1972 HO 455 GTO

[Ojars]

HAVE 72 HO 455 gto documented to be restored naturally orig eng.gone but have one to replace it have ,heads,ra ex,al.int.very higlly optioned,more then the guy selling on ebay its same green w/vynal top had spider stripes,not running apart this one has shift on column with tilt and formula wheel,and bench seat had power,have not been able to find one like that,has ra system, h comb wheels ,what is something like this worth to seel as is,probably best to restore it.give me some input,what ever Im an old retired fart thanks oj 3/2/07 last week there was HO-455 new york car sold for $8700. on ebay was rusted out in qtrs the one thing i know about rust if there is some showing there is a lot that it does not show my body is lot better shape but thats not a big suprise .maybe my car since it has shift on column is a downer,my car also has power windows,dr locks ,rear window defroster,ac, who can tell l guess when i put it on rotisary i will be able to tell what kind of shape my car is in , can change it to bucket seat and console but is that going to be more desirable ?? what to say that guy who has 72-2dr post car which is very rare does that makes it desirable,dont know ????????????????

[Larry]

This is a tough call for anyone looking to sell a car in such condition. You don't mention the shape of the body, interior, or rest of drivetrain; that will really impact the price.

You mention highly optioned, but it is kind of strange the original owner went with a bench seat and column shift, both negatives value-wise (everyone wants buckets, console, and floor shifter).

The missing original engine can be a problem. Unless you have an actual HO engine with all proper date codes, etc. it will never be one that will stand the test of top-end showing. This isn't an all important point for everyone, but it will affect value.

Restore or not to restore.... that is the question. My vote- don't! Unless you spend big-money on a truly accurate restoration, it will probably never be restored to the quality level that a purcher will want (before parting with their hard-earned dollars). On the other hand if you spend big-money restoring, then it's a crap shoot that someone will pay what you feel it is now worth (perhaps even just trying to break even).

I would strongly suggest a very thorough description of everything about the car to give people, and some research into the different value guides to see the range they are priced. Then let some hobbyist have the fun of restoring it to the degree they want for their own wants or fun.

Or, if you really like the car and it would be worth your time and money to restore and enjoy for yourself, then go for it!