ChazWhiteZ28-

hey guys thinking about getting a 98 ss today. im more into the lt game tho. dont really know what this car is worth though, needing some help.

-98 ss
-96k miles
-six speed

from talking with guy this is what it needs.

-bumper and fender repaired/replaced.
-seats are shot
-carpet is shot
-dash is shot
-two dents in the passenger rear quarter panel
-windshield is cracked
-spoiler needs repainted
-rear bumper needs repainted.

basically all cosmetic, but that a great deal of cosmetic. a few grand worth.
he wont come off 5k. is this a decent price?

Thanks

TheSilverOne

iTrader: (22)

i'd offer 2k

myk

iTrader: (4)

Agreed. 5K would be for a solid driver in good to great condition; not a neglected basket case. If the body looks like that, how good can the mechanicals be?

trilkb

iTrader: (4)

I would need picd, in today's world that car is probably totalled depending on quarter panel dent sizes...soooooo.

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LS6427

iTrader: (2)

$2,000-$3,000 i f the engine and transmission are PERFECT and strong.

Put $2,500 into it and you have a very nice ride.

.

justin455

This is what I said in my head as I was reading the list, before I scrolled down.
Sounds like a pile, OP.

SouthernRex

I'd like to also say $2k. I paid about $2k for a 95 Z28 that I put way too much into to fix (optispark and waterpump, exhaust leak, 3 sensors, etc.) and I think I overpaid in the first place.

$5k makes sense at 98k miles if it was in way better shape.

ChazWhiteZ28-

i agree with all the said above, i would think 5k would be for a nice running mechanical car that needed maybe a few cosmetic fixes, (some clear there, maybe a small dent or two there) thats why i decided to not get it. its funny though we all say that 5k should be a clean, mechanically sound car, but everytime ive seen people trying to sell these cars they are asking 8k or more for 120k mileage plus with average cosmetics, and basket cases that need tons of stuff people are asking like 5k like the guy in my OP. hell even lt cars are starting to get like that, i dont get it.

madmike9396

iTrader: (29)

Hell no on 5k. More like 3k tops

kenyanr1

Engine and trans alone could sell for 3500-4k......

VoyagerCamaro

Again... LS1 fbody, ridiculously over priced..

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

Maybe but the worth of a car is not the same as the worth of the sum of its parts, as the latter requires a time investment to part it out and extract that higher value.

JC316

iTrader: (1)

I can have an LS1 engine and trans out in under 2 hours, an hour if nothing fights me.

I have noticed that a lot of guys on here seriously undervalue these cars. $2K on a 98K mile M6 SS is unrealistic by a large margin. The market is in the toilet right now for sure, but I still say it's worth $4k.

AronZ28

iTrader: (2)

I'd say 1-2k is more realistic, from the description this car needs a total restoration. Interior is shot needing total replacement, exterior is pretty well beat up needing extensive body work and a new paint job, mechanicals are unknown, but if they've been neglected like the rest of the car, assume the worst.

justin455

Nah, it sounds beat to ****. 96k, M6, or SS don't mean much when it needs $5k in repairs. As far as the engine and trans being worth more, sure...maybe. If they're in good condition (not likely), you don't value your time, and a buyer comes along.
The price of a car is the price for that car...not the price for its parts. It's the same reason mods don't add value to a car. You buy the car as a whole and that's how value is determined.
Now, you certainly can use the part out value of a car to determine it's value to you, but it doesn't change the value of the car.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Car sounds like a pile.

If these are all the items he admits to, I can only image how much worse it will likely be in person. $5k is a silly price for junk such as this. You will be $10-15k total into that car (unless you source all used parts and do all the labor yourself - but that's still a time investment) by the time you fix everything listed plus all the stuff likely NOT listed....and still have a ~100k mile car. For that kind of total investment, you could get a #2 condition show quality SS with about ~20-30k miles.

It would be a good buy for ~$2500 as a part-out project or basis for a race car with some money recovered for the parts you don't use. Or a junk beater that you don't bother to fix cosmetically and just drive it as-is, assuming the drivetrain isn't beat (big gamble there.) Any other purpose would not be cost effective.

JC316

iTrader: (1)

Seats, dash, rear bumper/spoiler paint, and carpet are all common Fbody problems. Easy enough for a windshield to get cracked. The dents on the quarter panel could mean anything, nearly all of mine had parking lot dents on them. That really just leaves the bumper and fender as the mystery.

I see rollers on here for $1500 and unknown condition engines/transmissions for $1500 each.

Show me any running M6 LS1 cars for $1-$2k, I've been in the car business since 09 and I've yet to see a single one.

Dash cap - $200
Seats - $500
Carpet - $250
Bumper/fender - $300
Windshield - $300
Paint - $1500.

That's $3k and I am over estimating most of that stuff, do a little bargain hunting and you can likely score that stuff for $2500, maybe less if it doesn't need a full repaint.

I never make assumptions about a drivetrain until I see the car. Most of the time, people will build the drivetrain long before the looks.

OSU Football Fan

iTrader: (23)

NADAguides sets the retail value on this car right around $7,300. Take this car to a good body shop and ask them for an estimate on the bodywork, paint work, and windshield replacement. Subtract that number from the $7,300 to get a decent idea of what the car's worth.

My guess would be the body work and paint work alone will run you $4-5K to get it repaired right. I wouldn't pay more than $2,500 for this car.

Firebrian

I don't see how the NADA retail value on this car could ever be $7325 when the value on my 1999 SS M6 with 18K miles is listed in NADA as $8675. The reality is, one is way low, and the other is too high. Don't believe everything you read in NADA or KBB. The OPs car care is not typical. They couldn't even address a cracked windshield? Usually, insurance policies cover them 100% unless you decline the coverage.

There are much better values out there in better cared for vehicles. The typical 96K mile F body doesn't have a cracked windshield, destroyed seats, cracked up dash, exterior dents and dings, and needing paint in multiple areas. I've only run into one other car that bad over the past 5 years....a one owner car no less with only 31K miles. It looked like 131K miles of hard living. Someone didn't care one bit about this '98 SS. I wonder if they bothered to change the fluids more than every few years? I'm sure this car was shifted and driven with "great care." Even if the car is repaired right, it's still probably a neglected vehicle with other issues lurking. I would count on a combination of transmission, clutch, AC, suspension, and rear end work (or all 5) in the next owner's future. This neglected and beat up car only has "cosmetic" issues.....because the various owners kept up on the mechanicals of the car.....yeah right! There is no shortage of nice used LS1 vehicles for sale at every mileage range. Why settle for this one unless you know you can rebuild it all and flip it for a profit?

I doubt you can get a solid driver SS M6 for $5K. Those cars will have issues and repairs will likely be needed. For $7K-$8K you might be able to find one under 100K miles that is up to date on repairs and fully serviced.....but it probably won't be easy.

AronZ28

iTrader: (2)

^ If you are on a budget, its best to look for Z28 cars, they go for cheaper than the SS cars by about 10-30%.