95 Caprice questions

[navyctrc]

Hi there, I am new to the forum. I will soon be getting a 95 Caprice from my mother. I don't have all the details on the car, but I figure it's worth more than the book value? Am I right? There are a few things wrong with it, it needs a psgr side mirror and a new AC compressor. Main reason my Mom didn't want it anymore is the cost of a brand new AC system (from the dealership!!). It has the 4.3 V8, and about 110,000 miles. It has been meticulously maintained only at the Chevy dealership (she was anal about this) and it is a fairly nice car. What sort of mods would I need to do in order to get best dollar? Other than fixing the the stuff that doesn't work (Air Conditioning) and polishing it up nice and shiny, I am wondering what sort of market there is for this car? I have even thought about going all out, re-power, re-paint etc, in order to build a show car, or a really nice car for my son when he turns 16 in a couple years. Any advice or comments are welcome. Thanks.

['97ventureowner]

You can have the A/C system repaired much cheaper if you avoid the stealership. Parts are readily available at your local auto parts stores, and if you know of a good independant garage in your area, ( you can always ask friends and family for recommendations,)you can have it fixed less expensively. Your vehicle uses R134a refrigerant, and they are generally less expensive to fix than the older R12 systems due to the higher costs of the refrigerant. The market is still fairly strong for these cars and should stay that way because these cars are some of the last big great rear wheel drive cars to come from GM. A good modification that adds looks to a car is a nice set of rims and tires.