97 SS - back to stock?
97 SS - back to stock? If you guys had a 97 SS M6 roller with about 50k miles on the clock in let's call it 9.5/10 condition overall. Would you build it (396 was the original intent) OR would you put it back to stock (ish) with the intention of selling it at some point in the next two years. Let's assume build it and put it back to stock later isn't an option, lol. I'm thinking that when it comes time to sell it, quite frankly, I won't be able to sell it much more (if at all) with a built 396 than a stock LT1 based on the market.
Brian
Brian
Last edited by sleeperZ96BT; Aug 25, 2015 at 07:14 AM.
If its come apart and not 100% OE IMO you lost any chance at some smug *** buying a "SS" for the vintage dust collection in his garage. So, 396 it and keep it at the 9.5/10 condition. More impressive than leaving some OEM and dusty in a garage.
I'm in the exact same situation with my 96 SS. It has 79k miles and is in great shape, but the previous owner replaced the engine at some point (the block has no VIN stamp so I'm guessing it's a GM replacement block). I keep going back and forth on whether to mod it or not...
I don't ever plan on seeing any increased value on mine since many of the SLP things have been lost, and the paint is in turrible shape. Only distinction now is the VIN, wheels, badge, hood and suspension.
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Thanks for some of the views - here's some more details on where my head is at. I don't have the original motor (including airbox) or trans. I'd likely set the car up in the configuration of:
Stock LT1 (need to buy) w/stock trans (I have) with a CAI (unless I find an SS airbox at a decent price), AS&M headers into the 2OTL, and the SLP billstein/eibach package (which I have). Probably a short throw though the GM hurst shifter are easy and cheap to come by. Otherwise all stock.
It may make for a fun car and protect my investment, to a degree. While it may not have a premium to a collector, these cars do still command a premium over a Z28 in my area. It would be a fun car I think and I wouldn't lose my shirt on the motor if I installed it.
The 396 is a More Performance forged motor. I believe More made some of, if not the best, 396's. It's all high end stuff (Callies and what not), not a basic build so I would hate to lose the motor when I could place it in my 96 Impala SS. The torque would certainly help that pig out, lol.
But I come back to how clean and nice the car is. Aside from being a roller, it's a survivor. Really great condition (only two paint defects on the car) and the interior is great, with a set of 35th seats and the original 30th seat covers in storage.
You guys have given me a lot of interesting things to think about though, and I appreciate the advice!
Stock LT1 (need to buy) w/stock trans (I have) with a CAI (unless I find an SS airbox at a decent price), AS&M headers into the 2OTL, and the SLP billstein/eibach package (which I have). Probably a short throw though the GM hurst shifter are easy and cheap to come by. Otherwise all stock.
It may make for a fun car and protect my investment, to a degree. While it may not have a premium to a collector, these cars do still command a premium over a Z28 in my area. It would be a fun car I think and I wouldn't lose my shirt on the motor if I installed it.
The 396 is a More Performance forged motor. I believe More made some of, if not the best, 396's. It's all high end stuff (Callies and what not), not a basic build so I would hate to lose the motor when I could place it in my 96 Impala SS. The torque would certainly help that pig out, lol.
But I come back to how clean and nice the car is. Aside from being a roller, it's a survivor. Really great condition (only two paint defects on the car) and the interior is great, with a set of 35th seats and the original 30th seat covers in storage.
You guys have given me a lot of interesting things to think about though, and I appreciate the advice!
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Thanks for some of the views - here's some more details on where my head is at. I don't have the original motor (including airbox) or trans. I'd likely set the car up in the configuration of:
Stock LT1 (need to buy) w/stock trans (I have) with a CAI (unless I find an SS airbox at a decent price), AS&M headers into the 2OTL, and the SLP billstein/eibach package (which I have). Probably a short throw though the GM hurst shifter are easy and cheap to come by. Otherwise all stock.
It may make for a fun car and protect my investment, to a degree. While it may not have a premium to a collector, these cars do still command a premium over a Z28 in my area. It would be a fun car I think and I wouldn't lose my shirt on the motor if I installed it.
The 396 is a More Performance forged motor. I believe More made some of, if not the best, 396's. It's all high end stuff (Callies and what not), not a basic build so I would hate to lose the motor when I could place it in my 96 Impala SS. The torque would certainly help that pig out, lol.
But I come back to how clean and nice the car is. Aside from being a roller, it's a survivor. Really great condition (only two paint defects on the car) and the interior is great, with a set of 35th seats and the original 30th seat covers in storage.
You guys have given me a lot of interesting things to think about though, and I appreciate the advice!
Stock LT1 (need to buy) w/stock trans (I have) with a CAI (unless I find an SS airbox at a decent price), AS&M headers into the 2OTL, and the SLP billstein/eibach package (which I have). Probably a short throw though the GM hurst shifter are easy and cheap to come by. Otherwise all stock.
It may make for a fun car and protect my investment, to a degree. While it may not have a premium to a collector, these cars do still command a premium over a Z28 in my area. It would be a fun car I think and I wouldn't lose my shirt on the motor if I installed it.
The 396 is a More Performance forged motor. I believe More made some of, if not the best, 396's. It's all high end stuff (Callies and what not), not a basic build so I would hate to lose the motor when I could place it in my 96 Impala SS. The torque would certainly help that pig out, lol.
But I come back to how clean and nice the car is. Aside from being a roller, it's a survivor. Really great condition (only two paint defects on the car) and the interior is great, with a set of 35th seats and the original 30th seat covers in storage.
You guys have given me a lot of interesting things to think about though, and I appreciate the advice!
I think the SS "premium" you would receive over a comparable Z28 would easily be washed out by the $$ dumped into it to begin with, this is a zero-sum game IMO....
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 5
The LT1SS will never be worth anything so do whatever the hell makes you happy. If having an "original" car for the nostalgia sake makes you happy then do that. If having a stock looking modded street car then go that route. If you want to build a full on race car then so be it. Never look at the car as an investment otherwise you should have never bought it.
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Utica, IL
I also vote for modding it if it has already been apart.
Mine was pretty much bone stock with 50k until about two years ago. I almost put it up for sale because I was not driving it. It honestly was pretty boring to drive in stock form. When I saw what the SS cars were selling for, I decided it was not worth getting rid of.
I decided to mod mine but keep it basically stock appearing. I figure the SS package was basically an appearance package so I might as well keep it looking pretty much the same. Except for the headers and Y pipe everything looks stock on mine. It is definitely a lot more fun to drive and sounds a lot better now. It's kind of my vision of how they should have made the SS package to begin with.
Here's a little cold start video backing out of my garage a few weeks ago. Still working on getting the tune ironed out.
Mine was pretty much bone stock with 50k until about two years ago. I almost put it up for sale because I was not driving it. It honestly was pretty boring to drive in stock form. When I saw what the SS cars were selling for, I decided it was not worth getting rid of.
I decided to mod mine but keep it basically stock appearing. I figure the SS package was basically an appearance package so I might as well keep it looking pretty much the same. Except for the headers and Y pipe everything looks stock on mine. It is definitely a lot more fun to drive and sounds a lot better now. It's kind of my vision of how they should have made the SS package to begin with.
Here's a little cold start video backing out of my garage a few weeks ago. Still working on getting the tune ironed out.
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: VA
The LT1SS will never be worth anything so do whatever the hell makes you happy. If having an "original" car for the nostalgia sake makes you happy then do that. If having a stock looking modded street car then go that route. If you want to build a full on race car then so be it. Never look at the car as an investment otherwise you should have never bought it.
A car is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it. These prices will only go up as the decades go on.http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archi...VERTIBLE-90899
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...SS-COUPE-19680
And this rare gem
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...4-COUPE-154462
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 5
Never be worth anything...not so fast grasshopper A car is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it. These prices will only go up as the decades go on.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archi...VERTIBLE-90899
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...SS-COUPE-19680
And this rare gem
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...4-COUPE-154462
A car is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it. These prices will only go up as the decades go on.http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Archi...VERTIBLE-90899
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...SS-COUPE-19680
And this rare gem
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...4-COUPE-154462
All of those are extreme examples of one way. I was more talking about a generic "used" LT1SS. But for sake of argument all of those are still under the original "sticker" price that the car sold for. Thus if you bought the car new stuck it in a time capsule and sold it now there would be little to no return on investment. Thus is pretty much proven by the LT4SS in that something that was basically bought, stuck in a garage for 20 years, and pulled out to sell still sold for under its original sale price.
I was not stating that if you got these cars for free (i.e. inheritance) or buy some freak chance got one for a steal that a profit couldn't be made but in most cases one would be lucky to get more than they have invested into the car out of it at this current point in time. As for the future no one will no but I am not sure you will see the same thing as 60's and 70's cars of which people were and still are paying ridiculous amounts of money for cars that were not of that top original quality.
Why would you want to spend more money on headers, CAI, or aftermarket ANYTHING if you want to keep it "stock" to retain collector value? Headers won't add any value to it whatsoever, in fact it's a negative for the collector types....I would keep it 100% stock (including the proper ram air setup) if you want to retain maximum "value" of the car for future resale, or proceed to mod it as you see fit. Otherwise you get little performance gain, and it's still a "modified" non-numbers matching car which won't bring as much as a 100% unmolested one.
I think the SS "premium" you would receive over a comparable Z28 would easily be washed out by the $$ dumped into it to begin with, this is a zero-sum game IMO....
I think the SS "premium" you would receive over a comparable Z28 would easily be washed out by the $$ dumped into it to begin with, this is a zero-sum game IMO....
I do appreciate all the feedback on this - and the differing views. I believe here in MA that an SS car with 50k miles would provide a premium over what is typically for sale (100k+ mile Z28's that are 6 out of 10's, at best) but that may just be miles and condition related, and have nothing to do with it being an SS.
I don't believe that this a well optioned SS, so I don't think it had the upgraded suspension, etc.
While I agree, what will it cost me to acquire manifolds, a stock catted ypipe, an airbox assembly, stock shocks/springs, etc. versus the parts I mentioned? I mean if I **** away money isn't it incremental, if at all? I am into the parts I mentioned for less than $500.....if not close to $400.