Two Aeros in KS

[joefrazer]

One looks to be a 54, the other is just a shell.

http://wichita.craigslist.org/pts/3510341091.html

[joefrazer]

Another Aero...this one is near Nashville, TN.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/atq/3526408761.html

[Aeroman]

Thanx, more Aeros for the registry. I'll have to follow-up for serial numbers.

[Roadmaster49]

That one complete Aero in KS would be a nice project BUT here is my issue. The seller parks it 30 years ago, now wants $2500.  This is a full-on project that would run probably $20,000 to do fairly nice.  I don't think anyone is going to take that on. So, it needs to be offered at a fair price, to allow a potential new buyer to get motivated to tackle the restoration. So, it's a $500 car at best.  The seller believes there is a $2500 buyer out there, which there aren't. 

This is part of a Craigs List problem or issue, not really a problem. We like Craigs List because as a marketplace it brings these cars out of the woodwork so to speak and CL has caused ebay to remove upfront fees to list cars.

But I wonder, if the seller had to pay a marketplace even a nominal amount, would he be more inclined to lower his price to market price?  I think so, so in this regard CL is not so good. IF a seller has owned a car for 30 years, what's another 2, or 4 or 10?  So, you call a fellow like this and offer him $500 and he feels insulted and says "if it don't sell, that's OK, ain't takin' up much space out here on the ranch anyhow". 

It's a $500 car at best, but way cool.

[Roadmaster49]

The Tennessee car is getting there price wise. Some observations. Looks like the cool original Willys hubcaps are there and in decent shape.  2. Not a hardtop like the KS car, 3. Been there awhile judging from the flat tires and mud sprayed up on said tires and rims from rain. 

The question I keep coming up with on the independents (as I am studying Studebaker a lot these days) is how they didn't figure out how to get together and make it work?  The Willys line of cars were part of the trend toward smaller economical cars and there was a market place for them and it wasn't necessarily from the Big 3.

These are decent looking cars, as was the Hudson Jet, Nash Metro was a little strange looking. 

[Aeroman]

The problem with (or maybe the good thing about) Willys Aeros is that they have little value. I still cannot recall any Aero ever selling for over $10,000. I've seen them advertised for more, but not sold. Buy the nicest one you can find and drive and enjoy it, cuz that's all they are is cheap wheels. If you intend to restore one, keep in mind that $10K is the most you'll get on your investment, if you can get that much.
That's a good thing for Aero lovers.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Until somehow sellers get the message that they need to do their homework on what they are selling in terms of year, model, equipment etc, and price (I don't do prices as a rule, especially if I can't see the vehicle(s) in person).  It will never happen.  This is nothing new. I saw this happening in the early 1970's...anyone remember the $400,000 asking price Kaiser rotted out in a farm field?  The widow of the farmer was told by someone she knew the car had to be worth upwards of a half-million dollars because they don't build 'em any more and it was custom bodied; it had a "Darrin Styled" tag on it. 

Of course, he wasn't interested in it himself at that price range, but he convinced her that there were a lot of buyers around that would be.  When she died, the scrapyard took the car out and didn't charge the new owners of the farm a pick-up fee.