I don't think anyone would argue that example is worth more than $4,000. 170k is extremely high mileage.

100k, though, is probably worth twice that much...

 

Youd think that but you can go find guys asking 6k for a car with half its clear gone, or inteior that looks like you left a wolverine in the for a few days and not a whole lot less miles. This craziness extends from 93-02

 

I picked up my 95 trans am with 70,xxx on it for $1000 bucks but it was rough. Around my area you can pick lt1 cars up cheap.

 

Obviously, condition drives the value of anything...I'm talking about clean, straight vehicles that are in good running condition.

 

While this may be true, paying with cash usually tends to get people to come down on price a bit.
Definitely losing a lot of value with the mods on it
This
If I were to get into another F-body, I'd likely find a steal on a roller and swap in the motor/tranny of my choice.
Still a ~15-20 year old car and not worth much IMO and I love Fbodies for what they are. If you can't get what YOU value your car at, you might as well keep it

 

I picked up my full built, forged, and caged m6 95 z28 for $2000 450 to the wheels. Brand new mickey thompsons. All it needs is a hood. Good deal?

 

You should be jailed for grand theft auto....

 

Do I hear 20K??? Anyone??? Anyone???
I can't sell this pile yet. Kids like it too much and I'm planning a project with them to put in a large CID lsx.

 

I also am running into people wanting way too much for what they have around here. I have $5,000 burning a hole in my pocket, and I can't even find a decent auto LT1 car around here for that price, let alone a LS1.

I went and looked at this car yesterday.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/da...291628017.html

Had $100 bills ready to hand over. We met at a Target parking lot. Car was run down a dirt road and wiped down with wet paper towels (or so it looked) OK I can get by that. Started it up to take it for a drive, low coolant light was on. Went to take off, and I made it about 30 feet and could hear the rear end starting to howl BAD.

I've looked at 3-4 cars now, and they were all basket cases.

Been thinking about saving more for an LS1 car, but even if I saved up to around $8,000 I'd be SOL it seems.

 

Best advice for you and everyone else looking: Be patient AND keep searching the ads every day....twice a day if you can.

I recently had a few thousand burning my pocket and have always wanted a black LT1 Formula or TA (Even when I bought my 97 SS, it was one of those I really wanted.) I started searching CL as often as I could.....and still missed some great cars before buying what I did. First some examples that I missed:
1. Beautiful black 94 TA with WS6 hood/airbox. Plenty of nice pics. Perfect paint (said paint was 3 mo old and came with warranty?) & leather interior. Honeycomb tails. Chrome 16" wheels. No LT1/T56/PCM, but the harness remained. Asking price was $1500. I saw it at around midnight...it had been listed about 8 pm.....when I called at 7 am it had already sold.
2. Equally impressive white 95 Formula with TT2's, WS6 hood, A4, high rise TA spoiler. $4500. I really considered it, but didn't want white. Still kinda regret not buying it.
3. Red (non-stock color that was gorgeous) Formula hardtop with WS6 hood, high rise TA spoiler, Chrome Torque thrust or something like them 17" wheels, full exhaust, many bolt-ons and......a swapped LS1 & T56 from a wrecked 98k mile car. Was asking $6500. (Found it after I'd spent out. LOL)


What I bought: Black 95 Formula M6 with 125k miles. Perfect dark gray cloth interior, pretty much all stock, terrible clear coat peel all over the car, and taillights are milky. The rearend is making a clunking noise. (I already had another rear.) Paid $1800 and original owner is a friend so I know the car.

Then I bought off CL: Silver 96 Trans Am A4, all stock with chrome 16"s, really good leather, 160k miles, doesn't run and he thinks it's the (drumroll please) OPTI. It came with a wrecked (in the quarter panel) Black 97 WS6 TA convertible. All the black parts off the 97 are bolted onto the 96, so it is now black everywhere except the roof bar, quarters, and hatch/spoiler. I paid $1800 for them both. Parts I ended up with along with the complete TA are non-running LT1/4L60e/3.23 rear/tubular rear LCA's/rusty uncoated pacesetter longtubes/true dual 2.5" exhaust run all the way out under the axle. (Ground clearance looks about as good as my Y-pipe suprisingly.) I'm putting the black WS6 hood and airbox on the above mentioned 95 Formula and the plain black hood on the 96 TA. Extra pair of silver doors, silver hood, and silver rear bumper. Both cars had a great set of tail lights. I'm hoping to sell all the convertible parts to get back some cash.

I think I did pretty good. So far I'm out $3600 plus about $100 in gas for 2 trips with a car trailer. By the time I fix both with the parts I already have, and sell off the convertible parts and scrap the shell....I'm hoping to have less than $6000 in both including cheap paint.

 

I wouldn't worry about the low coolant light if the coolant level is okay. That is extremely common..and 99% of the time a dirty or bad sensor. Still don't see that car and it's other problems being worth more than $2500 or so.

 

Anyone 50 years old or so should remember that this as history.
Late 70's into the early 80's we could buy decent driving or good project 65-70 GTOs for under 10 grand.
in the 90's they doubled in value, dropped during the early 2000s and settled at 5 grand is a parts car, 10 grand is a parts car that moves on it's own power. 20 grand gets a 68-72 GTO that has been restored fairly well without original anything.
Again, in the late 80's and 90's into the 2000s you couldn't get squat for a 74-79 Trans Am - laughable Bandit cars
Today - the same nicely restored black well optioned T/A may bring $20k.
$10k a very nice driver. The same car could be bought for $3500 back in 1992.
History is repeating itself.
1993-2001 cars are 10-18 year old cars that have ben owned 99% by young back yard beaters.
The nice ones preserved and clean are still holding value, but anything 'driver' quality and down is worth exactly what the one guy with cash will pay for it.
Obamaconomy is furthering this issue big time.
If you are in your 20's, buy all the 93-02 f-body rare options and cars you can and wait 15-20 years. If we still deal in money and have fuel to run them, they will be worth 4 times than today.
The trend is turning from kids tearing them apart with no money or parts to fix them, to adults buying good bodies and a growing aftermarket supply to restore them.

About the time a 15 year old back in 1995 that could not afford a WS6 is 50 years old and has the money to buy his high school dream car.
A 1997 WS6 will suddenly be worth a fortune - in 2026

 

So are you not an enthusiast?

 

When you want to sell it, you let me know

 

It's all about finding the right deal at the right time. Picking up this 97 SS for $2500 cash! Although it has a blown head gasket! NBD!

 

I found a LT1 Trans Am for 1200. Paint is shoot but it runs fine and interior isnt too bad. Wondering if I should buy it or not. Was thinking about buying it, re-painting it, then re-selling it. Any thoughts?

 

There is a white '97 Formula WS6 car for $2500 near me. It's been sitting in a garage for a few years. The owner pulled the engine to rebuild it....then lost interest. Now some years later he has bolted the engine back in, but it's not hooked up and running. It's really nice looking in the pics, but has 170k miles. Wish I had the money, but then I DO NOT need another car. LOL AWESOME find on the 97 SS.

 

Thanks Bro...

 

I would let go of $2500 for a 97 SS! They only made around 2000 of those cars so that's a hell of a deal. The big problem I have with LT1 cars, though they may be cheap, at least 90% been driven hard. I sold my 97 Z28 6 spd for $7500 with heads, cam, headers and tasteful appearance mods back in 2007 with 120k miles on it. I then just bought a 2002 WS6 6 spd for the same money in similar condition... I just couldn't go back to an LT1 when I can get an LS1 that cheap.

 

You're welcome....it loooks great.


My 97 SS only has 97k miles on it, but it fits that description. It gets driven hard on an almost daily basis. Sometimes I let it sit a few weeks while I drive something else, but it doesn't have it easy. It's just too much fun to play in. Sounds like you did good with selling your LT1 and going LS1, but I'd rather have rolled that into 2 LT1 cars. LOL Plus I can't stop thinking about all the engine problems I'm seeing from LS's lately. I'm beginning to think there is a major oiling problem with them. Constantly see cam and lifter failures and low oil pressure problems at my dealership. No doubt they have some killer design advantages while they last though.