1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

value of my 1980 LS now?

Old 05-08-12, 09:38 PM
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value of my 1980 LS now?

Just wondering what is the current value around now to normal market for a.
1980 ls that is restored with 85kmi also the steering box rebuilt AC and suspension steering stuff RB header and mid pipe and webber carb.
Old 05-09-12, 05:58 AM
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Probably about 1/2 of what you have invested in it...

Take a quick look at Ebay..

5 for sale:
$1,000-$5,400
What it's Worth
Just sold on eBay Motors: $310-$6,500

Sadly, these cars have not shot up in value - yet.
Old 05-09-12, 06:11 AM
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Just my opinion, but with only your brief description to go on, assigning a value would be like throwing darts blindfolded. Nice SA's aren't as common as nice FB's and yours being an LS makes it a special model SA. So you've got that going for you. Condition is everything and low mileage is a multiplier. A lot of people covet originality while others, don't care that much.

Generally, aftermarket add-on's like headers, carbs and body kits don't add much if any value unless the prospective buyer wants to use the car in a way which means they would be buying that stuff anyways.

What counts most is the mechanical and cosmedic condition of the car. If you provided some additional details, plus shots of the interior, exterior, under the hood and chassis, I'm sure you will get all sorts of opinions on price. Knowing something about the cars history also helps support the value of a vehicle.
Old 05-09-12, 07:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Banzai
Just my opinion, but with only your brief description to go on, assigning a value would be like throwing darts blindfolded. Nice SA's aren't as common as nice FB's and yours being an LS makes it a special model SA. So you've got that going for you. Condition is everything and low mileage is a multiplier. A lot of people covet originality while others, don't care that much.

Generally, aftermarket add-on's like headers, carbs and body kits don't add much if any value unless the prospective buyer wants to use the car in a way which means they would be buying that stuff anyways.

What counts most is the mechanical and cosmedic condition of the car. If you provided some additional details, plus shots of the interior, exterior, under the hood and chassis, I'm sure you will get all sorts of opinions on price. Knowing something about the cars history also helps support the value of a vehicle.
+1 on all that Banzai said above. Pics, history and mods. Right now its worth
anywhere from $500.00 to $5000.00.
Old 05-09-12, 07:40 AM
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If you sell your FB you will get chump change that will vanish immediately, then regret and nostalgia that will be everlasting.
Old 05-09-12, 08:29 AM
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Originally Posted by aa35199
If you sell your FB you will get chump change that will vanish immediately, then regret and nostalgia that will be everlasting.
True for an FB, even more so for an SA!
Old 05-09-12, 09:40 AM
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Location matters, too... based on your description, the car would have a much lower market value here in California, where Header+Weber=impossible to license in any population center, compared to other locations.
Old 05-09-12, 03:09 PM
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Post some pics of the LS. I have seen only a few leather sports come up for sale in the $3,500 - $4000 with lower mileage. One really bad one on ebay that went for around 500. I have a few good appraisals on my LS but for insurance only I couldn’t see anyone in their right mind paying that price.

I think the magic number if I were ever… ever to let mine go would be 5k. But that’s 15k on a reman, 3 sets of wheels, bolt on mods and general maintenance items.
Old 05-09-12, 03:57 PM
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It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
Seriously though, unless you restored a very iconic car classic GTR's, '57 Chevy Bel airs, Corvettes, ect. you're not going to be rolling in the dough.
The purpose of restoring or building a car is to make you happy not your wallet.
My wallet is pretty pissed at me.
Attached Thumbnails value of my 1980 LS now?-354tu2.jpg  

Last edited by Redliner223; 05-09-12 at 04:03 PM.
Old 05-09-12, 04:22 PM
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Its gonna be worth more to you than anyone could offer you.

but truthfully you could get $2 000 to $3 000 depending on how long you want to wait for the right buyer.
Old 05-09-12, 06:17 PM
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I have some pictures in my Photobucket im working on car now so not taking new ones. Since pictures I re carpeted it replaced any plastics re upholstered the seats the slot under radio has a bin installed into it. The tint is 10% all around and 30% full windshield. Repainting the car atm.











I don't want to sell it, plan was when I bought it 6 years ago as the second owner to keep it for nostalgia basically forever. But I haven't drive it in a year and my dad is insisting on it so that we can bring new projects into the shop to work on and sell or finish other cars we are sitting on. 30yrs is Antique in my state and we have no emissions, I don't believe the car will be sold to one of us. The market for us has these things beat down. A 1980 ls just sold on classic auction with 30k original miles on it for $44 thousand.
Old 05-10-12, 04:17 AM
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Originally Posted by aa35199
If you sell your FB you will get chump change that will vanish immediately, then regret and nostalgia that will be everlasting.
HE JUST SAID IT.. Keep it, rent a storage building and store it. I sold out long ago, HAD TONS of parts good luck getting those back but money comes and goes easily!
Old 05-10-12, 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by iceblue
A 1980 ls just sold on classic auction with 30k original miles on it for $44 thousand.
Sorry, but someone's been hitting the crack pipe a little too much! If that number is correct, I'd sure like to see that car. You didn't mention one important point on your car, which is the mileage but your LS looks like it's in very decent shape overall. It's Solar Gold, which out of the 2,500 LS's churned out in 1980, only 500 were this color. 1000 ea were Brilliant Black and Aurora White.

Your car looks to have a lot of serious potential. Due to the rarity of your particular model and color, it would probably be worth the most if you returned it to completely stock form. Unfortunately, this is a car where add ons and modifications would only subtract from its ultimate value. Also unfortunately, by the time a proper restoration with correct parts was done to this car, you'd have more invested than what you could probably sell it for. Unless you find that crack head who buys cars on classic auction....

All that being said and without any close up inspection-as she sits, To me, 2,500 to 3K. If I did see it in person and it passed closer scrunity, maybe up to 4K. You have to understand, I'd want to make it rock stock (just me) and go through everything. That adds up, and I'd estimate it taking another 5-6K to do that right and to the level of quality that makes me happy. So in the end, I'd expect to have 10K invested in round numbers, but she would be like a shinny new penny inside and out. That kind of Solar Gold LS might go for 8-10K to the right guy today. Biggest problem is, that guy is a very narrow market in a tough economy.
Old 05-10-12, 07:03 AM
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I cringed at you putting an aftermarket radio and having to cut up the dash
Old 05-10-12, 07:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Keeble
I cringed at you putting an aftermarket radio and having to cut up the dash
me too
Old 05-10-12, 01:06 PM
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I accidently got a picture in of one of the rad fan prototypes. It has 85kMi on it. When I got it the rad fan didnt work and the ignition igniters were bad after 20 minutes of owning it exhaust leaked bad. The radio is that old tape player one it had to be changed. Removed all the emissions and stuff when rebuilt the carb and replaced fuel system and built the CAI for it but ima take the CAI off when its for sale as well taking out the AMPs that are installed in it no need to sell it with 2000$ of AMPs. And yes the repaint is exact gold everything restored to be stock as far as I can do. The subzero is gone and the wiper fluid bottle motor is dead need to find one.

Thanks Banzai 6-8k was the market I had in mind to list at.

Remember I got this car 6 years ago with the exact sole intention of sitting on it. If I kept it I was going to mill out a LIM plate and use a 13bT intake to convert it to FI.

I think it was yawl racing something like that. Guy would tune the nikkis and such. Does anyone has a link to his shop?
Old 05-10-12, 01:45 PM
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i sold my 80 LS last year for $3500. i wanted to get $4500 but the economy sucks and most people do not appreciate low mileage examples. mine was an all original solar gold example with only 62K miles. in my opinion, the aftermarket fan, RB exhaust, carb hat, and cd player lower the car's value. the higher priced LS's are purchased because they are a rare car and are all original. just my opinion though. a potential buyer may prefer a modded car. but from a collectibility standpoint the mods hinder the value of the car.
Old 05-10-12, 01:57 PM
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Waffles - hmmm good

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Originally Posted by iceblue
I accidently got a picture in of one of the rad fan prototypes. It has 85kMi on it. When I got it the rad fan didnt work and the ignition igniters were bad after 20 minutes of owning it exhaust leaked bad. The radio is that old tape player one it had to be changed. Removed all the emissions and stuff when rebuilt the carb and replaced fuel system and built the CAI for it but ima take the CAI off when its for sale as well taking out the AMPs that are installed in it no need to sell it with 2000$ of AMPs. And yes the repaint is exact gold everything restored to be stock as far as I can do. The subzero is gone and the wiper fluid bottle motor is dead need to find one.

Thanks Banzai 6-8k was the market I had in mind to list at.

Remember I got this car 6 years ago with the exact sole intention of sitting on it. If I kept it I was going to mill out a LIM plate and use a 13bT intake to convert it to FI.

I think it was yawl racing something like that. Guy would tune the nikkis and such. Does anyone has a link to his shop?
Good luck with that price range, if the repaint is really good and the rest of the mods are tastefully done you might get 5.

Yaw and Sterling are both out of the Nikki mod business for now. Theres a new
guy doing it with the id of CobraStngSVT that mods niiki for racing per the rules
and more if you want. Check out on of his threads. Seems pretty knowledgable
and helps out folks when they have nikki issues.
Old 05-14-12, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by aa35199
If you sell your FB you will get chump change that will vanish immediately, then regret and nostalgia that will be everlasting.
Agreed .

Guy asked what i'd take for my stock 83 GSL today.

Told him it is not for sale but, I'd take $3500. I'd lose my car & about a grand on that deal. But it seems to be fair value +/- for an RX7 around here.
Old 05-15-12, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Keeble
I cringed at you putting an aftermarket radio and having to cut up the dash
Me three...




All of the modifications droped the value of the car signifigantly.

Because the stock parts have been removed the value will only go down.



IF a 7 was completly stock and un molested. It MIGHT go slightly higher in value.
Old 05-16-12, 12:12 PM
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I sold my 79 Limited for 2800$ after two years . Started at 5K and dropped it 500$ every six months .

This is a common story .
Old 05-16-12, 01:55 PM
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If you want a more valuable car go full stock.
The buyer (If you decide to sell) is going to look at the car and see potential for what he/she can possible do. If you have done everything you can possible do to the car, they won't be interested in it as much because there is nothing they can do. There just won't be that emotional attachment to the the car that you felt when you worked on it.
What's more fun changing the oil for regular maintenance or bridgeporting a 13b and hooking up a nice turbo to go fast?
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