Jason E

Well, after owning my Formula for 2 months, I've decided that at age 22, having 3 cars makes no sense. The Formula runs perfect, and I'd really love to keep it...but I'm afraid paying to maintain 3 cars is going to catch up with me quick. And with auction prices falling in my area, I recently discovered I can buy at the auction a '99+ Grand Am or Alero (yeah yeah, not enthusiast cars...but they make good drivers!!) for roughly $1,000 more than what I can sell my Formula and Grand Am for. No 3 cars, no high maintenance, nada...

So what should I sell the Formula for? Here's the description of it:

'89 Formula 305 TPI
105k miles, AT, PW, PL, factory AM/FM cassette (tape doesn't work), t-tops, remote start with keyless entry, positraction

Condition:
Mechanically perfect, save for valve seals. Fresh shocks, struts, springs, front tires (Eagle GT2s) and brakes, exhaust, alignment, tranny mount, etc. Everything works perfect, drives like brand new. No real t-top rattles except for one small squeak.

Cosmetically, the interior is perfect save for a crack on the LF edge of the dash...the typical 3rd gen crack. I can have a vinyl guy fix this quite easily if desired by the buyer. No tears in the seats, or stains. Carpet is good, a little dingy here and there, but unless you're analyzing it, looks perfect. As for the outside...

The hood is faded, no paint on the spoiler top, the silver lower portion on both sides has some surface rust (not through)...6 good sized blisters on the drivers side, one smaller one on the passenger side, with a small little spot here and there. The blue portion has no rust except for 2 blisters on the drivers door, one the size of a 1/2 dollar, one the size of a 1/4. 2 wheels are perfect, one is slightly oxidized, the other looks horrible. The undercarriage is solid, as it was undercoated when new.

So what do I ask for this thing?? As we all know, decent TPI third gens get rarer every day, and this thing is decent. Drives mint, looks iffy. All it needs is paint and its a perfect car though. So whaddya all think?? Ask $3,500 and take 3? Remember, I am selling this on a dealer lot, so I do have the advantage of more traffic. I sold my '89 2.8 RS for 4k 3 months ago, but that thing was much better looking...the Formula does drive better though.

Thoughts?

RODS92Z

Id say your right in the ball park. In what condition your stating in I probably wouldnt give over $2800, thats without seeing a pic.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I think you're setting unrealistic goals. A 100k mile 305 that needs paint and body work isn't going to fetch you $3,000. Honestly, if I was in the market, I'd be expecting to pay $1500 to $2000. You're looking at a minimum of $1,000 in body work.

Jason E

Hey, the price can always be adjusted downwards if needed Remember, this thing has $1,000 in recent work done, needs nothing but paint, leaks nothing, is perfect inside, AND has a full service history available, right down to every oil change!! How many of you can say that about your car?? That right there is worth something for sure...

No accidents, no kids driving it...sure, it certainly looks rough, and yes it is a 305, not a 350. I don't think I am terribly far off. I met a kid who paid $4,500 for an '89 RS 305 TBI 5 speed with 120k miles that had a ratty interior, and you could see where open rust spots had been painted right over! I saw this thing on someone's lawn for $5k and thought there was no way he would get over 3...apparently, he got $4,500 from this kid in a matter of 2 weeks...

I would say $1,000 worth of work is accurate. So for $4,000 someone can have a mint, completely original Formula that has never been abused, the entire history of which is documented, has the original invoice, and drives absolutely perfect...and the undercarriage is solid too!! Sounds so good, it makes me wanna keep it

Seriously, I don't mean to come off defensive...just wondering how others feel in relation to the way I feel. People told me I'd never get anywhere close to $4,000 for a 2.8 RS with 96k miles...and I got it in 5 days This one will not be as easy of a sale because of the body, but I think the price is relevant...I could always take $2,500-$2,700 if that will move it. Time will tell...keep the opinions coming!

indy82z

iTrader: (5)

The car is worth what anyone is willing to pay for it, but cars like that do not fetch much over $1500 here. People would rather buy a car that looks good and runs like crap as opposed to one that runs great and looks bad.

There are dozens of cars very similar to yours for sale in Ohio for around $1000, and I keep seeing the same ads week after week, so I assume they are not selling for even that price.

But who knows....stranger things have happened....................


Tom

Jason E

My car is really odd...its an awesome "15 foot" car If someone just paints the driver lower portion over in silver (my Formie IS the thirdgen.org icon car), it is 80% perfect. The sides are still shiny...just the occassional rust bubble. In my area, I know it will fetch more than $1,500 solely because there AREN'T many around, let alone TPI t-tops. I do agree sometimes people like cars that look better than they drive...

I still think that for someone that wants to throw a $1,000 paint job on it, it will make an awesome $4,000 car. indy, I have yet to see a TPI car for under $2k, even a pure rat!!! And this thing is far from a rat...shoot some paint on it, and it's show ready...no lie.

Its been interesting hearing from people about this. I'm lucky in that it is on a new car dealer lot (we never wholesale the older stuff...we sell everything), on a busy road. If I only clear $2,500 out of it, thats ok too...but I won't start out there, as I am not desparate to sell it. indy, if you have any phone #s for $1,000 TPI cars, lemme know...I'd love to make a run to Ohio, pick some up and sell them for $2k out here!! I couldn't believe how many people stopped by to look at my RS a few months back...people wanting a decent, cheap '80s F body. It'll sell...its just a matter of how much I had many who said I'd never get $4k out of a 2.8...and I did with ease

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I suspect that you'd find it finantially beneficial to paint the car before you sell it. Maybe there are some major suckers in your area to pay those prices for the cars you gave examples of, but around here that doesn't happen. There's a dealer sitting on a 92 B4C L98 camaro with brand new paint. $5,500 and he's had it sitting for 2 years. Another guy has a near show-quality 84 Z that he's asking $4500 for, and can't even get people to stop and look. He's had it for sale for a year. A dealer has an 85 LB9 TA that looks real good overall for $4k. That's been there for over a year.

RODS92Z

Yeah theres a 92 L98 heritage edition camaro here at a dealer for sale that could be put into shows with minor detailing to engine compartment. Has 90,000 miles on it and he wants $6500 for it. Its been sitting there for almost 3 years now. If it had t-tops I would have grabbed it, but I think thats one reason it hasnt sold around here. Everybody wants the t-tops. I'm currently on the verge of selling mine to a guy for $7500.

Jason E

Well, I had 2 people look at it today...one is coming back to show it to her daughter tomorrow...if it was actually there. Unfortunately it'll be at my uncles shop for a little while. Another person drove it, loves it, is trying to convince his wife to go for it (he thinks he has it in the bag though ), when the goddamned heater core started leaking during the test drive. ARGH!!!!! I told him I'd fix that too...he was happy actually

I told him $3k as is with the heater core fixed, or $3,500 with a 30 day warranty...I think I may have it sold to one of them for the $3,000...time will tell

Jason E

Well, I sandblasted out all the rust (or should I say, orange rocket did it ), blended the paint in, and just got $4,000...and that was after the car sat on the lot for 6 days total. The second person to see it bought it...and the paint didn't even match up that great!!

Don't sell your cars short, guys...they can command more than you think...

83firebirdS/E

Good work!!

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

That depends. Selling these is a gamble. My buddy is a dealer and he won't touch them anymore. He'd bring one home from the auction, and sell it in 3 days. He'd go get another one, and it would sit on the lot for months on end. These cars are very unpredictable. Anyway, contrats on the sale.

stock84

got my 84 for $1500 with less than 100k on it.only needs minor
body work to be perfect(needs new hood and to be color matched) .int is perfect as well as t-tops,power everything and factory 5 speed.but i didnt settle for any 3g , i took 18 months to find the right one for me.i would say out on the west coast you would be LUCKY to get 2k for it, thats just me though.

Jason E

Well, all you guys keep saying I can't get anywhere near $3k for cars like my '89 RS and my Formula. You know what??

I keep selling them for $4k Give someone the piece of mind of knowing the full history on a car, and proving the car is a solid, mechanical piece, and I guarantee you can sell a car for more than you think. I'm lucky...both my cars I knew and had documented the full history.

Guys on here say that isn't worth anything. And I keep proving you guys wrong

deadtrend1

iTrader: (1)

wow, I paid 1800 for my car when i bought it over a year ago.

Aparrently, my neighboor couldn't sell it because everytime someone called about it, he said it was a stick and they immediately said no thanks. I guess everyone in my area must need a automatic for the roads that have no hills or hardly any stoplights to make it a neuisence.

It looked like this ....

Jason E

If mine had been a stick, this kid wouldn't have bought it either...

But I ask all of you who bought your cars cheap, what do you know about them? Do you know when every oil change was done? Do you have all the service records? The original invoice? Are you sure the car was never in an accident? Do your t-tops leak (if you have them??)?? Was your car owned by a 55 yr old lady who always dealer serviced it?

To me, all these things are worth premiums...if they weren't, I never would have bought it in the first place!!

Redarrow1

I am not calling you out, because I don't live in MA and I don't know the market, (I am sure there are a lot more f-bodys in FLA) but I can not believe you got 4K for a 100K mile formula with a leaky heater core and rough paint. In 1998, I bought a 57K mile 89 formula from the original owner for 3,600. (car even had headers professionally installed) Identical to what you described except mine was a 5speed, everything worked. The car had one small pull in the fabric on the driver's seat. The car was mint and had all the paperwork and I still tried to talk him down. (he actually had it listed for 3,800. Fast forward to four years later with almost twice the mileage, there is no way I would pay 4K for it. Congrats on the sale nonetheless.

Jokerman

Dude if you want to sell it for more than its worth come to columbia Missouri. I have seen an 89 v6 firebird with well over 100,000miles on it with a shot interior sell for over $5k! Thats why i had to drive to indiana to buy a car, there is no such thing as a nice car under 5k here. Bring it down here and sell it.

screaminformula

im not trying to tell you what to sell it for, just addin my .02. i recently purchased my '87 Formula in basically mechanically perfect condition but needing paint like a **** (primer front end, no wrecks-i checked this, just a Trans Am nose transplant) and the guy wanted 2500 and i scored it for 2k. so i dunno...

88Bravo

I love the 5 speed. I am even thinking about putting a 6 speed. Just to be different. How can they see sport cars auto?? That is just me. Good job with the car. I bought mine with 132,000 miles burns oil on start up, seals. and needed body work. Inside is in very good condition. 3 peices have a problem, just plastic. Paid $900. Just got lucky