01 WS6 M6 - 65k miles So I'm on the hunt for a decent DD to keep from having to drive the Firehawk around :eyes: 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 shit out of. Thoughts on price? What would you pay? |
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. |
Originally Posted by NC01TA
(Post 19275628)
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'. |
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. |
If this is the car, you are referring to it is going to need some money and time put into it. http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/5579816791.html You have plenty of better condition vehicles at higher prices that will still leave you ahead. http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/5609856512.html |
Originally Posted by 70T/A400
(Post 19281846)
If this is the car, you are referring to it is going to need some money and time put into it. http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/5579816791.html You have plenty of better condition vehicles at higher prices that will still leave you ahead. http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/5609856512.html It wasn't that car. That first one is rough but I've had my eye on the second one recently. Although new paint at 40k miles isn't a great sign. |
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. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...31f3f1d4cc.jpg |
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:
Mechanical
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. |
Originally Posted by Firebrian
(Post 19301118)
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. |
These cars look to be in excellent condition. There may be door cracks but not the paint issues you listed above. They're black, 6-speed, and not modified or personalized so much to turn away a buyer. http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/5609856512.html http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...32150250&Log=0 http://pensacola.craigslist.org/cto/5589976780.html |
Originally Posted by Carolina Bandit
(Post 19302451)
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. |
Originally Posted by Firebrian
(Post 19309755)
Let us know how your search is going. 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. |
Originally Posted by Carolina Bandit
(Post 19312986)
My experiences lately are starting to turn me off of these cars a little bit. 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. :lol: 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. |
Originally Posted by Bandits96ss
(Post 19313292)
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. 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.) |
Originally Posted by RPM WS6
(Post 19313206)
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. :lol: 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. |
Originally Posted by 70T/A400
(Post 19321038)
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. 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
(Post 19321038)
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. |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:58 PM. |
© 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands