do you pay the asking price for everything you've ever bought? Didn't think so

 

Cheeks, based on the cars you listed, and the amount of high miles the "reasonably priced" ones have, I'm gonna change my original recommendation for him to keep an extra $1k aside to keeping at least an extra $2k aside.....and a lot of spare time. If he buries himself financially just buying the car, there's going to be nothing left to fix these heaps. And that's figuring he can do any and all work himself.

 

Idk I just feel as though some of the comments were meant to be more insulting than helpful.

 

I don't know, I guess because I can do most anything myself it really doesn't matter to me. But I'm looking at them as racecars, not daily drivers either

 

nah, we all have one thing in common, we're enthusiasts (although I come here just to get abused by camaro69)

you are anonymous to all of us. We do not know your mechanical capabilities etc. In fact, look at Cheeks' comment and how he looks at cars from the racing perspective.

That is why it's so important to provide as much information as possible so replies can be tailored to your specific application

example- are you or your dad handy with tools and willing to rip into cars and not get overwhelmed? or, will you need to enlist the services of a shop? Do you have the space to put your car up for a few days as you wait for parts and/or troubleshoot? Will the car be your daily driver and you cant be without it?

All of those things determine the type of vehicle you should purchase.

let's review actual posts which have appeared not only here but other forums as well and i will paraphrase

"i'm looking at a xxx camaro z28 which won't start but the owner says it just needs a coil, he's asking xxx"............me, I would assume the engine is toast and offer a price reflecting the vehicle is a roller. Otherwise, why would the current owner not install a coil, they're cheap and it's easier to sell a running car.

you need to set your expectations. If a seller claims the vehicle just needs a head gasket then I go into it assuming total rebuild. But, you will see posts by people who buy those cars just to find out they need a few $thousand in repairs to get back up and running and are upset about it. They assumed the best and did not plan for the worst.

So, it comes down to your needs vs wants, your wherewithal and from that you will have your answer

good luck

 

The only one in that list that I would consider is the 99 with 117k miles for $4500. Yeah, that's "asking" price, but even after chewing the price down well under $4k, you're still looking at the low 4k range out the door. The other ones are near to and well beyond the 150k mile mark. Not to pick on any age group, but generally the 4th gens are young kid's cars that have been beat on. Let's face it, these aren't "granny driven to church" types of cars. Don't be surprised if you wind up with rearend and/or transmission problems with those mega-miles cars.

 

all of which is relatively cheap in the long run, a motor is 3-500 bucks, a good 4l60 is 400 bucks, a 10 bolt can be had for 150 or less. The advantage of these cars (specifically the 4th gen) is that they're a dime a dozen, parts from MANY different years can work and they're plentiful in junkyards.

Yes, if you can't do the work yourself it can be an issue, because your 500 dollar motor turns into a 1500 repair bill, but if you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, parts for these cars can and do come VERY cheap

 

How many miles would that "good" used 4L60E have on it? I guess I'm looking at it a little differently on how I would do it. Me, I'm not going to take a car half apart so I can change a trans, and put one in that has miles on it, with the worries that it may not last. I'd be looking at rebuilt to make it worth my effort. The rearend is an easier change if the junk yard dog doesn't last

 

we just sold a 22k mile 4L60 for 400 bucks. had a buddy recently sell one with 60k on it for 400 bucks, I guess it all depends on what you find, but the going rate for them seems to be in the 3-400 range in working order, if not, 75 bucks for a core is on the high side

 

If it's from someone reputable, or it has receipts to back it up, that's better. My point is I wouldn't go using one from a junk yard when you don't know for sure what the heck you're getting. That's a job you don't want to have to do twice. $400 for that 22k mile one, I woulda bought that from you. You're a wee bit away from me though.