What's it worth? Help!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 218
Likes: 1
What's it worth? Help!
Hey guys. Looking at buying a particular c5. Just want to make sure I'm paying a fair price.
1998 6spd. 63k miles. Nassau blue with oak interior. Paint and interior are super clean!
Mods only have 2k miles on them. Stock internals ls1. V3ti at 10lbs, heads, cam, AR headers, B&B exhaust, Twin disk clutch, lingenfelter fuel system, alky meth, entire valve train upgraded.
I'm not going to post the price we agreed on, I'd like to hear yalls opinions first! Thanks!!
1998 6spd. 63k miles. Nassau blue with oak interior. Paint and interior are super clean!
Mods only have 2k miles on them. Stock internals ls1. V3ti at 10lbs, heads, cam, AR headers, B&B exhaust, Twin disk clutch, lingenfelter fuel system, alky meth, entire valve train upgraded.
I'm not going to post the price we agreed on, I'd like to hear yalls opinions first! Thanks!!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,466
Likes: 886
From: Fort Wayne IN
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C5 of the Year Finalist
2016 C5 of the Year Finalist
2015 C5 of the Year Finalist
Without seeing any pics and a fully detailed breakdown, I'd say roughly the 18k range.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,466
Likes: 886
From: Fort Wayne IN
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C5 of the Year Finalist
2016 C5 of the Year Finalist
2015 C5 of the Year Finalist
You're crazy. Low mileage, highly desirable color, blower and a fairly good parts list. When you step into FI that's a whole different game. The biggest detractor I see to the car is the stock bottom end, especially being run at 10# of boost. But IF, and this is why I put my caveat statement in my original post, it's been properly built, tuned, and maintained, it should be fine.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,260
Likes: 429
From: Houston TX
If the car is nice, that is a ridiculous offer. Even if it's not nice, with the fresh mods, it's still ridiculous.
Nassau blue will always command a premium. Combine that with the fresh mods, that I'm assuming the OP wants if they've agreed on a price, and you have a car that'll be priced above market value but still be a good deal.
On cars this old, it's all about the condition at this point. Would you rather have a $13k car that requires $5k of maintenance and freshening to bring up to par or would you rather buy a perfect car for $17k that needs nothing? Which car is a better buy in your eyes, even with a book value of 13k?
Nassau blue will always command a premium. Combine that with the fresh mods, that I'm assuming the OP wants if they've agreed on a price, and you have a car that'll be priced above market value but still be a good deal.
On cars this old, it's all about the condition at this point. Would you rather have a $13k car that requires $5k of maintenance and freshening to bring up to par or would you rather buy a perfect car for $17k that needs nothing? Which car is a better buy in your eyes, even with a book value of 13k?
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
At the end of the day it is still a 1998 with 63K and the mods well, U never know about them and how it will hold up no matter who built it. Also depends on how U R going to use the car, DD, show at curise in's, drag or track. I would say 14- 16 maybe
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,802
Likes: 322
From: Fort Worth Texas
2017 Corvette of Year Finalist
2016 C5 of the Year
He have the sheet and paperwork on all the mods and upgrades? If its super clean, I can see $16-17k. Pic's of the car would help.
Last edited by zdeckich; Oct 27, 2015 at 02:48 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,503
Likes: 33
From: McGrady NC
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
A lot depends on where the car is located. Different parts of the country support higher prices. In my part of the country, I'd say that's a $14K car on a good day. In the sunny south or CA your higher estimates could be correct.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,136
Likes: 24,735
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
That's a lot of really nice mods that have been done to the car, and assuming they were done by a reputable shop, you should be good to go for quite a while. JMHO, but I would say in the $16K range +/- a bit would be reasonable.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,219
Likes: 789
From: Fort Myers Beach Florida
$13k sounds right and ask the seller if he has the original parts in case you want to remove the JC Whitney bolt on crap. Investment in mods rarely increases the cash value especially if installed by an amateur in his own driveway
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 22
Likes: 2
From: Virginia Beach Virginia
I would hope its worth somewhere at least around $17k +, considering if all the work was done at a shop, sound like it has 15K + in mods if not more. If you got it for any less its like you bought the mods and got a free corvette. I think 13K is insulting if the car is as described.
Last edited by AlexC5VB; Oct 27, 2015 at 12:02 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 15,049
Likes: 1,613
From: Holly Springs NC
St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
OP, IMHO if you're just looking for a lower priced, older C5, maybe you'd like it to be a M-6, then $13K is about right. If you've been looking for a modded Vette and this one has the mods you want, or it's close and it's the color combination you've been searching for then the $18K is within reason.
Corvettes, more than most cars, are cars of passion and the passion takes some $$$. It all depends on how badly you want that particular Corvette. If the seller wants $20K or more, then I'd walk no matter how badly I wanted it.
Corvettes, more than most cars, are cars of passion and the passion takes some $$$. It all depends on how badly you want that particular Corvette. If the seller wants $20K or more, then I'd walk no matter how badly I wanted it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,135
Likes: 258
Lots of typical "it's not worth crap until it's mine to sell" attitudes.
This forum is chock full of snarky *******s waiting to die, scammers, and shot in the dark /fly by night 'vendors'.
You can remove that blower tomorrow and it'll be worth $3k all day by itself yet somehow the car is worth less with it included.
Spare me.
This forum is chock full of snarky *******s waiting to die, scammers, and shot in the dark /fly by night 'vendors'.
You can remove that blower tomorrow and it'll be worth $3k all day by itself yet somehow the car is worth less with it included.
Spare me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,135
Likes: 258
These cars are put together with 1995-1996 technology and design. Pretty much anything you do makes the car better. Unfortunately probably 2% of the people here actually get into the drivetrain and God help them if they have to do the work themselves.
Surprised there isn't more YouTube tutorials on c5 wax application.
Surprised there isn't more YouTube tutorials on c5 wax application.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 218
Likes: 1
Sorry i haven't gotten on here lately.
I don't have a picture, but the car is absolutely beautiful. I forgot to mention it has welds on it also.
Seller said his bottom dollar would be 20k with the welds. It seems like an AWESOME car, but idk if I can drop 20k on a 1998..
Don't burn me at the stake.. but I think I'm going to get a whippled cobra instead since I've already had a c5 :O lol
I don't have a picture, but the car is absolutely beautiful. I forgot to mention it has welds on it also.
Seller said his bottom dollar would be 20k with the welds. It seems like an AWESOME car, but idk if I can drop 20k on a 1998..
Don't burn me at the stake.. but I think I'm going to get a whippled cobra instead since I've already had a c5 :O lol