What's it worth?(Mustang content): Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Sept. 16, 2011 11:47 a.m. petegossett SuperDork

A friend of a friend is going through a divorce, needs $$$, and wants to keep his turbo M3, so he's selling his '85 Mustang GT. I haven't seen it yet, but the details so far include: "rust-free", "build sheet for the engine", and "good interior except driver's seat". It apparently runs/drives fine, and the price seems dirt cheap. eBay wasn't much help on value, as most listed were BIN, no bids, or clean survivors.

My gut says if it's as good as it sounds it's probably a $2000-$2500 car. What says the experts here?
Sept. 16, 2011 11:56 a.m. rotard Reader

He could probably get $2500-3000 for it in the right area. Maybe more if the miles are low. Some people love them some foxes.
Sept. 16, 2011 12:12 p.m. ReverendDexter SuperDork

Really depends what's done to it, but I think you're right in the ballpark. If it's really, really clean, lower mileage, and a 5-speed, you might see $3500-$4k in the right areas, but I think $2500 is a good starting point.
Sept. 16, 2011 12:35 p.m. petegossett SuperDork

It's a 5-speed, and he's asking well below $2k. If I get it, I just want to be sure I can reasonably get my money back out of it.
Sept. 16, 2011 12:47 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

petegossett wrote:

It's a 5-speed, and he's asking well below $2k. If I get it, I just want to be sure I can reasonably get my money back out of it.

LOL... so what you are really saying is "Yikes, easy there fellas! Knock off all this $3500-$4k talk."
Sept. 16, 2011 1:55 p.m. rotard Reader

So, you want to hose this "friend of a friend?" Something tells me that he knows how much it's worth; good luck.
Sept. 16, 2011 2:44 p.m. Cotton Dork

petegossett wrote:

It's a 5-speed, and he's asking well below $2k. If I get it, I just want to be sure I can reasonably get my money back out of it.

buy it!....sounds like a good deal to me
Sept. 16, 2011 3:08 p.m. petegossett SuperDork

No, not looking to hose him - or get hosed myself. He's already told me what he wants for it, and I'm sure he knows what it's worth too. He needs cash quick.

At this point I'm a little concerned that it hasn't sold yet, but I still need to talk to him directly.

Here's one of the 3 crappy pics I've seen so far.
Sept. 16, 2011 3:34 p.m. Cotton Dork

I'd at the very least go take a look at it. From the pic, and the description, it definitely has good potential. "Well under 2k" seems cheap to me.
Sept. 16, 2011 3:47 p.m. Ian F SuperDork

Cotton wrote: "Well under 2k" seems cheap to me.

Yep... but if he has to give 1/2 the money to his future ex, then he may as well sell the car cheap to a buddy.
Regardless, it looks like a good deal to me. There was a really clean '84 2.3 turbo 5 spd for sale at Watkins Glen last week during the vintage festival with an asking price of about $5K.

The only thing that bugs me is it looks too clean to use as a FFR Cobra donor.
Sept. 16, 2011 3:57 p.m. ReverendDexter SuperDork

Ian F wrote:

The only thing that bugs me is it looks too clean to use as a FFR Cobra donor.

Yeah, the thought of a clean 4-light being scrapped for parts gets my hackles up a bit. There's plenty of beat-to-berkeley foxbodies out there to repurpose parts from without needing to wreck the good ones still left.

That flat black hood looks really good against the red... if I ever paint mine (and get rid of my uber-classy blue trunklid/spoiler) I may do that.
Sept. 16, 2011 4:01 p.m. HiTempguy Dork

Jesus H., that mustang (if its not rusty anywhere else) is worth $5k to $6k here. CHALLENGE CAR! Chinese twin turbo kit! DO EET NOA!
Sept. 16, 2011 5:23 p.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

looks like a 3500-4500 car around here, depending on rust.
Sept. 16, 2011 6:59 p.m. Ian F SuperDork

ReverendDexter wrote: There's plenty of beat-to-berkeley foxbodies out there to repurpose parts from without needing to wreck the good ones still left.

Maybe in CA, but here in the rust belt fox stangs have become surprisingly rare. Pretty much a 5.0 in any sort of running condition is a $2k car, usually in rather tattered condition.