Car Prices

[The Dude Abides]

Just curious as to what prices your paying for some cars in your area. To be more specific, i think the whole iowa car market is way inflated. I offered the guy 1oo bucks for a 88dl 2wd wagon and he said no, he could get 250 at the scrap yard. I was like, no you couldnt my friend turned in an 88 caprice estate wagon the other day and only got 100 bucks for it. My point is lots of vehicles id be interested in buying are lots more then they are in other parts of the country. Here are some examples.

 

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1321576929.html

 

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1321386509.html

 

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/ctd/1321040274.html

 

I duno maybe im just being picky.

[idosubaru]

any time you're talking about older cars like these they don't really have a "going" or "market" rate. there's no value in the car, most of the value is in timing.

[Bucky92]

Its worse here... everyone thinks their garbage is worth top dollar. I find legacys all the time..non-running or bad trannys..and they always want $750+ even for rusty old Gen 1 legos. That cav you posted..that would be a $900 car here for example. I went and looked at a 93 Loyale once.. rotted to pieces..didnt run..hadnt ran in a couple years..motor covered in rodent party leftovers. .. $450 firm. And I thought ..if I sell my 95 Legacy.that asking $1200 would be too much... cant even get a 90 Lego for that here.

I seem to find the best deals off of CL. or..after seeing the market..I look elsewhere and will either go get it and drive it back, or have it delivered..its sometimes worth it

[The Scooby]

he is the seller, he makes the price he wants, don't get bent out of shape because you where turned down or aren't find a "deal"

[bobaru]

he is the seller, he makes the price he wants, don't get bent out of shape because you where turned down or aren't find a "deal"

 

 

I agree with Scooby 101%

 

I read your posthttp://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102357

 

the guy wants 450 for a running car low miles sounds like a good deal to me.

You spit in the mans face by offering 20 cents on the dollar

 

is your money worth more than mine

[GeneralDisorder]

Old Subaru's in general command almost nothing around here. Under $1000 for a good running Gen 1 Legacy. It's downhill from there.

 

My '83 hatch was $250, and I was recently given a '93 Legacy LS wagon for free - I drove it home after replacing the alternator ($130).

 

The last Legacy I actually paid for (besides my SS which is another story entirely), I paid $750 - it needed a timing belt/water pump job.

 

GL's and older are worthless here. I see ads on craigslist wanting $500 for good running EA82's - even '88/'89 D/R cars. The adds get reposted week after week - no one is buying them. I suppose eventually they drop the price or scrap them. No one wants them. I have no more room - 6 is my limit.

 

I think primarily it's a supply and demand thing here - VERY large supply, and less demand due to the relatively mild winters. The only people buying old Subaru's are the poor ski bums and the board member types.

 

GD

[Txakura]

Man they just never come off the road here, doesn't matter what kind of shape they're in, they just keep on boppin' along fenders flappin' in the breeze. Our winters are harsher than Portland so they still fetch a good price regardless of condition... oddly, up north a bit where Monstaru and Baccaruda are there seem to be more parts cars and some deals to be found... even though it's really the same climate.

 

The junkyard down south only had THREE Subarus last time I checked - and they had their parts priced so high it was stupid.

 

OOPS sorry, went OT - as far as those ads go, except the rust, they would seem reasonably priced around here - pretty much any truck has some market for practicality around here - farmer would just make a flat bed out of it and use it for something specific like a fuel or service truck or something like that

Edited August 14, 2009 by Txakura

[bheinen74]

i just talked to a junkyard recycler the other day, He said that recently, "all of a sudden Subaru car prices have gone way up, the wrecked totaled ones are now going for a lot more at auction, even the ones that are not fixable are going for a lot more than they are worth after fixing, compared to a few months ago"

 

???

 

anyone else hear this sort?

he said its because they are more popular and more people think they are worth keeping and fixing.

[Txakura]

i just talked to a junkyard recycler the other day, He said that recently, "all of a sudden Subaru car prices have gone way up, the wrecked totaled ones are now going for a lot more at auction, even the ones that are not fixable are going for a lot more than they are worth after fixing, compared to a few months ago"

 

???

 

anyone else hear this sort?

he said its because they are more popular and more people think they are worth keeping and fixing.

 

I heard on the radio new Subaru sales are up 34% over last year at this time... I'm thinkin' the clunker act has some folks buying Suubies

[bheinen74]

if you own a BRAT, hang on, the coaster is going WAY up, especially once people find out the heritage, and they learn about the BRAT. Most people never seen one. 10G + nice brats here we come.....yaya

[The Dude Abides]

I agree with Scooby 101%

 

I read your posthttp://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102357

 

the guy wants 450 for a running car low miles sounds like a good deal to me.

You spit in the mans face by offering 20 cents on the dollar

 

is your money worth more than mine

 

My money is worth more then yours because my lack there of. I dont have xtra money for 4 cars. I try to make due with what i have and get deals when i can. So when i see a shotty dealership who probally picked up this car for 50 bucks at an insurance wholesaler because THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE BACKSEAT. I tend to think that 450 is alittle high for a vehicle that has a inch of soot inside the car and 2inches of dust outside. I never ask for more then what something is worth. The whole point was to see what others are paying for end of life cars in your area. I still think these are to high. And if thats the case then im going to try and sell mine for 1500 and see where that gets me because mine is no more worse off then these are.

[Greenley]

Out here it's a lot like the PNW, as far as subies go.

Although we get more snow than most areas up there.

 

Rust free is the norm, so you don't come across truly "end of life" subarus,

unless they've been totaled, or beat to crap.

 

I personally wouldn't pay $450 for a gen 3 with fire damage.

I've passed on many a clean EA82 for really cheap, but that's because they're not my thing.

 

IMHO your offer was way low, considering you're in the rust belt.

Let it marinate on the market until he drops his price,

and if you're worried about it selling... then make a better offer.

[bobaru]

Ok back to car prices

 

new cars were not talking about right

 

used cars is like a good fruit crop

 

lots of good fruit you sell for less because you have lots to sell

 

 

 

I live in the PNW lots of good rust free used cars 10,000,000 of them

 

salt states not that many rust free cars... Infact a rust free should be worth more

 

My friend is form minnesota his mom&dad would fly oneway over twice a year see the Gkids bla bla bla.

 

 

drive back in a rust free car and sell it. Pays air fair bla bla bla

 

In fact car dealers in the salt states buy cars here and have them shipped back and sell'em like hot cakes

Edited August 14, 2009 by bobaru

[bobaru]

My money is worth more then yours because my lack there of.

grow up

[The Dude Abides]

Forget about the 450dollar subaru. LOOOOOOOOOOOK at the craigslist ads in the beginning of the thread. Rusted out cars going for a premium. That is what im talking about. And yea this subaru was rust free but it wasnt a gem buy any strech.

[bheinen74]

Forget about the 450dollar subaru. LOOOOOOOOOOOK at the craigslist ads in the beginning of the thread. Rusted out cars going for a premium. That is what im talking about. And yea this subaru was rust free but it wasnt a gem buy any strech.

 

I am gonna see how much i can get for rusted out parts BRAT....

I agree Ben. Cars are rusted out here, and they go for double a non rusted car elsewhere.. We cant afford the rusty ones here, but the nonrusted ones in other places we can afford....McBrat bought his Red BRAT from AZ and he got his former Outbackturbo from out of state as well. Cheaper to do it this way. I probably am bashing too much lately.

 

I was crazy, buying a rusted out pos BRAT for 700, but thats what they go for here. I got the bits i wanted from it, the cyclops was worth 150 to me. Now i got a rusted BRAT thats a POS. I would love to break even, but no way. its a loss. I could get out the can o bondo, and make the BRAT look real good, rattle can it, and get 1500 maybe. But that would be taking advantage. rOr I can just give it away...which i may do.

Edited August 14, 2009 by bheinen74

[The Dude Abides]

Maybe folks from other states without rust problems dont understand. Why would i pay more then 500 bucks for a vehicle i can see the pavement through the floorboard. Why would i pay more then a couple hundred bucks for a car that has fire damage. If i go out to the westcoast ill gladly spend around 700 bucks for a decent rust free car. But here in our junkyards its not the engines that go on these. Its the rustedout subframes.

 

Just buy the way i think about things i could get myself to sell my car for more then 700 bucks. Its not worth it even though ive got more into it then that. Its the principal of things.

[casm]

Maybe folks from other states without rust problems dont understand. Why would i pay more then 500 bucks for a vehicle i can see the pavement through the floorboard.

 

Agreed... So keep looking. There are other cars out there, it's just a question of them popping up. I'm fairly willing to bet that this isn't the only cheap car turning up in your area.

 

Why would i pay more then a couple hundred bucks for a car that has fire damage.

 

Why would you buy a car with fire damage? If anything says 'horrible accident waiting to happen again', that's it.

 

Just buy the way i think about things i could get myself to sell my car for more then 700 bucks. Its not worth it even though ive got more into it then that. Its the principal of things.

 

But by the same token, the guy can ask whatever he wants for it and isn't obliged to take an offer that he doesn't feel is fair. Whether or not you feel that's reasonable is another question, but having been in both your and his position before, I've got to say that he did exactly what I would. If it was a case of knocking $50 off the price, I'd probably just go with it - but a quarter of what I was asking would have me laughing. Not giving you a hard time, just pointing out that I'm not surprised that he reacted the way he did.

[The Dude Abides]

No i understand that, i guess my problem with the whole thing was. I dont half to pay that but he doesnt need to sell it for that much. Not my business, i agree. But whose going to pay that much for a vehicle you cant use. And that will most likely end up at the junkyard for the price im offering him right now.

 

But beyond that deal, bheinen and i live in the same state. Just the prices for some of these vehicles are rediculious. But if its something you want and the guys not willing to budge for his (gem). Its frustrating. Especially when your not getting much for what you pay for.

[TRAVIS75]

I don't see many subarus of any type for sale in the particular area of North Central Washington. But there are a ton of them running around. I hate to say that when we get calls for people wanting to sell us their "gently" used subaru's (i work at a salvage yard) we offer the same amount as we offer for most cars 50 bucks. The price of scrap metal is so low, and unfortunately my boss isn't interested in setting these cars in the yard to sell the parts, so I"ve seen a number of them just get squished . I've rescued 2, one was rusted, but the price was right, 89 DL m/t sr, after one year of hunting I quickly found out that it would be beneficial to convert to D/R. I got it from our auction for 500, I love it.

 

The other one i got, was also an 89 GL w/ 130k not a dent or a scratch, 100 percent rust free, small chip in the windshield, interior 99 percent perfect. Already a d/r (bonus) had a rebuilt engine in it, but whoever rebuilt it did something wrong, it put a hole in the block. My boss paid the guy 100 dollars for it, and was going to crush it, it just went against every moral fiber in my body to see this thing sent to the big yard in the sky, I got it for 250 dollars .

 

But as far as prices in general public sales, people around here just won't let them go, which IMHO means we've got some smart people, I know I wouldn't part with either of mine.

[akc]

Those prices all sound low here. I bought my subbie for 750 running with a new carb new stereo, head job, and a bunch of other work almost all the subbies that are decent running are near 1000 but you can find them for 500. The ones not running are also selling at 500. my nephew was given one from a friend but it did not run (it ended up being a fusable link he paid I think $100 to get it up and running but that was from a friend we sold our pontiac bonneville this winter (1995) for $300 the tranny was toast it needed new brakes and beyond (it had a major brake fluid leak, big oil leak, 300,000 miles on the engine. ) In general you could not drive it. and we estimated parts at close to 2,500 to get it running or more That was with us doing all the work but the tranny (we get a big discount on auto parts). I personally would not have paid more then $50 for it but I saw another one on craigslist sell for $500 in the same shape (blue book is only 2,000). you never know what you will find. In the past I have sold cars that have not ran and were about 10-15 years old for about 500. all needing more then $1000 worth of work. But then I have also sold cars that ran great had low miles for $500 too. (just did not want to deal with selling them get them gone fast)

 

We sold a subbie in CALF. in the mid 90's for $350 with a gear oil leak so bad you had to add gear oil just to get to town and then on the way back, it had no starter so you had to pop start it the winsheild wipers did not work, the heater coil was bipassed(no heat in winter we lived by donner pass), It needed new CV boots all the way around would not pass emmissions, the guy we bought it form had added sawdust to the tranny to keep it smooth. We were happy to get anything for it. (we bought it for $1500 6 months before we sold it) Sometimes I wonder if it is still on the road (I think it was a 1980 white gl) The 4 wheel drive would pop out when you used it so you had to hold it in gear. (but it would work great if you held it in. One time we drove through donner pass in a snowstorm with bald tires and held the 4wd in the whole way (2 hrs without snow) boy my arm was sore when we got home. (we froze too with no heater ) the whole time we were thinking or the donner party and what would happen if we got stuck there.

 

personally I think car prices are what you think the car is worth if you look hard enough you will find the deals. I saw a Brat on craigslist last week for 500 that ran great and had really low miles it almost looked new I sure wish I had the money for it. but there was also another one for 2500 the same week in about the same shape. the same vintage. speaking of that I am trying to sell a suburban right now and cannot seem to get rid of it. It has some issues but for someone looking for a 90's suburban it is half of bluebook for its shape. We have had only one offer on it and the guy flaked. I think I will have to raise the price just so people will notice it. which is a bummer because we wanted it gone before this weekend.

 

Of course the grass is always greener on the other side PA has a car I want for the price I want (but it is not worth shipping) I keep wishing it was over here and you know what is the bummer The car has not sold in a couple of weeks as if to say HA HA I am way over here and you cannot get me.

 

The best deals we ever got were towing auctions 200 for a car worth 2000 with only adding a 200 part. he worked for the towing company though so we knew what we were buying. Sometimes all the car needed was gas, one car only needed a new battery the best one though needed a 300 computer part and a head job. but it was still less then what the car was worth.

[Niku-Sama]

wow dude thats alot AKC

 

yea the thing is people in washington northern oregon want cars for winter, even in idaho. what do they want? something that does well in show and ice and gets good gas milage, they are all thinking that they are all AWD though and are dissappointed when they find out ours are either lever or button operated 4wd or fwd, the few people lucky enough to have FT4WD (like my self) usually have an easier time of selling because of it, people dont realize that the button and lever operated 4wd works just as good.

 

the other thing that some one said that the "PNW" doesent salt the roads and well yea they dont any more unless its an emergency but washinton salted their roads, my aunts 87 camry wagon is a testiment of that, WA doesent any more but they used too.

 

no one can argue that theres a high concentration of subarus in washington and always have, most of them are native to the state but havent you guys wondered why you get some time into the late late 80's or early 90's the rust on the cars isnt nearly as bad as they are from the mid 80's and early on. its not consistant so it mista been some time arround 90 that they stopped salting in WA.

 

aside from craigslist stuff well. what i notied in washington and oregon. if its got a blown headgasket its any where from $650 - $800 and aside from that you cant find jack. normally if it were a car that was worth it and the headgaskets were easy it would be no big deal but the headgaskets on these are a pain in the rump roast.

 

i like my subaru and all but if the head gaskets blew in both my loyale and 280zx and it was snowy and icy out. i'd replace the head gasket in the 280.

[Txakura]

there is a HUGE difference between Eastern and Western Washington, Western WA MAY use salt in an emergency but also the marine climate of the Puget Sound and coastal areas creates some salt water damage to cars

 

2" of snow does not constitute an emergency in Eastern Washington and we do not use salt, (hell for that matter 2 feet of snow does not constitute an emergency )