When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I'm on the hunt for a decent DD to keep from having to drive the Firehawk around
I have my eye on a 2001 Trans Am WS6 M6.
Color is back. Mostly stock with the exception of a CAI and head unit.
It has the typical issues like cracked door panels and bubbling on the sail panel. It also has about 3 inches of some clear coat coming off the hood. It looks minor but worst case scenario I would respray the hood.
The biggest negative in my mind is the ownership history. The current owner is either the 3rd or 4th owner which is a bit steep. But the more I think about it, the more ownership history doesn't really bother with a clean, mostly stock car I plan on DD'ing the **** out of.
That's too funny you don't want to drive it. I understand completely as I went through that when I bought mine new. I think you would be disappointed driving a lesser version though knowing you have that beauty just sitting at home. You can keep the Firehawk really nice no matter what if you put the effort into it. Think about it anyway. I came to the conclusion to enjoy mine instead of letting the future owner enjoy all the benefits. Even 15 years later, mine is still 'show' quality as I just rolled over 50k miles. If I sold it tomorrow the new owner would still be getting a sweet ride. You can do that too.
If you still want another, give us the mileage and history for the best 'guesstimates'. The prices are too varied to just throw out a number. Realistically, with that car you own, you will probably be disappointed with anything under $10k though. You don't want a 'money pit' which could really sour your overall ownership experience. Think about it. You will need a good example even for DD needs.
That's too funny you don't want to drive it. I understand completely as I went through that when I bought mine new. I think you would be disappointed driving a lesser version though knowing you have that beauty just sitting at home. You can keep the Firehawk really nice no matter what if you put the effort into it. Think about it anyway. I came to the conclusion to enjoy mine instead of letting the future owner enjoy all the benefits. Even 15 years later, mine is still 'show' quality as I just rolled over 50k miles. If I sold it tomorrow the new owner would still be getting a sweet ride. You can do that too.
If you still want another, give us the mileage and history for the best 'guesstimates'. The prices are too varied to just throw out a number. Realistically, with that car you own, you will probably be disappointed with anything under $10k though. You don't want a 'money pit' which could really sour your overall ownership experience. Think about it. You will need a good example even for DD needs.
All good points. I plan on keeping the hawk as nice as I can whether I drive it 100 miles a day, or not at all. It's not that this WS6 is in bad condition. It looks to be a nice example of a garage kept vehicle (at least by the current owner). And ownership history doesn't bother me as much as others. I realize it's not going to be as nice as the hawk, but not many cars will.
In my mind I was thinking around the 10k mark for this one.
I just saw the 65k miles. Are the tires OK or need replacing? That starts at $600 even for 'el cheapos'. Plus you have to allow for other things not disclosed. $10k may be OK if clutch & tranny OK plus all the fluids look good from coolant to power steering. Notorious for getting 'dark'.
Last edited by NC01TA; 05-27-2016 at 09:39 AM.
Reason: update
If the car is fairly clean and sound for 65K miles, you'd be doing very well to get it for $10K. It's hard to find a clean, lower mileage M6 WS6 of any year for $10K or under. Some guys have done it here, but it's not the norm by any means. You got the 40K mile FH for $9K right? That's better than ripping this car for $10K.
I can tell you that a 15K mile, 1 owner, 2001 black WS6 M6 is probably worth $15K-$16.5K right now...and no paint issues. So how much to deduct for those extra 50K miles? I'd say around $4K-$5K. So you'd be doing just fine in the $10K-$11.5K range. Figure the M6 at a $1500 premium to an A4. And $8500 WS6 A4's with 65K miles don't grow on trees either. You might want to figure $1,000 deduction for the paint issues. A normally garaged 65K mile car might not have any paint issues.
I'm planning on going to see this Trans Am in the next few days. It sounds like if I can get this car for around $10,000 then I should be in good shape. The biggest negatives are the bubbling sail panel (to be expected), unoriginal antenna, and a small patch of fading clear coat on the hood pictured below. Worst case scenario I have to respray the hood. The rest of the car looks good from pictures. No WS6 wheels either but I can live with that.
So I got the chance to take a look at the car yesterday, and I was a little disappointed, but overall the car seemed solid. I'll list below some of the issues.
Paint & Body:
clearcoat peel on hood. minor, but probably needs resprayed (picutred above)
sail panel in rough shape from the bubbling
Minor damage to passenger rear quarter. Scratched paint & part of the wheel well lip looks like it had deeper damage and was covered up with paint. small but noticeable.
3 hairline cracks in bumper paint. 10" long or so
minor bumps and nicks here and there
could use a good buff and polish
Mechanical
I can hear what sounds like an exhaust leak from the driver side side manifold. It's not a ticking sound, more like a low pitched gurgle. exhaust looks pretty rusty
aftermarket stereo system and head unit, but issues with antenna reception
needs new hatch struts
I would also go through and do all new fluids and full maintenance
I got the chance to drive it, but it was tough to listen for any noises because it started pouring rain. It seemed to run and drive well. Power seems to be there. The owner doesn't seem like much of a knowledgeable car guy, and its been sitting in his garage for the few years he's owned it with only a few thousand miles put on it. Said he drives it once a week. Interior is in nice shape- no rips or stains, etc. With all that being said, he came down to $9,500, but I told him I really only wanted to pay $9,000 for it.
Realistically, most 15 year old cars are going to have some issues here and there so I cant expect perfection out of these cars. It needs a little more than I initially expected, but at 65k miles, its not a bad price. 4 owner car as well.
Any thoughts or words of wisdom? Should I walk away from this one?
I'd walk. For $9K and 65K miles I'd expect to be able find a 1-2 owner car without any of those paint, dents, or mechanical issues.
Considering around 9k is the "fair value" market for an 01 Trans Am, I don't think I'll be seeing many in that price range, especially nice 1-2 owner cars. I wish they were more common, but the more I look, the harder they are to come by at a reasonable price.
Considering around 9k is the "fair value" market for an 01 Trans Am, I don't think I'll be seeing many in that price range, especially nice 1-2 owner cars. I wish they were more common, but the more I look, the harder they are to come by at a reasonable price.
I'm still on the prowl at the moment. I've got something for the time being but I still am looking for the right car.
And I actually did go check out the car in Asheville. The car was in good shape, but the paint job was rough. The body shop definitely skimped on the final wet sanding and buffing for that car. And noticeable overspray in many places. My experiences lately are starting to turn me off of these cars a little bit.
My experiences lately are starting to turn me off of these cars a little bit.
Most of these cars are not very nice anymore. At least that is the case in my region. You can still find some nice garage queens, but many of those owners have lost their minds when it comes to value.....cars priced well over $20k that are worth something closer to $15k in reality. The fact that they stay for sale forever makes it clear that they are overpriced. No point in even dealing with dreamer sellers IMO.
I've been half-way looking for a nice driver quality 4th gen to replace the '02 that I sold back in early 2014. 2.5 years later all I've found is junk or those overpriced garage queens; well, I already have a garage queen version and if I wanted a rough one then I never would have sold my daily driver '02 (which wasn't even as rough as much of what's left on the market today.)
I'm kind of picky about these cars though, both in terms of options and condition, as I've owned/worked on so many and bought two of them new. Perhaps I'm hyper-aware of my turn-ons and turn-offs with these cars. Might have to get something else that's less familiar so I'll be less likely to pick it apart.
It should be easier to find those mid-grade condition cars in your area though, since you don't have nasty Great Lakes winters ruining perfectly nice cars for ~5 months out of every year. Even still, the low hanging fruit has mostly been picked, so you'll probably have to look at a lot of duds before finding a nice driver. Or just pay the premium to get another top tier example, though then, like me as well, it sounds like you wouldn't be willing to drive it regularly.
Have you seen the 1998 WS6 with 28K miles on here...even Firebrian commented on the fact that it hadnt sold yet.
If it is truly as the advertisements states thats a pretty good deal on a low mile WS6 of which if i wasnt in the market for a house I would be all over.
Have you seen the 1998 WS6 with 28K miles on here...even Firebrian commented on the fact that it hadnt sold yet.
If it is truly as the advertisements states thats a pretty good deal on a low mile WS6 of which if i wasnt in the market for a house I would be all over.
That one seems like a great deal for someone who wants those options. Black is near the bottom of the list of colors I would entertain, and I definitely won't consider a manual - but otherwise it's worth checking out for someone closer who likes those options. Being a '98 is a huge plus in my book, assuming it was built prior to 05/98, as it won't have the roof bubbles. If the build date is 05/98 or newer, then disregard this consideration.
Not enough pictures to really determine condition, there was a ~30k mile SS that someone had posted about recently that was in awful shape due to being stored outside with a window partially open for three years. So you can't let one small, distant picture dictate a condition assessment even with such low miles - the car will need to be inspected and, if it were me, I'd want to see a lot more (and better) pictures before travailing (if not local.)
Most of these cars are not very nice anymore. At least that is the case in my region. You can still find some nice garage queens, but many of those owners have lost their minds when it comes to value.....cars priced well over $20k that are worth something closer to $15k in reality. The fact that they stay for sale forever makes it clear that they are overpriced. No point in even dealing with dreamer sellers IMO.
I've been half-way looking for a nice driver quality 4th gen to replace the '02 that I sold back in early 2014. 2.5 years later all I've found is junk or those overpriced garage queens; well, I already have a garage queen version and if I wanted a rough one then I never would have sold my daily driver '02 (which wasn't even as rough as much of what's left on the market today.)
I'm kind of picky about these cars though, both in terms of options and condition, as I've owned/worked on so many and bought two of them new. Perhaps I'm hyper-aware of my turn-ons and turn-offs with these cars. Might have to get something else that's less familiar so I'll be less likely to pick it apart.
It should be easier to find those mid-grade condition cars in your area though, since you don't have nasty Great Lakes winters ruining perfectly nice cars for ~5 months out of every year. Even still, the low hanging fruit has mostly been picked, so you'll probably have to look at a lot of duds before finding a nice driver. Or just pay the premium to get another top tier example, though then, like me as well, it sounds like you wouldn't be willing to drive it regularly.
All very true. Always good insight RPM. I wonder sometimes about the future and how scarce these cars will become. We might start to see a shortage of well kept, unmodified examples. I might wait around until the end of summer and wait for a good deal. No need to press the issue and end up with something I'm unhappy with that I paid a premium for
I think there are some great examples left to be had. The selling season in the North has passed us by but if you are looking, have cash in hand and are flexible with your time, you can find a decent driver with 50,000 miles.
It is still amazing to me how many people have kept these cars in great condition and have not put huge mileage on them. There will always be folks who modify them to the point of turning off everyone, like the Batzam, or drive them into the ground and wonder why no one wants to take it off their hands.
You have to be patient and look. GM made lots of these vehicles in all different shades, manual or automatic, coupe or convertible. The market for them is very small, it is not like shopping for a used pick-up or cute ute. These cars represent an era that it passed us by. A V8 that is a V8, not one that shuts down four cylinders, phases the cam or puts five different modes of traction control while telling you where the nearest Starbucks is.
It is a simpler car with a very unique design and I think you would agree we are all very fortunate that we grew up with them. I love GM for this generation. They don't build them like they used to.
I think there are some great examples left to be had. The selling season in the North has passed us by but if you are looking, have cash in hand and are flexible with your time, you can find a decent driver with 50,000 miles.
It is still amazing to me how many people have kept these cars in great condition and have not put huge mileage on them. There will always be folks who modify them to the point of turning off everyone, like the Batzam, or drive them into the ground and wonder why no one wants to take it off their hands.
You have to be patient and look. GM made lots of these vehicles in all different shades, manual or automatic, coupe or convertible.
Based on recent personal experience, I can't really agree with this in terms of my local market. As mentioned above, I've been looking regularly for about 2.5 years now, and the supply of 50,000-80,000 mile cars that represent the "mid-range" condition of examples has greatly dwindled; there aren't many to choose from in my area. Of those, even fewer meet my personal requirements in terms of options (such as roof and trans type, both of those being deal breakers for me.) For those willing to search nationwide, the options are certainly much better.
There are super low mile garage queens that pop up with some regularity, and certainly plenty of used up/worn out examples, but those in-between cars are not that easy to find in my area. Some of the cars marketed as "garage queens", though this may be the case based on mileage, just don't live up to that term condition-wise either.
Originally Posted by 70T/A400
The market for them is very small, it is not like shopping for a used pick-up or cute ute. These cars represent an era that it passed us by. A V8 that is a V8, not one that shuts down four cylinders, phases the cam or puts five different modes of traction control while telling you where the nearest Starbucks is.
It is a simpler car with a very unique design and I think you would agree we are all very fortunate that we grew up with them. I love GM for this generation. They don't build them like they used to.
On this point, I definitely agree. In fact, I couldn't agree more.
05-26-2016, 08:54 PM
01 WS6 M6 - 65k miles 
