Bank vault door

[Ultra]

I saw a bank vault door today that was in a clothing store that's in an former bank space. It's not for sale but I'm thinking about calling the owner and making an offer. I'm trying to get an idea on a fair price. I did not take pictures but I found one on line that looks similar. Any suggestions on what's a fair price?

http://thedowntowncentre.com/BankVaultDoors/BankVaultDoor1/tabid/226/Default.aspx

 

[788Ham]

If you fail there in your quest, try this outfit, they make vault doors. WWW.FREEDOMSECURITY.com , Payson, Utah Toll Free-866 - 537 - 0165. They make some fantastic safes too.

 

[a1abdj]

Any suggestions on what's a fair price?

Removed and restored you'll be looking somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 (if it's even possible to remove). I believe the owners e-mailed me wanting to sell them at some point.

You're also going to need some extensive construction on your end, as it will probably take a 18" reinforced wall to hold them.

You could go with a lighter version that is much better suited for home use, restored, in the $30,000 range.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

WWW.FREEDOMSECURITY.com = bad link, no safes there.

 

[a1abdj]

Freedom is a brand manufactured by Liberty. They don't build anything even remotely similar to what the OP is looking at.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

There are a couple of companies that make vault doors but they are not fancy looking like the one in the above photo. Here are some links:

Liberty Safe Co. vault door:
http://www.libertysafe.com/safe_vaultdoors.php

Browning Safe Co. Universal vault door:
http://www.browning.com/products/ca...=39601&content=universal-vault-door-gun-safes

Browning Safe Co. Security vault door:
http://www.browning.com/products/ca...type_id=39581&content=security-door-gun-safes

 

[Norsegod127]

I would guess about 1000 bucks for the door and that's the most I would pay for it. If you where going to make your own bunker or something I would go to a real company and buy everything there.

Good Luck!!! Wish I could get a door like that

 

[a1abdj]

I would guess about 1000 bucks for the door and that's the most I would pay for it.

That door would scrap for more than that.

 

[Ultra]

You could go with a lighter version that is much better suited for home use, restored, in the $30,000 range.

Nice door, but still way over my price range. Is it possible to get anything similar under 10K?

BTW I went back to see the safe door and I took some pics, I'm uploading now...

 

[a1abdj]

Nice door, but still way over my price range. Is it possible to get anything similar under 10K?

Unrestored, lighter door, yes. If I recall correctly, the owner of those doors was wanting $25,000 each, as they sat.

Those bigger doors like you have looked at can cost $10,000 or more, just to cut them loose from the wall. This doesn't include the insurance, rigging, or any other modifications needed to actually move them once they are cut free.

We were just dealing with a project that involved removing a 40,000 pound door from a standing building. It ran $110,000 to pull the door, lift it out of the building, and place it on truck.

 

[Ultra]

It's almost exactly the same as the one I found online, same company made it. It's not for sale but it wouldn't have fit anyway...

 

[a1abdj]

A door like the one shown in your photos would weigh +/- 8,000 pounds. The restored door that I posted a photo of weighs +/- 1,200 pounds.

 

[LTROI]

Wow, Ultra that door is incredible! See if that store might want to get rid of it cheap if you'll pay for the cost to have it removed.

 

[bruzer]

How cool would that be if you could have that in your house. Walk in closet for the Wife and a walk in gun safe for me.
Mike

 

[a1abdj]

See if that store might want to get rid of it cheap if you'll pay for the cost to have it removed.

If you look closely you'll notice a wood floor. Chances are good that the door won't come out of the building until the building itself comes down.

You'll see doors like this for sale on e-bay all of the time. Just like this one, they'll never come out.

 

[Ultra]

Well the people I talked to run the store but don't own the building. They told me it wasn't for sale as far as they knew and also doubted it could be moved. In addition she claimed it was a protected historic building so the safe couldn't be removed. I doubt that though because the guy who sent me there sits on the town board.

Regardless it's too big/tall for my basement. I guess the only solution might be to buy the building it's in.

 

[Russ Jackson]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Mosler-...896?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41563d3448

Here is one for $9000 and they have a pair of them. I would love to use one for a wine celler...Russ

 

[rcmodel]

I have a friend who bought a bank vault door out of an old bank being town down to make room for a new federal reservoir that eventually coverered the town of Ozawaki KS.

He paid scrap metal price for it.

It is now built into the basement of his house with reinforced concrete walls and ceiling.

It holds about one of every U.S. military weapon & bayonet we have used since the civil war.

rc

 

[vinniec4]

I know of one for sale that is very similar to the one in your pictures

I know a gentleman who has a bank vault in a newly aquired property that he wants to sell. It looks quite similar to the pictures in the links that you provided. He has stipulated however, that the buyer be responsible for it's removal but is willing to part with it for less than $10,000.

 

[a1abdj]

He has stipulated however, that the buyer be responsible for it's removal but is willing to part with it for less than $10,000.

That's very generous of him.

We get calls weekly with all of the banks closing branches, and new owner acquiring the properties. They need the doors or entire vaults removed, but none of them want to pay the tens of thousands of dollars (or more) often needed to remove them. There are lots of these doors out there for free if you want to pay to remove them.

I'll let you in on a secret though. It's still cheaper to buy one from a vault company who has one sitting in their warehouse. Not only that, but you'll know that it works, and all of the parts are there.

These big vault doors are not much different than the big highly rated safes. Everybody "wants" one, but few people "need" them. They are expensive, because of what they are designed to do, and the amount of work required to remove, restore, and install them.

I just got the bill for some machine work I had done to replace some parts on a door that I'm currently restoring (I'll post some pics in the future). You can't just go down to Walmart and buy parts for these 100 year old antiques. The bill was just shy of $6,000.

I've seen these doors installed improperly in homes. Heck, it can't be that hard can it? These doors have sank and/or shifted causing serious structural problems. I've even seen a door come free from the wall.

These things aren't toys. They aren't cheap. They are not forgiving. Anybody who's gotten one for free, that works perfectly, was installed by their contractor and is still working, and who hasn't been locked out of it is simply very lucky.