How much does A/C have on the resale value

[Eric T.]

How much does factory A/C add to the value on 65-67 verts? Knowing there are a lot of options you can bolt on for personal preference and really are not detectible whether the car left the factory with it on or not, but when it comes to A/C.. its not so. With the production numbers low for convertibles, how does it affect the value of the car?
I have not seen many conv w c60 vs the cpes w c60, and can not find what impact it has on the value. Wondering if the wife will go for the extra??
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks Guys

[William L.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

As a general rule I would say $5,000 to $7500. for ORIGINAL air.

[Mark D.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

Hey, Bill, did you have to keep your head down last night in St. Louis?

[Tom H.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

As a general rule I would say $5,000 to $7500. for ORIGINAL air.

I think I would agree. Might even put a few more bucks in if it actually works !!

[Jack H.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

If that's the case ($5-7.5K), then why do complete mid-year A/C 'kits' (parts set robbed from a donor car) tend to sell for $15K?

The key operative here is 'original'. It's a BIG job to add A/C and it's a pretty healthy deduction if the add-on is detected and the full deduction is taken.

Suggests to me why an up front approach of buying/installing an aftermarket system like Vintage Air is reasonable. You'll get the full deduction without trying to 'fool' anyone, the system is cheap compared to trying to buy the parts necessary to recreate the factory original system and it'll work a tad better.

The factory original system was pretty inefficient (compared to today's cars) and don't hold your breath on its ability to comfortably cool the car's interior on a convertible with soft top up, a really HOT day afoot, and normal driving conditions where you'll encounter start/stop conditions.

[William L.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

Hey, Bill, did you have to keep your head down last night in St. Louis?

Got kinda crazy here (but that's nothing new when you have Hurricane Dian around) the tornado went a couple of miles south of us.
The Airport to a direct hit. They hope to be back up and running at 70% some time tomorrow. AA had a 757 loading at the gate and it turned it sideways! Good thing there was nothing a the gate next to it. Glad I'm not working out there any more.

[John H.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

How much does factory A/C add to the value on 65-67 verts?

Eric -

Probably a lot more in Arizona than it would in Minnesota.

[Jim T.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

What time I owned my 64 327/300 4-speed with factory air in 68-69 I really enjoyed it, especially on my coast to coast trip in 1969 through the southern states in the summer.
All prices I have seen do add for factory air conditioning.

I located my 1964 in late 2009 and talked to the current owner. He is the third person to own it after me. The previous owner he bought it from removed the compressor etc. The current owner bought it in the mid 70's and the 64 convertible still has the factory center vent, but air conditioning components have not been reinstalled. The car being a factory air conditioned 1964 convertible was special to me, that is why I spent years trying to locate it and possibly buying it.

[Eric T.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

Not sure how the system actually performs but seems to me it would be one of the higher value added options with the complexity of adding the A/C. At 5-7.5k difference I can see how one would be inclined to take a project A/C car and part it out if you can get $15k in parts and still have the rest of the car.
Hmmm makes you wonder..

[Domenic T.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

I have to live with factory air in my 63 and 67 coupes. The 63 had to be an add on and factory air was not offered in my 435/427 car.

I had the factory air added at the chevrolet dealership, I know because I was the mechanic that installed it. A job and1/2.

I put a switch on the carb back then to cut the compressor off when the throttle was advanced.

I live in palm springs Ca and am glad I have it. I found that the condencer would bolt on the non air core support with the cross rods in place that are not on the air condition core support. That's why I think the 63 did not have air condition when it was born, it had the cross rods on the core support.

DOM

[Kirk M.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

I have factory air in my 67 convertible 327/300hp car. Completely redid it and it works ok. Have never been able to get the temps at the vents some people post, but the compressor, POA valve, drier and condenser are all original. One hot summer afternoon I was driving west back to Columbus in the boiling sun and just couldn't take it any more. I pulled off and put the top up and fired up the AC. Never really got cold in the car even with system running on high. It definitely got cool and I was comfortable enough to keep the windows up and keep going for over an hour. Never could really turn the blower down though like in a modern car once it gets cold. Seemed to me to be just too much air leaking in and around the convertible top to ever let the cabin get that cold (ie: hot outside air just kept coming in). Anyway, real road experience just a summer ago.

Kirk

[Dale S.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

I have a 67 coupe with original factory A/C. It will freeze you out. It still has the original R 12 in it. I added the the 3rd or 4th can of R-12 since 1971 or 1972 a month or so ago. I put a digital therometer in the center vent and let it run for a while it came down to 37.5 degrees. I would say that it works pretty well. Outside tempature was in the 70's. Dale

[Paul S.]

Re: How much does A/C have on the resale value

My 67 convertible is a factory air car, and doesn't blow cold. I know I could get it fixed for a price, but I'd be paying for all the labor. Plus the ac vents blow black foam all over, so I know there's some duct work needed too. Lastly, at some point in its life the compressor must have thrown oil on the hood, because the paint on the hood has the small tell tale paint blisters. It now has the shield on it, to avoid a recurrence.

So, working ac may be worth something, but from a hassle standpoint I wish mine never had it. If I'm driving, it's top down. So spending the money to bring mine back to snuff isn't worth it. I darn sure would not add it to a convertible that doesn't have air. Coupe, yes. And I live in Dallas with 100+ temperatures in summer. I do most of my summer cruising in the early evening or after sundown. Never wished the ac worked in the year I've owned mine.