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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
Just curious to see what you guys think my f body is worth... it's far from perfect, driver quality for now gets nicer every weekend though. Give it to me straight!
Nice car! .....right now, there really seem to only be a few areas of the thirdgen market bringing pretty good money. Of course that term is relative. I'm actually shopping for a new toy, and in my market, here's what I'm seeing.
Immaculate, bone stock, very low mile cars are in the $20k's.
Very clean, bone stock "mid" mile cars seem to go as high as low teens. $13/14k?
Completed custom/modded, with ALL the work done, engine, trans, rear, paint, interior, etc. etc. seem to bring mid teens as well, "if" you can find a buyer.
People are starting to notice the really nice cars. ...unfortunately, there are just TOO many cars out there for "average" cars to be going up in price. A perfect example is your big block. While cool to US, here on TGO, most people aren't going to want to pay extra for it. Maybe a little, but nothing substantial. I've got a freshly built, detailed, clean head/cammed 383 in my Iroc. You know who wants it? Nobody. LOL, not gonna lie to myself. It'd be far more valuable with a bone stock TPI 350! But it's not just thirdgens. Look at the immortal first gen Camaro. Yes overall prices are much higher, but look at what cars are bringing the money. It's the bone stock resto's and the survivor cars. A fairly rare, bone stock barn find that hasn't been touched in 20 years will go for more money, dust and all, than a freshly built custom car. It's not just our cars.
I'm not gonna put a number on your car, but look on craigslist and autotrader and see what's going on in your area. You can get an idea from that.
Really need more photos to give an accurate number, but what builds more value on these cars than anything else is originality, factory options, miles, and condition.
Looking at the one photo of your car, it's not at all original or correct looking, the only option I can see is t-tops (I'm sure I could see more with interior photos), I'm guessing it has well over 100K on it, and it doesn't look to be in particularly nice condition.
The custom paintjob is going to turn off the majority of buyers, as well as the large cowl hood and the 454. 454 gets you bragging rights among gearheads, but unless it's a fresh crate engine with a fancy fuel injection system that runs flawlessly and looks brand new, it's not really going to add any value to the car. At this point, there's a lot of third gens on the market like yours, at least in terms of customization and condition. In all honesty, I can only see your car appealing to someone looking for a drag car, or a project car, which places it in the $500-2,000 range, assuming it's rust-free, and runs and drives with no major problems.
I know my purchase isn't typical, but I paid $1,500 for my Red/Red '91 RS last week, which has 86K, a clean Carfax, no rust, and is pretty much bone stock other than a Flowmaster catback and some really tasteless exterior paint customization (someone painted my t-tops and t-top bar Red to match the body color). My car needs a passenger's fender, front grille, has hail damage, scratched to hell lexan t-tops, and needs all-over paint to be nice, but looks good from 20 feet away. I'm replacing my headliner and having the driver's seat fixed, and will replace the torn seatbelt receivers as I can find them, but otherwise my interior is very presentable other than the typical cracked dash and junk 90s aftermarket CD stereo. Car has every option other than posi, window louvers, and power driver's seat. I had to do some work to it to drive it (front brakes, water pump, air pump, intake gasket, high beam switch), but it runs and drives now with no major problems, and nearly everything on it works.
Last edited by navy02ws6; Mar 2, 2017 at 12:57 PM.
The custom paintjob is going to turn off the majority of buyers, as well as the large cowl hood and the 454. 454 gets you bragging rights among gearheads, but unless it's a fresh crate engine with a fancy fuel injection system that runs flawlessly and looks brand new, it's not really going to add any value to the car.
My thoughts exactly. The era of big blocks has been over for at least a decade if not two. Super charged or turbo charged LS based platforms are where the performance is at. Big Blocks are also horrible for anybody wanting the car to handle well. The paint job is also a very specific taste. If you want to sell it I would remove the drivetrain and sell it and the roller separately. As said you would have the drag crowd interested or other guys who want a good starting point for a resto mod.
Thanks for the input, I kind of had the same thoughts, bought the car dirt cheap rust free with a bad big block in it. I had a new crate 454 sitting around so I swapped it. I'm only into the car for the price of a rust free roller honestly, my intentions were to fully replace the interior and paint it, the yellow stripe stands out but it's a touch to 80's for my taste. It a going to be a driver/ strip car so not expecting it to corner like a dream but hopefully with new suspension I can get it decent. Thanks for the input! Keep the suggestions and slams coming!
$500 is way to low and imo is a slap in the face. I've seen cars in way worse condition for 4K ( was a Pos blue iroc that was trashed threw and threw ) me myself would pay 1500-2000 just for the fact it has the 454 and I wouldn't have to spend my time taking out a 305, that's just me though. I don't care about body as long as it's not rotted becuase it can be fixed fairly easy, this is just rough around the edges.
I agree with midias. Its a parts car. A BBC doesn't belong in these cars someone with an old chevy would be happy to buy that off you and the rear would probably sell quick too. Rims are nice also. Probably make 3k on parting it out and 2k leaving it together selling the car.
So by the sounds of it I'm money ahead in the whole project! And that's all I was curious about. I know it's ugly, I know it won't handle like a dream, I know lsx swap turbo blah blah blah. I like that it's different if I wanted to have the same car as everyone else I should probably just go buy a prius.
and there won't be another one at any car show I'll ever go to. Never seen a bbc 3rd gen in person. Maybe there's a reason but I'm good with it. Dare to be different I guess... yeah it need some love but hey isn't that what it's all about?! What fun is a car if you don't get to work on it!
Your car would look instantly better and would probably get a lot more positive attention if you spent a weekend prepping it decently and sprayed it all a low sheen black - not spray cans but something like the SEM hotrod black. Also I would remove the trim on the door.
This is someones car on here I think and it looks pretty bad ***.
Yeah the paint on it is very 80's and wasn't a really quality job. It will get painted this spring along with other things. I'm thinking a similar color scheme but a touch more modern. A quality paint job can even make the worst ride look nice
Can't get on board with the plastidip on a whole car... just can't do it. I finally accepted powder coating wheels...
As long as there is no ridge along the yellow graphic, Plasti Dip could really work out great in the short term. If I had a project car again that I was driving and couldn't paint it for a year or two then PlastiDip is no doubt the way I'd go.
Yeah I'd still struggle with it, the thought of a coating for tool handles... although I have seen it as a rock chip protection on trucks... might have to try it on rear fenders for a day at the track to make it easy to remove the rubber!
Thing to keep in mind when applying plasti dip is that you have to put enough of it on. That means several layers or a few thick applications, otherwise when you attempt to peel it off it will just want to tear and not peel off.
Good to know, however it'll get at least touched up this spring if not a complete repaint. Just waiting for this Minnesota weather to start cooperating...
