Can anybody give me some price ranges for lt1's and ls1's selling in Florida. I've been seeing lt1's with 140xxx or so miles going for 3-4k, and then some ls1's selling for 9k+. KBB says a fair conditioned lt1 should go for 3.5k. What do you guys think. I'm wondering because I'm looking to get one in a couple months and want to make sure I'm getting a good deal.

 

it depends where in FL.

the LT1 powered 4th gens seem to have found bottom between $2500 (hurting units) to $4,000 and all in that price range require make ready work. Ocala and Lakeland regions have the best prices followed by inland areas such as Arcadia/Sebring.

Orlando tends to be over-priced and Miami.......well, no thanks.

I'm sorry to say but you missed the boat on distress sales. Many guys in the building trades had Stangs and Maros but dumped them a few years back when they were out of work for a year. Those guys have since left the state.

People like me swooped in. Some would call us SOB's or vultures while others would call us angels of mercy.

 

One word...road trip!
By me, very decent LS1's, with under 100k miles, are easy to come by with asking prices in the $5's.

 

Really??? I need to make a road trip to see camaro69!!! Think I could pick up a M6 LT1 with 150xxx-175xxx for $2000-$2500???

 

Do you like red? 1999 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - 5.7 LS1 - T-Tops - Leather - CLEAN

 

And obviously the newer you go, the more they cost. But here's a 2000 for $6999: 2000 Camaro Z28 Coupe Automatic

 

If you are buying a used car from Chicago you really want to check it out good. Not to pick on Chicago but any of the Great lake area cars can have rust issues. I mean like nightmare rust issues in places cars from the south would never have. I use to go to the Auto Auction in Pittsburg I use to have to check the underneath to make sure it was not a "Lake Erie" car. Also cars from cities like this can have less then 100K on them and be completely worn out.

In Chicago you can travel for hours to get 10 miles with about 200 stops and starts. Cars really should have hours meters not miles to indicate usage. Again I am not picking on Chicago its like that with most big cities. In fact of all the Big cities I have been in Chicago is the nicest.

 

Heres what a "good deal" means to me regardless of geographic location. Any automobile has wearable items and they need maintenance. If the seller can show you a folder with reciepts inside showing the car was repaired when needed and regular services were done like oil changes, transmission fluid/filter changes, brakes, belts, coolant services etc. etc. then my belief is the rest of the car should reflect that same level of care.

Any used car is a gamble. however, a car with a "paper trail" of service might be a safer bet. Do you want a daily driver with little to no work needed? Or... are you looking for a project that you can do the work yourself on? Cars that have been cared for and have proof of that, followed by an obvious well cared for appearence will comand more money than a car that was just driven until it was worn out to the point of becoming just another used car....

Getting the most car for your money will depend on your own dilligence and research, as well as how much money you have to spend.

Good Luck in your search!!

 

As far as these cars from my area, sure, there's a chance one with mega-miles might have some underside rust. And about the miles put on them, the ones I posted are from the suburbs of Chicago, not the city. We're spread out here in the burbs, so we're not all simply stop and go. Also, we generally don't drive our Camaro's or Vette's in the winter, mainly because they suck in the snow. And do the math. National average for a d.d. car is 15k miles per year. Both of those cars have almost 100k miles. The mileage on the 99 (13 year old) works out to roughly 7500 a year, and the 2000, roughly 8k miles a year. This means they sat for half their life, strongly suggesting they weren't winter cars. As with any car you're looking at, look under it as much as you're looking at the top side. And just because a car is currently living in a warm climate area doesn't mean it was born and raised there. Cars can move all over the country, especially if they're auctioned off trade-ins.

 

I am in no way saying none of the cars from an urban setting are not in good condition, I am saying there are things you need to watch for in an urban setting that we do not see in the more rural settings. Also keep in mind that any history of any car must include all owners and their kids. A car can be babied for 10 years and destroyed in 6 months.

I have seen at least a half a dozen very nice looking low miles F body’s go thru auction in Pittsburg that in my opinion where not repairable due to rust and no idea how many that needed some real attention. At Pittsburg there could be 50-100 f body’s in a 4 hour period, now spread that over 7 years. These cars always sell as long as they have inspection stickers. A lot of dealers don't even look underneath. But you are right in that for every 1 “F” body I have seen in this condition I have seen 10 Monte Carlos. And yes I have seen a few rotted framed Vets also.

I also had customers that took great care of their cars but they always seem to have these issues with wearing out back tires and wearing the outer edges on the tires. After a little questioning I would find out sometimes their son would borrow the car. We had one whose son had the car towed from the drag strip. Not a good idea if you want warranty to cover the repair. OMG the car still have white lettering on the windshield. He still told his dad he just in the parking lot he was not racing it. LOL