PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/222528686656...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

1 of 22 1LE Formulas built for 1992 - the last year of third gen production.
11 of the 22 were B4U ordered by SLP for Firehawk Conversion - all L98's - this car is one of the other 11 not ordered by SLP.
1 of 6 LB9/MK6 5spd cars built
Only 1 of those 6 5spd cars was 46U/L Medium Green Metallic.

Period correct modifications either add or detract from the value depending upon your viewpoint.

Go get it!

Big&BadGTA

iTrader: (1)

Are you asking for an opinion on value? None of the mods I see add anything, only detract.
The tach, switches, gauge(s), etc. Nothing.

ev305tpi

iTrader: (3)

That car is literally the dream car of all of my friends in school growing up. 1LE, lightweight, with all the period correct mid-1990s hardware that we all dreamed of. And.... it's 1 of 1 and a 92 final year car. The aftermarket graphics need to go, but it's just so damn cool!

3rdgenparts

iTrader: (8)

As always all the "Cool" cars are in the Northeast


Dave

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Anyone else really underwhelmed? Normally that color looks fantastic, I don't know if it's just the lighting and exposure of the terrible photos, but it looks washed out here. The ghetto cornball vinyl shop decals look terrible too. Top it off with the gold pin stripes and it really just leaves me cold.

The mods kind of drive me crazy too... Take the time to tell us how it's such a rare car, then hack and slash to modify it. All those holes drilled into the radiator support, and the dash, and the steering column, and the switch panels... All the mods are done right, and it's been so well maintained and cared for, but the passenger door is missing the bolt cover on the cup holder, and the covers on the door handle trim. The dash pad is cracked, and the recline handle on the passenger's side is broken. The upper radiator bracket appears to be missing a rubber isolator, and is retained with hardware store bolts, and there's a washer tank stuffed under the cowl brace. WTF.

Then there's the big *** dent right on the body line of the driver's quarter panel, cracked tail lights, and the wrong wheels. I'm sorry, but the collector value is pretty hosed, and the condition is about average for the mileage. And that's just what you can see in less than stellar pics, and covering the topic as briefly as possible.

StevenB L98/LS1

I have to agree with drew. When I first saw it listed my enthusiasm was pretty high, I started reading and looking through the car and I was disappointed. I wouldn't pay much for it now, its value is down based on condition, paint is dull,dash is cracked and butchered up probably, graphics look horrible on this car. Hopefully whoever buys it I hope restores the car to factory. Get rid of the aftermarket stuff, getting the factory tach working and maybe keep the procharger but clean up the cluttered engine bay some.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I'd do burnouts with it. Stripes, decals and wheels are an easy fix. The plug wires bother me lol. Also looks like it may have had hood pins where the turnsignal light mount holes are, would be checking the hood for that repair.
All n all, good bones for a play toy but obviously not for a super serious collector.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

WHAT?

All this and nobody mentioned the yard gate hinges on the speaker panel over the rear well?

Seriously, cars worse than this get brought back every day, although the list is somewhat long the cars rarity justifies the work.

okfoz

That is a neat car, too bad it has been modified... You do not want me to pick it apart, most of it is obvious tho. I would drive it...

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I saw them, but a person has to draw the line somewhere, or they'd be writing a book on the subject.

It's not that it can't be brought back, more that it's already bid up higher than I'd want to pay - considering the condition. If all the mods got the same loving attention to detail as the tilt lever someone murdered with Vice Grips, I'm not sure I'd want to mess with it. Maybe if it had A/C.

KMK454

Parts car.

okfoz

It is a bit too nice to be a parts car. Heck, 2 weeks of some intense work and you could have that car looking almost pristine.

1) Get correct stickers - Remove all those that are wrong, like the stripes.
2) Remove the "Yard Gate" hinges from the rear hatch area.
3) Remove the stupid Tach, and the other idiot gages, if you have a parts car this would be an easy fix.
4) Replace chrome lug nuts with with original type lug caps
5) Get a factory shift ****,
6) Need a new gage bezel, that one has too many holes now
7) Remove stickers from the core support
8) The tilt arm is a standard thing from 82-92, those are not hard to fine, I have like 5 of them around
9) New Radio Bezel

The car looks pretty solid,

What is up with the chrome valve covers? They do not appear to have any bolts in them. There are holes, but no bolts? Or am I missing something?

John

KMK454

I was joking, I think it's awesome.

zya5point0

iTrader: (4)

Agree, lots of backyard mechanic stuff going on there, but I see potential. What would it be worth if it was put back to all original? Biggest problem I see with restoring it is what happened to the original motor? Correct me if I'm wrong but those are not center bolt valve cover heads? Of course the other big problem is with "$15000 worth of work", what's his reserve??

okfoz

My thought too was they are not center bolt valve covers... But there are 4 holes where they should be..
Edit: From that angle I would have thought I could see at least the bracket for the rim bolt valve covers.

zya5point0

iTrader: (4)

Enlarged the pic better. Now I see what somebody mentioned about no valve cover bolts! The holes are there but nothing in them? And if they were perimeter heads the covers would have the curves for the bolts. Still looks strange tho...

Drew

iTrader: (58)

The bolts are there, center bolts... They're countersunk socket screws, you just can't see the hex socket because they blend in with the water spots and filth all over the rest of the valve covers.

simo

Never Mind Drew beat me to it...

Countersunk Screws are installed.

jharrison5

Rare or not it looks to be a $5000 car at the most. Don't claim that "everything has been done right" and then show me pics of backwoods deliverance engineering. I have owned and sold some rare rides over the years, but I always made sure the vehicle was represented for what it was. The way this car is looks I'm betting she has been rode hard and wired even worse.

With all that being said I would still like to own this car and make it look like it should. I am curious what the bid will get to though!

zya5point0

iTrader: (4)

If the reserve is only 4 digits and not 5, might be worth it?

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Only 68 1LE Formulas were ever built in only 2 of the 5 years of 1LE Third Gen production. You will be hard pressed to find a more rare third gen in any condition. Bidding is at $7,100 currently with about 12 hours to go.....go get it somebody, I don't need another one!

jworks

iTrader: (1)

anyone else notice that the boost retard button bezel is upside down??

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Rare doesn't really mean anything though. Just because this car is numerically "rare" doesn't make it significantly different than all the other 92 Formulas. Or all the 91 & 92 Formulas. Or any thirdgen Formula. It's just another Firebird. A Firebird that will sweat you out on a summer day because it doesn't have air conditioning.

jworks

iTrader: (1)

I think that all goes back to "rare doesn't mean desirable/ valuable" .

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

You guys kill me sometimes!

Car didn't sell on e-bay, buyer contacted me in the last minutes, said he would take $8,000 for it but I'm done buying cars.

If anyone is interested, PM me & I'll give you his number.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

In the most optimal marketplace, short of a collector car auction, it didn't break $7500. Why would anyone pay $8k?

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

See Drew, and this is what I don't understand. Take a normal 1992 Formula, 5spd LB9, green, tan interior hardtop with 89,000 miles, older repaint, wrong decals with some period speed equipment on it & you wouldn't have a problem with a price of 8k in fact I don't think anyone here would.

Put the RPO 1LE in front of that however and you and several members here, for whatever your reasons are, will continue to say its worth nothing. You don't need to explain it because I likely won't agree with it or maybe even understand it, even considering I like most of your posts and the advice you give in most cases. What I find even more interesting is that when the RPO codes R7U or A4U are associated with a car, you seem to support the value of those.

Why you continue to comment on these threads is beyond me but you do. So have at it, this is just where we disagree.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

If it weren't a 1LE, I'd still think the price is high. I'm probably just cheap.

I just honestly place more value in A/C than brakes and numerical rarity. In this part of the country, you've got cold in the winter and hot in the summer with just a short transition period in the spring and fall in which a car without A/C would really be acceptable. I've already got a factory A/C delete Mustang I haven't really driven in a couple years, I'd rather not have another car that's uncomfortable to drive.

The problem I see with this particular car is that I don't feel the benefit of numerical rarity compensates for the discomfort of being sweat soaked. The paint is shiny, and it's not trashed, but the quality of work, and the judgement of whoever performed the mods, comes into question. How hard has the car been driven and abused? All the holes drilled for aftermarket accessories would drive me crazy trying to find nice, un-molested replacement parts. To me, the rarity of the car would be motivation to correct the mods and return it back to original condition, and I think that'd be a real uphill task. Now if it were just a regular run-of-the-mill 92 Formula, well then party-on because I'll bet the manual trans, performance package, and blower would be a riot to drive... But I'd still have to have air conditioning.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

I get you now - real good friend of mine lives in Bixby Oklahoma and says pretty much the same thing about everything he drives on a daily basis - for collector cars however, he shares my thought process.

Regardless of how much I want to drive these cars and own them for particular reasons, I ALWAYS look at them as rolling bank books with the knowledge that some day I'll be selling them.

Although some here may not yet agree, the 1532 1LE cars will one day lead the pack of Third Gens once the collectors make their way through the volumes of low mile cars.

History has proven this prediction right in the past and will prove me right in the future.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

BTW, this is the Drew I know & love.

Bullydawg

iTrader: (7)

So I am interested in it... and happen to have a T56 laying around. Considering sinning.

pancherj

I sent the seller an email the other day and am waiting for a reply and some extra photos. What I am not sure of is...are there any specific 1LE items that you guys noticed are missing and will be hard to replace?

Bullydawg

iTrader: (7)

Bruce from Hawks grabbed it. I was on the fence and waited too long. He has the firehawk sister car... better suited in his collection.

jharrison5

I'm glad Bruce picked it up. It'll go to a good home.