer invest in a Marti Report from martiauto.com, which will give all the details of the car as it left the factory. It will also confirm for any potential buyer that the car is a real factory Eliminator.
I hope that helps, and if you get the chance post up some pics for us
Dapco unit? I’ve been hanging around in Cougar world for quite a few years now, and have never heard that term before.
The link above is a good place to start. Honestly, there are so few SCJ Eliminators, and they publicly change hands so infrequently, its hard to get a good read on the market. Condition is a big factor, since restoration costs aren’t cheap. From your description, this particular car, being a one-owner, likely has all the major components intact and original, so that’s a big plus. But keep in mind that just a few missing items, like the air cleaner, or engine fan, or any of the Eliminator-specific trim, could potentially take thousands to replace. If everything’s still there, its significant.
Other factors that will have an impact are the type of transmission (four speeds are worth more) and the interior trim level. All '69 Eliminators received an upgraded (“Decor” in Mercury-speak) interior; in '70 it was an option, and it’ll add some $$.
Likewise, styled steel wheel were a '70 Eliminator option that’ll increase the value somewhat over the standard wheels.
The Marti report and/or factory invoice, to tell exactly how the car was equipped from the factory, along with some pictures, would really help with the valuation. But rest assured, its a very desirable car.
I guess I am showing my age. I bought my first GT350 in 1971 and that is what we called the Detroit Locker. BTW, I sold that GT350 a few years back in Scottsdale. That experience was quite the thrill.
Mike, I will be able to take a closer look at the car in the next week or so. I was not able to send you a PM as I am new to this board and it was blocked. I know the owner does not have a Marty report. He is the original owner. To purchase such a vehicle in 1970 would no doubt place him in his 70’s now. He lives near my shop in West Oakland, CA and has lived there all his life. Nice old guy, and does he have some stories about coming up against “hot rods” in his day. I believe he will be wanting around $35K, but it is my job to find out if that is realistic or not. I will take some pictures and get the data plate info. I may send off for a Marty report myself.
I still have a 66’ GT350 that I Vintage race and a Boss 351 for a street car. The GT350 I sold was the prototype 1966. The VIN was SFM6S001. I can always nail the price of a Mustang or Shelby, but the Cougars seem to follow a different drummer.
