Need Pricing Guidance: 81 SC Coupe

[Rockafella]

Fellas, been out of the game for a while and seen the values of SCs change quite a bit. Simple question, what do you think this is worth in the current market? Looking to possibly sell this car to a friend of a friend, so I'm more looking for a reasonable starting point.

Here are the pertinent details:
81 SC sunroof coupe, platinum silver (or bronze to the rest of us)
~101k original miles
Runs awesome, fires right up, pulls hard and shifts super smooth. No grinding, gets 2nd gear quickly first time, every time.
Cosmetically, pretty tired. Peeling clear coat, tired, but complete interior.
Stock 3.0L with documented rebuild at about 75k miles in the 90s to fix cracked case studs.
915 trans with factory limited slip, redone at the same time as the engine.
Solid tub, touch of surface rust at the windows but mostly cosmetic.
Nice extras like a full leather interior, factory sport seats, factory short shift, etc.

I was auto crossing this car back when I had more time, so it is setup with 22/28s, Carrera sways, sport shocks, turbo tie rods, strut bar and solid bushings.

Everything else you are supposed to do with the SCs has been done:
Carrera tens, blow off valve, pedal bushings, solid shift coupler, H4s, etc.

No air, backdated heat, sport exhaust.

Other things I have for the car: dash top, repro 16x8 rear wheels, euro bumper guards, RS panels, solid motor mounts, etc. Lots of stuff that I had grand plans for but never got around to do when the kids showed up.

It's a good car and one I'd feel confident about selling to a friend, family member, etc. Just need help with a price. A few pics included for context.

Appreciate the opinions!

[black_falcon]

Given the cosmetics, I'd say 18-20k.

The motor rebuild is a huge plus, but once you start getting up into the 20k range, that gets you a pretty clean SC.

[bhmkv]

I was going to say 20k give or take.

[techweenie]

I'd be at $20000 if it weren't for the 'surface rust at windows' which is a $1500-2000 hit.

[Rockafella]

Appreciate the input!

Here's the surface rust. Worth fixing ahead of time?

[COLB]

Here's the surface rust. Worth fixing ahead of time?

I think so.

With the rust, I would bet that a windows out respray and rust repair would provide a decent return on investment given the positives of the mechanicals and suspension.

Sort out some of the small stuff, too, and you are approaching $30k…high $20s anyway. Stitch up the wheel -- a couple of hours with thread and upholstery needles. Buy some speakers to fill those holes, etc.

The range for paint jobs varies widely. You can save by doing some of the prep work yourself.

But as is, it is probably under $20k.

[black_falcon]

Originally Posted by Rockafella

Appreciate the input!

Here's the surface rust. Worth fixing ahead of time?

I don't know, problem with going the respray route is then you're going to have to freshen the interior or it'll look really tacky. It looks pretty beat; the trim pieces are shot/faded and the dash cap appears to be warped? Sounds like a lot of work for what will probably be a minimal return.

[techweenie]

My philosophy is to never fix stuff like this on a car like this you're going to sell. For every $1 you spend, you'll get back a fraction at best. Absolute minimum for a full glass out repaint with the spot(s) fixed is going to be $5K and can run to $12K. The math doesn't add up.

When I find a car I want to restore, I do everything (interior items above included) and go for that 1 in 100,000 buyer who knows the cost of a restoration.

[Patrick3000]

I would drop $500 on a very good detail, add some door speakers, replace the steering wheel with a nice used wheel and ask 25k in this market. I bet the first person to look would make a decent offer.

[NYNick]

I'm with TW. The market is strong enough to get top dollar for what it is. There are plenty of guys out there looking for this kind of fixer upper at the right price. $20k coupes with no mechanical issues are not that plentiful.

[Matt Monson]

Another don't fix it. Just sell it.