I'm looking at purchasing a 2001/2002 not sure of year WS6.

Car:
Black
Auto
58K miles
OEM chrome wheels
Subframe connectors
T-tops
Leather Seats
Body looks straight.

Issues:
Paint bubbling on top of roof
Car has not ran in over 5 years, sat outside on concrete driveway. No Rust.
Steering column is partially removed to fix steering column issue, not fixed. Needs steering column
Paint on hood faded/failed.
Headlight on drivers side doesn't raise.
Seen some mold issues damaging paint on drivers door
Rear tailight faded, hard to see honeycomb any more.
Leather seats have dried out from sitting in the sun untreated for years.
Cracked interior door panels, dash.


From the car sitting and not running for 5+ years I would assume brake system and fuel system will need to be rebuilt. Needs tires and fluid changes as well.

My though was $1200?

 

$1200 is not realistic IMO, as the hood alone could probably sell for something close to that (even with bad paint) as long as it's OEM and not damaged. The engine sitting for 5 years isn't likely going to be a problem unless it had issues when parked (unlikely at 58k miles, but not impossible), so it would also be worth some money even as a pull-out with such low miles.

Sounds like the car needs a lot of cosmetic love, but it's probably fine mechanically other than, as mentioned, the fuel system and perhaps some rusted brake rotors/seized pads. I think the car could sell for several times more than what you're looking to pay, but regional pricing can vary and the seller might not know about the healthy market for the powertrain, hood, and some other pieces.

 

Eastern NC market.

Are you thinking $4K?

 

Unloved. Ignored. Basically abandoned. I'm getting a headache just thinking about the work that car needs, never mind the costs. I wouldn't touch the thing unless you need the engine or parts. IMO, $4k would be insane. What if the engine is blown? Even low mileage cars have blown engines. I've seen many over the decades. If you are looking to buy a car for yourself and not for the parts, look for a car that is ready to ride and own now. Don't have a miserable ownership experience.

 

Well, I guess it would really depend on how well the seller knows the value/market of these cars. If they are just looking to dump it quickly, haven't bothered to put up any decent advertisement and don't care to learn anything about this car, then you might be able to get it super cheap. But if they have any clue about the parts value of the various OEM WS6 items, various low mile powertrain pieces, and even the value of a rust/damage-free Trans Am roller, then I can't imagine they would let it go for less than $3k. I would certainly check the oil for any obvious/horrific problems and make sure the engine still rotates; assuming all is well there, then the car would be worth several thousand in parts (to someone willing to do the work). There are also folks who like a project and wouldn't mind the hassle of getting this otherwise low mileage WS6 back into roadworthy condition. Looking at the recent trend in asking prices for WS6 cars that are ready to drive, I don't think it would be too hard to get someone interested in a rust/damage-free 58k mile black '01/'02 WS6 for under $5k even if it needs some love to get running again.

FWIW, the fuel system might not be as bad as you think, especially if it sat with a full tank. I've helped some friends get various cars out of long term storage (7-8 years) that didn't need much to get running well again, usually just a matter of draining about 50% of the fuel, add fresh gas and some good quality fuel system cleaner. Those cars were stored indoors though, so less humidity and less rapid temp fluctuations probably led to better conditions inside the tank vs. outdoor storage.

All that said, my personal feeling is more inline with NC01TA; I wouldn't really be interested in dealing with the cosmetic restoration or mechanical refresh on a car like this, nor would I want the hassle of trying to part it out for a profit. But there are plenty of other folks who feel differently, especially if the engine isn't seized and the oil still looks decent, so I think the only way you'd get a car like this for under $2k is if the seller is totally clueless, isn't willing or interested in advertising, and/or just doesn't care to be bothered with handling this (such as arbitrary estate liquidation, etc.)

 

If the current owner isn't interested in parting it out then it kinda doesn't matter what it's worth in parts. Engine is a big unknown, who cares what the mileage is, do you even know if it turns over?

 

Parts value definitely matters if the vehicle is being advertised on any mainstream sites, as other folks who are interested in parting it out would be strong purchase competition for the OP at that low of an offer. And, knowing the value of the hood alone, those folks would likely be willing to pay more than $1200 - especially if the engine still rotates and oil looks good.

 

The car lives in a humid climate, not sure how much gas is in the tank. Suffice it to say lawn equipment stored in a shed has issues with fuel after 6 months if not using ethanol free fuel.

The 5k asking price seems too much for me to deal with. I dont think it's worth that in parts from the feedback received.

 

I agree. Humidity (mildew, stink, critters, etc...) on top of everything else. Don't even think about it anymore.

 

$5k is a bit too much, but I think a sale in the $3-4k range is doable if the right type of buyer comes along. Someone who doesn't want to pay the recently inflated price of a ready-to-run WS6 of otherwise comparable mileage, and who also doesn't mind hunting for bargains on used parts and doing restoration projects, will likely be interested in that range. Anything much below $3k and the part-out guys will probably scoop it up. Again, all of the above is assuming the engine spins freely and the oil looks decent. The only way I could see it going ~$2k or less is if the engine is definitely seized or oil looks like a milkshake.

These cars do fairly well sitting outside as long as the roof and hatch don't leak. My '02 Z28 (t-top) sat outside for the entire ~8 years I owned it, other than 1 year when I had an indoor spot for it. Certainly not the way I would take care of a show car, but for most of it's life it was a 3-season driver and it lived at the back of my long cement driveway all year (including during winter storage, as I had no more space in the garage). No mildew/stink or critter issues after all those years/dormant periods during winter, but the car never leaked and it wasn't parked on or near any dirt/gravel or tall grass, etc. Sun damage is another factor, but there are several precautions that can be taken for this (sadly, it sounds like the current owner didn't take any such precautions - hence the issues with seats and dash, not to mention the faded paint which could have been prevented with some waxing).

 

IMO it it runs no more than $2000 max I’m “restoring” my 2000 40K literal garage queen and it’s costing me more than I had even thought tires alone on a Father’s Day deal were $700 plus new. Power stop brake kit and stainless steel lines and I’m already at almost another 1k new battery new bigger alternator and there’s another 500 with me doing the alternator install brushes shoulder off didn’t break the wire lol. Offer to buy new battery and fire it up and then say that’s it cars are bad investment to begin with and 4th gens are a finicky group good luck