This is ABSOLUTELY NOT a request for bids or offers!

As some of you know, at the end of last season we blew the motor on a car we were developing for road racing. I was looking for a suitable power plant when several other opportunities presented themselves over the winter. Long-story-made-short: We are contemplating selling the car as a roller (with transmission), allowing the new owner to pick his power.

DETAILS:
* Pristine 1987 chassis, with 70,000 road miles
* ALL suspension and brake components checked for wear or stress
* Body excellent condition
* ALL unnecessary weight removed
* ALL fluids changed to racing grades
* Full welded roll cage, professionally installed
* New Momo racing bucket (HANS compatible)
* New 6-point FIA approved safety harness
* New on-board fire suppression system
* Cut-off switches
* New gel cell battery
* New stainless brake lines all around
* New Doug Rippie brake bias balance
* Hawk “Blue” brake pads all around, with new spare set still in boxes
* Lowered and cambered
* New Carrera QA1 adjustable shocks on all 4 corners. Original Bilsteins as spares.
* 2 complete sets wheels - 9½” x 16” - with mounted Hoosiers (one set brand new)
* Stock manual 4-speed with 3 overdrives - excellent condition
* Dana 44 (heavy duty) LSD rear end
* All motor accessories are still perfect, including TPIS ram intake, new alternator, waterpump, new Breathless underdrive pully system.
* New custom 2½” straight pipes

We were able to achieve formula car-like weight distribution of 25% - 25% - 24% - 26% WITH DRIVER and fuel! Never raced - the motor blew before we had a chance - testing time only.

What’s it worth? Again, we are NOT looking for bids or offers - simply attempting to establish a value at this point. Once we determine a fair value, then we shall decide to sell or keep for now.

All considered opinions are greatly appreciated!

Ed LoPresti
607-535-4237

 

If you have the time, you'll make more money parting out the new aftermarket stuff.

You can get 80% of your money for the new parts, but with them on the car, much less since no buyer will want to pay the premium for every mod on the car, just some of them.

 

Central,

Thanks for the insight, although we usually do not expect to pay 80% for anything after it has been installed.

In thinking about your suggestion, you are probably right - we will get more of our investment back by parting out. However, it seems such a shame to take apart that which we so carefully assembled! Worse yet, we shall be left with a prefect chassis and great body (complete with roll cage) which will be of no use to anyone.

I am certain that if we put it on the market, we would FIRST attempt to sell the complete roller, and only part out as a last resort.

Best regards,
Ed

 

Someone will definitely want the bare chassis and cage. And then you can sell them some of the parts you took off, and probably get more. It'll be easier to sell the stock parts while on the car and the aftermarket off the car.

People are funny that way.

Be sure to box the parts up nicely and take photos to increase the value.

I think 75-80% is about right for installed but unused parts. Used parts usually go for 50% if they're generally non-wear items.

 

I see some posts from time to time in the autox and road racing section, looking for race cars. You could try asking there to.

 

Well, since no one has suggested a number, I'll say you should be able to find a buyer at about $3000.
Do I hear 4000?

2500...?



Larry
code5coupe

 

I'd give 3K for it as it sits. If it had a real transmission in it i WOULD GIVE 4k OR 45OO.

Carl Johansson

 

I agree, you might as well sell the 4+3 and the 16" wheels / tires. If you have stock springs and 12" brakes still on the car.......3500-4000.

 

Gentlemen,

Thanks, Gentlemen, for your brutally honest opinions (or actually, maybe you were trying to "break it to me gently"). It is worse than we thought!

And, yes, we COULD take the time and effort to part it out; and, certainly, we COULD sell it for $ .30 on the dollar; but neither option seems very appealing right now.

Any other thoughts will be appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

Why not put a new motor and transmission for another may be 5-6k and enjoy, or sell it as it is without engine/tranny about 3-4.5k, iam 100% with Centralcoaster part it

 

You would need to decide which chassis it is ?If it is a 1/4 mile car, stock car ,scca or what ever,check around and find out which will draw more money.
I would set a price based on the year 87 and the usefulness as a track car.I would say about $5,000.New or used parts that most likely doesn't make a differance.Does the car have a title or is it just a track car?I have a ton of money in my 86 but it is still an 86 vett.

 

In its current condition, especially without detailed photos, I'd place the value at $3K to $3500 tops... it all goes back to perception.

.30 on the dollar for selling used parts is very realistic, with regard to performance parts. You'll move them quickly at that, even though real world value is about .55 on the dollar or more, depending on the buyer. Should you decide to part it out, your best bet is eBay to get the most for your parts (sad fact, but true).

I hate to see another race car go down, but such is life...
Good luck , whatever you decide.

 

I would agree with most of the guys on this post in that there is nothing super special about the chassis that will draw a lot of money. What would work well in my opinion would be to put an engine in it and establish a fast time(that it can back up!) on a well known road course. If you can show racers that it is a very capable car in a class and that it is working well you will recoup a lot of your money. Right now a driver like myself is not real interested because getting it set up right and tuned is most of the battle and is also where good cars are separated from "home" builds. Just my .02$

 

Your description comes across as it being a gutted street car that someone added a cage and fire supression system to.

If you intend to sell to someone as a road course car then they're going to want to know (among other things)...

- What sanctioning body / class was it designed to compete in?
- What's been done to the suspension besides shocks? Springs (rate and type)?, bushings (type, which ones specifically have been replaced)? sway bars (type (hollow, tubular) and size)?
- What type of brakes (calipers and rotors)? Has the master cylinder been changed? Does it have a proportioning valve? Is the ABS still installed/functional?
- What type of radiator?
- Does it have an oil cooler?
- Does it have a ps cooler?
- Does it have brake cooling and if so how is it set up?
- Tranny and differential coolers?
- Specifically what seat & what is the seat bucket made of (fiberlgass, carbon fiber, ?)?
- Fluids don't matter. The first thing someone will do is change them all for the sake of safety and peace of mind.
etc.

That's just a 5 minute pass. To determine value it needs to be a comprehensive list. As it sits it's a gutted street car / roller worth $3k tops as others have mentioned.

 

I am just now catching up on the additional suggestions made here, and want to thank each of you.

We believe (perhaps incorrectly?) that there certainly IS value in new parts! With our other race cars, we keep track of "time-life" on stuff which wears (like shocks, bearings, rotors, etc), and rebuild or replace BEFORE they are shot. Obviously, brand new dampers will not require rebuilds for quite some time - surely that has value. A new gel cell is better than an old gel cell. The brand new fire bottle is arguably safer than an old one. It might be only asthetic, but the cover on a new race seat is not all ripped to shreds or oil stained - a minor point. And with SCCA's new rules on safety harnesses, a NEW FIA-approved set is clearly more valuable than ones which are out of date. While an old roll cage might be just as good as a "new" one, this one was welded in with the chassis aligned on a jig!

96GS#007 has some excellent questions, many of which would be answered on a build sheet which we would develop for the car if we decide to sell it. In brief, we were building to SCCA ITE spec, and in the very early stages of development. We had been over the entire chassis and all the suspension parts carefully, replacing anything which was worn, and were just starting to replace stock items with race parts based upon what the handling needed "most - next", which came from our road course testing. We spent a lot of time aligning and corner balancing, in an effort to establish a "baseline" from which to develop.

Thanks again to all who took time to comment - while the concensus is not what we had hoped to hear, we appreciate your opinions.

Ed LoPresti