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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/87-Milano-Platinum-32-937-original-miles-/2005625- 97410?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2eb2765e22#ht_500wt_948
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1976-Lancia-Scorpion-Beta-Sports-Car-Gorgeous-Cou- pe-/160526466598?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item25601f7e26
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/cto/2126991768.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLACK-Short-Wheel-Base-County-SWB-Classic-/400184- 849858?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item5d2ce035c2
The first three cars have to be the lowest-mileage examples of their kind I've ever seen. The Range Rover - well, I'd be scared to buy one and I wouldn't even own it because I've heard so much about its frequent need for maintenance/repairs.
I really like that Milano. I'd still rather have a GTV6, but that would be an acceptable substitution. I believe that's the one with the 3.0, which is the one to have.
'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've come across a 1969 Stingray convertible (427/390/4spd) that has been sitting for almost a year in a repair shop. The car looks to be not entirely original: bad re-paint, new interior, aftermarket wheels. I also don't know if this is a numbers matching car. Overall it looks like it could be an entertaining weekend driver. I want to make the owner an offer but I don't have much of a clue what the car is worth. I have looked at Craig's List, eBAy, old issues of Sports Car Market...etc. I read keith Martin's assesment of these Corvattes where he states that only the top three most powerful engines are worth collectiong and that lower power big block are in the same pricing range as the small block engined cars. What I have found is that the range in under 10k for a project to mid 20s for a nice car. Really nice cars and those with the "desirable" engine options can sell for really big bucks.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Matching #s is pretty important on any Corvette of this era but that should be pretty easy to figure out.
There's some confusion on what "matching #s" means. One interpretation is "correct engine for the year"---in that case, the 390 HP will have the suffix "LM" stamped on the right front cylinder head machined pad where the numbers are stored.
Now, if it ALSO has the last 4 digits of the VIN stamped on the block, it is the *exact* engine the factory put in the car when they built it.
If it has "LM" but some other numbers, then it's the right type for the year but not the original engine. If it's not stamped "LM", then it might be a 427/390 but not from that year.
Also the options the car has are important to value, like AC, power steering, and side exhaust, to name just a few.
I agree, this car seems well under $10K in value. I'd say if you hit it at $5K or so you can't go too wrong. You can always bail at that price.
The owner has to remember that this is a '69, not a '66--it's a whole other style with a whole other value level (a lot lower) and suffers from some maladies, including overheating of the 427 block and lots of engine heat coming into the passenger compartment.
The '69s have always been sort of the "poor sisters" and might be a decent investment for the future, presuming you can get in cheap enough so that you're not buried in the car until the grave.
some *very* difficult parts to find would be convertible top mechanism, the wheel covers and the windshield washer motor.
http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/2154544733.html
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2140030327.html
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/2083510597.html
I guess the devil is in the details? Is it sitting because no one has gotten to it or because it needs loads of work?
btw: Does anyone else find SearchTempest completely clunky?
69s don't have anywhere NEAR the appeal or value of Stingrays.
But do matching numbers mean so much with a low-option engine just because it's a genuine "big block?" Not sure. It's not the most favored MY Corvette as pointed out.
One more thing about inspecting the car: Try to get a brutally honest appraisal of its needs from a guy who is NOT a total Corvette fanatic. Seriously. A real Corvette fan can get very optimistic over a title, rusty frame and a pile of fiber reinforced plastic.
It's the first thing buyers ask, and the first two words in any Corvette ad.
If you've ever worked a big block 60s Corvette clutch in traffic on a hot day, you'd yearn for an automatic, too.
Not a favorite color but still, only $5k for a big old non-SUV for road trips seems like a good deal. Anyone want it?
God I still remember that doo-dah parade of miled-up misery, rust, dents and needsa-this-anda-that! Maybe it's always like that when you "need" a car as opposed to just looking? We abandoned the used car idea and decided to become frequent rental car customers until we did buy new. We would have stacked cash on the deck of an old barge like that Cadillac if only we could get to it first. But Spokane is a galaxy far far away from Clumbus.
I will say that it's not a bad deal to drive new/nearly new rentals when new car shopping though. Living with a wide variety of cars over weekends of the work week is a lot more helpful than the typical 10 min test drive at the dealer.
Fair enough, but a few more pics and maybe a link to an image hosting site with even more/better pics may help save everyone a step or two. The VIN seems right but in 1968 the SS package was just an option. And I think Chevy did offer 2 versions of the 427 for Impala that year.
Wouldn't it be something if this old heap turned out to be a real L72 427/425hp/4-speed car? Even in its tarp-worn condition now, somebody would want a rare car like that. Remember the Baldwin street racer special Biscayne? I always liked the "idea" more than reality though: the relationship between mass, force and acceleration diminishes to a U-haul experience pretty quickly in a big engined, heavy, 4-speed car.
That is an Impala Custom Coupe -- I've never seen a SS in that bodystyle.
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Now I'm really curious about any sort of documentation that may go with the car. Build sheet, etc. Maybe the original owner wanted the most powerful options but with minimal badging, trim, etc? Wish there were more pics.
No matter if you were god's appointed values expert, someone could find one sale in one place to prove your prediction incorrect.
1980s "land yachts" are very hard cars to sell at a premium price. It just isn't happening.
Also, commenting on the market value of a car doesn't comment on its merits--it is, after all, a market driven by supply and demand, and is not always rational.
An 87 wouldn't have the much derided 4100 would it?
Eastern WA is a good hunting ground for clean old cars.
Amen, brother!
I've just about given up the whole used-car thing. It's getting more and more difficult to even find cars that are worth looking at... never mind the things you find out when you get there.
And to answer your question, yes, it's always like that, it just seems worse when you need a car.
I believe there are a lot of factors to this, but certainly C4C didn't help, and the availability of online valutions like KBB is also to blame. Kelly says $8 in excellent condition, so it's a steal at $7,500!
Craigslist is a great resource to see what's available, but it also becomes a place for people to see what cars are "going for," which is problematic, since all the ones you see certainly haven't "gone for" anything yet! And since it's free, you know half the people on there are just fishing for a price.
Add to that the eternal optimism of describing a car's condition -- I probably said it before, but of the 500 or so cars I've looked at in my life, all but three were in "excellent" condition.
I wonder what it'll take for used cars to come back down to earth, but until things change, I'll be buying new cars and driving them until they're the kind of jalopy I was looking to buy initially. I really prefer driving an older car in good shape to a new one... I don't like to worry about scratches and stuff.
FWIW, Edmund's valuations make a lot more sense than most other places. But just as an example, my wife's '03 Sienna w/ 125k miles is worth, private party, about $6k-and-change here in Michigan. If I needed one, I don't think I'd find one for much less than $8, at which point it just doesn't make sense to buy used. Funny thing is, the domestics, at least around here, are hardly any cheaper.
Also, anything that isn't a rust bucket and runs/drives OK seems to be $2,000, even if it has 180,000 miles on it. For me, it's an annoyance, but for people who really can't afford to buy a new car, this is a very serious drag on their finances.
Of course, we're also entering the crazy time of the year, when income tax returns are coming in and people have $$ in their pockets. "Cheap" used cars instantly shoot up by $750.
Cheers -Mathias
From 1986 to 1990, the rear-wheel drive Cadillac Brougham used a 5 L (307 cu in) Oldsmobile carbureted V8 (replacing the Cadillac HT-4100).
Sounds good on paper but it's only Wiki, so I'd want to make sure it was not fitted with one of those early diesel or HT-4100 engines.
Dark times for Cadillac when they had to rely on a carb-equipped Olds engine even as Lexus was setting up shop in the U.S. market with a $35K LS400. Hmm. Maybe $5K is way too much money for the old boat after all! :surprise:
In terms of used cars, it used to be that $500 was the bottom-end price for a running car that could be licensed despite some issues. Now that number is $2000.
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IMO, the best source is still friends and family. Especially good is finding someone that is buying new, and planning to trade (some people will never, ever sell privately).
that is how I got my TL 2 years ago. it is a 2000MY, but it did have 145K on the clock at 9 YO.
but, those were 1 owner miles, single women, mostly commuting, and fully dealer serviced. As in, when the light went on, it went in and it got whatever the dealer said it needed.
since the owner happened to be my sister, when she decided to buy a new TSX, she offered it to me for what the dealer offered her as a trade. If I had said no, it was getting traded in.
needless to say, the trade offer was low for a 145k car, even though that dealer had done every service. they offered he 2K, so that is what I paid. I expect that off the street, I would not have found that car for less than 4K.
heck, 2 years later (just over) and now at 155K. A couple oil change services, and new struts and tires (thanks to my son whamming a pot hole and blowing a strut and tire). Just about 1K more into it, so I am in for a total of 3K, and I expect that I could sell it for that today if I tossed an ad out on craigs.
Old farmer would probably run down and pick it up himself!
If nothing else, I have gotten my moneys worth out of it. And still am, since my son has it at college this year, and I am crossing my fingers it at least makes it 2 more years until he graduates.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The 307 was also a pretty torquey engine. It only had 140 hp, but put out 255 ft-lb of torque, at a low 1600 rpm. In contrast, the 165 hp 305-4bbl put out 245 ft-lb @ 2400. I forget what the 150 hp version put out though, or what the TBI put out, which I think had 170 hp.
My grandmother's '85 LeSabre had a 307, and if you shifted it yourself, it was actually not bad off the line. It liked to upshift early. And out on the highway, that sucker was a nice cruiser.
It's worth whatever parts you can salvage off it, which looks like about $250 bucks.
I love that. I consider my fintail to be in "fair" condition, and it is a complete running roadworthy 98% rust free clean car.
Fair? That thing looks to be composed of 98% iron oxide.
'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
In a poignant way, his ad says it all: "If I had unlimited space I'd hang on to it, but Im really just not done with the Wartburg."
spoken like a true hoarder of hopeless orphans.
"The technicians noted seepage from the oil pan and timing cover gaskets, all 4 rims need to be straightened, wiper blades, both fog lights, new drive belt, and widshield wipers."
I imagine all of that is pretty common, just most sellers wouldn't mention any of this.
Here is a decent looking 2001 Boxster. I know out in Shifty's neck of the woods cheap Boxsters are easy to find, but not so much here.
"The technician called for 4 tires and the valve cover are seeping." Is seeping different than plain old leaking? Seeping sounds better. The tires look ok to me.
Being a Porsche/Audi dealer, they KNOW what's wrong.
This is not a car you want to bid on without sending it off to a Boxster specialist to accurately identify the source of the leak.
And, like I always say after a Boxster discussion, buy an "S" model so that you don't have a minivan wipe the floor with your Boxster "normale".
Boxsters are reaching 944/928 land where a couple common repairs can be worth more than the entire car. It makes me like my Miata (even though I can't sit in it with the top up).
The Boxster is an AWESOME handler--it will pull Gs like you wouldn't believe for a stock car, but unless it's an S model, it is somewhat down on power, given its handling and braking capabilities. It's no slouch but even my MINI can beat one.
They are very good cars, relatively trouble-free, but it's the kind of car you want to buy in flawless mechanical condition, and that you want to give to Dieter and Hans every 6 months so that they can find, or interrupt, any problems. If that costs you $1200 a year or so for basic maintenance, then so be it.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Boxster S to anyone as long as they are willing to be completely pro-active on maintenance.
A 928, on the other hand, will crush the average newbie owner like a bug--that's an even scarier category of car than a normal Porsche. It's old tech, so double the trouble. Prices for parts and labor are shocking. But, a whole lotta car for very little money (at least initially).
You like zoom zoom big V8 noises? Buy a C5 Vette and be happy, even if parts fall off it.
I still get that little screech out of the throw-out bearing for the first 2 or 3 clutch applications when cold, but then it goes away. I'm sure it'll stay that way for a long time yet. Once the bearing gets too noisy, I may elect to put in a lightened flywheel.
I did put in a CD player with USB interface and now I can both stream Pandora into the car's sound system via my Android phone, as well as play podcasts via a USB flash drive. The whole setup cost me maybe $250 bucks, so it was a good "project".
The supercharger reduction pulley makes a big difference in power, and I love the whine of the supercharger as it spools up. Most interestingly, the gas mileage actually improved by about 1 mpg. So now I get between 26--33 mpg, but only on premium fuel, and running colder spark plugs.
The amount of money being thrown around there just seems bizarre.
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Doesn't B-J tend to be a bunch of rich, drunk old men who have more play money for the weekend than what my lifetime salary will end up being? Or, do mere mortals ilke the rest of us sometimes get swept up in that mess, too?
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Check out this prize:
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/2175120000.html
Great pics, though.
;->
-Mathias
No matter how hard I work
No matter how long I toil
I shall never afford
A BMW 740il
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