I have found a 1986 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo convertible for sale at one of the local dealers. I have some questions prior to considering making an offer.
The vehicle has 138,000 miles on it the engine and is equipped with a 4 speed manual. It seems to drive fine--makes no unusual noises (listened for clutch chatter, ticking, knocking, etc.) aside from a slightly louder exhaust note than what I'm accustomed to (My 78 Caprice Classic is much quieter). It is peppy and feels reasonably solid while in motion. The air conditioning is not working (not a big shock, right?) and the paint isn't 100% (vehicle doesn't appear to have been garaged for most of it's existence). The interior has a few cig burns but nothing outside what I consider "normal."
Also, the roof has a four-inch tear through it in a non-visible between the plastic window and the top. This tear is covered in such a way by the top-most part of the roof as to prevent water from entering the vehicle (there is no evidence of any water damage inside), but I'm sure this is the sort of thing that would get worse if not repaired quickly.
They want 2488$ for it, but considering the above notes, I figured I'd be low-balling any offer to account for any reconditioning I'd need to perform...
Any thoughts or comments? What would probably be a reasonable offer, presuming it is mechanically sound? What sort of bogus mechanical problems might I want to expect from it, by your experience?
Any insight is welcome. I'm going to have a more mechanically-inclined uncle take a look at it with me in a day or two, and this isn't the sort of situation where I "need" to buy a car quick, I just happen to like the way this one looks and feels. /me laughs
Thanks.
-dh
Wow...
I guess I posted in the Interior forum by accident... Sorry guys.
Not quite sure how I managed that.
Should I make a new thread in the intended location (First Gen) or let a mod move it?
/me smacks head
-dh
definatly not worth the price in my eye. I'm going with sndsgood and 500 - 600 is more reasonable.
Man I love dealer mark up, I bet the guy that traded it in only got 500 for it.
Although Kelly Blue Book only lists an '87 GT Turbo vert worth in perfect condition for $1,535 and not an '86. So if anything I would bargain it down to that price at least and bring a copy of the report to the dealer. If you really want the car, pay the price they want or break down the thing and look for any little dent, ding or rust to play down the "perfect" price.
kelly blue for 87 turbo vert
Thank you both.
I also thought 2488$ was rather crazy. I'm not sure how they came up with that price, but I doubt they'd take an offer of 500$...
I'm going to ponder the kbb thing and price a few repair related items and come to a verdict in a day or two. Considering the car has been on the lot for almost nine months (and the dealer guy I've talked to claims no one has offered to buy it yet), I figure I don't need to rush...
-dh
Edmunds.com True Market Value
Trade-in/ Private Party /Dealer Retail
Base Price $50 /$289/ $686
Optional Equipment $7/ $25 /$61
Color Adjustment $0/ $0/ $0
Regional Adjustment $3 /$19 /$44
Mileage Adjustment $137 /$137/ $137
Condition Adjustment $-22 /$-123 /$-289
Total $175 /$347 /$639
If you were trading this car in, you would not get $200 for it. At least when I was selling cars...
I would not pay more than $600 for this car.
http://www.edmunds.com/products/tmv/used/epl/UTMVController?tmvAction=step4
Another valuable source.
Thank you.
How the heck can they expect to get so much out of it?
Whats the odds that if I offer 600$ for it they'll reject it outright and hope for "another sucker" that is willing to pay their price? After nine months?
I really always assumed that the asking price at a dealer was supposed to give an idea of what the car might be worth... not simply how much a dealer was trying to rip people off for. Not that I trust the dealer -- I just don't understand how people can let themselves rip other people off.
Anyway... I appreciate the advice.
-dh
some things are worth more to otheres. they probalby didnt pay anything for it. so it really wont cost them to keep it on the lot for a longer period of time. cant trust a dealer. hell when i traded in my mazda 3 it was 14 months old and had 30,000 miles on it and when i came back i saw that the dealer was wanting the same price that i had bought it new for.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sndsgood/ https://www.facebook.com/#!/Square1Photography
and don't evne ask me how the heck I managed to do that ^^
-dh
