heslekrants

I use Edmunds.com prices as a reference when I'm buying used cars. As a private party I would be looking at paying $4,500 or less. I have helped many of my kids & their friends buy cars this way. I do printouts of the car like pic below to show the seller what cars have actually sold for in the area.

cliffyk

I traded my '03 Premium GT, 110k miles in just about perfect condition, at a local used car lot when I got the Mercedes. On paper I got $7500 in trade, they sold it for $8000--here it is on their "sold inventory" website:



They gave me that because they knew is would be an easier sell that the '98 SL500, they were right--it sold in 10 days to a fellow from Ocala who saw it on Auto Trader and appreciated the mods and condition.

I have observed that New-Edge GTs have been dropping in value rapidly for the last 2-3 years, that (and a mild stroke that broke my "man-pedal" leg) was in fact one of the reasons I decided to trade it in. I tried for a 6 weeks or so to sell it privately for $8500, the $8000, then $7500 with no takers.

An '04 with paint that "isn't perfect"¹ will not be worth much regardless of how well it runs; and as others have said mods such wheels and bolt-ons add nothing and can actually turn-off some potential buyers.

There are a dozen or more '02 to '04 GTs on used car lots around here with asking prices of $4500 to $5500, I guarantee that if you were to walk in with 35 or 40 $100 bills you could drive one home...

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¹ - Bad paint kills the value as even a cheap MAACO paint job will cost $2000, nearly half the value of the car.

hpwrestler220

Mine's not worth a dime anymore either so you're gonna just have to eat it unfortunately! Definitely try to private sell it and if you cant get what you want, take off the mods and sell those seperately

LilRoush

With the market today and the wonderful internet, people will be smart and pay minimal travel costs to save thousands. 200 miles isn't far to find the 'right' car. My last cars I've gone a ways for. I was particular about color for the SUV and bought from a dealer 14 hours away from my house. The '98 I had shipped in from out of state. The SVT I got lucky, it was only an hour from my place down here....but it took several months of looking to find the 'right' car.

I know you said you don't have the option to private sell b/c you don't want to be left carless. Have you considered selling, then snagging a rental for a couple of days? It would cost you a little, but if you get a few grand more for you car doing it that way, it's an easy cost to write off at the end of it.

1slow67

Dealership here has 1 for $12k. I've seen them sell a 03 Mach 1 with 140,000+ miles for over $14k. I've also seen a v6 with over 100k miles go for over $9k there.

72MachOne99GT

Eeek, I don't even want to think about what I'd get for mine lol, it's in good shape for a 99, but it's still a 14 year old car with 108K miles, no A/C, and shot *** tires.

heslekrants

Here's a 2003 Mustang GT Premium Automatic for $5995 near me,

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/ctd/4108334467.html

BlueCanary

lol I think he was generous..surprised he even offered u that..

JC316

I wouldn't put much stock in that. Says my 97 Cobra is worth $1600 on private party and my 98 formula firebird M6 is worth $2200.....

dared3vil0

Seems like 4500-5000 is more than fair.