New from NC : what drives valuation of SSP vehicles ?

[Bert Cooper]

Hello and greetings from North Carolina!

I’ve been out of the old car hobby for about 4 years and recently started to think about SSP Mustangs.

I’ve spent about a month researching these vehicles, but very little information exists concerning what drives valuation.

Assuming that vehicle conditions are identical, are some SSP’s considered more or less desirable based on:

Number of cars delivered to a particular state agency?
Their service location (State)?
Marked vs unmarked vehicles?
Does service history impact price (CHP vs. USPS)?

As mention, I’m new to this marque so any input is appreciated.Thanks!

Bert Cooper

[28HopUp]

Bert, welcome to the forum. Let me give you one man's take on your questions.

Generally speaking, a multi-colored marked unit from a state agency with a manual transmission will be the most desirable SSP. There are exceptions of course.

Any SSP with agency documentation will be more desirable than an undocumented car. In-service photos can assist with finishing a correct restoration, plus it is great to see how a car looked while being used.

In terms of usage, the CHP, FHP, TxDPS, and SCHP ordered the most SSPs, but they are also the most popular among collectors (generally speaking) because those are the cars that most folks recall from their youth. Some smaller agencies will appeal to people because of a personal connection they have to that agency.

SSPs with the 5-spd transmission are preferred by many over the automatic, but that won't stop somebody who wants a Georgia State Patrol SSP (only the '83s were manuals). Personally, I figure the transmission is irrelevant on a show car because it is only being driven on & off a trailer. A 5-spd is obviously more fun on a driver-SSP, but as collectors age they may prefer the auto.

Currently, I think it is near impossible to restore a SSP and be able to sell it at a profit. The costs are too high to restore a car, so buying one already restored is the best opportunity for anyone who is concerned about a return on their investment dollars. Thankfully, most restorers out there are in the hobby because the get a great deal of satisfaction from these unique collector cars.

[Bert Cooper]

Thank you for your comments, Bill.

How important are the buck tags?

Will the VIN and DSO number (once researched) provide the same information?

Thank you,
Burt

[28HopUp]

The buck tags are important in terms of a SSP being a complete restoration, but the information can be obtained through a Marti Report. The tags are just another piece of the puzzle making up these cars.

[smunczen]

Bill is right the costs of doing a car are very high and it's getting more difficult every year to find the correct parts. On the other hand if you like challange then a SSP mustang can be fun.

[Andy]

I did not buy / find and restore my car with
any though of selling it. For the most part the
original group to this hobby were not in to these
cars to make a profit but rather to SAVE them
from the full cage, wheel well cut open and destroyed
throw away Drag Cars that most became
after their In Service Life.
Sometimes things in your life change and you
have to sell your SSP but I am not a fan of the
flippers that see a new market (SSP Mustangs)
and exploit it. People that find an old car and
put it back to new call it restoring it. We refer
the restoration of these cars as (Saving It.)
These cars have a story to tell
and we like to help them tell it.
Marked not marked
Auto or Std shift
Agency that used it
Where it was in Service
they all have a Story.
Buy it / restore it because you like it!
not because car A will be worth more
then car B in the future.