I am really drawn to the 88 Camaro SC convertibles (maybe cause I have one) they seem to be getting more and more rare. Only a few have one on these boards. I am TOTALLY customizing mine, which you may have seen the pics, but I will buy one soon. Looking for TPI, but I alos love the 92 305 TPI Convertibles. They are VERY sharp. There was one here locally at a mazda dealership. 12k original mileS!!! Selling for $5.5k I was going to finance it. As I was signing the papers to try to get the financing a guy came in with a money order and bought it out from under me He took it back to washington. To probably wrought in all of the rain

 

Wow, that sucks
Ive had that happen to me more than once, never at a dealer though.

 

In Sweden you have to pay something like 10000-13000 usdollars for a thirdgen in good condition.

 

Anyone else get some good ideas from this?

 

I was just thinking that

 

so when can we load up the boat and cruise over there ?

 

Car officially changed hands yesterday. I can definitely say, without a doubt, that the car has a great new home. 92 Formula is a great guy.

Tim

 

Just to give you guys an example that Kelly Blue Book Values mean absolutely ****, check this out. According to KBB:

1987 Iroc-Z28
10,000 miles
completely loaded with every option
excellent condition

$3085

add 200,000 miles to that...

1987 Iroc-Z28
210,000
completely loaded with every option
excellent condition

$2600


so yeah, KBB values don't mean anything....an Iroc-Z28 w/ 10K miles would sell for like $15,000 in perfect condition, and one with 210K miles would be more like $2500

 

The funny part of that is it is under a cover. I got them to lift it up a little when I bought my Mach 1. That is a gorgeous car!

 

Thanks Tim! Your car is a REAL beast. It was great to meet you and your car is even better than people think. I will give it a great home and look forward to many years of enjoying it.

 

How about one I almost got to own..... In my junior year of H.S. (1976) I was offered a Hemi Super Bird with a crashed nose cone and right front fender for $3800.00 the motor was worth more than that even then.....all I could beg borrow and steal came to $1100.00 and I had to pass...almost brings tears to my eyes still.

 

I think it really depends on where you live. Around here, I've seen tons of great condition well optioned thirdgens (various years) going for 700-1k.

Every once and a while you see one going for 2500, but it usually sits on the front lawn for months until some 16 year old buys it.

I just recently bought 2 cars for family members

1) '91 firebird, t-tops, auto, black interior, white exterior, new
tires, power everything, runs and drives great.. $300

2) '83 trans-am, rebuilt engine (verrified that when I tore it open last week), power, 5spd, 16" rims w/ good tires, t-tops. $450

For example:

89 CHEVY CAMARO/IROC. 78K orig mi. 305 eng, dual exh, 5-spd, blk, louvers on back, int is in exc cond. Paint has faded spots. Drivable but nds work. $699; (Framingham)

86 PONTIAC FIREBIRD. V8 305, 111k mi. New tune-up, brake lines, Lebra frt end cover, master cyl, p/booster & vac lines. No rot or rust, clean body. Extra parts avail. $795/bro; (Manomet)

85 PONTIAC FIREBIRD TRANS AM. 5-spd, 5.0. Nds motor work. Wht body OK. No rot. Hdtop. Int in gd cond. Almost new 50 series tires. $350/bo; Call Dan. (Tyngsboro)

88 PONTIAC FIREBIRD FORMULA. $800; (Hudson, NH)

91 PONTIAC FIREBIRD. Runs & body in gd shape. Nds minor flrboard work. Has many new parts, fuel pump, brake work, hoses, idler arm, bar link kit, coil, starter, etc. Can deliver locally. $500/bo; Call Dave or Al. (Norwell)


Guess it depends on where ya live. *mint* cars are worth a little more, but not much.

-- Joe

 

Got the number for that one?

 

Looks like I need to take a trip to MA.

 

PMing you. dont want all of the net calling this guy.

 

To me it doesnt really matter, because i dont want to ever sell my car. Sure i can get a faster car, or a "newer" car, but ill tell you, i just LOVE my GTA. The car is already paid off, and just about getting done with its last modifications and ill be all set. I always have a daily driven car, so i never ever take it out in the rain, snow, just in the Spring/Summer times.

Now i did appraise my car when i first got it about 2 years ago, and got it appraised between $9,000 and $11,000. It was a Classic Auto place that did this. At the time i had about 35000 miles on it, and now im about 38500, only because for one Summer i really used it alot cuz of work and all. But i dont put probably more than 500 miles a year.

So anyways, its nice to know about your car going up in value, if it is, but if your like me and never plan to sell it, then it doesnt really bug me.

3rd Gen forever

 

off topic but.....I just read this add on E-bay and I'm still laughing....

-Edit: Please don't mess up this post with that nonsense. Thanks.

My apologies Moderater...poor judgement on my part......Mark

 

I just bought an 87 GTA L98 car last year for $6000. The car had less than 50,000 on the clock and still smelled new inside. An older single guy owned it - it seemed nobody had ever even sat inthe back seats! Except for repainting the front bumper (from having a bra strapped to it) and fixing a few things - the car is mint. I think I might have paid too much - but I have always wanted a car like this and this car was an awesome specimen. Since then I have put another $5000 in mods and fixing it up so I am sure I have into it more than it is worth - but it is worth every penny to me. It seems like I will be getting there soon in terms of value.

 

I want sa low mileage electronic gauge GTA... That would be my daily driver and the vert be my weekend driver

 

Here is what $6000 bought

 

True, just look at the price of a nice 2nd Gen TA or Camaro.....they made tons of those cars...and after 77 they were dogs in performance.

 

I own a 4th Gen, 96 TA WS.6 and a 3rd Gen, 92 Jamaica Yellow Vert. I love them both. Each is very different. My 4th Gen TA, built, chromed, 450 hp and fast. The 3rd Gen....it's cool.

When I drive my 4th Gen, lots of young folks and motor heads will often make the point to say "nice car". On the other hand, the 3rd Gen Vert gets tons of compiments from all types of people.

Three recent examples:

Im in Atlanta evening rush hour traffic in my 3rd Gen, top down. A Cobra pulls up next to me, rolls down his window and the driver shouts "Thats the best looking car I have seen in ages!"

A week later, same slow rush hour traffic, in my 3rd Gen, top down. Im in the fast lane (doing all of 15 mph) and I keep hearing this Semi truck horn honking in short bursts. I look across 4 other lanes of traffic and in the slow lane is a 18 wheeler, Driver leaning out the window, big smile and giving me a thumbs up!

Im dropping someone off at the Atlanta Airport, a lady walking across the cross walk, looks at my car, stops in mid step, looks at me and say "Thats a great looking car"

I can tell you that dont happen to me in my 4th gen (and its a National level show winner). If public response is any indication to the collectabiltiy of my 92 3rd gen, then watch out, these cars will be very collectable. BTW, my 3rd gen has 130K miles and is not a show car (yet )

Because of quality issues when built new, many 3rd gens have long gone to the crusher. Those that are left will be very collectable in the future..... Its all good!

If things get any brighter for my 3rd gen, I'll have to buy a new pair of sunglasses

BTW....everyone who has posted this is a great thread!

 

There is just something about a yellow third gen vert that drops jaws...we have had the same reactions for the past 16 years..and there have been times when our car looked down right embarassing to us ..faded paint..cracked dash...and people STILL gave us tons of compliments..we didn't even want a Yellow vert but it was the only one we could get with the T-5 so we took it..but believe me I'll never change the color now. There are some great buying opportunities out there right now..We just bought a very nice clean bone stock '89 RS vert in glossy dark red, 305 TBI, 700R4...130K miles for 3800.00. and this one is turning almost as many heads as our yellow '88...love these cars!

 

Here's a pic.

 

i think that it is that our cars at the age now where alot of other cars start to disapear either to the crusher, junkyard or wereever, because there is a lot new more affordable more reliable cars out there, and in 10 years they will be more collectable and people will be looking for them even more.

 

Every one interested in the the car market really needs to read this article!.... Muscle car boom...HOT ROD Magazine july 2004: It does not mention 3rd gens but what is happening to the market is going to affect or prices...

 

I gave $1000 2 years ago for my 82 S/E WS6, but the guy that owned it did not know what he had and wanted a "Newer" car with an auto

I did'nt know what he had either, but with 67K on it at the time, a little over 68K now, With V8, 4 speed & WS6 how could I not say "I'll Take It"

Im glad I did, Bottom line, It's a fun car to drive, Whats it worth? In $$ thats hard to say, but with almost every S/E & T/A option on it that was available in 82, it will probably be near the front of the line a few years from now when the 3rd gens start to climb in value.
I lucked out finding mine when I did, Im keeping it stock and original as much as possible but it will never be for sale as long as im alive

Sometimes ya just cant put a price on fun

 

Sounds like the guy got a good start on a new car.

-- Joe

 

Talk about diversity.....


Looking at an AutoTrader for the Dallas Fort Worth area.

91 Convertible red w/blk "garage kept" $9500 OBO

91 convertible White w/Red leather $4000 OBO

91 RS Lite blue $2900

92 Z28 "25th Anniversary" $5200 OBO


many other 3rd gens in there running from 600 to that 9500.....


Update on the $9500 car.....

Current owner bought it used...has "kept it mostly.in a garage for the last 6 1/2 years...hasn't been ragged to death...only has 150k miles."

Told him that 150k miles is excessive amount for a 92....that my two 88's only have 80k and 110k and 9500 was way too much


Also, he said he repainted the car from grey to red and it is an RS.

 

He wants $6k too much and that's even too high!!!

 

I guess 150k miles for a 12 year old car isn't really excessive, @ 12000 per year...Texas average is 15000 per year....but still I guess when compared to the two 88's I have way over priced. Both mine combined probably only worth that 9500

 

I paid 12k for my heritage in 2001. it had 12k miles and a complete alpine sound/security system.

 

Values are going up in the UK (they were never sold in the UK officially, but there are quite a few over here due to private dealers who imported them and sold them as new or people who imported them personally).

a top condition, standard, 305 IROC is about $6,000 - $8,000

An early 80s carbed 305 Z28 or sport coupe goes for about $4,500

A manual 305 RS goes for $6,000, I've even seen an ultra low mileage one in mint condition go for $9,500 (it was 12,000 miles and as new mind).

Convertibles go for about $9,000

This assumes they are in excellent standard conditon.


Tatty Z28's go for about $3,000


The V6's go for a bit less as for UK enthusiats buying american menas buying V8.


12 months ago prices were about $1,500 less...

 

Is this trend thats going on in most places only for V8s? Or is it smart to hold on to the V6s too? I love my v6 and probably won't sell it any time soon, but just curious after reading all this.

 

blue books dont mean nothing like all of u guy been sayin, it matters how much "you" want it. thats what counts

 

I hate to keep rubbing this in, but I just bought an '84 Z28 L69 G92 for $100!!! Yeah, it needs some work (My RS may be donating alot of its parts to the Z), but it runs strong and is pretty darn quick for being all stock. My friend's brother had no clue what he had!

 

Alot of the reasons given here are also the same reason I am hoarding all the rare-ish 3rdgen parts I can find... I can't wait till these get expensive...

- L69 anything
- L98 anything
- Z28 fibreglass hood
- BW 4-speed
- Aluminum driveshaft
- WS6/1LE swaybars
- Wonderbars
- All the Z28/Trans Am/IROC-Z/GTA badges I can find**
- 5.0 HO/5.0 TPI/5.7 TPI badges
- Trans Am cowl induction hood parts
- Console lids that aren't ripped
- Aluminum brake drums
- Rear disc parts

I don't have all of this stuff (yet) but I do have about 1/2 of whats on that list... and when these parts get hard to find, the prices will shoot through the roof and I'm gonna have either:

A) The most valuable 3rdgen around just because of what I built it with (LOL, its a rare '83 HO to boot )

B) A stupid amount of money from Ebay sales when these become expensive

** Oddly enough, I can't find a set of gold Z28 badges for my GFX!

 

I feel that i got very lucky on my car too. Its a 1990 Trans Am 305 TPI (1 of 1056, which i hope helps the value one day) black crosslace wheels, with only 80,000 miles on it. the previous owner was a ****head and beat the hell out of the engine and trans both of which was replaced when i bought it. car sat in a basement for 8 years before he sold it to me. i would say a hell of a deal for only $1900 bucks

 

A bump after 6 years might be a new record..

 

I was about to say that too.

 

Hmmm.. I am new here and have scanned quit a few postings on values and some of ya'lls restorations.

I have a 5 speed 1989 5.0 tbi I-ROC with t-tops, with 160k miles on it that I purchased for 3k 10 yrs ago when it had 100k miles on it. Probably paid to much but figured it would be a good investment for the future.
The engine is original and still running strong but I need new catalytic converter and other than the driver side fender ( I have an oem fender handy) and door (I had an argument three months ago, with a very strong mail box and lost!! The frame was not hurt at all and the rest of the body is in awesome shape as well as the paint job, (still factory with door decals completely intact) T-tops are in excellent shape as well, no leaking but passenger drip guard a little worn on jamb side (can that be replaced?)

Interior needs some minor work, like new dash board, and liner redone as well as seats re-upholstered. Is this car worth throwing a few $$ at it to get it in shape again? I have never restored a car before but am willing to try. Looks like it might be fun despite some of the headaches that might arise. Any advice would be helpful.

 

funny how eight years ago, people were thinking that our cars would be worth a fortune today...

muscle cars should be enjoyed, folks. stop thinking of them as investments, ya yuppies.