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Hey all. 95 convertible. Black on grey. Mechanically the car is in great shape. Everything works. Only 66k miles. I've had the car over 14 years and keep up with maintenance. Problem is it has sat outside all those years. The sun beat the crap out of the paint. All the clear coat is flaking off. The sun baked the leather and it's all cracked. I really don't drive anymore. Considering selling both my cars. My question is: is the car worth anything? I've browsed around and Vettes in mint condition are going for next to nothing. KBB is listing $4k value. Is the only way to get anything reasonable from it to part out? Thoughts?
Practical: When the sum of parts proceeds less the resources needed to dismantle/recover/sell the parts exceed the sum of the whole.
That said, when one adds intangible "worth" to the car, emotion or sentimental or speculation of future value, the point of making the decision to (give up) and part it out is less clear. (Speaking from experence).
IT can be difficult @ times...
Last edited by Paul Workman; 09-23-2018 at 05:49 PM.
Parting out depends on having time and space to do it. Sitting neighbors don't complain, partially disassembled gets their attention. No pictures makes it a little harder to "figure". If the top is good, seat covers and a MACCO or Vo Tech paint job might draw better spring dollars. M6 is a plus. Your not driving it pushes making it go away. Fall / winter wrong time to sell.
Parting out depends on having time and space to do it. Sitting neighbors don't complain, partially disassembled gets their attention. No pictures makes it a little harder to "figure". If the top is good, seat covers and a MACCO or Vo Tech paint job might draw better spring dollars. M6 is a plus. Your not driving it pushes making it go away. Fall / winter wrong time to sell.
You could hide the seats under covers but that paint is scary. Tough decision. Do you not drive it because of the appearance or have you just lost the passion for the C4?
That paint is ouch. The way it is, even parting body panels could be tough. I would try to sell it whole for 4500. Pushing the low mileage, if no good offers come , part it. If you have a Street Rod / Kit Car shop local, they might give you a good price,
You could hide the seats under covers but that paint is scary. Tough decision. Do you not drive it because of the appearance or have you just lost the passion for the C4?
Neither. Health issues. I don't get out of the house very much anymore. I love the car. Runs and drives great. Everything works. I've only been putting a few hundred miles on each car the last couple years. Insurance is over $100 a month and that's cheap for my area. Like I'm figuring I could save money hiring a limo if I calculate price per mile. lol
If New York is anything like Ohio as far as humidity goes, and I am pretty sure winters are just as bad (according to a friend who moved from N.Y. to N.C.) That car could be all rusted out underneath from sitting outside for 14 yrs.
The determining factor would be an undercar inspection. If it is still good, sell it, rusted out ? Part it out.
C4 owners are cheap/thrifty/broke. You will be given offers that border on just giving the part away. They don’t want to pay reasonable shipping. You will supply 10 pictures for a 5 dollar part and the buyer will offer 2.50 shipped. Now that that scenario is out of the way. You will need a dedicated space to tear down the vehicle and ecentuslly you will be left with a pile of crap that you will need to figure out a way to dispose of a non rolling chassis. On top of that how much do you value your time?
Sell it as as a whole for 2,500-3,000 and be done with it. Let the next idealistic sucker sink 10k in fixing the paint the seats and other odds and ends.
If New York is anything like Ohio as far as humidity goes, and I am pretty sure winters are just as bad (according to a friend who moved from N.Y. to N.C.) That car could be all rusted out underneath from sitting outside for 14 yrs.
The determining factor would be an undercar inspection. If it is still good, sell it, rusted out ? Part it out.
The frame is clean due to lack of winter driving. It's not the water/snow/humidity that kills cars here. It's the salt they put down. Most the snow we get comes with temperatures only slightly below freezing so the salt melts it all. It's like dropping the car in the ocean driving though that stuff.
C4 owners are cheap/thrifty/broke. You will be given offers that border on just giving the part away. They don’t want to pay reasonable shipping. You will supply 10 pictures for a 5 dollar part and the buyer will offer 2.50 shipped. Now that that scenario is out of the way. You will need a dedicated space to tear down the vehicle and ecentuslly you will be left with a pile of crap that you will need to figure out a way to dispose of a non rolling chassis. On top of that how much do you value your time?
Sell it as as a whole for 2,500-3,000 and be done with it. Let the next idealistic sucker sink 10k in fixing the paint the seats and other odds and ends.
Ugh, sounds like damned if I do and damned if I don't
when you part a low mile old car out the potential buyer whats nice clean usable parts that is better then what they have. your problem is it looks nothing like what a low mile car should like like. I think you will lose your *** if you part that out.
FWIW, the hardtop is worth close to $1k alone, even with the bad paint you should be able to easily get $750.
What are you looking to get for the car ? I might be interested.
Last edited by Patsgarage; 09-23-2018 at 11:24 PM.
Neither. Health issues. I don't get out of the house very much anymore.
Are you looking for a challenge? Parting out a car is a huge, tough, dirty job! Are you up for that kind of work? Do you have the space for that kind of a project? Do you have understanding neighbors? Are there code restrictions in your neighborhood? Do you have the tools? Then there's the advertising to try to find buyers that will pay you for your efforts. Then there will probably be packaging and shipping challenges. How would you get rid of the carcass? It sounds like the car is worth the efforts for someone to restore it! My '84 was in worse condition than yours when I bought it, and now it's nothing but fun!
Honestly this is appears to be one of those cases that never happens where a C4 that needs paint may actually be worth it. I know a really good condition convertible in those years is worth about 6-8. Could get more if the right sucker comes along. Someone here has posted about decent looking leather covers too. Whether you do it, or someone else sees the potential, it's worth selling. Parting out is a lot of work and you have a mechanically sound car with 66k miles.
I'm a Level 400 NCRS Master Judge. I want to buy it just the way it is and take it through the NCRS "System". If it's original, and everything works, it should Top Flight (94.0 or higher) even with the bad paint and seats. I'd have fun doing it. Kind of poking a stick in the eye of NCRS, but again, I'd have fun doing it. I've seen a few C4 roaches go Top Flight. The judges don't take deductions where they should. It would be fun. I'll drive the heck out of it too.
Alas, it is on Long Island. It will cost $2,000 to get it to California. I'd like to be in it at less than $5,000 so if you're interested in selling at around $3,000, perhaps higher after inspection of "originality", to someone that will drive and do something with it, not just flip or part it, shoot me a PM. I'll come get it myself so it is a cash deal.
That would be hilarious to see. Wheels, exhaust, and radio aren't stock but it's not like that can't be undone. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing yet. Was just tossing around ideas in my head and wanted to see what others thought. Not having a car is a big step.
Originally Posted by haxxx
Honestly this is appears to be one of those cases that never happens where a C4 that needs paint may actually be worth it. I know a really good condition convertible in those years is worth about 6-8. Could get more if the right sucker comes along. Someone here has posted about decent looking leather covers too. Whether you do it, or someone else sees the potential, it's worth selling. Parting out is a lot of work and you have a mechanically sound car with 66k miles.
She was a nice car before the sun did a number on it.
Seat covers and an inexpensive paint job and youll get it sold. Probably just recover the money you spend on the paint job itself, but it will shine and thats what buyers are looking for. Id say at that point you could ask $6000. and hopefully get $5500. Just my opinion......
09-23-2018, 05:00 PM
When do you part a car out?
95 convertible. Black on grey. Mechanically the car is in great shape. Everything works. Only 66k miles. I've had the car over 14 years and keep up with maintenance. Problem is it has sat outside all those years. The sun beat the crap out of the paint. All the clear coat is flaking off. The sun baked the leather and it's all cracked. I really don't drive anymore. Considering selling both my cars. My question is: is the car worth anything? I've browsed around and Vettes in mint condition are going for next to nothing. KBB is listing $4k value. Is the only way to get anything reasonable from it to part out? Thoughts?
