Old Cars Price Guide and Krause Publications

The worth of an old car is a "ball-park" estimate at best. Our prices come from compilations of na-tional/regional data by the editors of Old Cars Price Guide and Old Cars Weekly News and Marketplace.

These data include prices from col-lector-car auctions, verified reports of private sales and input from experts.

We list values for vehicles in six dif-ferent states of condition as explained on this page. Values are for complete vehicles, not parts cars, except as noted. Modified-vehicle values are not includ-ed, but can be estimated by figuring the cost of restoring to original and deduct-ing from the figures shown within this publication.

Old Cars Price Guide condition codes fit the following descriptions:

1) EXCELLENT: Restored to cur-rent maximum professional standards of quality in every area, or perfect origi-nal with components operating and ap-pearing as new. A 95-plus point show car that is not driven.
In national show judging, a vehicle in number 1 condition is likely to win top honors in its class. In a sense, it has ceased to be an automobile and has be-come an object of art. It is transported to shows in an enclosed trailer, and, when not being shown, is stored in a cli-mate-controlled facility. It is not driven. There are few number 1 vehicles.

2) FINE: Well-restored, or a com-bination of superior restoration and excellent original. Also, an extremely well-maintained original showing mini-mal wear.
Except for the closest inspection, a number 2 vehicle may appear as a num-ber 1. The number 2 vehicle will take the top award in many judged shows, except when competing against a num-ber 1 example in its own class. It may also be driven 800-1,000 miles each year to shows, on tours or simply for pleasure.

3) VERY GOOD: Completely op-erable original or "older restoration" showing wear. Also, a good amateur restoration, all presentable and service-able inside and out. Plus, combinations of well-done restoration and good oper-able components; or a partially restored car with all parts necessary to complete it and/or valuable new old stock (NOS) parts.
This is a "20 footer." That is, from 20 feet away it may appear perfect. But as we approach it, we begin to notice that the paint may be getting thin in spots from frequent washing and pol-ishing. Looking inside, we might detect wear on the driver's seat, foot pedals and carpeting. The chrome trim, while still quite presentable, may have lost its sharp, mirror-like reflective quality it had when new. All systems and equip-ment on the car are in good operating order. In general, most of the vehicles seen at car shows are in number 3 con-dition.

4) GOOD: A drivable vehicle need-ing no, or only minor work to be func-tional. Also, a deteriorated restoration or a poor amateur restoration. All com-ponents may need restoration to be "ex-cellent," but the vehicle is mostly usable "as is."
This is a driver. It may be in the process of restoration or its owner may have big plans, but even from 20 feet away, there is no doubt that it needs a lot of help.

5) RESTORABLE: Needs complete restoration of body, chassis and interior. May or may not be running, but isn't weathered, wrecked and/or stripped to the point of being useful only for parts.
This car needs everything. It may not be operable, but it is essentially all there and has only minor surface rust, if any rust at all. While presenting a real challenge to the restorer, it won't have him doing a lot of chasing for missing parts.

6) PARTS CAR: May or may not be running, but is weathered, wrecked and/or stripped to the point of being useful primarily for parts.
This is an incomplete or greatly de-teriorated, perhaps rusty vehicle that has value only as a parts donor for other restoration projects.

Collecting 101: Our Favorite Automotive Bookmarks

Here are links to useful information related to automobile collecting.

2009 Old Cars Auto Club List
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/clubdirectory/

Popular Web site listings
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/stage/topsites/

Researching a car's history
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/article/tracing_car_history/

Show & Auction Calendar
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/eventsauctions/

Old Cars Report Home Page
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/Old_Cars_Report/

Recent Old Car Hobby News
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/

Videos
http://www.community.oldcarsweekly.com/videos.one?view=mv&tm=all

Photos and Photo Galleries
http://www.community.oldcarsweekly.com/photo_browse.one?view=mv&tm=all

Blogs
http://www.community.oldcarsweekly.com/blog_browse.one

Automotive Glossary

Acetalyne — A type of lighting system used on Brass Era automobiles

Aftermarket — The market in replacement or repair parts, additional equipment, etc.

Basecoat — The actual color of the paint. The clearcoat is a clear, shiny layer of paint that is applied over the basecoat that protects the paint from UV and is necessary to make the paint shine.

Big Three — U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler Corp.

Body shop — A garage where repair work on the body and chassis of a vehicle is done.

Bodywork — Making or repairing the body of a vehicle.

1910 Buick Model 10A RunaboutBrass Era — The first period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. The era spans from the beginning of vehicle production in the 1890s up to World War I (approx. 1917-'18).

Cam —  A moving piece of machinery, as a wheel or projection on a wheel, that gives an eccentric rotation or a reciprocating motion to another wheel, a roller, a shaft, etc., or that receives such motion from it.

Camshaft — The shaft of which a cam is an essential part, or to which a cam is fastened.

Carburetor — The apparatus for carbureting air or a gas, especially a device in which air is mixed with gasoline spray to make an explosive mixture in an internal-combusion engine.

Carmaker— A manufacturer or automobiles, such as Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler.

Clear coat — Paint or resin without pigment. Clear coat finishes are simply a layer of clear resin applied over the top of colored resin.

Cruise-O-Matic — A type of Ford transmission.

Chassis — The frame plus the "running gear" like engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential, and suspension.

CID — Cubic inch displacement, e.g. 350-cid V-8.
Coachwork —  The body of a motor vehicle (automobile, bus or truck) that is built around a chassis.

Coachbuilt — Vehicle construction method employed by small volume manufacturers usually creating sporting or cabriolet versions of standard models.

Collector vehicle —  A vehicle that is at least 25 years old. In 2009, vehicles with a model year of 1984 or before are eligible for collector status.

1955 Packard PredictorConcept car — A car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs that may or may not have a chance of being produced.

1939 Ford Deluxe ConvertibleConvertible —  A type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle. Many different automobile body styles are manufactured and marketed in convertible form.

1979 CamaroCoupé or coupe — A closed car body style. The precise definition varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coupés often are hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a close-coupled interior (i.e. the rear seat placed further forward than in a standard sedan) offering either two seats or 2+2 seating (space for two passengers in the front and two occasional passengers or children in the rear).

Crankshaft — The part of an engine that translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation. To convert the reciprocating motion into rotation, the crankshaft has "crank throws" or "crankpins", additional bearing surfaces whose axis is offset from that of the crank, to which the "big ends" of the connecting rods from each cylinder attach.  The crankshaft typically connects to a flywheel.

Cyclecars  — Small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s that were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin, or, more rarely four-cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other components from this source, such as gearboxes, also were employed. Cyclecars were half way between motorcycles and cars and were fitted with lightweight bodies, sometimes tandem two-seaters. They used various layouts and means of transmitting the engine power to the wheels, such as belt drive or chain drive often to one rear wheel only to avoid having to provide a differential.

Custom car — A passenger vehicle that has been altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission or a car that has a personal "styling" statement by the re-styler/re-builder, making the car look "unique" and unlike any car that might have been factory finished.

Deck lid — Trunk lid.

DeLuxe — Top-level Fords from 1930s and ’40s.

De Soto— A Chrysler Corp.-produced car.

Deuce — A term used only for 1932 Fords.

Disc brake — A device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel.

Downdraft — a type of carburetor.

Driveshaft — Also known as a driving shaft, propeller shaft or Cardan shaft, this is a mechanical component for transmitting torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drive train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them.

Drivetrain — Also called a powertrain or powerplant, this term refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, driveshafts, differentials, and the final drive. Sometimes "powertrain" is used to refer to simply the engine and transmission, including the other components only if they are integral to the transmission.    

1973 Ford Mustang Mach I FastbackFastback— A car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.   

Firedome — A Chrysler engine.

FirePower — A Chrysler engine.

Flathead— A type of internal-combustion engine, sometimes called a sidevalve engine or a flatty, that has valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine. The design was common on early engine designs, but has since fallen from use.

Floor pan — A large sheet metal stamping that forms the floor of vehicle. It serves as the foundation of most of the structural and mechanical components of a unibody automobile to which the powertrain, suspension system, and other parts are attached.     

Fordomatic— A type of Ford transmission.

Freewheel — Also known as an overrunning clutch, this is the device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft. An overdrive is sometimes mistakenly called a freewheel, but is otherwise unrelated.

Gear box — Provides a speed-torque conversion (commonly known as "gear reduction" or "speed reduction") from a higher-speed motor to a slower but more forceful output, or vice-versa.

Glove box or glove compartment — Originally established as a place to store driving gloves, this automotive essential has evolved into a mini car closet that holds everything from owner’s manuals to sunglasses, keys, cell phones and other items.

Gran Sport — A Buick muscle car.

Grand Prix — A Pontiac cocktail cruiser.

GrilleGrille    — An opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.

High boy — A fenderless street rod, usually a roadster.

High Impact Paint — Muscle car-era Dodge and Plymouth colors.

Highway Hi-Fi — A 16 2/3-rpm record player introduced in September 1955 for Mopars.

High-wheeler — An early vehicle using wagon styling with tall wheels.

Horsepower —  Abbreviated hp, HP or Hp, stands for the measurement of several non-SI units of power. It was originally defined to allow the output of steam engines to be measured and compared with the power output of draft horses. The horsepower was widely adopted to measure the output of piston engines, turbines, electric motors and other machinery. Different regions adopted different definitions of the unit. Most countries now use the SI unit watt for measurement of power.

Hot rod — Typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed.

Hubcap Whitewall TireHubcap — A decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel.

Hydra-Matic — GM transmission.

Iskendarian   — a.k.a. Isky, an aftermarket performance part producer.

Kelsey-Hayes— A wheel company.

Kit car — An automobile that is available in kit form, which means that the client buys a set of parts and needs to assemble the car themselves.

L-head — A flathead engine.

Liftgate — The opening rear panel on a fastback

MoPar — Short for [Chrysler Corp.] Motor Parts.

mpg — Miles per gallon.

mph — Miles per hour.

1969 AMC Hurst SC Rambler HardtopMuscle car — Any of a variety of high-performance automobiles. The most widely accepted use of the term refers to American two-door, rear-wheel drive, mid-size cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful V8s and sold at an affordable price for street use and drag racing, formally and informally. Muscle cars are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing.

Nail-head — A  Buick engine.

Notchback — A fastback car with a deck lid.

Number 1 — A condition rating used by  Old Cars Price Guide.

Overhead camshaft — Commonly abbreviated as OHC, valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves (OHV) and pushrods.

Overhead valve engine — Also called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft in the cylinder block (usually beside and slightly above the crankshaft in a straight engine or directly above the crankshaft in the V of a V engine) and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder head to actuate the valves.

Posi-Traction — A Chevrolet/GM anti-spin rear axle.

1959 Dodge Custom Royal LancerPostwar — The era of American car production from 1946 (when automobile production resumed after World War II) to automobiles that date back at least 25 years from the current year. (In 2009, the cutoff for collector cars are those with model years of 1984 or before.)

PowerFlite — A Chrysler transmission

Powerplant — Engine

1941 Buick Panel TruckPrewar — The generation of American cars from the1920s to 1942.

Ram Air — Pontiac air-intake system

Red line — Red stripes on car tires

Redline — The maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. Also: Hot Wheels with red stripes on tires

Roll cage — A vehicle frame designed to protect occupants in the event of a crash

rpm — a unit of frequency. The number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis. It is most commonly used as a measure of rotational speed or angular velocity of some mechanical component.

RPO: GM regular production options (e.g. L-79, W-31, etc.)

Rumble seat — Also referred to as a dicky seat, dickie seat or dickey seat, this is an upholstered exterior seat that hinges or otherwise opens out from the rear deck of a pre-World War II automobile and seats one or more passengers. In a carriage, a rumble (short for "rumble-tumble") was a seat behind the body used by servants. Roadster, Coupe and Cabriolet auto body styles were offered with either a luggage compartment or a rumble seat in the deck. Models equipped with a rumble seat were often referred to as a sport coupe or sport roadster.    

1962 Corvair Monza Spyder ConvertibleRoadster — Also known as a spyder or spider. A two-seat car, traditionally without either a roof, side or rear windows. While retractable soft-tops are nevertheless marketed as roadsters/spyders, retractable hard-tops are commonly designated as coupe roadsters.

1939 Hudson PickupRunning board — A car or truck accessory part. This is a narrow step fitted under the side doors of the vehicle. It aids entry, especially into high vehicles. Running boards are typical of vintage cars that had much higher ground clearances than today's cars.

Saf-T-Track — A Pontiac anti-spin rear axle.

1956 Packard Clipper SedanSedan — A passenger car with two rows of seats and adequate passenger space in the rear compartment for adult passengers. The vehicle usually has a separate rear trunk.

“Sedanette”  — A GM fastback of the 1940s.

SCoT —A common abbreviation for Supercharger Company of Torino.

1931 Ford Model ASidemount — A spare tire carried in a fender.

Sunroof — A venting or sliding opening in a vehicle roof that allows light and/or fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs may be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styles.       

Supercharger  — An air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine. A supercharger can be powered mechanically by a belt, gear, shaft, or chain connected to the engine's crankshaft. It can also be powered by an exhaust gas turbine. A turbine-driven supercharger is known as a turbosupercharger or turbocharger.

Sway bar — A torsion spring bar that reduces vehicle roll.

1959 Dodge Custom Royal LancerTailfin — An automotive design feature that generally is credited General Motors design chief Harley Earl. Small fins were introduced on the 1948 Cadillac. The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1958 and 1960. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the American automobile industry.

Tachometer — Also called a revolution-counter, rev-counter, or RPM gauge, this instrument measures the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute (RPM)

T-Bird — The Thunderbird ("T-Bird"), is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over 13 model generations from 1955 through to 2005.

T-top — An automobile roof with removable panels on either side of a rigid bar running from the center of one structural bar between pillars to the center of the next structural bar.

TorqueFlite — A Chrysler transmission with a different number of speeds than PowerFlite

Turbo Hydra-Matic — A GM transmission, e.g. Turbo Hydra-Matic 350.

Turbocharger — Also known as a turbo, this is a gas compressor used for forced-induction of an internal combustion engine.

Updraft — A type or carburetor.

Wheel cover or wheel trim — A decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel.

Whitewall TireWhitewalls — Tires that have a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber.

1946 Ford Woodie WagonWoodie — A type of car, more specifically an early U.S. station wagon in which the rear portion of the car's bodywork is made of wood. Frequently this wood is visible, since it is covered in a clear finish, either over the entire wooden area or sometimes just on the framework with the interior panels painted.

Z/28 — A model of Camaro.

Zora Arkus-Duntov — Godfather of the Corvette.