how much should i offer

[95firebird3.4]

ok so im looking into buying an 84 firebird v6. it was in a wreck need new bummer and a side finder. b4 the wreck he had a new tranny and rear end put in . theres 160k. how long do these motors last. is it worth buying and fixing.

[97cavalier]

why? a wrecked 84 carbed v6? that is about thw worst it gets. slow and bad gas along with wrecked.

[95firebird3.4]

cuz im a student and have been able to save up money and i want a car to work on and this guy will let me make payments

[97cavalier]

don't you have a car now? do some upgrades to it.

[wrightz28]

This in my opinion falls under the $500 rule:

If it starts everytime but is beat up, $500 at most, done.

Ultimately, check KBB (Kelly Blue Book) out for the ultimate answer.

Rememeber, you can sink all the money in new parts all you want into a car (ie the new tranny) but it doens't make a lick of difference in the exchange market, you get what the value is.

[1986Z28]

500-1000

[88camaroproject]

unless the interior is perfect and the motor is perfect and the rest of the car is perfect other then the wrecked part, 500

[Earlsfat]

Take Dylan's advice - him kno what him sayin.

Seriously though, don't buy it if you're planning on buying it, dumping a bunch o' money in it, and then selling it for more. An 84 Firebird V6 will only ever be worth about $1000 in mint condition, anything less is beater territory - and you're at the $500 range there. Even if you put a big block, suspension, etc in it, the car will only be worth $500.

Wrecked... I'd offer him $100.00 and that's not being a smartass either. He doesn't have a desireable car to start with, and it's damaged.

You'd be better off with something else... (again not being a smartass, but) if you can't afford much, what makes you think you can afford the repairs??? You're gonna spend way more than $500 to fix the body work, and if the engine and trans were damaged in the wreck you're even worse off. You HAVE to be able to find something better to start with... Christ an 82 honda civic is a better base for a daily commuter. (I almost can't believe I said that!) But think about it, for $500 there's an awful lot of cars out there that are NOT hard to work on, and you could have alot of fun with. 1980's Chevy 1/2 ton shortbeds with a 350 and auto trans are plentiful if you want something large and in charge, and if you're buying somehting for $500 you're probably not TOO worried about gas milage, because your acquisition cost is so low.

How about mid 70's, or early 90's maro or 'bird. Shit there was a 95 Cobra for sale around here (black on black) for $5500, almost bought it myself but then I could see my maro having a complete meltdown.

(Dylan, you Jeremy or John or someone oughtta sticky a thread like this or that one that Dyno posted so that everyone doens't have to beat up on the new guys. We've been through this a bunch o' times already, and aren't saying much that's new.)

[hotrod_chevyz]

Originally Posted by 95firebird3.4

ok so im looking into buying an 84 firebird v6. it was in a wreck need new bummer and a side finder. b4 the wreck he had a new tranny and rear end put in . theres 160k. how long do these motors last. is it worth buying and fixing.

Well maintained and properly driven, its possible to get another 100k or so. It depends on how good it runs when you test drive it.

With that many miles on it i would want to test it out. Heres a way to do that in about 20 minutes.

1: Watch a cold start to listen for any engine noises, and see if it smokes out the exhaust ect.
2: Test drive it both cold and hot to see how it shifts and to see what the oil pressure does. During this time get a feel for the steering and listen for noises in steering/suspension. Find a speed bump if possible, to see if it sounds like an accident when it hits a bump.
3:Look and see if the brake light or check engine light is on. Try the headlights and other dash functions such as stereo and heater. Look around see what the interiors like.
4:While its at normal operating temperature, park it on a clean spot and see if it has any major leaks. While your waiting for drips stand in front of the car and see if the tires look like they are straight up and down. Look at each tire close and see if any are wearing out unevenly. Circle the car and make sure it sets level.

All of this can be done in a single test drive. If it has a couple of problems, its a used car thats what happens. But if it has more than $500.00 of work that needs to be done to it, its not worth buying it if you spend more than $1000.00 for the car. $1500.00 is what they sell for high miles in good shape with new paint. The body work it needs is around $500.00 to fix the damage and paint it. So if much else is wrong with it, see if you can get the price under $700.00 or walk away.

EDIT:
I dont know what you was planning on spending. Watch what they go for on ebay and see if what your paying is right for one in similar condition. They have a lot of them up for bids .

[Earlsfat]

Just a comment... I can't STAND it when these ebay guys are like "All sales are final" -- Even if I lied and was leaving out that it doesn't run, or I took a pic of another persons car, all sales are final... ask before you bid.

Loser. What if the person interested in your hunk of crap is 2000 miles away?

Sorry mods, you can delete this if you want.

[brass_monkey93]

I would think 500-1000 would be a good estimate as well, however i would try to stay closer to 500. One thing i would be worried about if i were you is that the frame, or unibody construction, of the firebird got tweaked in the accident. It kind of depends on the wreck, but check that out because if it did get tweaked theres a good chance the car would be considered totaled.

[wrightz28]

Well, I got curious on it, and KBB would only go back as far as '86 and stayed at a flat 1000 regardless of mileage or option, which I actually find quite surprising.

[Earlsfat]

I guess they think anything prior to 1986 is only worth $1k??? (I think I just heard RD get mad, she wants me to go get some brussels sprouts... we might be adding to the paint job.)

Seriously... offer him $150. Unibody wreck... if the wrong thing got hit, it ain't even worth $150.

[99camaroconvSS]

Use www.craigslist.com and click on the San diego or L.A. link.
I have found many camaro's for 3000 and less even up to mid 90's
Here's a couple to get you started. Not sure what your price range is. Good luck!!!

Jan-24 1993 Z28 Camaro with Flomaster Exhaust & Corvette Rims - $3500 (Escondido, CA 92025) pic
Jan-19 1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS $1850.00 OBO (miramar)

[Twizted_3KGT]

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

Seriously... offer him $150. Unibody wreck... if the wrong thing got hit, it ain't even worth $150.

$200 AT THE MOST. If I were you I would just offer to take it off his hands...it's not worth a penny.