How much is too much?
12-11-07, 05:45 PM
#1
How much is too much?
I believe an average s4 that runs and has no major problems is worth about
3000. If this is correct how much should I pay for a car that has these qualities:
Good
1)Walbro LPH fuel pump
2) Alternator about 1 year old
3) Replaced the expensive turbo and downpipe gaskets about 2 years ago.
4)New TPS
5)Custom fabricated oil metering pump lines by me(Teflon)
6)Emissions removed
7)New yellow silicon vacuum lines
8)BONEZ 2.5" down pipe and exhaust back to factory mufflers(No cat or pre-cat)
9)New front end with fresh paint(Ran off road avoiding a collision and messed up original bumper)
10)New Passenger side head light motor
11)Ported wastegate
Bad
1)Needs a paint job(faded and dull factory paint)
2)The previous previous owner screwed up the headlight wiring under the dash(melted)-I found an alarm box under the dash and assume he overloaded the harness
The running lights and interior lights only work when the key is on now...I replaced the under dash harness but I think the main wire in the harness going to the engine bay will have to be replaced as the lights still only work with the key
3)Car has a weird problem right now where it hesitates on acceleration...until it cools down for a bit...then it pulls hard(only for awhile...then the same all over again)
I think the AFM is the culprit...will be replacing that soon.
4)The car has a leaky oil pan and I fear bad oil seals...smokes on startup sometimes till it warms up(very bad when its uber cold and the car hasn't been driven for a few days in a row)
As long as you check the oil regularly its not a big deal...it uses about a quart a month right now
5)Uses no water...I actually had to add some coolant the other day after months of driving
6)Some of the interior dash panels were missing when I bought the car and I recently found some free replacements that were cracked that I glued back together that I haven't put in yet
7)The rear speakers were gone when I bought it but I never bought any to replace them...Ive been using some truck(box speakers) I had
8)The car will have an old pioneer radio (the tape deck doesn't work)in it if you decide you want it(the cd player was a gift from my wife so ill take it out)
9)The cruise control stopped working and I found that the cable was out of adjustment or just needs to be replaced...Been to busy and lazy to do it...lol
10)The transmission recently started grinding when shifting into 5th gear...probably the syncros
As long as you let the rpms die a bit when you shift it into 5th,it barely grinds or doesn't at all
this is a direct quote so all of the opinions are that of the seller. Do you guys think 2500 is too much for this car? if so how much?
3000. If this is correct how much should I pay for a car that has these qualities:
Good
1)Walbro LPH fuel pump
2) Alternator about 1 year old
3) Replaced the expensive turbo and downpipe gaskets about 2 years ago.
4)New TPS
5)Custom fabricated oil metering pump lines by me(Teflon)
6)Emissions removed
7)New yellow silicon vacuum lines
8)BONEZ 2.5" down pipe and exhaust back to factory mufflers(No cat or pre-cat)
9)New front end with fresh paint(Ran off road avoiding a collision and messed up original bumper)
10)New Passenger side head light motor
11)Ported wastegate
Bad
1)Needs a paint job(faded and dull factory paint)
2)The previous previous owner screwed up the headlight wiring under the dash(melted)-I found an alarm box under the dash and assume he overloaded the harness
The running lights and interior lights only work when the key is on now...I replaced the under dash harness but I think the main wire in the harness going to the engine bay will have to be replaced as the lights still only work with the key
3)Car has a weird problem right now where it hesitates on acceleration...until it cools down for a bit...then it pulls hard(only for awhile...then the same all over again)
I think the AFM is the culprit...will be replacing that soon.
4)The car has a leaky oil pan and I fear bad oil seals...smokes on startup sometimes till it warms up(very bad when its uber cold and the car hasn't been driven for a few days in a row)
As long as you check the oil regularly its not a big deal...it uses about a quart a month right now
5)Uses no water...I actually had to add some coolant the other day after months of driving
6)Some of the interior dash panels were missing when I bought the car and I recently found some free replacements that were cracked that I glued back together that I haven't put in yet
7)The rear speakers were gone when I bought it but I never bought any to replace them...Ive been using some truck(box speakers) I had
8)The car will have an old pioneer radio (the tape deck doesn't work)in it if you decide you want it(the cd player was a gift from my wife so ill take it out)
9)The cruise control stopped working and I found that the cable was out of adjustment or just needs to be replaced...Been to busy and lazy to do it...lol
10)The transmission recently started grinding when shifting into 5th gear...probably the syncros
As long as you let the rpms die a bit when you shift it into 5th,it barely grinds or doesn't at all
this is a direct quote so all of the opinions are that of the seller. Do you guys think 2500 is too much for this car? if so how much?
12-11-07, 08:01 PM
#2
Those don't seem like minor problems to me. $5000-$5500 is for a car that just needs a tune-up, new tires, brake pads, doesn't have paperwork, etc., etc. ~$6500 is for a car that is totally cherry.
That makes it difficult to rate, since it falls under the broad "poor condition" category. I'd pick up a buyer's guide (FAQ, google) and check it out in person. Most problematic cars I see on these forums go for under $2000, sometimes under $1000 if something needs to be repaired before it'll even run. Probably more since it's turbo, I dunno. I've heard of some so-so turbos going for $2500. But check it out and/or have a mechanic check it out, b/c even if $2500 is the right price it sounds like this car might become a money pit on repairs.
That makes it difficult to rate, since it falls under the broad "poor condition" category. I'd pick up a buyer's guide (FAQ, google) and check it out in person. Most problematic cars I see on these forums go for under $2000, sometimes under $1000 if something needs to be repaired before it'll even run. Probably more since it's turbo, I dunno. I've heard of some so-so turbos going for $2500. But check it out and/or have a mechanic check it out, b/c even if $2500 is the right price it sounds like this car might become a money pit on repairs.
12-12-07, 02:57 PM
#6
A very clean one with 90k on the motor? These T2 motors don't last forever. So a money pit it will become. Try and find one with a rebuild OR a cheap one that doesnt run and replace the motor yourself.
I suspect these cars will eventually go up in value like the 240z
I suspect these cars will eventually go up in value like the 240z
12-12-07, 03:05 PM
#7
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I got my T2 with a ton of extras for 4k and it is in almost perfect shape, has a ding in the passenger rear quarter the size of a dime.
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12-12-07, 03:33 PM
#8
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I think it is worth about $2,000 based on the description. If your region has emissions testing, then only $1,200 to $1,500. The engine sounds shot, but it could go another year or two before it finally throws a seal.
This sounds like a "fair condition" car to me. A "poor condition" car is pretty much hosed (frame damage, salvage title, blown engine, etc.).
You can get some great deals by buying somebody else's money pit, but only a few FC's on this forum have about 500hp, so it is not likely you would find one at that price, if at all. If you are looking to take over somebody else's high-hp project, the engine would more likely be in the 300-350hp range, which is plenty.
You can get some great deals by buying somebody else's money pit, but only a few FC's on this forum have about 500hp, so it is not likely you would find one at that price, if at all. If you are looking to take over somebody else's high-hp project, the engine would more likely be in the 300-350hp range, which is plenty.
12-12-07, 04:17 PM
#9
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way to much. 1k as it is. there is potential for a whole boatload of problems downt he road, to much risk for me. i paid 5400 for my s5tii, it had great compression, new clutch, haltech e6x, upgraded radiator, full exhaust, wideband, egt, cd player, fule pump, upgraded secondaries, rebuilt brakes new rotors... the list continues. i did pay a premium to get a good body and have all the little "supporting mods" done for me.
also since my goal is a minimum of 500 a the wheels i can say that you will have alot of trouble finding a 500hp rotary for 6500. you might be able to find one with an ls1 swap but not with a rotary. There are not very many 500hp 2 rotors out there. if you shop and catch it at the right time you probably could get a car in decent shape with a hybrid turbo ie somethin in the 300hp range for 5-6k.
i personally would not buy the car you listed just because i hate wiring. who knows what kind of other hack jobs have been done to it.
also since my goal is a minimum of 500 a the wheels i can say that you will have alot of trouble finding a 500hp rotary for 6500. you might be able to find one with an ls1 swap but not with a rotary. There are not very many 500hp 2 rotors out there. if you shop and catch it at the right time you probably could get a car in decent shape with a hybrid turbo ie somethin in the 300hp range for 5-6k.
i personally would not buy the car you listed just because i hate wiring. who knows what kind of other hack jobs have been done to it.
12-13-07, 09:52 PM
#10
I just meant that it would be hard to find an fc worth 6500 similiar to finding one with and outrageous amount of hp. Since I just want a project 7 this might work out for me but since I do have emissions testing in my area, its not very likely that I'll pay 2500 for it.... BTW s4 project or s5 opinions anyone>>>
12-14-07, 02:52 PM
#12
I posted price from kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book), which gives the average private party selling price. I also used their definition of "fair", "poor", etc. kbb.com will not provide prices for cars in "poor" condition, b/c they vary too much.
That info is definately different from the typical person on these forums, where people are actually willing to define different levels of junkiness. Around here some people think a "nice 7" is one that isn't broken. And paying the normal price for an FC that runs is supposedly ridiculously expensive. Around here half the people also get 10-15mpg, no power, they can't bring their car to the latest meet b/c it isn't running, and it takes the budget of a small country to keep fixing it.
That info is definately different from the typical person on these forums, where people are actually willing to define different levels of junkiness. Around here some people think a "nice 7" is one that isn't broken. And paying the normal price for an FC that runs is supposedly ridiculously expensive. Around here half the people also get 10-15mpg, no power, they can't bring their car to the latest meet b/c it isn't running, and it takes the budget of a small country to keep fixing it.