Starting to see a lot more cars on the market

What happens to the lights? Electronics die? Atuo accidents? Lens goes bad?

 

The lenses fog up really bad due to sun damage. The plastic adjustment wheels for head light aiming are getting brittle and breaking off inside the light housing.

The housings themselves are getting really brittle to the point where bulb replacment could crack the housing. Some have melted also.

The reflective mirror plating that surrounds the bulb in the housing is flaking away on many of them. It is becoming a saftey issue.

 

Sounds like typical ferrari quality plastic. I wonder if the sticky bits fixing guys might be able to do anything to refurbish? Once I carefully molded a lean windshield for my racecar with a torch. I wonder if a buck could be made and flat plexiglass lens could be formed in an oven? The rest might be 3d printed?

 

This is a California specific issue. Probably the bureaucratic mess in getting an aftermarket catalytic converter CARB certified. The tech is nothing special at all in a catalytic converter.

 

@fatbillybob - I agree that 3D printing will play a key role in keeping these cars on the road and in fine shape. 3D printing is especially good for making molds that can be used to produce parts with the right materials. Virtually all 3D printing media suffers from some killer defect that makes it a poor replacement part. That's why mold making is an excellent way to produce these parts with a 3D printer. For instance, I'm sure that a replacement lens, and even entire headlight assembly, could be recreated in the proper urethane by 3D printing the molds.

I 3D printed the molds for making the adapter sleeve so that an inexpensive throttle body (aka holder) could be used in place of the now unobtainium throttle body that comes with the 360. The process was pretty straight forward and the end result was cast with a Shore 60A industrial thermoset urethane.

Here's the mold in amber urethane and the parts used to cast it. This is a three part mold, fairly complex.

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I think that's the direction we have to go.

 

Indeed it is and a real frustrating one, consider they smog back to 1974(5). Back when i still had my Air cooled VW Bus the smog issue was big. As not only does it have to pass smog, but has to have original equipment or CARB certified replacement For that vehicle, for the late model busses those parts are long NLA. Had a member on those forums in Cali trying to get a replacement CAT. It wasnt about finding a suitable part, it was getting approved it in their system. So you can tune all you want, but if it doesnt pass the visual inspection or part number you are dead in the water.

 

would DOT certification apply to replacement headlights? or 'don't ask, don't tell'
.

 

That would be something to be researched. I have zero idea..

 

Are these 360s coming into the shop and you just happened to note the headlight issue and they can't go back on the road? Or collision repair? Or did they get bought and this is an Ontario safety?

 

In the shop..and yes ontario saftey.

 

Part obsolescence will happen to every car eventually. Once that happens they are paperweights if not collectable. Especially electronics and anything underneath the lower chassis panels. Ironically the models that more were made of will fare better in this regard.

 

Lots of price drops
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I am mixed at the moment. My wife and I failed to find a house before rates went to a point where it wasn't worth it. Not for lack of trying as we went under contract 3 times. 60k to buy another toy. Not the budget I was looking at if I cashed out equity in the house. Still leaves me as a small fish in this pond, but it does have me looking.

I am seeing a mix. Some cars are down from last year. My viper is down a few grand, but not much. Other cars are still up. I just bid on an HCI Esprit and it went for more than it would have last year. Saw an S1 esprit with a shot interior and sun fade sell within hours this week. Sold for more than I would saw rough examples go for last year as well.

One issue I see is that owners are pricing cars 10k's above what similar cars are bringing at auctions like BAT or Hemmings. This is for sub 100k cars. They seem firm on prices that are beyond what dealerships want. I looked at a Morgan 3 Wheeler a couple weeks back that was local. It has some cosmetic issues. It could use new tires. He has no documentations about what factory upgrades have been performed. 4500 miles on the odometer. For his asking i can get a Morgan dealer to ship a sub 300 mile example to my door with documentation that all the thousands in upgrades have been done. I have run into this with numerous vehicles in the last week. You can show the owners selling prices and they shrug their shoulders. Esprit V8, Manual DB9, etc.

My favorite was on the viper forums this week. Guy has a 98 GTS Hennessy 650r. Non-aero kit. Car has been modified for racing ontop of the tuner changes, some of which are permanent and will take $$$ to reverse.Guy asks value, multiple answers of 60-70k. My experience is Hennessy adds no value due to their terrible reputation. It also requires dynoing to prove that car puts out what it should. I liked the car though, asked him a few days after what he wants, low 100s.

So before anyone starts screaming price drops, cross reference what cars are actually selling for.

 

What is the 360 headlight issue that you all keep speaking about? I am not aware of this issue.

 

The September numbers are out from BaT. I just updated my table. The drop is very insignificant.


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Thanks for keeping a running perspective!

Still, lots of assumptions and so much incomplete info.

How many sales go thru at posted price.

How many RNM come to terms (I sold a MB on there with RNM and buyer came up to a fair price)

How many RNM are simply too optimistic or now Unrealistic, but are still higher final bids than the last 2 years?

 

doesn't this need to done in conjunction with lowered reserves?

 

rather remarkable given the chaos/turmoil that the rest if the world has suffered YTD.

 

Very valid question. I went looking for some other data sources and found the HMR to be rising again after Aug. The HMR factors median sale prices which seem to be holding or very slightly rising. While this is true for what is considered "collectible" the general used car market is trending lower per the Manheim report.




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It will be a problem across the board, although classic cars are simpler. A 328 headlamp would be cheap and easy compared to a 360. Ditto a classic 911 compared to a 992.

And you’re right - seriously rare cars will be the gravest parts challenge. I had an MGB in college, and while I can’t say much for performance or reliability, and they were dirt common, you could literally build an entire car from the Moss Motors parts catalogue.


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We will not see the full effect of the interest rate rise for another 6 months or so. 3 year leases are coming due. People will not buy them out. They will toss the keys and walk away. Dealers will be left holding the bag..expect insurance claims to increase also.

Things is going to get messy in the car market. Be ready with cash..deals will be plentiful..just be patient.

Watch the housing market..as home peices sink and stay on market longer..so will toys.

 

If the market actually continues its downtrend, it will continue to drag even the best of companies down with it regardless of their earnings creating fear even in the wealthy. The housing market will shock all the dummies that got into bidding wars for homes over the last two years mainly. They better love that home now because it wasn’t worth what they paid. If the Fed doesn’t give guidance by late December stating a rate hike slow down then a massive recession could be coming. One of the worlds largest banks Credit Sussie is about to go under based on the massive market manipulation situation which isn’t following typical fundamentals like it should. People with Ferrari’s typically should be in a financial position to weather a crisis, so I wouldn’t expect these current prices to swing a whole lot lower regardless of the world’s current financial crisis which will be a short term problem.

 

I would agree with his analysis.