What's my car worth?!?

[ls1mike]

So I will give you my opinion and we all know what those are like.

I am GM guy and LS guy.

I like the Impala SS to include it's cousin the Grand Prix GXP, always have.

Someone looking for one knows what it is so they don't care about what it looks like or the interior. They do however want it clean.

Clean the dang engine?!! What do people think you are hiding? An oil or coolant leak? Because that is all you are really hiding. You can eat off of every engine I own. (well not my mowers

)

The pro's LS4 and I have seen them crack off 13.70-80 1/4 mile time stock. Tons of mods and upgrades.

The miles on an LS4 not a big deal. The miles with that engine on an original 4T65EHD? You are living on borrowed time with the transmission.

Did you actually do an AFM delete or just tune, as the tune does not guarantee that mechanical portion will not fail.

It is wrong wheel drive for that engine.

Styling is subjective, some people love it, some people don't.

Having said all that it is $5000 dollar car. Someone who knows them will buy it and do the transmission and you are looking at 2500 bucks. Someone who does not will end up doing it down the road.
If AFM fails that is another $2000 if you can't fix it yourself, people who know the cars will take this into account, people who don't well it might not be a good experience down the road.

Basically if you don't want to take $5000 for it you might as well keep it.

I looked at a few before I picked up my Caprice, the reasons I listed are why I didn't buy one.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by 69GTX
When I read post (before seeing the car) I assumed it was at most a $5K car. Was surprised at $7500. That's HIGHER than what I could buy an LS1 5.7 L 1998-2002 SS for with way LESS miles. I've seen 2001's with 65K miles priced at $6500 or lower. The design of those earlier LT1/LS1 cars is so much more appealing and stream lined - even lighter too. Their "age" doesn't keep buyers away for good cars....and neither should a 2008 Impala SS (rated 303 hp). Are these engines easily "built up" to 380-400 hp like the LS1's? Their competition are the earlier generations of Camaro's and Firebirds....as well as Mustangs, GTO's, and even high mileage Vettes. The Camaro's do have a lower demand than the Firebirds....they bring a lower price too. My former 1998 Z28 LS1 Camaro had 115K miles on it when I sold it in 2009 for $3K. Very clean car and still all original at sale except the brakes, tires, fluids, and filters.

So as an SS enthusiast, and an owner of a 1999 Camaro SS with 19K miles I don't see the $7500 "book" value for that many miles In this case, the car being only 10-11 yrs old is it's biggest selling point.....and the miles the worst part of it. The "book" value on my car is supposedly around $8K-$9K.....but good luck finding one in that price range. The price guides tend to under price these cars with real low miles.....and over price them with considerable to high miles.

There are plenty of potential buyers for clean muscle cars with low miles. And I also periodically clean the engine bay....and I keep every record for all maintenance tasks I perform. One benefit of doing such a deep cleaning and keeping it that way....is that you find stuff wrong and get a much better idea what condition your car is. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to a filthy engine bay or a filthy car.


Sure? I get that the LS1s are more race-friendly, theredore more desirable to some, but to most a 6-7 year newer model would appeal more, therefore commanding the higher price. And it sounds like you got duped by the 2009 gas prices selling for $3K. But the values are just slightly under what I'm asking per NADA, and that's what banks and CUs go by, so surely I'm not as far off as some may think, but yes, I'm high.


With both being (Niche-Enthusiast) vehicles......Gas prices don't affect their values much. '98 LS1 F-Bodies are not as desirable as '99-'02 versions because the slow PCM's that are very "Brickable" when loading custom calibrations in them and the '97/'98 LS1 has its own set of issues.

LS4 powered vehicles are not easily modified....(In the way true enthusiasts want to modify them), The LS4 block is quite different....So you can't install a 6.0L/6.2L block in its place. You can't push much more than 450 RWHP through a 4T65E-HD no matter who builds it!!
Then we come to the AFM.....No matter how blown out of proportion the problems are, Your car might as well be Radioactive.

I like the LS4 Impala SS, I think they're kinda neat! But you must realize they don't excel at anything in particular.....Mediocre build quality, FWD, AFM, Weak Transmission, & MacPherson Strut front suspension. A 2008 Cobalt SS LNF can outperform your Impala in every metric besides 0-60mph though it also has poor build quality, FWD, & MacPherson Strut front suspension but not near as front heavy so the handling is light years better, With the optional Brembo's up front the Cobalt also stops A LOT better.

I believe GM could have made the V8 Impala SS/Monte Carlo SS/Grand Prix GXP something special with a 5.7L LS1, 4T80E, Brembo's all around, & Bilsteins Struts & Shocks.

NADA, KBB & the like don't set the market on 12 year old cars, A Bank/CU won't usually finance a car that old anyway. Your basically asking someone to [censored] $7,500 cash for a $4,500 car.....Good Luck with that!

I really hope you fixed the oil pressure issue......Before asking top dollar?

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by Kjmack
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Was the car ever fixed? This is the last post on a recent thread that the OP posted.

Originally Posted by tony1679
***Update***

Bad news... It's not the sensor.

Had time to hook it up again tonight with a cold start (about 50°F again). When it started, it slowly and steadily built pressure up to about 40psi over the first two full seconds (no instant burst of pressure). It held steadily at ~40psi until the idle started to slow, then the pressure fell. It fell to 24psi. What's really bizarre is it fluctuated between 22-44psi for the entire warm-up cycle. I recorded about 5 minutes of the pressure test to give a better idea of what's happening (sorry! I did the one thing I can't stand, I held the phone upright...

). The video starts about 1-2 minutes after the cold start, but essentially you only missed the first 15 seconds, because after 15 it does the same thing until the video starts. Here's a YouTube link:
Pressure Test Video Link

I guess it's comforting knowing it didn't fall below 22psi

I'm debating the scenarios in my head, wondering if it's worth it to fix it... I'd probably use OEM parts, and have it dealer serviced (because I have connections with employee discounts on both parts and labor). If this is the AFM pressure relief valve, how much will it cost to fix (or is this easy enough to do myself)? Looking for hours and part cost, I can calculate the rest. Or if it's the pressure regulator, what's the time and part cost there? I'm assuming it's a full oil pump replacement, and I'm assuming it's a LARGE number on the labor side. I definitely won't do this one myself...

Huge thanks again!

Ouch .

Took longer than I thought for that to get dug up. That's why I presented this thread the way I did. If that would have been mentioned from the beginning, everyone would have said to roll it across the scales

. You know I'm right. I do currently have it listed for $7500, and I know I'm way overpriced. Based on all the responses here, that will come down. I wanted everyone's opinion without it's issue factored in. That way I knew where people's expectations were. The plan was/is, while someone is looking at it halfway seriously, to get someone to have that 'I'm interested' game face on, then drop that info on them, and also reduce the price $1,000-$1,500 to compensate for the repair. All this so I know where I'm going to end up on price. If they're still interested, it's a 100% transparent sale. If not, I understand. I don't want to sell a car with a guilty conscience. Bad karma. And no way would I have sold it on here. That's why it's not in the for sale section. So based on this thread, I'm gathering everyone's expectations (rough average) are about $6,000. Subtract the $1-1.5K, I will end up in the $4,500-$5,000 window. Maybe as low as $4K. So I need a significant price drop even before the repair compensation adjustment. Or, the more likely scenario, I just need to bite the bullet and keep it. I said I'd keep it for $6K. I guess I have some serious thinking to do. For certain, no way I'm selling for $5K. It's worth way more than that to me, including the cost of repair.

Regardless, that's what I was after.

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by ls1mike
Someone looking for one knows what it is so they don't care about what it looks like or the interior. They do however want it clean.

Clean the dang engine?!! What do people think you are hiding? An oil or coolant leak? Because that is all you are really hiding. You can eat off of every engine I own. (well not my mowers

)

The pro's LS4 and I have seen them crack off 13.70-80 1/4 mile time stock. Tons of mods and upgrades.

The miles on an LS4 not a big deal. The miles with that engine on an original 4T65EHD? You are living on borrowed time with the transmission.

Did you actually do an AFM delete or just tune, as the tune does not guarantee that mechanical portion will not fail.

It is wrong wheel drive for that engine.

Styling is subjective, some people love it, some people don't.

Having said all that it is $5000 dollar car. Someone who knows them will buy it and do the transmission and you are looking at 2500 bucks. Someone who does not will end up doing it down the road.
If AFM fails that is another $2000 if you can't fix it yourself, people who know the cars will take this into account, people who don't well it might not be a good experience down the road.

Basically if you don't want to take $5000 for it you might as well keep it.

I looked at a few before I picked up my Caprice, the reasons I listed are why I didn't buy one.

Yes, the LS4 is faster than most think. Agreed on most of these transmissions, but I truly feel this one was babied, well maintained, and will last a long time (as long as it continues to be babied). Just a tune for AFM, not a physical delete. Shutting off AFM was the best decision I ever made on a car (deleting would have been better, but hey).

I am pondering what I'm going to do with it. Keeping it sounds more appealing at the moment.

 

[CKN]

Once again-proving that an OCD oil changing schedule is useless at sell/trade in time.


You guys keep on-keeping on buying that cheap oil!

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by CKN
Once again-proving that an OCD oil changing schedule is useless at sell/trade in time.


You guys keep on-keeping on buying that cheap oil!


Cheap oil? Buy the most expensive synthetic and dump it at 3k!

 

[A_A_G]

Your price is a absolutely insane for a car that wasn't worthy of an SS badge.

You can buy a 2012+ model with equal mileage to yours for less. Those have the 3.6 v6 6-speed that is faster and gets far better gas mileage.

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by A_A_G
You can buy a 2012+ model...Those have the 3.6 v6 6-speed that is faster.

#FakeNews

I eat those for lunch.

0-60 in 4 mile is a half second or more slower, and it lacks a whopping 60 ft-lbs of torque. They weigh about the same... Try again.

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted by A_A_G
Your price is a absolutely insane for a car that wasn't worthy of an SS badge.

You can buy a 2012+ model with equal mileage to yours for less. Those have the 3.6 v6 6-speed that is faster and gets far better gas mileage.


2012 ? If I was shopping a used V6 Impala … it would be 2014+ to get the improved style and road manners

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Originally Posted by Char Baby
Clean up the engine bay some and it could surprise you.


This. Trust me and Char Baby on this one. The first thing people who are looking for a niche car will do is pop the hood. They want to see a squeaky clean meticulously maintained engine bay. They want to be able to eat off of it.

I guess I would agree. I wouldn't want that at all though. To me, overly clean = something to hide.

You don't have to steam it, just some dressing over the black plastic parts such as the engine shroud, hoses & black covers. Just quickly, don't spend a lot of time under the hood. Maybe around the battery too and the inner fender/strut tower areas. Don't use any product that has a greasy appearance to it. Then knock down the slippery shine with another rag so it just looks clean...Potential buyers love that!

 

[WishIhadatruck]

I'm in the market for an Impala, but I want a cheap larger car with decent fuel economy. I don't even bother looking at the SS models because the transmission is a ticking time bomb and the fuel economy sucks. If I wanted a performance sedan, there are far better options. I think anyone else looking at Impala's is in one of two camps, either they have no idea what the SS model is and don't know why they would pay more for it, or they know about it and probably also know of the transmission issues as this trans was never intended to handle this type of power. GM pushed it too far with these cars. Also, I'd rather have the Grand Prix with the same powertrain and better suspension and better looks if I wanted to take the chanced on this powertrain.

 

[JasonC]

You should have taken that $5900 offer and ran with it.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by tony1679
Or, the more likely scenario, I just need to bite the bullet and keep it. I said I'd keep it for $6K. I guess I have some serious thinking to do. For certain, no way I'm selling for $5K. It's worth way more than that to me, including the cost of repair.

Regardless, that's what I was after.


Denial is not just a river in Egypt. With Nadaguide at $5800, it sounds like it's worth more to you than the free market.

Incidentally my 2008 Mercedes E350 with about 105k is worth about $8300 retail according to Nadaguide. It's pretty loaded too, pano roof, power trunk closer, bixenons, keyless go, real leather, parking sensors, navigation, Harman Kardon sound, etc. There's a lot of other options out there when people have $7500.

 

[dave1251]

I can't believe the engine bay comments go ahead and detail it you will get another $50 from your sale.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by tony1679
Or, the more likely scenario, I just need to bite the bullet and keep it. I said I'd keep it for $6K. I guess I have some serious thinking to do. For certain, no way I'm selling for $5K. It's worth way more than that to me, including the cost of repair.

Regardless, that's what I was after.


Denial is not just a river in Egypt. With Nadaguide at $5800, it sounds like it's worth more to you than the free market.

Incidentally my 2008 Mercedes E350 with about 105k is worth about $8300 retail according to Nadaguide. It's pretty loaded too, pano roof, power trunk closer, bixenons, keyless go, real leather, parking sensors, navigation, Harman Kardon sound, etc. There's a lot of other options out there when people have $7500.



Indeed like I said earlier Tony has a $5500 car.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by dave1251
Indeed like I said earlier Tony has a $5500 car.
And that's finding the Chevy enthusiast that really wants a 2017 SS but doesn't have the budget, but always liked these. Otherwise you can fire sale it to the guy that doesn't care if it's an LS or SS and just needs something big enough to haul his family around on a budget.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by dave1251
Indeed like I said earlier Tony has a $5500 car.
And that's finding the Chevy enthusiast that really wants a 2017 SS but doesn't have the budget, but always liked these. Otherwise you can fire sale it to the guy that doesn't care if it's an LS or SS and just needs something big enough to haul his family around on a budget.



I can't believe he walked away from a $6K offer. It's not a classic nor will it ever be.

 

[terry274]

He has a GM product with a (probably) serious engine problem and a troublesome transmission. If he can't fix it himself he should advertise it as a mechanics special and let it go cheap. Or drive it until it blows and scrap it.
Neither of these options appeal to him, understandably.

 

[tony1679]

Well, I've decided to revive this thread. I've given in to *most* people's advice here, and left my ego & pride behind. I've detailed it, did a light cleaning of the engine bay and have significantly lowered the price. I'm currently priced at $5,999, and have been at that price for several weeks. I've also put it up on several sites I've never tried before, including Impala enthusiast forums. I've parked it countless places around town that get a lot of traffic (Walmarts, Target, major shopping/restaurant areas, well-known empty lots that have multiple cars for sale, and others). I have a giant printed sign in the windshield that says "$5,999" (each symbol/number takes up an entire 8.5x11 page, so it literally can't be missed).


Still to this day, nobody has even opened the driver door. That's over 3 months without a test drive or even a remotely interested offer/call/text.


I'll go back and re-read everyone's input again, but I'm kinda stuck. I've done everything I know to do, and done what many have advised to no avail. It's beyond depressing. I keep telling myself "if it isn't getting hits, it's still priced too high" so I keep lowering it. But I'm at the point where I'm about to give up and just keep it. It seems no matter how much I lower it, it doesn't matter. I feel like nobody would care if it was $3,000 at this point. [Censored], CarMax would give more than $3k. Yet I've seen countless Impalas around with temp tags, one an SS. I've been carefully watching the market around me, and all the ones I see were a stealer's deal guaranteed worse than mine. Are people ONLY buying from dealers these days?

I could completely understand if someone is interested, but after driving it they say "it's not for me" or after an inspection they say they don't want to mess with it. I'm perfectly content with rejection. But not being acknowledged at all is something I am having a very hard time understanding.

Curious what input you have to offer (again). Thanks in advance, even if it's critical.

 

[Skippy722]

I'd say see what Carmax will give you, and maybe try putting it on Bring a Trailer, being a 2008 Impala I honestly don't know what they'd say... worst case is a no thank you, best case it's $99 and you upload some pictures, set a reserve price, and they'll write the listing and handle the rest for you.