JessicaR

Imagine that it was in your favorite color, wether it was an original factory offered color or not. No rust, and aside from color, all stock. I've seen some on Autotrader for as much as $9000. I feel that's overpriced. You?

$100T2

iTrader: (1)

The most I'd pay would be about $3k. Honestly, I'm too into modifying the way I want them to want a "mint" one... I'd rather buy something cheap that I can screw around with.

kleinke

$10,000 - $12,000 is probably highest price for stock condition. Price should be higher but there are too few in that condition. Could be more with the right modifications, but again hypothetical since almost none exist.

Hades12

Mint Factory I would go 2k - 3K Modded out the way I want to do mine, 3K - 4K

mooseknuckle

theres one at vachon mazda in massachusetes its mint i looked at it a few times. they are trying to sell it for 7k. its been there for 2 or 3 years. it probably wont sell cuz its automatic. but i wouldnt pay more than 2 or 3k for 1. i probably wouldnt even buy a mint one cuz i screw with mine anyways. i paid 1200$ for mine and its pritty good shape.

RegMak

Depends on Mileage. If you are talking less than 50,000 then its not a bad price but still a little steep. but I have to agree with $100T2.

tulsa red

my husband did a little digging a found out that mint 85 will go for about 9000. that is one that has not been or very little time on the road and a 20footer will go for about 3-4000.

JessicaR

20 footer? I'm guessing that means that it looks mint from 20 ft away???

Hades12

Yes.

RotaryAXer

iTrader: (4)

Just because a car is listed on Autotrader or Ebay or anywhere for a certain price that doesn't mean that it will sell for that or any price.

The only way to confirm the value of a certain vehicle with a certain number of miles is to get confirmed sales of similar cars in similar parts of the country.

If a Mint 83 GS with 20,000 miles sells in Michigan for $5,000 that doesn't mean that the same car from Arizona shouldn't be worth more.

Also, looking at the options and trim level are very important.

A GSL-SE with leather in perfect condition and only 20,000 miles would be worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Others may go for $7-9k but, this one may only bring $5-6k.

In my opinion being a non-orginal, especially non factory, color doesn't make it worth more, at least for the vast majority of people that may be looking at something like this.

If it is a color you like and the rest of the car is really that great then it is worth what ever you are willing to spend. $9k sounds too high to me though.

I can't imagine anyone buying a 1st gen for any more than $9K and at that price it should sitll have the plastic on the seats and every record of anything that hasn't happened to it. Of course that is my opinion and others will vary. Each individual decides what a certain car is actually worth.

I bought my GSL-SE for $4k, 4 years ago. It had a good trackable history, even though it was in michigan 90% of its life. It was clean and primarily straight but had some paint work that showed its age and evidence of re-painting/repair. It had 86,000 miles.

I'll admit that I could have found a better deal. But, I had the money and the car was available and the owner wouldn't budge on the price, so I took it. I wanted it.

Woah, a little long winded today I guess.

rotor vs. piston

I'm along the lines of $100T2, I don't like paying for "mint" when I know I'm not a big fan of stock 7's.

KCGSLSE

There is a "mint" yellow 79 SA 55,000 miles with at least a racing beat full exhaust that some dealer wants $7900 for here in columbia mo. It looks damn sweet but that seems a little high, then again it is an SA so...

Aviator 902S

If you ask someone who prefers modded cars what a mint and unmolested 1st gen should be worth you'll almost always get a lower value than if you ask someone who is a collector or someone who owns or works at an auto auction facility. It all comes down to what the market will bear.

Having said that, the first gens that will be selling for the highest prices in the long run (say, within the next five to ten years) will be the unmolested pristine stock ones--- especially the 1979 models (first year these cars were available) and the '84 to '85 GSL-SEs (the *****-to-the-wall most powerful, updated and well-equipped ones).

There are a few of these well-kept originals (with all service records) but you have to search for them. The 1979 models in this condition are currently selling for between 3k and 4k, and the GSL-SEs in the same shape are getting anywhere from 4k to 7k. (I say "getting" because those being advertised for 9k and over still belong to their greedy and clueless sellers!) All other 1st gens, including the base models, GS and GSLs in the same pristine shape are typically selling for between $2500 and $3500.

But you're most likely to find that the majority of these cars that are worth buying are not this nice--- some have been painted (often a different color than stock), some have high mileage and others have minor items that need to be fixed. Yet they still are nice cars (ie: 20-footers) and not necessarily money pits. These cars typically sell for between $1500 and $3000. If the car is a '79 or an SE add $500 to these prices.

Whatever you do, do not buy a 1st gen from a dealer. These parasitic morons have an extremely elevated sense of what these cars are worth once they have them on their lots, but seem to think they're worth a few pezos if they're taking them from you on trade. Typical dealer asking prices for junker 1st gens is around $3500 and for nicer ones they try to get up to 10K. The dealers know these cars aren't worth this much (at least not yet), but they're not looking for the typical informed buyer--- they're holding out for the suckers with more money than brains.

Rotary Weasel

paid $800 for my 'mint' GSL-SE..it's in 'perfect' condition for modding
saw a similar 84 GSL-SE over here going for $3500..from inspection was a few notches below the condition of mine: folks can dream though

paulied3

I have an early sa - 1980 - with mods 468 hollie kit - racing beat exhaust - rollbar
complete recondition/restore of interior along with the factory alloy wheels.
This is one on the nicest if not the nicest examples of the early sa's you will
see on the east coast. i wouldnt take a dime less than 5g's for it. it will only get
higher. early sa's are getting harder to come by and i have one
pauli

Mills

iTrader: (1)

I paid $5,000 for a 60,000 mile SE over 12 years ago, and the standing offer on it today is...$5,000!

If you keep them nice they will hold their value, even if they aren't super low-milers. Of course mine is an exceptional car, today most "mint" SEs won't bring more than $3500-$4000.

Aviator 902S

Actually, if you paid 5k twelve years ago and the most it is now worth is 5k, the car has not held it's value since the spending power of that 5k in 1993 is now only $2500. This means your SE is only worth 50% of what you paid for it when inflation is taken into account.

The good news is that these cars are now over 20 years old and should begin to go up in value in much the same way as the Datsun 240Z did. Those cars could be had in very nice condition for 5k to 8k ten years ago. Good luck finding one now for 15k.

Mills

iTrader: (1)

50% rise in inflation in the last 12 years? I don't think so but I get your point. Don't forget I got to double the miles on the car in that time frame, the car shouldn't even be worth that much. Remember these cars were only $17000 loaded when new.

I also never said the most it was worth is $5000, that's just what one guy that won't leave me alone keeps offering for it, I've never actually tried to sell it and likely never will .

SevenHeaven

A mint 1st gen is worth what ever someone is willing to pay for it. I have known a couple of them to sell for between $10,000-$12,000 Canadian. I have know rust free excellent condition original cars go for between $4-$6,000. And I have seen a couple go for around $8,000.

If someone sees what they want and have the cash they will buy it. I paid $4250 for mine over 10 years ago and I think I got the deal of the century because it was exactly what I wanted and I would never sell it. In fact if I won the lottery I would not not hesitate in having a professional all out money no object restoration done. I would never get my money back, but I love the car and that is all that would matter to me.

peejay

It all depends on LOCATION.

I have seen rustbucket junkers go for mid-2s, and clean mint one owner cars into the low $10ks.

peejay

Modification never increases the value of the car unless there is a significant parts value, and even then the total is much less than the sum of the parts.

It's funny to see people who don't get that. "I paid $15k for my Hyundai and I put $2k worth of wheels on it and $1k in suspension and $5k in the sound system and $2k in a body kit. $27500 OBO"

No, you still have a $15k car, minus instant 30% depreciation hit after it left the lot...

Aviator 902S

[QUOTE=Mills]

50% rise in inflation in the last 12 years? I don't think so but I get your point. Don't forget I got to double the miles on the car in that time frame, the car shouldn't even be worth that much. Remember these cars were only $17000 loaded when new.

Ok, the 50% is arguable since only the price of certain things (and in certain areas) has doubled--- real estate for example. Cars have gone up, on average, around 80%. An example would be a 1993 Nissan Sentra that sold new for 12k (Canadian). A 1995 Sentra up here goes for around 20k.

And yes, you did get to enjoy the car for 12 years and rack up the miles.

I also never said the most it was worth is $5000, that's just what one guy that won't leave me alone keeps offering for it, I've never actually tried to sell it and likely never will .

The good news is that in due time these cars will be worth triple what this guy is offering you for yours.

Aviator 902S

[QUOTE=SevenHeaven]

A mint 1st gen is worth what ever someone is willing to pay for it. I have known a couple of them to sell for between $10,000-$12,000 Canadian. I have know rust free excellent condition original cars go for between $4-$6,000. And I have seen a couple go for around $8,000.

In general, this is true to some extent. If I advertise an '86 Ford Tempo bondo bucket for 5k, and some moron is willing to pay me that much for it then yes, the car was worth that much--- to him (at least until he discovers that he's been had) for paying that much, and to me for receiving it.

But no professional auto appraisal outfit would have put that car's value over $500 and an insurance company wouldn't pay any more than $100 in the event of a write-off claim. The appraised value depicts the closest to the car's real value, while the inurance company's quote was a low-ball figure even for a rust-bucket '86 Tempo.

As for the 5k figure, regardless of what the law says and the "buyer beware" rule, I'd be guilty of wilful fraud for even thinking of raking some poor schmuck over the coals like that.

So the truth to the statement that "the car is worth whatever the buyer is willing to pay for it" is very subjective. This is a statement that is very popular among unscrupulous used-car dealers and those who sympathize with them to justify their morally-bankrupt characters.

As for the 12k price tag for a mint GSL-SE, this price currently falls into the outrageously-over-priced category. But as the saying goes, "Yonder comes a sucker!" But it will not surprise me one iota if sometime over the next five years 12k for a pristine GSL-SE becomes a bargain.

Aviator 902S

Truer words have never been spoken.

peejay