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Comments
66 Mustang Coupe -- if you have to completely restore a Mustang like this, why pick a coupe? A fastback or convertible costs no more to restore. Maybe if the coupe had p/s and AC it'd be an okay deal.
71 Beetle Convertible -- death traps make me nervous.
If that was in Dallas, I'd be out to see it tonight with a check book, back-up, and a loaded shotgun.
Asking price is $10,500, which, as Carlisle prices go, doesn't sound too extreme. Back when the economy was stronger, I could see some buffoon having the guts to put a $15K or more pricetag on it! I'd guess more like $7-8K would do it though? Or is even that too generous in today's market?
big coupes are not the rage.
How was that THM200R4 by 1983? I know it was troublesome in its first year or two, about as flawless as an 80's transmission could be by 1985, but I never knew about those "in between" years, like 1982-84? There was a guy in one of my Mopar forums talking smack about a 307 and how much beefier a 318 is, and I was about to say something...until I read a little deeper and saw he was talking about a Chevy 307! :P
One of the last of the Oldsmobiles where everything was over, or at least correctly, engineered.
I heard that the 1983 bumpers, while they look identical, are much stronger than the 1984 bumpers because they were built to a 5 mph standard, versus 2.5 mph. If the standard dropped for 1984 though, I guess that would hold true for most cars. Still, it seems odd to make the effort to change the bumper in the final year that a car is in production. Especially when these cars went into the 1984 model year sort of at the last minute, when GM realized they were going to be late bringing the FWD C-bodies out. Unless the change was just something simple, like leaving out a part?
If I could find one of these things in a pretty Jadestone or similar color, I'd probably be all over it! I know you could get that Jadestone on Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Chevies (don't think you could on Cadillac though), but to me it just seems like a "classic" early 80's Oldsmobile color.
**Edit: I just found out that the car is actually a 1981, not a 1983. Dunno if that would affect the value much, but in 1981, in addition to the weak 4-speed automatic, they had the added "bonus" of the ECU down in the passenger-side kick panel, and those things tended to fry in the early years. My grandparents' '82 Malibu wagon went through two of them, prompting them to trade it for an '85 LeSabre. Still, when you're dealing with a car this old, even the "good" years can give you trouble.
Better throttle response?
Sometimes if you wait until Sunday, or even Saturday evening, they'll start slashing prices and are willing to deal if they really don't want to take the thing home. Plus, this is the last really big swap meet, other than Hershey which is next week, so if they don't sell it soon, they're probably stuck with it until April.
One or two extreme highs don't make a market.
A realistic asking price would have been $5995. That's right about at Kelley Blue Book "excellent", and KBB is the notoriously high book in the collector car industry. So if he's almost double the fanciful KBB "excellent" rating, he'd have to justify that by presenting a 100 pt restoration. That means flawless. That means without defect of any type. That means better than new.
And even then--LOL---$10K seems high.
It's a '98. It's not a Hurst/Olds.
I actually did run into a problem like this a couple years ago. I found a 1977 Catalina for sale. It was a dark forest/jade type green which I believe was called "Berkshire" that I simply love...although it was getting weak on the hood. It also had a 350-4bbl, which was one of the better engines. The only step up was a 400 (403 in CA). It had a light brown interior, and was fairly basic....solid bench seat, crank windows, etc. Seller wanted $2400 for it, and I guess I was just a little jaded as a few months before I had only paid $500 or a '79 New Yorker that was a much more loaded, luxurious car, and in roughly comparable condition. I guess I might've been willing to go $1200-1500 tops.
But when I talked to them and they came back with that price, I just said "I'll think about it", and just never called them back. Well, lo and behold, this same car showed up the following year at the same car show, a local show in Rockville, MD. This time someone different had it. Before it was an elderly couple, but this time it was a guy who was maybe in his late 50's/early 60's. He had it on the show field, but said he wanted to sell it. Said he'd take $3,000! :surprise:
FWIW, here's a pic I took of the car...
So, my guess is that I'll see it at Rockville again in a few weeks, but this time whoever has it will be wanting $3500-4000!
But it's just that when someone has a price that's so far off like that, I don't even know how to counter. Any advice?
As for engaging in dialogue with a very overpriced car---well, not much you can do until the car starts to rot in the seller's driveway----as he sobers up, he begins to drop the price. So how do you fit in?
What I do is politely write an offer on the back of my business card---this is telling the buyer "I am ready to buy at this price". He may scoff at the time but I bet he won't throw the card away. In 6 months, that card might start to look fairly attractive.
Of course, for this to work your offer has to be 1. fair and 2. sincere. --- and you have to figure out how to convey the fairness and sincerity of it in your own diplomatic way.
Someone may indeed by the car for $10,000, and in that case just be glad it wasn't you.
Maybe I should've made a serious offer on the car when I saw it back in 2007, I guess. I think I just got it in my mind though, that after paying $900 for one New Yorker and then $500 for another, I wasn't about to pay several times that for what's basically an equivalent type car. But, just as one $10,500 Olds 98 doesn't set the market, I guess one $500 New Yorker doesn't, either!
My financial situation had also changed drastically between October 2007 and October 2008. In October 2007, I had a feeling the economy was going to tank soon, although financially I was at an all-time high. By October 2008, my portfolio was probably down about 40%, and on top of that had just sunk a ton of money into a heat pump and electric upgrades for the house, and was in the process of sinking a ton of money into the convertible. So if I was reluctant to part with the cash for that '77 Catalina a year before, there was no way in hell it was gonna happen in '08!
I am curious to see if that car shows up again this year, though. And see what kind of financial situation I'm in...mentally at least. :P
I think your $500 NYer is an anomaly, yeah - it looks better than just about every other $500 car I have seen. If that big Pontiac could be had for $1500, it would be fair. I wonder if the paint could be polished up.
For me the car buying negotiations is one of the most enjoyable aspects of car collecting but it can also be one of the most annoying. Early 2008 I saw an ad in CL for a 1977 Mercedes 450SEL 6.9, a car I have long wanted, for $1200. I called the seller and I liked what he had to say about the car so I told him I would call him back and arrange a visit since he was about 100 miles away from where I live. As it turns out I accepted an assignment out of state for several months and did not have the opportunity to see the car. During the intervening year I continued to see ads in CL for the car but now the asking price was $3500. Six months ago the asking price was down to $1200 and I decided to call the seller and made the trip to see the car. The seller was very personable and I enjoyed the conversation but the car was ROTTEN and only good for parts. I offered him $400 and he graciously declined my offer. Today the car is still for sale on CL for $3500.
A more recent ad in CL offered a 1982 Mercedes 300SD with 140k miles for $17,000. I thought this was a typo so I contacted the seller and asked him if it was indeed a typo. He quickly replied and said no that $17,000. was correct and what a wonderful car it was blah blah... How do you deal with such insanity the answer is you don't!
Unless andre and I really really want the same car!!! :P
Thing is, I actually HAVE seen nice Broughams selling for prices like $14K!
There's no such thing as a $17K 140K mile 300SD. For that kind of money, it should have 1K miles, with all maintenance up to date.
A local new car dealer has a "low miles" 560SEL for something like 11K. It can't be nice enough to warrant that money.
I think some of those jerky ones bring cars to shows at high prices, to get in fights with people they see as lowballers. Almost a form of debate.
Lemko, you and Andre should team up with low bids to drive prices down. Then you can have a fleet of 70s mastadons :shades:
Uh, yeah...if either of us ends up in the market for another old car, maybe we'd better coordinate with each other first? :shades:
One car I do keep kicking myself over is that blue 1980 New Yorker we saw at the Mopar show back in 2006. 34,000 miles, leather interior, looked almost new, and I think they were asking $4300. The car didn't wow me as much at the time because it just had the 318-2bbl, choked down to 120 hp that year. But thinking back on it, damn that was a nice car! And it's not like I'm buying one of these things to go drag racing, anyway!
Hmm, that's actually a good idea. Like tomorrow, when we're at Carlisle and see that $10,500 Olds 98, maybe Lemko could go over and offer the seller $3500. Then awhile later Grbeck could look at it and offer the guy $3000. And then, later in the day, when the guy's getting desperate, I could walk up and offer $4000.
My biggest concern, I guess, would be how good that repaint looks in person, and what kind of flaws it might be hiding. If I was going to get one of these big B or C-bodies, I'd really prefer a hardtop, but in later years they were harder to find. Oddly, in 1975-76 the Catalina sedan was pillared while the coupe was hardtop, but in the Bonneville line it was just the opposite.
Looks pretty good for the money, I think.
Its quite tempting to drive down there, but I doubt I could get the wife to do that right after driving out to PA tomorrow to sell her truck.
Downside to that 240 is that he ditched half the AC system. Says receiver/dryer and condensor are gone and the lines are "capped with duct tape."
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I hardly use the AC unless the windows fog up, but it can be an issue if this is to be a DD.
Still, at the price for a beater? Part the thing out and turn a profit.
Also, you making the trip to Devon to unload the XC? Too bad I can't justify it, otherwise I could save you half the drive and $4.00 for the bridge and take it for the same price!
THere is a '67 1800s up on SS now. That, I want. Too bad it is in CA. I would be happy to dump my accord to pick up something like that, and keep the Acura as the "real" car
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Been to his place before? I would sell a kidney for his garage.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Never been there.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
it was an east coast version of Bullitt.
a lot of the car chase sound track was the same and some of the downhill and chase onto the highway scenes were knockoffs of the original Bullitt movie.
even had the same bad guy driving a black car.
Victor Monterroza, AKA Mackabee
Oh, and yesterday, I had a fond 70's car memory shattered. There was a '75 Caprice 4-door hardtop for sale at Carlisle yesterday. At a quick glance, it didn't seem bad. $2950 asking price (and I'm sure he would've come down considerably), and overall the car seemed pretty decent. Not a top-notch show car, but a good daily driver/beater...the kind of car that tends to catch my eye. Well, first black mark against it...no a/c. Not that it wasn't functioning...it wasn't built with it. I know a/c was still optional, but who buys a car like that with no a/c?! Maybe if it came from far enough north, perhaps.
Biggest problem though...as big as this car was...121.5" wheelbase, probably about 221" long, and about as wide as you can make a car before the EPA classifies it as a truck. And I couldn't get comfortable behind the wheel! :surprise: The biggest problem was, of all things, lack of legroom, which IMO just should not happen in a car this size. The steering wheel was also too close for comfort. I wonder if a power seat and tilt wheel would have helped much? It does with my '76 LeMans. I remember sitting behind the wheel of a '76 base model LeMans back in 2001 that was for sale locally. It had neither a power seat nor tilt wheel, and I wasn't exactly over-joyed by the seating position.
Now, I could tolerate this '75 Caprice, but I guess I just had visions of being able to sprawl out with obscene amounts of room. Back in college, I drove both a '72 Impala convertible and a '76 LeSabre 4-door sedan, and don't remember either of them being that tight. So either I grew since then, or my memory's fading. Or, my body just isn't as flexible as it used to be! :sick:
And, as a more recent memory, I know my '67 Catalina convertible has more legroom up front, so in later years, GM learned how to make their full-sized cars both bigger and smaller at the same time. And then, Ford and Chrysler no-doubt played follow the leader.
That is what I miss about most of the old full size "boats". I would be able to throw the cruise on spread out my legs with no center console in the middle. I really miss bench seating. I think the only cars left that way may be the Buick Lucerne, Impala, and the TC/GM/CV and none of those are going to be made much longer.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
The V8's are great motors and last a long time. The air suspension's are problematic, a lot of guys switch out to coils. I know there is an issue with the dual climate control, either the valve or blend door. A lot of guys are buying them, doing some mods to them, maybe an original older one owner would be a good bet.
I have a Lincoln LS, a friend of mine is a VP for a local chapter of a Lincoln club. He had a meet this year I attended, mostly Mark VIII's, there were some real sharp ones there. We did a cruise out on the county roads, they move out pretty good too.
I loved his stories on the old "Inconsiderate Buyers" forum.
May he rest in peace. -Mathias
Givent he size of my town, this is within 3 miles of here:
http://lansing.craigslist.org/cto/1406298613.html
I've asked for more information, but how bad are these? Shifty?
Also, I don't even know if this is necessarily a turbo...?
Thanks in advance,
-Mathias
;b
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It's not a minivan or even a cougar really.
I've never seen one of these before. Must be a Mercury version of the old LTD II station wagon.
I think there was a Mercury model named Turnpike Cruiser in or around '57.