Really? Have you looked around lately? There are VERY nice Cruisers out there for 1/4 of the price, economy up or down. In fact, I just sold mine for slightly half the price (14.5k) of this one rust free (seriously), factory diesel (rebuilt relatively lately) and H55, completely built including regearing. I wouldnt say that I was necessarily lucky but I was on the upper end of the market for a 60, diesel or not. This person is pushing the market and knows their consumer. They know their customer base around there and know that there will be a person that will come around willing to pay that much thinking that they are getting a deal because it is somehow "special."
It is cool that its low mileage and everything but how is this for a catch 22. The car is special because its low mileage but with every mile you add, say, driving it home or to the shops, you remove some of its "specialness" and depreciate some of its perceived "value." So, what do you do then? You park it as with every turn, it loses that "value." The mileage number then becomes merely a party piece. I regularly go up to a collection in Philadelphia (the Simeone Foundation) just to worship and smell the history. Each car there has racing pedigree and has original miles. "Lost" Daytona Coupe? There in original, dusty, beat up condition. Le Mans, Mille, Nurburgring winners from the 20s and up? Theyre there too. Some are restored but did that ruin their value? Not one little bit. They have history and are rare. Once a year, they take them out and run them around and then they go back up on display. They are fastidiously maintained and these are examples of where mileage counts as they cannot be replicated. A 60 series doesnt really hold that much clout to demand a sale price that high. I love Cruisers and all but this one is over priced....by a lot. I will concede the point that the prospective buyer might have the money to spend on it and who am I to question what someone does with their own money but I cannot understand the point of overpaying for a mass produced vehicle that is, well, not exactly rare. Condition can be replicated and, unless I am mistaken, this one has nothing going for it as 60s are far from rare. If it were Toyodas truck or a prototype, sure.
Mileage isnt everything. Cars suffer from sitting. They do not get better. Its a fact. Non moving fluids gather and retain moisture, begin to attack seals and corrode and pit bearings and other surfaces. I cannot tell you how many old MGs and Triumphs I have seen come in needing a complete clutch or brake system redo due to sitting. The owner is always flabbergasted thinking that because it is not driven with any regularity, it should always be in good condition. Not true at all.
