How to determine value of used vehicle to sell

['97ventureowner]

Here's my current problem: I want to sell my 1997 Venture minivan. However, I am selling it mainly for parts as it needs a lot of work to make it roadworthy. I recently took it in for the annual state inspection and they told me that they discovered a crack in the frame, and along with other issues,( needs tie rod nds and there is a small leak in the fuel line.)it would cost more to repair than getting another vehicle. Other than the problems I just listed the van is in decent condition,( there is rust on the rocker panels and minor surface rust elsewhere.) The engine is a 3.4 with 114,000 miles on it. The intake gaskets were replaced in 2002 with a little over 60,000 miles on it. It is a strong running engine with an equally good tranny. I know used 3.4 engines in good running condition are hard to find, and my friend who is a fellow mechanic says I should be able to get some good money for it providing I can find the right buyer. Herein lies my problem. In a way I don't know where to start. I've looked on used car sites to get an idea of what to charge but get more confused. When I try to figure out the value, I use "poor" to "average" condition. I also have another '97 Venture I am seling alongside the van as a package deal which further complicates the pricing issue. this other van I bought used, and drove it for 3 years. It developed some engine noises and I parked it with the intent of trying to repair it sometime in the future. I now realize I will be unable to do so. That van has 162,000 miles on it and it has many good parts as well as the tranny which was good. I don't know if I should start locally to sell these vehicles or go online to places such as eBay where I would reach a larger audience, and maybe a higher price. Time is another factor as winter is quickly approaching and I may not be able to do much marketing of these vehicles if we get a lot of snow early in the season, ( we average a little over 130"/yr.)Any ideas of what I could do in selling these vans and figuring out a fair price to sell these would be appreciated. Thank you.

[doberman_52]

if you want a private party value you can go to www.kbb.com (kelly blue book), or www.nada.com, both will gaiv you a price depending on the condition of the veicle. try that

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by doberman_52

if you want a private party value you can go to www.kbb.com (kelly blue book), or www.nada.com, both will gaiv you a price depending on the condition of the veicle. try that

I already looked at all those sites and entered the info they wanted. However they will not give me an idea of "value" for the condition the vehicle actually is in. I used poor but some sites say the values are for "roadworthy" vehicles and one of the 2 vans I am selling together with the decent running engine is not. It would take a lot of $$$ to fix the frame. I am selling these vans for parts, and was hoping to get a "value' as "parts vehicles", not as " a used vehicle". I realize the price will be lower, but my understanding is that these vans' engines are in high demand in good running condition due to them being problematic, therefore increasing their value as "used parts".

[doberman_52]

then i would go something like 97 chevy venture minivan, good 3.4 v6 and tranny, 114k miles, vehicle for parts or fix, $800 obo, 555-9532, something like this, but thats me, i guess i havent sold many cars, or you could scrap the body and sell the motor thats what i did when i fliped my grand am, body was shot but had a good motor and trans

[Andydg]

Stick it on Ebay with a really high reserve and see what the bids get up to. Should show you what people are willing to pay for it.

[doberman_52]

lol, that could work, give you an estimate

['97ventureowner]

Welcome to the forum GLDANIEL. Please check the date of the thread before you post and try not to resurrect old, outdated threads. I am moving your post to an entirely new thread with your question. Thread closed.

EDIT: Here is the new link to your question which I placed in a new thread:http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=727390