Amphicar value for Hagarty

Akamphi

Member
Looking for some advise. Trying to get a ballpark number for value on my car. I'm nearing completion of a restoration and it has many new parts. I wouldn't call it a 10 but probably in the 7 to 8 range. It will always need some little things but should be a pretty good drivable and floatable car soon. I have done some modifications so I'm wondering how they might affect my value. It's got a 1500 engine with a weber carb. The clutch kit from John too. It's negative ground with an older rebuilt German radio. It's had the recommender mods for the neg ground conversion and everything works as it should. Even the bilge blower timer circuit is working right. I still need to install the engine top and the interior kit from Gord S. I'm currently insured at 30K and thinking that probably low. I know these cars are hard to value and there worth only what someone will pay. Am I under insured currently? I see asking prices but not real sure what there actually selling for. I'm looking for replacement value if the worst happens.

Thanks all....
 

SNOWBIRD

Amphicar Expert
I once post a car Value chart on this page but that was before the big spike,
Yes the spike is over now,Good and bad,,
Craig I know you have seen my White car in Fl.Which is in as good as you can get a driving car condition(as long as you don't let Herb behind the wheel or get too close to John C)I have that for sale right now in the Classified section.(need to fix the pool at the new Fl. location and build a better shop)
Small mods do not seem to affect the resale value most are a benifit, eg, Neg ground, Steering braces, Radios,better top material, a more powerfull engine. Non original colours may deture some but it can always be repainted etc.
For Hargarty I would pin a real good car at $45 thou.. go over that and your permiums get up there,, If a all out lost happens you at least got your money back.
 

Steve

Member
I had my car appraised last spring. The appraiser sited three publications (can't remember which) that listed Amphicars and the current worth of cars in various conditions. My car was not particularly clean, the interior and top are not standard colour or design, my engine was weak and noisy and he pointed out some body work that he wasn't impressed with. In the end, with some urging from me, he put the value at $30,000 CND. I suspect that if this appraiser had access to value guides for Amphicars, that any good appraiser would too. I know Haggarty's doesn't require an appraisal but if you got one, it would take the guess work out of it. I believe an appraiser will value your car lower if you're concerned about the amount of your premium. Good luck with the rest of the restoration.
 

Craig Parada

Craig Parada
How much collectable items are "worth" is too complicated for me. Amphicar buyers vary from serious to random, listed prices vary based on optimism or greed, and who knows what the final sales are. For condition, the Hagerty guide is pretty good, and you can call them to discuss some of this.

Since you've been doing lots of work on yours, you have a pretty good idea of what you've got. For insuring against loss, the real question is: what would it cost to replace it. If originality is important to you, subtract value for "improvements" - and viva-versa. By now, you know what you've got.

Good luck with that Complete Interior kit. The one I got from Gord was crap: the covers (and floor mat) didn't fit, the insulation was worthless, the "carpet" was felt trunk lining, door clips were the wrong size, and lots more. Maybe things have improved since what I got, but it was a real waste of money for me. (Just the opposite of John's fine clutch.)
 

SNOWBIRD

Amphicar Expert
Ok guys... with OVER 100 kits sold and almost everyone at shows with good interiors being mine! time for some defence from this%^%&&%$!##@

2 red cars 009.jpg
 

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laserfixr

Member
I also installed one of Gords Red/White interior kits in my second Amphy. It came out very well and I am very happy with it. Craig, are you sure you installed it correctly? It needs to be done right or it will not look very good. If you had some problems with his kits, maybe you should have called him first and asked him for some help and guidance instead of dissing him on this forum. If you like I would be happy to send you a picture of what mine looks like.
 
I have purchased 3 interior kits from Gord and all of them were easy to install, fit well and looked great when done. The thin trunk carpet you mention is that way so it can easily be stretched and glued onto the front wheel humps which have compound curves and carpet any thicker wouldnt work. It is a great alternative to the no longer available rubber mats that would have originally been installed in that area. I agree with laserfixr, if you had problems you should have called Gord, he is always there to answer questions and help everyone whether he knows you or not, it is not right trashing him here.
 

Craig Parada

Craig Parada
You are right: "Crap" is technically and politically incorrect; what I received was not the quality I thought it would be. And I need to add that my experience was many years ago, and I certainly hope that things have changed. The new photos don't really show that, but if you're happy, that's cool.

My point wasn't to write in to "trash" Mr. Souter, and still isn't. I have no doubt Gord is a fine fellow, genial and helpful. I do not know the man, and have no personal animosity. And you've had great experiences. Good! But I didn't. I only bought one Complete Interior Kit and was not happy with the quality of the products. I called and was not happy with the answers.

But instead of being curious about why we've had different experiences, I am being attacked. My experience is called "%^%&&%$!##@." Really? I wasn't a happy customer so I'm making this up? Why would I make this up?

Can't have real carpet? My Amphicar still had the carpets it came with from the factory. They were soaked with three decades of goo and pretty shabby and worn, and I wasn't looking for less sturdy material. Amphicars came with actual wool carpet that was shaped to properly fit the wheel well intrusions, like most cars of the era. "Originality" isn't important to everyone. Good thing! I'm glad, because we have Amphilimosines, Finzilla, and many more. But that's not the point. Whatever the virtues of various materials, what was delivered isn't carpet. I don't think it's right to advertise felt mat as carpet, but Gord disagreed ("That IS carpet!"). Whatever, just not in my house.


Maybe if I'd asked for guidance? Well, I did. If I couldn't get the pieces to fit, it must have been my incompetence? Well, at the time, I thought it must be; so I took it to a very good interior shop recommended by a friend who did Porsche restorations for a living. The next day, he called me with a problem: the reason I couldn't get things to fit is because the seats covers were smaller than the original unmodified frames. Maybe it would help to post my photos of that.

Just call again? Of course I called! Gord told me that the cars dimensions varied, that even the seats vary. And that's true. But what should I do? Well, he sold it at a fair price, and everyone else really likes his products. And with the variations in exchange rates, he wasn't making money on it anyway. End of discussion. I salvaged what little I could use, learned a lot, and what the hell, it's not the first $1000 (or last) down the drain. So that was it.

Well, it was, until I dared to say that what I got was crap quality. That doesn't match your experience? I'm glad! We can disagree, but we all get to share our experiences, not just the "nice" ones. I really do hope that my experience was in the bad old days, and it's all great now. People can make up their own minds.
 

strandweiss62

Active Member
Hi Craig, i am also fixed to originality.
So the way was to find a craftsman which can weld plastic, then build a tool to duplicate the original seams. Ich spent much time and money in this. Now we can produce a nearly perfect reproduction of the interior. The price for only the welded material for the complete car is EUR 500. Of this, a car saddlery then sew the complete interior. Left the reproduction, right nos original.
Peter
Amphicar Türpappen 2 links-Nachbau rechts-Original.jpg
 

lifecare80

New Member
I would like to give some input on the original post about the insurance value for Hagerty. It really is not what the darn thing is worth when you try to resell it but how much it will cost to get it fixed after a major event.
Under insuring it is worse than paying too much. If you decide to insure it for, say $25,000, and you get rearended, the insurance adjuster will come out, look at your goobered up body work and transmission with the ears broken off and quickly decide to total the vehicle, write you a check and cart off the vehicle as it is now property of the insurance company.
Your value should be based on what you feel you can get a similar vehicle in similar shape for. You can buy some very nice good amphi's but If you are like most of us, you'll end up spending $30,000 for some POS that will need completely rebuilt anyway, which will set you back another $45,000 (include your own time. It has value too).
So, in the end, for 2013, I insured mine for $65,000. Hope that helps
Herb
 
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