In no way would I expect a V-8 converted Alpine to sell for more
than a really good tiger, unless it was built for a specific purpose,
like Racing, where performance alone will dictate the price. The
regular street Tigers should get more than Alpine with an engine swap,
that would only make sense. But I ask this again, How many V-8 powered
Alpines are being touted as being Tigers? It would take a hell of a lot
of work, to change everything that is even obviouse to make it look like
a Tiger, and the expense to do so won't justify the return even if it
does get sold as a Tiger. Ok, well other than doing a quick Hack job
and selling it to some dumb car lot. These cars are not being cloned
like Shelby Cobra's are, so the odds of seeing a quality knock off are
nill. That's my point. Since they are not being cloned, I quess just
don't see the point in the TAC verification. That's just my opinion.
When I finally do my conversion, it will never be sold as a Tiger. It
will be sold as a modified Alpine that handles better, steers easier,
and goes faster than a Tiger....But your are correct, if it was a real
Tiger in the same shape, I would be able to get more for it, and thats
the way it should be.
Rich
> ----------
> From: CoolVT@aol.com[SMTP:CoolVT@aol.com]
> Sent: Sunday, March 16, 1997 2:25 PM
> To: Richard Atherton (Entex); rs11@elsegundoca.ncr.com;
> nicholsj@oakwood.org; tigers@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Re[4]: The trouble with TAC / Call for consensus and
> san
>
> Regardless of your feeling on the TAC project their is a pratical side
> to
> knowing exactly what you have purchased. Most of us approach Tigers
> as a
> hobby and although we want to think that we aren't interested in the
> money
> side of the hobby it is a fact of life. When and if you or your heirs
> decide
> to sell the Tiger, the market will price your car according to what
> the
> market thinks it's worth. When we purchased our Tigers how did we
> decide its
> value? Most probably the market pretty much set the price. This
> price was
> determined in part by condition and originality. Ask someone who has
> advertised an Alpine conversion for sale and stated that it is in fact
> a
> conversion, what they have been able to sell the car for. You will
> find in
> most cases that it would sell for less than a car that came from the
> factory
> as a Tiger.
> The point is that the market says that a true Tiger is worth more
> than a
> converted one. In the early 80's i was in the market for a 63 Vette (
> the
> only year with the split rear window). The Vette faternity is
> fanatical on
> originality with all matching numbers, etc... I looked at a bunch
> and many
> had replacement engines, transmissions, etc... I waited until i
> found one
> that was as original as possible. I paid $12,000 for the car and kept
> it for
> about 9 yrs. It sold for $22,5000. The buyer said that he was
> willing to
> pay the price because the price books said that was approximately what
> a very
> nice original with matching #'s was worth. Some 64 Vette owners had a
> piece
> expertly fitted into the rear wondow to try and turn it into a split
> wondow.
> Serious buyers of 63's would not pay the same price for a 64 being
> passed
> off as a 63.
> The long and short of it is that a true Tiger is worth more at sale
> time
> than a converted Alpine. The market has determined this. There is
> nothing
> wrong with someone enjoying a converted Alpine. They should just
> realize
> when they purchase that they should pay less because it will sell for
> less
> later. That seems to leave only the system for determining what a
> real Tiger
> is. The TAC system will either prove its worth over time or it will
> be
> replaced with another system. The market will decide.
> By the way the sale of the "real 63 Vette" enabled me to purchase my
> present Tiger and a new Jeep pick-up. I will shut up on this subject
> in the
> future. Mark
>
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