I've been working on a deal with Dad to swap my Skyhawk for my Grandpa's '64 Chevy longbed. The deal was going to be that neither of us could sell either vehicle. Well, things changed, and I'm keeping the Buick, and getting the truck. However, I just need to part with some vehicles. I need the truck, but don't need the Buick. So, it will have to go. I don't really want to sell it, but...

So, I'm wondering what everything thinks it's worth. I'm only going to sell it if I can get a decent price for it. If I have to give it away for peanuts I'll keep it around for a while.

It's an '85 Skyhawk, 1.8L TBI (non-turbo), 5-spd. For the most part it's all original. Power locks, tilt cruise and foglights. 155k miles. I bought it from the original owner's widow. They are/were friends of the family.

I know the following needs addressed:
fog lights are broken
wiper switch seems to have a mind of it's own, when it's cold/wet out. I have a replacement switch.
Ignition key is worn out, and sometimes hard to turn. I have a new key/cylinder.
trunk lock is worn out, and takes a little finesse.
Seats are worn, need recovered
driver's side door sill trim is cracked.
passenger's side seat belt trim is missing (on the pillar)
K is missing from backup light, I have a replacement.
brake hoses are cracking, I have new rubber lines.

I put a new fuel pump on it last fall, tires last spring and new sway bar bushings and end links sometime last year. It's posted on here... I have everything for power windows, but the regulators don't seem to fit. I also have NOS lock switches, and parts to install an OEM power remote trunk release. I also added an OEM armrest last year. I had to make my own brackets, and got them just a bit too low, so the trim piece won't fit. I need to redo the brackets, but probably won't get around to it. I have all the maintenance records and receipts up until I got it, but have misplaced all the receipts since I got. Hope to get them found, and put them with everything else. I do have the build sheet from the trunk, and a full size spare, plus the original spare. The car was repainted about 3 or 4 years ago, but there is a very small bubble around one of the rear wheels. I can't remember exactly where now, and it's too dark to go look.

That is all I can think of right now. I've been thinking about ebay, but just not sure. I know there are a couple of guys that have expressed interest in the car. I have a number in my head of what I think it's worth, but I know that never means much. I'm just wondering what you guys on here think would be a fair price. You don't see these cars for sale very often, so it's hard to gauge...

I had really hoped to hang on to this car, and eventually add a turbo, but I've got too many projects, and too many bills to keep everything...

Forgot to mention it's a T-Type, last year I replaced cap, rotor, plugs, wires, temp sensors, MAP sensor, coil and it now has 156k miles.

Nice ride six you Goya part with it. To bad its not a hatch or I'd swipe it from ya. I'd guess the most you could probably fetch for it on a good day might be close to $1500-2000. But I'm thinking that's a stretch
I wouldn't. Go any less than 1200. But that's just me. Wait another 5 years and it could jump $500 more.
Good luck.

Realistically, it's a car very few care about, so in the general market, a car with this age and milage really has low value. Think of maybe even a 2000 model year Chevy J-body Z24 with 156K miles would be worth about $1500, now consider you have a 1985 model with no air bags, ABS, etc...

While I'm inclined to agree with Brian's $1200 today, I have to say it won't jump any no matter how many more years go by.

Then there's Motorman with his '87 hatch, one of only five ever made, plus a turbo. He's selling for $600, but it does need a little work (I'm thinking less than $600 worth of work, making that very rare car $1200 in value with a turbo).

That all being said, IF you're willing to wait until June, AND IF I can sell mine at that time for about $1000, AND IF you're willing to take $1000 for yours, I would love to have it.

What car might you be selling there Wayne?

Perhaps I should have stressed the maybe with a lil more detail in the since that our beloved cars are quickly and quietly being snuffed out of exsitance
example of this began. With the "Cash for Clunkers" that had to include many many jbodies. The value of recycled steel going up. Many junkyards are beginning to scrap cars from 1995 and back. I had to search through 6 junkyards to find only 2 jbodies and who knows how long the gonna be there.
In about five years our cars will be antiques and your car may not be worth the value assembled but fenders doors bumpers are all becoming harder and harder to find. I hope that was good enough for my defense your honor LOL.

- THE F.N.G.

Our 1st Generation Js were not eligible for cash for clunkers as they were rated too high in gas milage by the EPA--a little fact I loved telling my wife since she hates my car and her beloved truck was rated a clunker.

I have an 85 Skyhawk.

Since I haven't seen you post much, the story is an 84 hawk was my first car, and I wanted one again, so I bought this one about 18 months ago. It is currently my daily driver and will continue to be for about another year. It only has 93000 miles on it. The reason I would be doing this is because I always wanted a T-type.

As far as parts go, lets face it, they may be hard to find, but the basic laws of economics still apply--supply & demand. Supply alone being low does not necessarily dictate a high price, the demand must be high for the market to support it. Because demand is low, the price is still low for such things even with a small supply. Think of it this way: book collectors are not paying a premium for a yearbook from Chicago's JFK High School class of 1969 even though there is a low supply--the demand just isn't there to require a high price.

LMAO.... hey my first car was an 86 cav sedan auto.... and i just bought a 1985 cav type 10 hatch 4 speed.

That is an awesome fact that i did not know. thanx for that interesting little piece of knowledge about the cash for clunkers deal.

What can i say im always and i do mean 99% always glass half empty kind of person........except when it comes to our cars. for what ever magical lil reason i am very optimistic when it comes to them.

I'm a realist--the glass is twice as large as it needs to be.

Cars have a huge emotional attachment to them (at least for guys), but unless it's something like a 69 Camaro or a rare Ferrari, they're never really worth as much as the owner wants them to be. The worst is the people who call a car an investment. I don't know of any economic planner or broker who would call anything that is guaranteed to lose money an investment. When we bought my wife's truck, the sales manager was insisting we should buy a warranty, and he tried to sucker me by saying, "I can't see why anyone would not want to protect their second biggest investment." I told him, "I can't see why anyone would want to hold on to an investment that is worth less every day they hold on to it." He really had no idea what to say about that.

That sux - Hate to see this guy up on the block.

One of mine will prolly have to go sooner or later tho...

Well, while I agree that owners quite often over value their vehicles, and get quite attached (okay, VERY attached) I'm not too sure about the car only being worth $1000. I've seen what I feel lesser cars go for quite a bit more (even a few J-bodies). The numbers I had in my head were $2500 for an unrealistic wanted price, $2000 for good high end price, and $1500 as the bottom dollar. I just don't feel I could replace the car for $1000, and so I don't think I could part with it for that. I appreciate the offer, but at this time I don't think $1000 enough to let go of it. I'm not selling it, because I absolutely have to. I'm (more than likely) selling, because I have too many cars, and nothing gets done, and I could probably use the money to pay off some hospital bills...

So, for now I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I won't get the truck home till mid-late April, so I won't do anything until then for sure... but after that... I would rather stay on the high end too in hopes that someone who will appreciate it will get it, rather than some kid who'll just tear it up...

I knew the $1000 was a stretch on the downside, but figured I'd throw it out there since that would be all I can see me scraping together (with all the IF's from above). Mostly because of the $300+ in costs for me to get the car back home.

I still think $1200 is most realistic due to the milage, but $1500 is certainly possible as it looks all pretty and has matching tires. If you get more than that, I will be first in line for my slice of humble pie.

Maybe between now and when you're ready, something will change my financial picture enough for me to get closer to what you want.

I don't know how much anyone here trolls ebay and craigslist, but I do all the time just to see what's out there and to gawk at the pics. There is someone in Indiana selling one with 30K miles on it. They originally wanted $7000! It was about $8500 new 25 years ago! They are down to $5000 now, but I can't wait to see how long it takes for them to get to a more realistic price. Then there's the link below for ebay, this guy wants $2100 for a 4 door model with 67K on it. He is down from the $3500 he was asking last summer.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Buick-SKYHAWK-1985-BUICK-SKYHAWK-LIMITED_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3efe3c9e69QQitemZ270553357929QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks#ht_500wt_1182