2002 SOM WS6 (High Miles)...Worth$$????
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 5
2002 SOM WS6 (High Miles)...Worth$$???? Locally I found a guy selling a 2002 SOM WS6. At this time I havent even been in the market for a T/A and have actually been looking at 2004 GTOs. The car is actually in unbelievable shape:
Interior: No fades/cracks/rips/tears/shitty audio upgrades
Exterior: Minor Scratches/Curb Rash on 2 rims
Motor: Headers/SLP LM2 Exhaust
Sounds like a great deal right except the car has 151K miles!!!!!
What would be a good price on this and would I be nuts for passing it up (i.e. SOMs dont show up all to often especially in this price range)
Interior: No fades/cracks/rips/tears/shitty audio upgrades
Exterior: Minor Scratches/Curb Rash on 2 rims
Motor: Headers/SLP LM2 Exhaust
Sounds like a great deal right except the car has 151K miles!!!!!
What would be a good price on this and would I be nuts for passing it up (i.e. SOMs dont show up all to often especially in this price range)
TECH Junkie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,919
Likes: 676
From: Western North Carolina
I'm going to talk to you like I would a friend. That's what I do with most every thread here. I would tell my friend to pass on a 151,000 miles car unless he could get it for ultra cheap. The color means zip on a high miles car like this. A money pit is a money pit and the SOM will become a color of nightmares instead of being desirable. No, you are not 'nuts' for passing it up.
Here is the exception to the rule. The car is a one or two owner that racked up many of the miles via the highway. There are situations when someone has to commute 50 miles back and forth to work every day on the interstate. This type mileage adds up, but not in a bad way, like red light to red light. Also, the owner has extensive maintenance records and the car is truly half decent with no obvious serious issues. The mods, while minor, don't seem to indicate a scenario like I just described. It's something that you would have to research in person, face to face with the owner.
Price? Maybe $5,000 for a highway miles car that I described. Things will still start to break sooner than later and you don't want to be in this high mileage car for serious $$$. If not a car of this type, than pass like I said initially, unless you want to gamble for $3,000 or so.
Keep looking for that GTO
Here is the exception to the rule. The car is a one or two owner that racked up many of the miles via the highway. There are situations when someone has to commute 50 miles back and forth to work every day on the interstate. This type mileage adds up, but not in a bad way, like red light to red light. Also, the owner has extensive maintenance records and the car is truly half decent with no obvious serious issues. The mods, while minor, don't seem to indicate a scenario like I just described. It's something that you would have to research in person, face to face with the owner.
Price? Maybe $5,000 for a highway miles car that I described. Things will still start to break sooner than later and you don't want to be in this high mileage car for serious $$$. If not a car of this type, than pass like I said initially, unless you want to gamble for $3,000 or so.
Keep looking for that GTO
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 5
I'm going to talk to you like I would a friend. That's what I do with most every thread here. I would tell my friend to pass on a 151,000 miles car unless he could get it for ultra cheap. The color means zip on a high miles car like this. A money pit is a money pit and the SOM will become a color of nightmares instead of being desirable. No, you are not 'nuts' for passing it up.
Here is the exception to the rule. The car is a one or two owner that racked up many of the miles via the highway. There are situations when someone has to commute 50 miles back and forth to work every day on the interstate. This type mileage adds up, but not in a bad way, like red light to red light. Also, the owner has extensive maintenance records and the car is truly half decent with no obvious serious issues. The mods, while minor, don't seem to indicate a scenario like I just described. It's something that you would have to research in person, face to face with the owner.
Price? Maybe $5,000 for a highway miles car that I described. Things will still start to break sooner than later and you don't want to be in this high mileage car for serious $$$. If not a car of this type, than pass like I said initially, unless you want to gamble for $3,000 or so.
Keep looking for that GTO
Here is the exception to the rule. The car is a one or two owner that racked up many of the miles via the highway. There are situations when someone has to commute 50 miles back and forth to work every day on the interstate. This type mileage adds up, but not in a bad way, like red light to red light. Also, the owner has extensive maintenance records and the car is truly half decent with no obvious serious issues. The mods, while minor, don't seem to indicate a scenario like I just described. It's something that you would have to research in person, face to face with the owner.
Price? Maybe $5,000 for a highway miles car that I described. Things will still start to break sooner than later and you don't want to be in this high mileage car for serious $$$. If not a car of this type, than pass like I said initially, unless you want to gamble for $3,000 or so.
Keep looking for that GTO
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...77196696&Log=0
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 523
Likes: 0
From: Illinois, as close to "Normal" as I can get...
I would say its worth $5K max even with the clutch and new gears. Its 151K mile car that is depreciating fast and no matter how "rare" it is it will never start to appreciate...
Agree with ..... Things will still start to break sooner than later and you don't want to be in this high mileage car for serious $$$....
Forget that rare nonsense he has in his add. The color of that car has zero to do with what it is worth, especially at this point in its life.
5-6 thousand maybe. It does look clean, but that is a big role of the dice despite how clean it is.
Kelly Blue Book calls it a $7,500 car in my zip code. What does your gut tell you? And if you're leaning towards it are you doing so because you genuinely think its a good deal or because you're itchy?
Forget that rare nonsense he has in his add. The color of that car has zero to do with what it is worth, especially at this point in its life.
5-6 thousand maybe. It does look clean, but that is a big role of the dice despite how clean it is.
Kelly Blue Book calls it a $7,500 car in my zip code. What does your gut tell you? And if you're leaning towards it are you doing so because you genuinely think its a good deal or because you're itchy?
TECH Junkie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,919
Likes: 676
From: Western North Carolina
No problem, thanks for the link. Glad to see hardbones and AnotherWs6 with the same mindset.
Outside of the stupid rare terminology on a 151,000 miles car, I think his ad is very informative, if factual. Those maintenance records are key, and the fact that GM did the work is also a plus. I could see someone offering $5,000 for this car but not a penny more. It will need things. Just no doubt about it. Imagine being into a high mileage car for his asking price plus any repairs down the road in the next year. $9,000, $10,000 for a 150,000+ miles car?? Ouch!! That would hurt. Try to sell it in a pinch. Someone will offer that $3,000 I talked about.
If interested still, offer him the $5,000 if so inclined. All he can say is 'no' and then hope that a newbie comes along to pay his inflated price. Sounds like he wants to recoup some of the big $$$ he has laid out. Doesn't work that way.
Outside of the stupid rare terminology on a 151,000 miles car, I think his ad is very informative, if factual. Those maintenance records are key, and the fact that GM did the work is also a plus. I could see someone offering $5,000 for this car but not a penny more. It will need things. Just no doubt about it. Imagine being into a high mileage car for his asking price plus any repairs down the road in the next year. $9,000, $10,000 for a 150,000+ miles car?? Ouch!! That would hurt. Try to sell it in a pinch. Someone will offer that $3,000 I talked about.
If interested still, offer him the $5,000 if so inclined. All he can say is 'no' and then hope that a newbie comes along to pay his inflated price. Sounds like he wants to recoup some of the big $$$ he has laid out. Doesn't work that way.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 283
Likes: 5
Thanks guys,
More so I have always wanted a WS6 but at the moment they are just out of my price range (8500-9500) unless I am willing to accept ridiculously high mileage cars. I have been especially fond of the SOM Color and I think that the fact that one became available I kind of didnt think over it. My gut tells me the price is over what its true value is regardless of color/options. I have been looking for months now and am somewhat antsy as well.
As a side note I have found quite a few ppl on this forum referencing Craigslist as a bad source for looking for cars. Where is typically a good place to look. I am most likely going back to the GTO thought unless a I can find a decent WS6.
More so I have always wanted a WS6 but at the moment they are just out of my price range (8500-9500) unless I am willing to accept ridiculously high mileage cars. I have been especially fond of the SOM Color and I think that the fact that one became available I kind of didnt think over it. My gut tells me the price is over what its true value is regardless of color/options. I have been looking for months now and am somewhat antsy as well.
As a side note I have found quite a few ppl on this forum referencing Craigslist as a bad source for looking for cars. Where is typically a good place to look. I am most likely going back to the GTO thought unless a I can find a decent WS6.
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TECH Junkie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,919
Likes: 676
From: Western North Carolina
You already found Autotrader which I personally like and where I have sold my own cars, and my elderly car club members cars too. Hemmings.com and Classiccars.com are for serious car people for the most part. I have one car ('35 Ford) for sale there right now for my neighbor. http://classiccars.com/listings/view...carolina-28734
ebay is a good place to 'find' cars but then you have to switch to 'private' mode if the seller agrees. Never buy a car 'sight unseen'. Work it out with the seller that you would like to see the car and deal with him privately, not do the BS bidding on ebay.
You also have this LS1Tech site but the quality of the car may be 'hit or miss' and serious homework would have to be done. I have seen some sweet rides here though. You just have to find them.
Your price range is tough. I understand that but you still want the best bang for your buck.
Best of luck!
Last edited by NC01TA; Jul 24, 2014 at 05:59 PM.
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 587
Likes: 12
From: Connecticut SE shore
I'll agree that even $7,000 for that car is a burial. It still has a 150K miles on engine, transmission, paint, and electrical/control systems. Despite some upgrades it is getting close to the point where a complete mechanical refreshening is due. I can't see how the paint would be mint with that many miles. Regardless of how cheap you buy it, you'll probably end up being underwater on the car and regret buying it in the first place. If the auxiliary systems don't nickel and dime you for $200-$500 here and there, a new trans or engine at $3K to $6K will get your attention. And even then you'll have a "fresh" engine or trans surrounded by a 150K mile body.
The best "apparent" deal I've seen recently on a WS6 was a 2001 white automatic with 32K miles at $12K. Yeah, the SOM is a lot more money with no additional performance. A '98-'02 Trans Am is in your price range and you can find those with low miles too....maybe in SOM as well. The performance is not all that different from the ram air cars. In fact, there are cases of factory stock Z28's and TA's out performing SS's and WS6's right off the show room floor.
The best "apparent" deal I've seen recently on a WS6 was a 2001 white automatic with 32K miles at $12K. Yeah, the SOM is a lot more money with no additional performance. A '98-'02 Trans Am is in your price range and you can find those with low miles too....maybe in SOM as well. The performance is not all that different from the ram air cars. In fact, there are cases of factory stock Z28's and TA's out performing SS's and WS6's right off the show room floor.
