Pontiac Firebird 1967-2002 Birds of a feather flock together
View Poll Results: Save the Bird or part her out?
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Fix it up.
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To Save or Not to Save?

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Old 09-18-2008, 08:24 PM
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Default To Save or Not to Save?

We just purchased this 99 Trans Am from the Insurance auction. Just looking for opinions on her. I haven't taken possession of the car yet but expect delivery sometime next week. Here's a picture, of the damage this is the only damage on the car. Its also got 149k and M6, and it is bone stock. Just looking for some opinions, should I part it or fix it.

Old 09-18-2008, 08:58 PM
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Depends on how much you paid for it.. If you paid alot for it, it would be more beneficial to part it out. If you got it dirt cheap, then you could make a nice profit from fixing it up and reselling it. But the fact that it will always have a salvage (or rebuilt title, if you do in fact fix it up and have it inspected and it passes) will bring the value down on it.. so either way, just depends.
Old 09-18-2008, 09:33 PM
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A 99 with a clean title and 150K miles is worth what....$6K? How much would it cost to fix it?

Also the t-tops are out...has it been covered or sitting wide open for months while going through the auction process?
Old 09-19-2008, 10:26 AM
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The question is how much did you pay for the car? Then how much it would cost to fix the damage?
Old 09-19-2008, 12:25 PM
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That's some substantial damage to the body in the back there. Judging from your sig. you have a nice bird already. I suggest you back-half this puppy, 4 link it, and turn it into a turbo LSX powered monster.
Old 09-19-2008, 04:05 PM
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keep it, make it a race car. ROAD RACE car perferably.....
Old 09-19-2008, 04:15 PM
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I paid about 2500 for the thing give or take depending on auction fees ect. As for the interior i can't say until I personally look at it. Doesn't look like its been open the entire time, more like a yard associate took the tops recently.
Old 09-19-2008, 07:50 PM
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$2500 is a tad much given the mileage of that thing. UNLESS it has a rebuilt motor, but I doubt that. You'll need frame straightening, rear quarter of the car and a paint job. That alone is probably $300 for the frame job, no idea on that rear quarter section and $100 in paint supplies assuming you do it yourself. If you have it done, well then we're talking probably $2500 more, for a total of $5K into the car for a $1K profit. Assuming again, that it turned out nice and not look like it is a fixed up 'repairable' car, and if the title is clean and not salvage.

Alternatively, with the high miles on that motor and trans, parting it out isn't much of an option either. Rims, hatch, t-tops. Cut the cats off and sell them to someone who buys them, they should get around $85/ea. Motor and trans won't fetch much again, but probably around $600 for the motor, wiring and computer. Maybe another $600-800 for the M6 and all it's goodies for someone to do a M6 conversion. Depending on interior, $250-400 for the seats (front pair - full set) since they drop into any 82-02 F-Body. Then all the molding, probably $200-300 there. $200 for scrap metal. Grand total of $2470 Keep in mind, that's only what I'd pay for the motor and trans due to the mileage. For that same money I could get a 6L and build it up for the same amount as rebuilding that LS1, but get more power from the 6L build (see what the_merv did for a good example).

Good luck with what ever you do though!
Old 10-02-2008, 02:07 PM
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If you are into racing , rebuild the motor gut the car and have a track monster.
Old 10-02-2008, 05:46 PM
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Wow, nice find. I would love to have grabbed that for a donor car. If you do decide to part it out I would be interested in a couple things.
Old 10-02-2008, 06:33 PM
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Ouch, if you can fix it go for it. That seems like you paid too much.
Old 10-02-2008, 07:03 PM
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Id say it matters what your into. You could part it out...use that money to build a drag car outta the body. Matter on how much damage there is.
Old 10-02-2008, 07:56 PM
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Front ends with frame, coolers ect run about 3k to 2k just for the standard TA front. I am now paitently waiting for another hurt bird of a better year and work that angle. I saw a hurt CETA on the block this week but she may have gone out of my price ranges for what I want to accomplish. Oh well I will have a ton of left overs if i use the front end on another bird. now how to talk the wife into two birds?????
Old 10-05-2008, 02:34 AM
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If the hatch is good with no cracking I would fix it up.
Old 10-05-2008, 08:34 PM
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so far my dad has gotten a look and said that the hatch has not even a scratch on it, or the rear bumper cover. it also has both tail lights and there isn't anything wrong with them those are also perfectly fine. the Quarters are straight. It looks like the only thing it needs is to have the T-top bucket pounded back out and put back together. so we figure maybe only 200.00 to get the bucket back out and what ever it costs to get two new t-tops. I'll be getting detailed pictures and stuff on Monday when the friends shop that its at opens up. Also It runs strong and goes through the gears great. We will see....

Oh yeah she was bone stock down to a paper filter.



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