If you look at my sig see the blue car that is for sale has been for 1.5years. By the the time I had the car built(and helped) made mistakes (too much compression, crank case evacuation pump that cavatated the oil pump and the crank ran dry for 15 secs) blew 2 motors and rebuilt them better each time. I got the the car the way I want and it runs great (i have hit 206mph), anyone that has driven it at race speeds says it turns in as good as any race car they have driven. I have finished and placed every race for the last 3 years. how much do I have in the car close to $200K. It can be yours for $37K, include the 26 ft enclosed trailer it lives in $40K for the full race package. Yes race car are a great investment . How much fun have I had with the car more then the $ spent. I am selling it because I am attempting to make the red TT be just as fast but street legal.
Jeffy'

 

Modding a car (especially drive train) can make it very hard to sell at all. When you start adding 3rd party parts on, nobody knows what all has really been done, by who and if they will even be able to get replacement parts if needed. Even a local dealership might shy away from touching a Lingenfelter engine if something goes wrong.

I had a 1972 Corvette that I heavily modded - 500HP. It drew crowds when ever I parked it. Ended up with $42,000 in parts in it (in 1972!) and over two years of labor. Only had 2,000 actual miles on it when I went to sell it 10 years later. Could not get one buyer. Everyone that looked at the car said "You should take that to Hollywood, you would get a fortune". It was quite a showpiece. Ended up trading it in on a 1984 Corvette and even then the dealer had to shop it out and only got $9,000 for it. So, no more radical mods for me!

Most cosmetic mods like Halos, Cat-backs, etc. that are bolt-ons may or may not help "sell-ability", but won't affect the price much.

A really nice VE interior that is in like-new condition, may very well bring a better price if it is a color combination that the buyer likes.

But for the most part, drive train (especially engine) mods are for cars you plan to keep. I would NEVER purchase a "modded" Vette myself. There is also the matter of insurance. Many Lingenfelter motors cost more than what insurance would pay if you totalled the car - that said, I wish I had one!

 

My .02 cents.

If you want to mod a car, do so because you plan to keep it. If you ever plan to sell it don't do anything more than modest cosmetic/trim changes (wheels, interior accents, exhaust etc) if you want a good return on your amount invested.

You can remove the above mentioned items to sell and then return the car to stock to get its market value. If you go beyond those mods to something as serious as an LPE conversion, you will lose very big when you try to sell. That's not a reflection on LPE, it's a reflection on the car market of people interested in buying a modded car. Take a look in the For Sale section on these and other car forums and you'll see fantastic cars with 10's of thousands invested selling close to or below book value of a similar mileage stock car.

-RR

 

Musta bin the Lingerfelter guys..... but one thing I will say, they have great products, and it's a good place to spend your $$

 

You have a lot better chance of recouping some of the cost if you use LPE or Callaway.

 

I just had LPE put a H & C on my 98 this summer, it’s not a super car by any means but it can hold its own. Yes, I feel it was worth it the car runs strong and is extremely reliable. If you drop your car off at LPE ask for a facility tour, it’s cool to see all of John Lingenfelter's racing trophies and the different projects that they have going on. Give Tim Dyer a call there might be other package options you might be interested in.
Thanks,
Bob

 

Great performance and work but thier is no way you will ever get back 90% of the cost. Do not forget, they have to sell you on the idea of the price and return of the vehicle when you sell it. All that you can count on is great performance. If you get 1/2 back I feel you would be lucky. Furthermore, once you mod the car you also limit youre buyers. Most people prefer a untouched and original car.

 

IMO, you'll never get anywhere close to 90% of your cost back for the upgrade. Their work is top notch, but modded cars just don't retain their value that well.

 

I would not say LPE and Callaway cars are "modded" like you would if you had a local shop put a super charger on your car.
LPE and Callaway are highly engineered and universally recognized, plus they will most likely be around if you have any problems.
While I agree you will never get close to 90%, I do not think cars modified by them carry the same stigma as a car that was altered by a local shop or the owner.

 

versus having the work done by yourself or neighbor

 

Yes, but you're looking at best for 50%...

On top of that, the 383 is not nearly as desireable as larger or newer motors, so that will affect it's market value.

I bought a modded MTI 422 a few years back. The car was worth 29-30k in stock form, and had 25k plus in mods. Keep in mind that MTI is right up there with the best of the tuners...paid $34k for it. So, all said, the owner rec'd about 20% back on his mods...the entire car still had less than 10k miles on it...only a couple of thousand on the motor itself.

 

Go to Livernois motorsports! 5k for the h&c package installed? thats just my suggestion, lpe is the top notch undisputed king of the corvette i must say. But you could buy a "polo" golf shirt or a target golf shirt, both are 100% cotton and both are going to loose there luster in a few years??

 

For performance mods done right, by a national "name" shop, figure 20-30% max return if you sell it, or if it is stolen or totalled (and you have "registered" your mods with the insurance company, and paid the extra premium).

I just went through this same decision process. I love, love, love, my C5 and was looking at a serious buildup, complete new engine, driveline, the works. By the time I looked at the costs, and the insurance and resale issues, I decided to sell mine and buy a new Z06 instead.

Good luck with your decision!

 

The Lingfelter name might carry some weight, but there is still no way he's gonna get anything for having the car modded. I agree with the majority here in that most folks are not gonna pay extra for a modded car. Too many unkowns...ie anyone can put a lingfelter badge on a car, or buy their fuel rails and slap them on a motor.

 

It is called 'having receipts'

 

I disagree, there are very few if any tuners besides LPE and Callaway that are known to the casual Corvette enthusiast, that coupled with numerous magazine articles highlighting their packages in my opinion adds some value to the car.
LPE and Callaway for the Corvette is like Roush is to the Mustang, most people recognize the name and associate it as being an enhancement to the car not a detriment.

 

Lingenfelter?

 

Sage advice