1962 Austin-Healey BT7 value?

[Choptop]

Been looking at a 62 BT7 in GREAT shape (<span style="font-style: italic">no floor rust, no body damage, good paint, just a little bit of door bottom blisters and rear lower fender bubbles, no frame rust, all there and in good shape</span>), been sitting, turns over, will run with some work and have no idea of value. Been seeing nothing but fully restored versions for sale anywhere form $40-80k.

any range on a driver quality version?

 

[BobFrisby]

Hi Chop --

What you are looking at is NOT driver quality. It doesn't run, and could thus have many hidden problems. I doubt that anyone would pay more that $20k, maybe a lot less.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Choptop,
If you've got those bubbles you can pretty much be assured there will be more of the tin worm work not visible until you get things apart. Probably inner and outer sills and doglegs. BN4's and BT7's are at the lower end of Healey values unless this is a tri carb which if it is a 1962 guessing it is. Those are of course worth more. As to your question, with the work needed to make it a driver quality car, Keith Martin's Sport Car Market price guide puts a tri carb BT7 in the low range of $35k and high range of $45k. If it has rust issues and been sitting for sometime and doesn't really run right now, I wouldn't pay more than low 20's at the most. Too many unknowns, what about your braking system, seals, hydraulics, etc and low 20's might even be high. Too many nice driver quality cars out there that might cost you more to get in but you will save money in the long run. As just about everybody will tell you, buy the best car you can afford where someone else has done the expensive and hard work.
Good luck,
Mike

 

[DerekJ]

Chop,

The best place to buy a car is from an Austin Healey club member. Join a local club if you are not already a member, and circulate other clubs to see what their members have for sale. Plus IMHO I would never buy from a dealer, except maybe a recommended guy who specialises in Healey, but not from general 'Sports Car' dealers.

BigHealeysource is right, if its got rust you can see, its got rust where you cant see, and those places are the most expensive to fix. Sometimes these 20 to 25 grand cars can be the wrost of all. You've paid all that money but they can still need an awful lot of work.

There is a good looking BT7 for sale in Kentucky for 29,000 with two owners each for 25 years. Its posted by Jim Werner of the Blue Grass Club and very well known Healey guy. Worth a contact.

 

[NIB]

Try take a look at completed listings BT7 on ebay to get an idea of the price they sell for.

 

[tahoe healey]

If you join or even just contact a local club someone there probably will go with you to "check it out". There are tons of hidden cautions in a + or- 45 year old car. Being armed with info can probably get you a better price. Figure another 20K to restore and the better restored/preserved ones seem more realistic in price. Buy the best car you can afford.

 

[Choptop]

it is a 3 carb car. All there, interior in good shape and engine bay tidy. Just been sitting for years. I know it would need ever rubber bit, the brakes and carbs gone through and such...

Danke Mucho guys. I'm pretty adept at restoring/working on cars and am pretty sure this is a runner with a little work. There is some rust showing in the lower doors, but nothing in the floor boards or frame. Pretty good shape all around. My goal with the car is to get it running, make it safe and have the 3000 experience for not a ton of cash. I dont need a 100 point car.

So I'm hearing low 20's perhaps mid teens for something in this condition?

here are some pics of the worst and best of it...

 

[tahoe healey]

Actually that looks pretty good to me. Check with Bill Boulton as he is the Tri-carb registry. I believe it is tricarb@AOL.com He probably could tell you the approximate value better than anyone. (Nice guy)

 

[Choptop]

Actually that looks pretty good to me. Check with Bill Boulton as he is the Tri-carb registry. I believe it is tricarb@AOL.com He probably could tell you the approximate value better than anyone. (Nice guy)

thanks, just talked to him on the phone and his take was right about $30k.

 

[HEALEYJAG]

For 30 I would look for a better car...Healey prices have dropped dramatically last 2 years......


Just my take...

Pete

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Choptop,
Bill would sure know better than me but $30k for this one sure seems high.
If the rest of the paint is in decent shape above the swage line, maybe do your rust repairs where they are obviously needed and then paint your coves black as it appears to be a black interior. That would save you a bunch of money painting the entire car, taking all the trim off, etc to make it look decent.Still think $20's IMHO. Good luck and let is know what you do - we're all voyeurs when it comes to looking at another Healey !
Regards,
Mike

 

[Choptop]

Hey Choptop,
Bill would sure know better than me but $30k for this one sure seems high.
If the rest of the paint is in decent shape above the swage line, maybe do your rust repairs where they are obviously needed and then paint your coves black as it appears to be a black interior. That would save you a bunch of money painting the entire car, taking all the trim off, etc to make it look decent.Still think $20's IMHO. Good luck and let is know what you do - we're all voyeurs when it comes to looking at another Healey !
Regards,
Mike

my thoughts exactly all the way around on value and paint scheme/rust repairs.

yep black interior, two tone cream/black would look nice.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Look at it this way, no two of these are exactly alike in terms of condition at this point in time . If the body and chassis are in truly great condition you are lucky to find it. A bad Healey ( extensive rust and/ or collision damage) costs too much money and expertise to make great again and its just not possible to accurately estimate the cost of repair to the chassis/ body to get it ready for paint without shortcutting on the repair ( which all too many do). I would think 15-20 grand would be a good buy as you'll spend another $20(doing it yourself) before you know what happened ! Now you've got $40 grand in a great Healey " driver", not $40 grand in a mistake. On a related topic I'm just finishing a full rotisserie restoration on a BJ7 that the owner brought to me in boxes. Short story, 7 yrs and 85 thousand later and its looking like a Healey again. There's a lesson there somewhere but darned if I can ever learn what it is !

 

[Bob_Spidell]

First picture looks kinda strange--usually, the door seam and the end of the sill line up. This one may have had an, uh, 'unusual' repair. Or, maybe it's just the light.

 

[Choptop]

First picture looks kinda strange--usually, the door seam and the end of the sill line up. This one may have had an, uh, 'unusual' repair. Or, maybe it's just the light.

its just the angle. The doors line up really nice. gaps are even not tooooo bad.

 

[DerekJ]

It's difficult to tell from just a few photos but 30k would seem too much to me. It needs a complete respray for starters. Frame looks solid but who knows about the inner sills etc. Nearer 20k would seem about right.

As a comparison, the car I mentioned in Kentucky, is a known car, with complete history, its a real driver and has just had a respray and its priced at 29K (I have no connection or interest in that car btw)

 

[Brinkerhoff]

If this car is rust free ,you better buy it, or get in touch with me and I'll buy it. Theres plenty of cars that have been painted out there that you'd never want to own.

 

[Choptop]

I should know if I can get it next week. We'll see... fingers crossed. I think its a good one. I know it will need some work, not afraid of that. The goal is to make it into a driver and not worry about any non-structural rust issues right away (they will get handled eventually, cuz they dont get any better with time). Just get it running, get it safe and enjoy driving.

I love the idea of fixing the rust and spraying the lower cove black. That would be a nice look.

Will keep the $29k car in mind as a reference, and its a good bargaining chip as well.