Need opinion on what this car is worth

[Tegguy]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum and also new to 240's. I am a honda/acura guy hence the name. I have the chance to pick up my first 240 and needed some opinions. It is a 1990 Hatch back, automatic, no power windows or locks, has AC. The motor was Rebuilt like 8k ago but it was done bad and the cylinderwalls were honed not bored so it burned about 1 quart of oil between changes. Small rip in drivers seat (where they always are) Car has 144k on it. with eibach sport springs (only mod). What do you think this car is worth? He is asking 3k but to me that seems a little high just hoping for some opinions. There aren't many 240's in this area so if i got it I would probably just do a SR20DET 5 speed swap in it eventually rather than fixing the KA but I could always go KA-T.

According to NADA (which they use around here) it is valued at:
Low 1325
Clean 2100
High 2650

and kelly blue book:
Excellent 1780
Good 1480
Fair 1125

Any opinions/information would be great thank you.

[EroGori]

bum engine.. i'd say about 1000 bucks if it is clean.

[FaLKoN240]

I wouldn't pay more than $800 it's not running correctly, and those mods are cheap.

You're basically buying a shell.

For reference, I just bought a black CLEAN TITLE, RUNNING PERFECT, AWESOME CONDITION 1991 for $2k.

[dorkjoey240]

good car usually run 1.8k or 2k at the most.

[Farzam]

I'd never pay more than $1500 for a NICE 240.

$1k max if you're desparate.

Damn drift tax.

[Bryants95240sx]

1000 max IF its clean

[Farzam]

Originally Posted by Bryants95240sx

1000 max IF its clean

By clean he means...STRAIGHT CHASSIS.
If it ran it could be in a showroom.
It'd actually look cool in your driveway.
You could pick up those sexy umbrella bitches.

[Tegguy]

Sorry guess I should have been more clear. Car runs perfect (according to him) however it just burns oil. Tranny shifts good

[Bryants95240sx]

thats not perfect then now is it ? i wounldnt consider a car burning oil to be in well running order.

[sideview_180sx]

you guys are some cheap asses, you gotta pay to play, those golden deals are fdew and far between now. the price he is offering is decent for a good conditioned car his isn't, just look elsewhere before you decide on one to buy.

[Tegguy]

well unfortunatly there are close to none in this area

[Bryants95240sx]

Originally Posted by sideview_180sx

you guys are some cheap asses, you gotta pay to play, those golden deals are fdew and far between now. the price he is offering is decent for a good conditioned car his isn't, just look elsewhere before you decide on one to buy.

It is a 17 year old car, but yes it is up the the buyer what the car is worth. I just wouldnt pay more than a 1000 for it, and he did ask our opinions.

[Tegguy]

Anyone know of a good/decent 240 for sale around South Dakota? cause from what you guys are saying is this is only worth 1k-1500 or so and I am 99% sure he won't come down to that.

[projectRDM]

Sadly the demand drives what people pay.

I wouldn't pay a dime over $500, but the kid down the street would pay $5000 without questioning it. If it's what you want and there's not a lot of options for over cars than offer $1500 and realize you're buying an old ass car with worn out brakes, suspension, interior, door hinges, etc. that will really need that much more money to bring it back to 'good' condition.

[drift freaq]

This thread is full of bargain hunters. In fact is a typical zilvia lowball response thread, not rooted in the reality of the day.
240falkon knows he got lucky on his find. He is giving you a slightly unreal reference. For reference and considering most everyone, (but him) that replied lives in areas were the value of car is not as high, as say here in socal. Thing is depending on what part of the country your in, the value of the cars is adversly different.
Now the car you described is technically a $1500 value car. If it was not burning oil the way it is. It has three things that affects its value
1. Its a 1990 2. Its an automatic. 3. its burning oil.

R240na is close to right the value of that car is around $500 maybe up to 1k. Burning oil like that your almost buying a dead shell and thats the way the car should be looked at.

Now in this particular instance the KBB value is actually pretty damn close to accurate, in 1990 automatic real market values. If the car was a 5 speed the NADA values would be close to what real market value is.
Now, lets put that aside.
Lets look at a few determining factors here.
How many of these cars were originally sold in your area of the country?
How popular have they become now among enthusiasts in your area of the country?
These things adversly affect the value and or purchase price of said cars.

If your in socal it automatically means unless your prepared to get up early in the morning and chase down the bargain gem deals that pop once in awhile you might get a car for some of the cheap prices listed above. You also might buy yourself a real piece of junk.
Trust me there is a lot of junk out there, I know I pass it up all the time.

On average a good clean 91 up 5 speed, mileage around 144k car, is going to cost you 3k around here. Sometimes a little sometimes a little lower.
A 1990 5 speed in that range will run up to or around $2500 and with some extras and super clean maybe 3k. Though usually they are 2k-2500.

[mRclARK1]

I haven't seen any year 240 for sale in my area, in any condition really, for less than $2500... I have seen some as high as $5000+.... seriously.

But I am in Canada; cars tend to be more expensive here in some areas.

I personally wouldn't pay anymore than $6-$700 for the one you're looking at... and if they don't sell for that, just keep looking, there will be another along at some point....

[thejapino]

You guys are forgetting supply and demand. In his area, there is very low supply. The seller probably knows this so he's gonna sell it at a higher price. If there where other cars in the area priced competitively, you may be able to bargain with him. Besides, i bet the owner has that "these cars are hard to find" mentality. good luck. if the chassis is as clean as it is it may still be a deal. you can always repair/replace the motor but if the body is straight/clean with original shiny paint, you may have sumfuh. in my opinion, his asking price is a little high tho

[Chez]

Well heres my story for comparison. I paid 700 for my 92 black hatch. interior was a mess body was a mess mechanically it started and drove but didnt like stopping much. I got it home, gutted the interior. bought some nice silvia seats, installed a set of sparco 4 point harnesses, made some custom suede e-brake and shifter boots, fixed the two little rust spots in the floor (about the size of a golf ball) took out all the seat belts with their motors, removed the destroyed backseat, disassembled the dash and console to clean it and replace burnt out bulbs.now the dash is mint the console is mint, and i installed a nice head unit and some nice alpine speakers i had laying around. only thing left to do is get a new carpet. Also my friends and i made a mint rear seat delete box that is the perfect hight for a nos bottle or subs to be mounted into. (ill put a build thread up if anyone is interested).As for the mechanicals, I had to buy a brake booster from a silvia, new front pads, and had all four rotors turned by a friend. did a full tune up to the motor, installed a set of energy suspension strut rod mounts, and a new pair of windshield wiper blades. I think thats it. Now i did all that work over the period of 5 months before i even got the car on the road, I just lookded around for good deals on stuff. i got the booster for like 40 bucks and the seats for so cheap i cant even post it on here. The most important thing is you cant be in a hurry. Oh i forgot to mention, it is a 5 speed manual, and only had 118k on it. now the paint is far from nice. ive already started d.a.ing the body and filling all the minor dents. So im into the car for about 2k and i havent really done anything special. it needs a new sunroof mostly because duct tape isnt exactly the highest fashion statement, and i still need a carpet. Id say the car is easily worth 3k now due to it being a clean straight bodied car with low mileage, being a 5 speed and totally mechanically sound. This is my story, take it for what its worth and keep in mind no matter what you get, you are most likely gonna be 3k deep to have a clean driveable 240.

[Jonnie Fraz]

Simple answer to the question" How much is this car worth?" is how much do you want to pay? If you are asking us then my guess is you think it is too much. Supply and demand has a bunch to do with the market for these cars. Also how long do you want to wait to find another. I am not saying to buy it, I am saying you have to make the call. Personally I would look around, and watch the for sale thread. Maybee if there are none in your area look elsewhere, for the extra money you could fly out somewhere and drive one back to SD.
I get people asking all the time if mine is for sale I always say "yes" for the right price...I still have it...No one has offered the right price yet, and it is not $1500.
Just my .02

[CA18_S13]

I would say 1000 bucks cash money to the guy and there you go. Plus what do you have money for. Do you have money for a ka-t rebulid or are you like just getting cause you won't a project and be able to work on it and drive it at the same time or can the car sit.

[s13gold]

Originally Posted by Tegguy

well unfortunatly there are close to none in this area

where are you from????
sd = san diego????

[PBucch]

I just bought an 89 with a perfect body for $150 =P Shes running shitty but the rotor is fucked up, once that comes in, booyah!

[DJ_Sunrise]

to be honest, in my area a car in likewise condition would go between 2500-3000. I personally would shy away from the s13, and make all attempts to get an s14. the newer the car the less shit that needs to be replaced. plus S14s are 10x sexier, stiffer chassis's, and you can fit wider wheels not knocking on the s13, my favorite car was my tan S13 coupe... God i loved her.. i miss my baby . remember one thing.. good things come along, but you need to be patient and wait for them. if you have the money to just start replacing stuff left and right, go for it. im on a decently low budget.. i would just wait around for a better deal to come by. im 20, in college, living at home with mom and pops, pulling in an average of $230, i smoke a pack of smokes a day, drink about 30 beers a week... the most economical solution for a person such as me is waiting around for a good deal to come up. i worked 60hr work weeks at a restaurant to afford my S14 SR swapped s14.. just lay things in perspectives. if the 240sx is the only love of your life (it is mine) and if this car is one of the most important things to you..(it is for me) spend some dough to drive out 4-5 hrs, or get a car shipped.. in the end its what you are passionate about, and where your love sits for a car. me personally.. when i get a ferrari, or lambo im slapping a bumper sticker on it that reads "this is my daily driver. my sunday car is a nissan 240sx."
i love 240s, my passion will never die. wait and spend a bit more if need be