aklim

This is like me saying "I paid $5000 and spent another $5000 on it.". Now after I drove it around and got my jollies on it, I think it is worth $10000. Sorry, don't tell me your problems. In good shape, if it is worth $6000, that is all I will offer.

81c3

Its a hard pill to swallow.... Ive had to swallow it a few times myself, but if you want to play, you pay.... I dont think very many people get back modification money or even restoration money spent, unless its a very special car. The car hobby is a definite labor of love especially where Corvettes are concerned..... the truth can be real bitter!

aklim

I agree. That said, AS AN EXAMPLE, you might be in love with your wife and think the world of her. OTOH, don't expect us to do that same thing. Way I look at it, You put $10K in and sold it when you are done for $6K. If you are doing it right, you had $4K or more of fun. If not, you being upside down is on you.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

And ....OTOH, you might be in the business of restoring cars for profit. You buy the right car for say...$5k, knowing it needs restored. You need to put $4k into it to make it worth asking $12k. You settle on $10.5K. You made $1500.00 very easily. I've done very nicely at this type of easy money making. You need to know which car to initially buy though first.

Cool Runnings

I was offered $12k for mine a couple weeks ago.

JBPC4

Cool Runnings

So you buy one for $7k that needs all kinds of stuff done to it. As an example, My 92 is like a new car and is loaded. Why would I sell it for $7k? I bet I can get 10 years out of it, ain't for sale.


The car has never been listed in any kind of 'for sale ad' since new. I'm the first owner outside of family.

JBPC4

cv67

Offering 5-6k is plenty fair. Some stare at their wax job a little too long.
These are not popular cars that bring money.....most old cars arent bringing what they did 2 yrs ago period. Even old iron.

Plan on dumping 1-2k in any used car plus whatever else pops up.
You never get your money back out of these, make sure its what you want. If it is then what you put in it doesnt matter.
Stored my own under "perfect condition" its still going to need work to be used regularly again, its sat too long. They were designed to be used

Cool Runnings

Sometimes it's better to just keep the stuff. I lost over $7k on a Moto Guzzi. If I had to do it all over again, I'd put in my price and wait until the right buyer came along.


You ask a bargain price for something and people will low-ball you anyways. I bet the $12k guy with 30,000 miles got all kinds of phone offers. I wonder how many actually looked at the car and made a reasonable offer. I bet none.

Cool Runnings

Pretty much a given, no matter how great it's been maintained. Stuff happens. I figure on about $1k a year in stuff.


Just this spring, all of a sudden I get the famous headlight motor noise. Heard dealers charge $800 to fix. $50 + 5 hours later got the new gears and shims in. Noticed a couple weeks ago, the right speaker was acting up. It went away, but I know sooner or later it's going to need a speaker amp ($100) and the pain of taking the door apart. Hey, it's all part of the fun, right.

cv67

You should have taken it and ran;if its worth that much to you hang on to it. I couldnt get much more than that for a tricked out frame off A body which is fresh and has close to 6 figures in it.
Those days of selling for big $ are gone
Lots of hard luck stories out there which means tons of toys on the cheap.
There will always be ones listed for a lot, they sit and sit and sit online.

R254

Guys, I took all kinds of pictures and been looking at prices/values to try and justify a good offer to make on this car.
I have not heard this run, driven it, or anything like that. It was sitting in a pole shed with dust on it and the plates were expired in Jul '16. I am really only interested because it is a 40th anniversary package car.
KBB says the car is worth between 6685 -10388. Middle of the road is 8537
Lets start there at 8537
Subtract 1300 for a top = 7237
Subtract 500 for tires = 6737

6700, that's all I know so I guess that will be the highest I can justify, provided there are no other problems. It gets pretty hard to make an offer with a car like this.

81c3

this

81c3

When you drive it and follow a good checklist and maybe get it on a hoist to check under it.... you will have a much better idea of where you should be on an offer..... Did you say it has 26,000 miles on it? If so, thats good.... If it were to all check out well, then $7,000. give or take a couple hundred, is a fair deal imho.

R254

Yes, 26,000 miles on it.
The interior looked like a 26k mile car, but, honestly the exterior has door dings, scraps in the front valance and overall looks like a careless daily driver that could have 100k+. The only parts that did not have scraps or scratches was the left and right rear fenders and I didn't notice any scratches in the hood.
I won't have the ability to get it on a hoist.

Cool Runnings

If I take $12k and run, then what do I buy ??? A early C5 with unknown problems? No thanks, I like these older C4 corvettes.

Cool Runnings

I'd pass. Too many garage queens out there if you look long and hard enough. Also, I'd never buy one with the standard gearing.

R254

According to the RPO, it has GM1, standard gearing, 2.59. Is that really that bad? My 89 has the G44 in an L98, so I really don't know what the 2.59 is like in an LT1

Cool Runnings

All I know is what I've been told here on the forum. Peeps say the performance axle makes a huge difference in acceleration.