i have my 1990 red iroc convertible and currently has 19,200 on the clock. i don't quite understand why i am not getting much money for it. the paint is mint with the exception of very light fading on the trunk but the clear is still there. it does have aftermarket exhaust but, other than that it is stock. any ideas why it isnt going for much. no rust either.

 

Do you want the short or the long version?

The short version is this... The people that like these cars are cheap. Really cheap. Really, really, really, cheap. They can't afford to pay a premium price for low mileage, but they can afford to pickup a high mileage heap with a shiny Earl Sheib paint job and then they can bolt on a Holley stealth ram and sell it when it's still slower then their buddies Honda.

The longer version includes that you're selling it the wrong time of the year, and you're going to have to advertise and wait for a seller who really wants what you've got for sale. Instead of Ebay, try Hemmings. List it in a couple national publications for a reasonable, fair, price and expect to wait a year or two for it to sell. Otherwise, drop the price to the book value and maybe it'll sell in a month or so.

These cars just aren't worth anything. Maybe in another 5 years.

PS: The chrysler tape deck is making my skin crawl.

 

I usually see cars like yours go for a little more than that $5000. Maybe the high buy it now price is scaring them away. The car is beautiful, but seems kinda high to me. My other guess is because it's a convertible, and there aren't too many people in the market for buying a car like yours in December. Spring or Summer would probobly be a better time to sell it.

 

yeah that is the buy it now price my reserve is lower

 

You have everything that you need on there...pictures showing all aspects of the car, RPO codes, everything.

Like the other guy said, you should DEFINATELY put the car in hemmings. hemmings buyers the ones that want your car...not EBay Buyers.

Let us know how it goes.

 

Unfortnately these cars are too young to be classics and too old to be cool (for the young crowd). I just got my Firebird for $2600 (I couldn't say no, click on my garage and see) and it's book is $2400-$3700. If you want to get that kind of money, I agree you're going to have to wait - possibly more than a year.
I'm having trouble selling my 2002 Navigator w/18x11 rims, new tires, custom graphics and grille w/70k mi for $18,000!

 

Yeah, eBay is a bad place for a beautiful car like that. Just the other day a gorgous blue metallic 91 Z28 350 fully loaded (perfect leather seats, power seat, windows, locks, hatch, cargo cover, 4 wheel disk w/ the 145mph cluster, and the factory CD player) sold for a mere $4500. I wanted to bid on that car so bad.

 

It's worth what people will pay for it, and the current bidding price reflects that.
Like someone else said, these cars are not really collectors items yet...

It may be a promotional car, maybe limited numbers and considered "rare" but are they making the car more desirable? I check Hemmings all the time, and the prices of cars are outrageous, c'mon, I see G-Body Monte Calros and Grand Prix's try to sell for 15,000+ . Yes, I own a thirdgen and I'm cheap, and like the previous poster said, most thirdgenners are. So many thirdgens can be had below 3000-4000 dollars so why buy one for 15,000? Unless your's is what a "collector" is looking for, it probably wont sell for a high amount.

Good luck though, like the other poster said, try other publications but you'll probably be waiting for a while to sell it.

 

Hemmings is good, but that crowd hasn't quite caught onto the IROC's yet ... I keep some of mine there just to keep the perceived price higher. You can actually get good money for cars on eBay. I've got top dollar for them there, and I've paid a pretty penny for some.

The best thing about eBay is that you get LOTS of eyes. That raises your chances of finding a real buyer, but you have to be pretty good about sorting through the shoppers just bugging you with silly questions and offers. If I've learned anything in 20 years of doing this, it's how to separate the buyers from the shoppers.

Mike M

 

1) THe car is probably worth about $15,000 to the right buyer.
2) The problem I see is White is not a flattering color on most 3rd gens in my opinion, I think its a beautiful car, don't get me wrong, but the color may be throwing some people off.
3) E-bay has got to be the worst place to sell a car, unless your trying to dump it or you have an unknown rare 1 of 2 built with all the supporting literature with some special engine option. Its not a true test of the value, I can sell Firebirds locally for more than what they are going for on ebay. Part of the problem is most people buy the car unseen, undriven. I personally would never buy a car off of ebay unless I knew it was special and exactly what I wanted. Or I knew that particular car from personal experience or someone I trusted could look at it for me. I might prove myself wrong some day though.

My suggestion is to pay autotrader.com or other magazine type publication a visit, Pay for the unlimited time, and call back every 3 weeks to relist. For the amount your asking it will take longer than for a less expensive car. You must realize that for every dollar you increase your price you make your market smaller. You may bery well find some person who wants that exact car, but you have to advertise.

I have never lost money to date, and I usually sell within a few weeks, IT takes a week or two before I get any calls, but they come. Granted for the price you are asking it will be a while.

John

 

A lot the good ideas have been given:
1)Wrong time of year to try and sell a convertible - unless someone in Southern california or Florida is looking.
2)Ebay does provide more exposure than most sources but don't limit yourself to it as Okfoz suggested look into an unlimited Autotrader or a Hemmings ad
3)Do research on what the market is for your car.Look at what the asking price for similar convertibles on Ebay,Hemmings,Autotrader,Old Car Trader.
4) Look at what you have invested in your car and why you are selling.Will you want to replace it with something similar or simply ready to move on?

It really comes down to the old saying there's a buyer for any seller if you have the patience and right timing.All of us want to find a bargain and there are those that want something for nothing.

 

okfoz:
This car i am selling on ebay right now isn't white, it is red. it is a different car than my white one.

but, thanks for the advice everyone, i think i will list it on collectorcartraderonline, autotrader, and the paper.

 

I had a look at your car since I've been considering picking up another IROC that I can drive. I have a pristine original silver '85 with under 4K miles, so it never goes anywhere. I've been offered high teens for the car, but I'm holding to see what it might do over the next few years. I can let you know the things that would keep me from paying the price on your car.

- Low mileage is best positioned when there is no paint work needed. You are being honest (which is good!!!) about the faded paint in some locations. From a value perspective, any paint work on a low mileage car reduces its value to a serious collector.

- The pictures of the undercarriage should probably have the oil catcher thingy removed. I know you aren't advertising the car as "leak free", but as a collector I would wonder just how much fluid a 19K engine was leaking, and why. Again, not suggesting you be dishonest, but don't leave it open to speculation either.

And the thing that works against you, but is completely out of your control - There is no real 'window' for what these cars sell for. Unlike many current (and even future) collectibles, these cars are all over the map. Your exact car could sell for anything between $10.5K to $16K depending on many different variables.

I've got a call out on an '88 droptop now with 21K miles, and the asking price is $11K. My only concern is that it's too cheap, and I wonder why! And not to start an argument, but selling collector quality convertibles is not seasonal ... In other words, the weather doesn't play a role to a real buyer. I don't care if it's -10 or +110 ... When I see a great quality car at a good price, I'm all over it.

I predict yours will be to $10,800 on eBay. I'd give slightly more for it, but I'm out of room with all these other ones sitting around. Hopefully the specifics above help answer your 'value' question.

Mike M

 

Just an FYI...I edited many posts in this thread to take away the eBay auction and pricing. If you want to know about the value, ask. It's against policy to advertise your car in anything but the classifieds. Since you mentioned the fact that you are selling the car and described it, I removed all reference to the amount you have the reserve at and the buy it now price.

 

The catch pan under the car doesn't bother me nearly as much as the aftermarket catalytic converter. Small block chevy's leak, it's unavoidable. However, if I'm going to spend a premium price I'm not going to settle for any visible aftermarket equipment. Period.

That cat, combined with the undercoating, Chrysler tape deck, and a probable astronomical price (hinted by the Buy It Now) would influence me to not even look at the rest of the pictures. Any one of these items would be a deal breaker.

 

Someone who is willing to pay top dollar wants it to be either "perfectly origional" or "perfectly modified".

 

Okay, I was trying to be a bit more polite :-) But you, and the poster that followed are basically right - Top dollar is reserved (no pun intended) for the cars that are exactly right. No stories, no explanations, just immaculate.

But I don't agree that small block Chevys leak, and that it's unavoidable. My garage floor is as spotlessly clean as my kitchen floor.

Mike M

 

Once again, my father has a '76 Vette that had a leak when he got it, after a gasket, problem solved. I have four vehicles with miles ranging from 70k to 177k, NONE of them leak with the exception of my F150 (177k) and it's only the third member "sweating" and that will be taken care of shortly. In fact I work on multi-million dollar homes for a living and am even brave enought to park on the customers driveways.