Seeing packs go for $2,000-$3,000 I’ve always wondered what the market for an Ecto 1 completed conversion is worth. Has anyone gotten any offers or tried selling theirs?
Probably around $100,000.02 restored
I’d say above 125k if it’s actually a decent restoration/conversion. Higher as more accurate parts are included.
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Those are very unrealistic.
The USF Ecto, mostly converted to a mostly accurate standard went for $45k on eBay. It later went for $80k, but that was goddamn Barrett Jackson and it was misrepresented and those people are insane to begin with.
I’m going off what I know about the cost of a current car undergoing restoration, as well as what the accurate parts cost, most of which no fan-made ECTO actually have on them.
Personally, I see cars at auction going for far less than they are worth, so that’s not a very good scale to use IMHO.
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Recently, a not totally accurate and wrong year Ecto went for about 14k on ebay…It was still pretty nice, though. Needed a little work on the rack, but the car itself had some nice touches.
The only thing that might fetch over 100k would be a screen-used car. Basically, those cars rotting at Sony, restored.
Keep in mind, if its not a screen used car, odds are the only guys bidding are guys we would know from here. Car collectors tend to only go for screen used cars, not replicas.
You’d probably sell the car for more prior to an Ecto conversion if it’s in decent shape - the hearse collectors will pay top dollar for a 1959 Cadillac hearse/ambulance. I know I’d never value my Ecto in terms of dollar value…it’s worth way more in enjoyment value. That being said, I’d NEVER sell my Ecto…when that baby is finished it will bring me a kind of childhood happiness that nothing else possibly can…which makes it worth the 125K or more I’m going to end up putting into it.
I’m sorry I wasn’t more specific in the initial post. I was referring to a scale for modern Ecto conversions.
I don’t think you know how this works. $40,000 worth of body work and restoration doesn’t typically add $40,000 worth of measurable value to a car.
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Before this gets out of hand, this is what I am talking about.
While I strongly doubt he put 250k into that vehicle, it is entirely possible that he spend anywhere from $40k-$80k on it. Which would put the value of the car the the builder at something similar. And you can be damn sure he’s never going to find a buyer at that price.
Adam is sparing now expense on his build, which is positively amazing. Even better, he completely has a grip on the notion that he is not increasing the value of his car to anyone but him. We’ve seen Ectos and Ecto-1As listed for as much as $250,000, I’m confident that the original Sony car probably wouldn’t go for more than $150k at auction.
Granted, you could have an argument just by saying that maybe there is some super nerdy sheik in Dubai that would totally shell out a quarter million for his own Ecto-1, but that’s appealing to extremes.
Factors that go into determining the value of a car focus hugely on authenticity and originality of parts. Value often takes a nosedive if the car is a replica (i.e. not an original, one-of-a-kind creation) or modified in a non-traditional way.
Modern conversions are much more niche than classic conversions, and because of that I’d be willing to bet that depending on what base car is used, it’d be “worth” less.
Bingo.
But even a real 1959 that was used in an official production and actually has history with mass entertainment only fetched 80k when it was marketed as “screen-used.”
Kevin is correct…but it does depend on the demand of the subgenre…
Meaning that while if you put hydraulics, a snazzy paintjob, 22" rims and an interior and system in an old caprice it may draw a larger fee from the people that are into that…but overall it’s worth less.
The same applies here.
A ■■■■■■■■ GB fan who happens to like everything I’ve done but doesn’t want to do it himself, might pay top dollar for my Ecto-mag!
But to the average car buyer, everything goes off of the common retail price for the stock model. So despite the airbag suspension being removed there are holes in the floorpan where the spare tire would go that need to be fixed…there are 9 holes in the roof from lights and wiring and an additional 4 in the hatch (which would be easier to replace) so you would take that bodywork cost, assuming all the vinyl came off without a hitch and it didn’t need a full paintjob in addition to the bodywork…you’re looking at 3 to 5 grand. Oh did I mention my Mag has the small ass 2.7 v6? because it does…
According to Kelly Blue Book, an “Excellent” version of this car would cost $8.707 so on the low end of repairs needed, subtract 3 grand and your looking at $5, 707.
Even at that price you’d find a TON more people that like it/want it, than could afford it.
I bought my magnum with the intent to Ecto it…and to do it on the long term basis, I.E. Drill holes into it.
I went into to knowing I would not get any sort of financial return. That’s not the point.
The point is to enjoy it while you have it.
The packs going for $2,000 to 3,000…(unless you’ve overpaid) are of accurate or accurate as possible dimensions and EXACTLY emulate what you’ve seen on screen. Extend the tip, swivel the grip, full lights and sound…hell even maybe have screen accurate flaws (the fiberglass sanded back so it looks like extra lights in the power cell)
NO non 59 Caddy M+M Combo will accomplish that type of accuracy by virtue of being the wrong car. In the end (unless used by official comics or film) they will just be random cars “done up” like Ghostbusters
Correct on all, especially the last.
Not much to add here since Chase and Kevin have it correctly nailed. To add some personal perspective, I’ve put about $100k into my car so far. Although I’d love to sell it for $100k or more, I have to be realistic. It took that amount to get it to where it’s at. ( And it’s currently in the shop, AGAIN! Mother fu… ) Since Chase has it so well answered for the modern, let me give my take on the same question if directed at a '59.
59’s in general:
The most logical scale I’ve seen for '59 Caddies in general put them between $30k low, $40k med, and $55k at the most. You can go on eBay and find an occasional Caddy that’s selling for $100k or more but there’s typically something ultra-rare or highly restored about it to fetch that price. My own insurance company doesn’t know how to address my car so they found the median price for a hearse and claimed they’d pay out $40k for my car if totaled. That’s what it’s worth folks, $40k. Although there are insurance companies that specialize in classic cars and will pay out higher, you can also expect to pay out higher, too. The point is, my insurance company thinks it’s worth $40k.
Hearses, in general
As for hearses, many hearse owner seems to think their car is rare and therefore valuable but the fact of the matter is EVERY hearse/ambulance is rare. So what if there were only 88 to 92 1959 Caddy M&M combos? There were only 130 1974 Caddy S&S 3-ways as well. Every hearse make/model and year has about 100-250 of them made in that exact configuration. They’re all rare so one can’t play the “it’s rare” card here and expect that to elicit any sympathy from the knowledgeable buyer of professional cars.
Someone in the movie car business/hobby once mentioned that there’s really only two cars you can drill holes in and improve their value; the DeLorean time machine and the Ectomobile. A restored DeLorean could be as low as $14k according to Danny Botkin of DMC in Garden Grove, but can also fetch as high as $35k ( or more ) from the DMC in Texas. ( Foolish buyers, really. ) But you take a working DMC and put all the BTTF stuff on it and, if you’re accurate enough, you can sell it for $80k like Joe Walser did. Although VideoBob dreams of making that amount and higher, the quality of his just isn’t comparable. If a fully restored and drivable hearse is in the $40k range then I’d like to think enough movie-accurate equipment on it should make that same '59 Ecto worth about $80k at auction. In my specific case I’ve had two apraisals on my car, one at about $45k and one at $70k, the latter factoring in the equipment on the car.
Sure, I’d ask $100k but deep down know that $80k is the best I could hope for. A more reasonable price would be $65k and this assumes the goddamn thing is even running on the particular day it sells. So why spend that much when I know what it would sell for?
Because this man gets it.
.
Ultimately anything you put a ton of money into as a fan doesn’t return what you put in. Collectors all around the world can attest to that at least once in their lives.
If you’re passionate about something then do what you want, but when it comes to selling you pretty much just have to let the market dictate your price rather than looking for quotes from unqualified people. My dad has been in the business of buying and selling car parts, vehicles and the like since I’ve been alive and the worst thing you can do is over-speculate something instead of just throwing pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Thanks for the info guys !!
I know that its not going to fetch $20,000 unless someone with a deep pockets really wants one. I was just looking to see if there was anyone out there that has sold theirs besides the Minnesota guys.
I guess I’ll keep going down the path of improving it and getting all 4 ghostbusters to autograph it. Before winter I should be up to 3 of 4 and trying to find a way to get BM to sign it.
Does anyone know of any being sold currently ?
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MattyCollector has a cardboard cutout of one for sale for $215…
Sorry, I just had to go there!
If you’re really looking for an Ecto for sale good luck! There was a semi-decent (though entirely inaccurate) 1960 Miller Meteor Ecto for sale a bit over a year ago on Ebay, so you never know when one might pop up.
MattyCollector has a cardboard cutout of one for sale for $215…
Na i made a call that one has already been thrown away after sdcc…lol
Hay 5th-rider your car has a spot in my car collection when your ready … really !!!
well here is my take on all this … I have been buying and selling as well as building/restoring collectable cars for years…
When it comes to Ecto’s the only way you are going to improve on a stock 59.. Is by doing a full move car BUT like 5th rider said you can go 100K into it and still not be all the way there… Selling price ends up being half or so of what it cost to build it,
As of late I have been building a Ecto for my group .. given it a 80’s caddy by the time i got all the stuff on it make it an " ecto " ( witch i use loosely ) I will have done two things… 1.maybe increased the value of the car over what i paid for it … 2. spent more money then the car is ever going to be worth…
So just to echo what all of us know … It’s very rare you ever come out ahead when building a movie/TV car…
So, I just learned about the history and nonsense of a banned user while browsing the forum today. Wow… I am gobsmacked, to say the least.
In trying to price out an Ecto for the future prospect of one day owning one, I recently contacted said banned user to see how they were coming along on their '60 MM restoration, and about what they would be looking for it with all the whistles and bells. He said about $75K. I thought… for a car that’s not even the right year?? Really??! Gotta be out of his gord!! Especially considering the '59 that went a while back for around $80K, and wasn’t it screen-used? There’s an auction coming up for a fully restored Ecto starting on Nov 1 on volocars.com, with an estimated value of $80K. How in the world does this person think he’s going to get $75K out of a 1960? Wait… I think I know the answer: delusions of grandeur?
I’m really glad that I became a member of the GBfans community today. I don’t want anything to do with this banned user’s props, site, store, or Ectomobiles.
…But sweet Lord… Daddy wants an Ecto-1…