A 1991 Chevy Caprice in faded battleship grey went for $3000 at last week’s sale. It had only 37k miles. But none of the bells and whistles that would make such an old timer truly desirable. Now the 1996 Chevy Caprice with 71k and leather was a completely different story. Garage kept. No paint fade. All the bells and whistles in good working order. I was expecting around $5000 for this ancient beast.
It went for $5100. Truth be told this was the first auction with relatively decent prices in a long time. The 4th of July makes at least some of the dealers go away which was more than OK with me. I got four cars today. None of which were anything special.
What was? Apparently a 5 year old base Grand Prix in GM tan and only 61k was the crack pipe deal of the day. $7950.
Other notable buys included a 2005 BMW 645 Convertible with 76k for $18,400 (repo but clean)
A 2008 Jeep Patriot Limited in Black for $9050.
And my favorite a 1992 Corvette with only 66k (but sadly no picture). Automatic, Good Leather and absolutely pristine.
Today’s TTAC prize of the rare Victor Sheymov spy novel ‘Tower of Secrets’ will go to the first person to guess the selling price within $100. A great book worth the read. This offer is good until 800 P.M. today. No purchase necessary. Batteries not included. All sales final.
$8100
I’m not familiar with 645 convertible values but $18,400 seems dirt cheap to me even with 76k.
Yeah, that does seem cheap. I’ve seen coupes of that era go for around $30,000. Are they that unreliable or something? It’s a V8 four seat convertible and it’s summer. Shouldn’t that thing be going for a lot more?
Are they that unreliable or something?
Do you need to ask? German. V8. Luxury. Of course it’s unreliable. And we’re not talking Lada 2100 or Ford Panther, here, where all you need is a tree, some liquor, some time on your hands and a sledgehammer.
@Psar
That’s stunning about the BMW V8s. You can still buy new cars all day in the US and Canada for under $20K where the engines will go 200K miles or more with only oil, spark plugs, and a timing belt or two.
Hell, any engine work before 150K miles makes a modern car a disappointment.
At that price (even wholesale) that thing’s gotta be thrashed. $18.4k is 330Ci ZHP money – which is far easier to live with. V8 BMWs cost multiples of what it takes to keep an I6 BMW in good shape.
You’d think an exporter would grab it, but I was seeing 545s and 645s advertised in San Diego for about $26K back in late 2007. Easy to live with is important. Back in 1994, when BMWs were generally considered to be much more durable, I had an opportunity to straight trade my 1988 325 for a 1988 750iL with similar miles. They were both valued at about $12K retail. Fortunately, my BMW CCA friends advised me to stay away.
Give it a few more years and there may be a 645 appearing in LeMons.
A W140 Mercedes S500 from the late 90’s has already made an appearance (got in under the $500 total outlay mark by being a rough salvage title car from which a lot of interior parts were sold).
http://murileemartin.com/wordpress/?p=1109
$12000
Here in the Southeast Bubble Caprices are very popular with the Big Rims crowd. I wouldn’t be surprised if demand from these customizers has caused the value for these cars to be more than what you would expect for a 15-20 year old sedan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8490341@N04/3546893540/in/set-72157608225913357
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8490341@N04/4477009000/in/set-72157608225913357
$14,500
$7500 for the Vette.
$8300 for the Corvette.
$7950 for the Corvette.
$9750 for the vette
$10100
11K flat for the Corvette, and old US metal seems to hold it’s value quite OK over there.
shamu edition–now that’s funny! I love those old Caprices–the last Chevy with personality. Beats the Panther cold in the looks dept (Sorry Educator(of teachers)Dan, Sajeev, and other Panther lovers.)
$7550 for the ‘vette
I’ve said before I only admire the panther for it’s “last man standing” status and the fact that you can pick one up for a reasonable price. Because GM was extremely shortsighted and stopped producing the B and D body cars the Panther comes out the winner in my book. The remaining B and D bodies are simply fetching prices I’m not willing to pay.
The panther’s shortcomings vs the GM equivilent is remedied by the Panther’s value proposition. Give too enthusiasts $10,000 and tell one to buy a Roadmaster and the other a Grand Marquis and the Grand Marquis guy will come back with a lower mileage, cleaner, model with more options for the same money. Head over to CurbsideClassic and you’ll see what I think of the Cadillac Fleetwood.
Forgive me if I sound harsh it’s just that I’m not a Panther fanboy, I just understand the admiration and if my goal was a V8 RWD sedan for the lowest possible price… Well I’d be looking at Town Cars like Mr. Baruth did.
You would really love a Falcon or Commodore Dan still made with that configuration fast and comfortable but no BOF antique
The way you’re defining it, the Panther is the winner.
@Educator(of teachers)Dan:
+1.
Like I wrote a few week ago:
The B-bodies are great, but they went out of production in 1996 and many of them are modified to within an inch of their life, rotting away on BHPH lots with 200K miles and six owners, or garage queens with unreasonable prices.
Meanwhile, The Panthers have an excellent combination of affordability, maintainability, and availability.
Plus, the VE Commodore (aka the G8) actually drives like a modern sport sedan.
8125 for the Vette.
That Bimmer was cheaper than I would have thought too.
$6680 4 the C4
9 grand flat for the fiberglass wonder.
As the owner of a 97′ HPP Grand Marquis, and having never driven or ridden in a B body from that era, how do they compare to the Panthers? I know early Panthers had their issues, (mine needed a lot of tinkering to get a decent shift out of that damn AOD lump, and I had the exploding intake repair). Which one wins in the “beat it till it dies and fix it with a sledgehammer” department?
Ok, I’ve driven B-bodys right up to the “bathtub/whale” thing, from a 80 Oldsmobile to a 1990 Caprice wagon. I’ve driven Panthers but only from the “areo” era and up. The areo Panthers are floaty-er than the B-bodys that were one generation behind them. Both cars IMHO had a quiet cloud like ride, but the Panther chassis was more upset by minor bumps and frost heaves in the road. The B-bodys were soft but “buttoned down” if that makes any sense. It was almost as if the Panther’s would have benefited from having their axles moved 3in closer to the ends of the car on each end without changing the overall size of the vehicle.
The B-bodys also seemed (to me) to make better use of the back seat space. I’d love a Pontiac Parisienne in any of the body styles that were available. (But I’d immediately upgrade for a more modern engine/transmission.)
The “B” bodies – pre-1990 “roach-mobile” were the finest full-size cars on the road. The “roach-mobiles”? I hated them with a dying passion that persists to this day. How can you, in good conscience, offer a sedan so bloated, with a back window that doesn’t even roll down half-way – Chevette-style, and expect many to buy one? Perhaps it’s just me, but no sale, ever! The 1977-89 models, that’s a different story, especially the early Impala coupes with the wrap-around backlite. Those I do love!
The panthers? Certainly I respect the platform, but Ford sure didn’t do themselves any favors by not improving that platform.
I had a few of them as rentals and did not enjoy the ride at all – “floaty” is the only term for it, too.
A Volvo 940 makes both of them look like the utter crap that they are, for even less money and with better fuel economy. Infinitely better handling. And even in Maine, they don’t rust. World’s best seats, and usually heated to boot. And despite being more managably dimensioned on the outside, they have just as much room on the inside, if not more. The back seat in a Crown Brick is a joke for the size of the car, and they don’t have much legroom up front either as the seat does not go back very far.
The nicest 940 non-turbo in the country might cost you $5K, and you could drive it for peanuts for the rest of your life.
$3900 for the plastic-fantastic Vette.
I can remember in August 76, when I saw the first 77 “B” Impala come down the line. It was a slow production ramp up. At the time we all thought, “this down sized B car was going to be a dud”
The line got going, and never stopped. Many a tear was shed here in Oshawa, when the last B car rolled off the line in Nov 85.
BTW…Happy July Fourth guys.
@Dan One thing to note is that there is a significant difference between a standard suspension and a HPP suspension Panther. Not near as floaty or easily upset and a better riding and handling car than the GMs.
@crinkle The aero Panther wins the beat it till it dies game by far. It is easy to get 350k out of a 4.6 w/o touching it (other than the years with the all plastic intake). The AOD can go well past 200K. I sold my last GM to a buddy of mine that the last I heard he had ~280K on it. It’s been through a few sets of tires, brakes, some front end parts, both O2 sensors, exhaust, U-joints and of course lots of oil changes. The SBC is easier to fix with a sledge hammer than the 4.6 but since the 4.6 is more durable so that rarely comes into play.
$12,200 on the Vette. I hope it was cheaper, but this is the number popping up in my mind.
Somebody took my bid price so I will go with $8800.
$3800 for the 92 Corvette is my guess
7700.00 for the vette.
Cerebra LM wins!
The price was $6600.
Cerebra, feel free to contact me at steven.lang@alumni.duke.edu and I will be happy to send you the spy thriller.
I will say 9500 for the Corvette.
$9000 for the corvette
Dang it, I’ve waited long enough! I want that Corvette for free, taxes and title paid, of course. Free delivery, too.
That’s just the auction price. Steve hasn’t told us what he would ask for the Vette if it was on his lot.
$7950 for the stripper Grand Prix in neon beige?!?!? They retail for that around here.
“Neon beige?!?” That’s rich.
$3000 for a Caprice classic??? That’s way too much. They should at the most go for $750 with the leather in tact.
Find me 100 of them and I’ll buy them all plus pay you a commission. They’re gold. Watched two SS models sell at SALVAGE auctions in the last two weeks. One wrecked hard in the rear went for $5500. Other one was just a pig and had flood damage. Didn’t run and went for $2800.