HGUNHNTR

I won't even consider a car that's been modified. There's one less set of eyeballs your car will get if it's for sale, so I guess it's not even debatable.....modifying a car potentially hurts resale.

auggy

Of course it would. Would you buy this car if someone put in a hot cam. This would indicate to me that the car has been driven hard. The car could no longer be called stock and it would destroy any appeal of an anniversary edition.

HGUNHNTR

Totally agree. I feel the same about seeing an aftermarket airfilter like K&N in a car. The person was probably interested is squeezing an extra tiny bit of hp from the car, and likely was interested in driving it hard at least some times. I'd pass at that point.

TorchTarga94

Tastefully done mods won't hurt a C4's value, but it won't help it either.

If I was C4 Shopping today and saw one with a hurst short throw, corsa exhaust, and a-molds, I would prefer it to a completely stock car with a whispering exhaust and cheesy sawblades.

Paul Workman

On the other hand... A reputable entity that has developed a well established ("sorted out") modification may actually appeal to a market segment. For example, Marc Haibeck's "510 hp" package (for the LT5) and the like is a significant modification package that definitely appeals to a certain market, to the exclusion of stock (NCRS) candidates; mods producing significant performance improvements w/o affecting driveability or longevity. Such quality mods are sought out by some of those in the market to the exclusion of stock cars.

IOW, depending on who/what the mods are, it isn't a hard and fast rule that ANY mods are always detrimental to value; just sayin. But, I'll agree that mods done by "Joe Sixpack" from an automotive accessories catalog laying accross his knees and pieced together in his garage..well, just the opposite is true (I would agree).

AND, then there's the realization that cars are generally a **** poor investment; some few exceptions exist, of course. So, unless you have a truly rare find or limited edition (which the base C4 is NOT), one might as well mod to his heart's contend and personal satisfaction. IT DEPENDS....

Just my $.02.

cv67

As you can see theres buyers for either or

Did you buy the car to enjoy yourself or buy it worrying about some unknown buyer down the road might want?



Start ordering parts

TorchTarga94

I see where you are coming from on this. However, the k&n filter still hasn't reduced the car's value, it has just limited the scope of potential buyers. It simply means you and a handful of others will pass on the car, not that the value of the car has dropped $1,000 because of an aftermarket "performance" part.

ClaudioC4

If you are already thinking of re-sale don't do it. If it is going to increase the fun factor with you and your car it will be worth it. Though it might not increase in value, if you enjoy it more you won't regret it in the long run.

MavsAK

Who cares about Resale?

I sure as hell don't. C4s as a whole aren't valuable right now.
Mod it to your tastes, and have fun with it.

Well put together packages will increase a C4's value right now. (Stock is so dime a dozen that the aftermarket parts can actually drive the car's value up)

I'm also the wrong guy to ask about leaving a car stock. I can't leave anything well enough alone, and that's everything from my computers that I build from the ground up, to cars, guns whatever. Stock Is Generic. Modified is Mine.

Bulldogger

EXACTLY
24,000 original miles, heads,cam,headers 4:10 rear runs better then it ever did when it left the factory. Also my 03 Z06 is supercharged, I don't think it hurts the value at all, when done right it is worth more. My 95 is soo much more fun then stock, and it doesn't get beat on or abused. It's main purpose is date night with my wife who helped work on the car with me.

trilkb

I dont get the "the car was probably driven hard" part due to mods especially K&N filter. Who says the original filter wasnt just dirty and the guy bought a reusable K and N filter?
Also I just noticed the door sticker to increase tire psi 5psi if you plan to drive over 150mph. If you want to buy a car that has been "babied" buy a civic that was owned by a old lady. If my car is worth less because I drive it like a corvette then the entire point of owning one is backwards lol. My concerns is that every thing works when I buy it, If it breaks down the road thats my own problem. If muffler eliminators hurts it to the point that the new owner wont buy it...GOOD. I dont want some pansy half *** mechanic buying my 20 year old car and then complaining when something breaks a mont later and he has to fix it. They havent built a car yet that requires no maintenance. If a exhaust system rusts away and it gets upgraded to a stainless performance exhaust, thats just money well spent in my eyes. Id rather my car appeal to the do it yourself mechanic crowd who can appreciate a louder exhaust and what the car was built to do. Not attacking anyones opinions, just trying to voice my own. Some people just need to not buy performance cars if they are going to complain about mods to make them perform better.

There is a difference though between a correctly modified car, and when some moron gets a hold of it. If I see any aftermarket wiring that wasnt done right and isnt loomed and looks like a professional did it, depending on what it is I draw the line there. Tells me all I need to know about the rest. If I drove a hot cam'd c4 that drives and idles perfect and I can turn the AC on and have no problems, No ticking or exhaust leaks then I wont knock the value. Its your own gamble if you buy a car that is making noises that are not stock from ticking to tapping to exhaust leaks...

HGUNHNTR

I simply use it as an indicator of how the car was cared for, and how it was driven, much like I pay careful attention to the sellers personal hygiene, appearance, and general demeanor.

My Vette came from a 70 year old handyman that had each and every tool in his garage in the correct place, nails and screws sorted by size and type and neatly ordered in a bin. He wasn't interested in smoking tires and grinding gears, just driving the car sensibly. That's the type of seller I'm looking for. I realize some people consider borderline abuse as driving the car as it was intended, but I don't want the added liability of buying a car that's seen that sort of treatment, whether it will prove to be a detriment or not.

I'm always looking for Vettes that have been driven like Civics. I certainly don't discount the seller for it, lol.

pologreen1

All this for a $5,000 car?

On the other hand when you are around cars enough a person learns cars are machines and the parts wear out and only so much matters, most of it cosmetic. Engine internals, clutches, etc don't speak with out tear downs.

Sounds like you have a ritual though.

WW7

To put the whole thing into perspective, almost all our C4s are worth less then a 5 year old Honda civic..So does it really matter what we do to them???....WW

lt4obsesses

Depends on what we do. We can put an LS7 matched to a TR6060, with coil overs, and Z06 brakes and all of that. After all that we could sell the car for about half of what all that cost, which would still be about double what we bought the car for.

TA

Unfortunately, this is the case. I probably would have sold my 91 years ago, but its worth far more to me than it is to anyone else.

MavsAK

Well then my C4 would certainly scare you off the second you saw Stainless underneath the car Let alone the other mods.

My motto is if you are ever interested in a modded car you are usually better off buying one with most the mods you want done, already installed. The reason is simple of course....it's usually cheaper to buy the car with em, than it is to do it yourself. (Certainly more so than paying a shop to do it for you later if you aren't mechanically inclined)

And it's better to buy a car that's been modded than one that's bone stock. Because with a modded car you KNOW wear and tear mechanical bits have been replaced. Unlike some 26 year old all factory parts garbage car. I pay less for Stock, than I would Modded.

What's more important..how it drives or the fact that it's all original? I know what I bet on, every time at least for me.

My ideal seller, is the guy that has all the factory parts that he's replaced, thrown in a dumpster somewhere, with a ton of stickers on his toolbox, has a nice collection of tools and has built a car that will beat the pants off most cars it runs up against, and can still drive to California and back with no issue. And that is something a car's "appearance" can never convey. That's something you figure out real quick in a test drive, and a detailed walk around.

Paint crap and ratty interior? Not necessarily a deal breaker. More important, are there any leaks?

Trails of leaks?
Has the radiator been upgraded to a dual core, does it have Stainless or Ceramic Exhaust?

Does the car drive, as good or better than stock?
Is it faster?

If yes to all the above..who cares about paint. You can do that later AFTER the mechanicals are taken care of.

Sure you want a complete package car, but let's be honest there are very few if any true complete package C4s out there. They're Old and Not Valuable. Everyone that owns them, knows this.
I've done the mod work myself to mine...and she needs paint..she's finally to the point I can consider having it painted. But it out handles, out accelerates, out stops, almost any C4 that you'll run across. It doesn't over heat (infact it will never get over 200 if the AC's on sitting in traffic), doesn't leak oil, or coolant... it has it where it counts.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Isn't it funny how people who do all the modifications or buy it that way feel his is the best and most valuable C4, and the guy who keeps his all stock and in great condition makes the same claims. This argument can go on forever. The fact is, if the owner likes and enjoys the one he has, it's worth far more to him than anyone else. People who cry here every time they get a chance to about how worthless C4's are or compare them to something as pathetic as a Honda Civic should probably move on to another interest in cars. No real C4 Corvette enthusiast really cares about it's value, high or low. We'll still keep them for what they are. America's true sportscar.

DanielRicany

Uninstall the mods when you want to sell the car, sell the car for what its worth, and take a slight hit on the mods when you sell them used on a forum. Simple as that.

JD Shredds

I don't think a quality exhaust would hurt the re-sell, especially if its just a cat-back system. And if you have the space and it isn't a must to recoup some of the $, you could always hold on to the original system if a buyer specifically wants all original (you could then sell the aftermarket exhaust, for example - or vice versa if it sells with the aftermarket parts).

The cam, though. That one may actually hurt the resell value.

But at the end of the day, if you're thinking about selling the car, don't make changes. But if you want to hold on the the car, have at it and do whatever you want.