First of all, welcome to Novas and SNS. You have picked two of the best.
You pose a tough question and I am far from the expert. Perhaps some of the resident experts will also speak up. From my experience convertible prices can vary a great deal. Any car, regardless of its condition or collectiblity, is worth whatever someone will pay on any given day. Best I can tell the variable is less about condition, and more about motivated Buyers and Sellers, as well as, the market they are in. Good deals are available if you have patience and diligence.
Here in the Midwest, I have generally seen some respectable verts for sale between $8k to mid $20’s. In the $8k to $12k range I would expect a daily driver, with minimal or older restoration, some rust in the pans and inner panels, worn interior, good stock to start a resto with. Looks good as it passes you on the street. From $12k to $18k I would expect a moderately restored, little to no rust, newer (2 – 5 yrs) paint, shiny trim, nice interior, mechanically sound with either restored I-6 or V-8 replacement with some suspension updates. This car could be driven at leisure for moderate distances and look good from 5 – 10 feet. From $18k to $26k. I would expect a nicely restored car, capable of long distance runs. Looks good from 1 - 5 feet. For-Sale prices I have seen above $30k tend to be highly “over-restored” or specialized verts, or people that watch Barrett Jackson too much. There was a $28k vert for sale in KC for 3 years, but it eventually did sale for an undisclosed price.
This assessment most likely will not hold up on either the east or west coast or even in Canada. I am confident it will not hold up in New Zealand.
Good luck.
