What are These Cars Worth?

[83_maxima]

In looking for a diesel Max, I have run across a couple. Neither one too close, but not extremely far either. One is better than the other - better cosmetically and fewer miles. One is an AT, the lesser of the two has a MT. Both sedans.

Each seller has given me a preliminary price at which they would sell...

...I was surprised.

Besides the "it's worth what someone is willing to pay" answer, what is the general consensus of what these cars are worth? Most gassers around sell for less than a grand as a rule. $1K-$1.2K will get you the nicest, one owner car out there. Often times, you can pickup a running example for just a few hundred. I too have seen the eBay cars go for what seems like a very hefty amount for a low-mileage, one or two owner diesel Max.

Neither of these cars fit that mold.

What is the general thought as to what a relatively (for a 23 yr-old car) good condition, average mileage, running diesel is worth? Or a running, fair condition, high mileage car?

Just looking for a general idea as to what these cars are worth.

I realize that there are a lot of variables at play here. Like they say, any 20+ year old car is going to have its issues...

TIA

-Ben

[asavage]

Tough Q, but out here in the PNW, the nice ones (cosmetically) seem to run at the $1500+ level, with a couple I've seen advertised for over $2000. They are not all that common. The gassers advertise under $1200 consistently, and many have been offered for under $800 recently.

Diesels in general have experienced a rise in value due to the current rise in media coverage etc for biodiesel (both the "free fuel" folks and the rest of us), and the sudden rise in transportation fuel prices last Summer. Last September, you couldn't buy a diesel around here for 150% of what they were fetching a few months before -- any diesel. Prices have fallen off here in recent months, and even old Toyota diesel PUs are now starting to once again sell for not-outrageous prices (1982 Toy dsl PU selling for $4k+ was common last October. I kid you not.)

Out here, the bodies don't seem to hold up cosmetically very well. In order to get a rust-free Gen1, you pretty much have to look south. The interiours age as well as can be expected (though MB does set the gold std here, their MB Tex interiours last forever). So even dsl Maximas tend to sell low.

I paid $1600 for my '82 Wagon in Portland, Ore in '97, which was a bit high because it came from PA and had more rust than I'd like, but it was the first dsl Maxi Wagon I'd been able to find after a two year search! And it was one-owner and 86k miles, so I was willing to pay more even though the interiour was worn/stained. I've gotten my money's worth out of it, but the paint was never able to take a shine and the rust has only gotten worse -- now with the mice under the back seat, add urine smell to the mix too.

Myrna gave me her '83 with all its rust and electrical issues and partially disassembled and leaking rack and broken window and grease stains . . . but for all that, it's still pretty much a whole car, not really a parts car.

OK, enough rambling. Anyone else?

[fud2468]

Well maybe this needs updating soon, if not now, with the sudden surge in fuel prices in the last couple of weeks. That should make diesels more valuable again.
Unfortunately (where I live) gas is $2.95 a gallon and diesel is $3:15--or was as of yesterday, haven't checked today. How much is it in the PNW?
Ray Mac

[glenlloyd]

Well maybe this needs updating soon, if not now, with the sudden surge in fuel prices in the last couple of weeks. That should make diesels more valuable again.
Unfortunately (where I live) gas is $2.95 a gallon and diesel is $3:15--or was as of yesterday, haven't checked today. How much is it in the PNW?
Ray Mac

I brought the Dodge B250 from Des Moines to Iowa City today and unleaded (89 octane) had just pushed over the $2.80 mark, with diesel in close pursuit. Actually, I should have filled the Maxima BEFORE I left Des Moines, since I won't be back for a week, I'm sure it'll be above $2.80 for diesel when I get back next weekend!

I believe that producers are trying to settle in at $3 per gallon and that'll become the benchmark price. Some areas are, and have been, at or above $3 / gallon for a while now. Funny how the escalating price doesn't equate with even a mild reduction in speed, a Yukon ripped by me this morning at what had to be 80+ mph.

I'm always interested to hear what the market analysts pull out of the hat for an excuse for rising fuel prices.

steve a

[asavage]

Fuel prices: premium (what I have to run in the Aero) is $3.20 pretty much everywhere. Diesel is $2.90, Biodiesel is $3.75 .

[fud2468]

The $2.95 price I mentioned was for 87 octane. We drove to Fairfield Ca, 10 miles away today and one station there had 87 for $2.87.
Cars seemed to be going slower on Hwy. 80 today. We followed behind a string of cars going 55, those passing were not going much faster. I've gotten up to 35mpg with my '98 Stratus at that speed, but it's poor around town. Need to get that diesel for town.
Ray M.

[83_maxima]

Everyone around here are a**holes.

On my weekly trip to the JY today, everybody on Interstate 70 is racing around like there is no tomorrow. with no turn signals, or sense of common decency might I add.

It seems to be like a badge people wear around here. "Look how much my Yukon Denali XL costs".

"It gets 15 mpg on a good day."

"I force people out of my way as I weave in and out of lanes with no signal and ride your bumper doing 85 in a 55."

"I enjoy putting my credit card down for a $100 fill up - it makes me feel good."

I honestly don't get it. People JUST DON'T CARE! Around town I try to drive conservatively and not rap the motor out in all gears and people in their gas guzzlers will just ride my ass in the right lane, like I am doing something I shouldn't.

I'll get off my soapbox now, but this pisses me off to no end.

Oh yeah, Denver, CO, 4/22/06 - 85 oct: $2.799 87 oct: $2.899 91 oct: $2.999 Diesel: $2.899 per gallon...

[asavage]

I'm nearly the slowest driver in my neck of the woods -- though this has been changing recently, we have a rising retiree population around here, and I sometimes now get behind folks that drive 40 in a 50, but fail to slow down when the 50 changes to 30 at the PT city limits (ie they drive ten under on the highway, and ten over in the city). Arrrrgh!

"Speed kills; slow just infuriates"

But on the part of my commute that is seven mile rural two-lane, I routinely get passed. I set the CC on 50 and turn up the radio, but these people must have better jobs than I do, because they're sure rushing to get to them!

If I leave an hour earlier than I need to, the traffic is much lighter and easier to deal with, but then I have to find things to do at work to fill the time; sometimes that's easy, other times not.

All in all, I still think I live in paradise. Or a reasonable facsimile. Mowed the lawn today and enjoyed it.

[glenlloyd]

Around town I try to drive conservatively and not rap the motor out in all gears and people in their gas guzzlers will just ride my ass in the right lane, like I am doing something I shouldn't.

I especially like the in-town driver who darts off the line just so he can sit and wait at the next traffic light. By the time I get there it's green and I pass him in the right lane, he darts ahead...repeat, over and over. I would rather just tool along and keep moving rather than sit at lights, it's easier on the brakes and at least you're not stopped and waiting.

This is a hot topic with me, only because it's seriously gotten out-of-hand in Iowa. It seems once a person has taken the driving test the rules go down the toilet and it's a free-for-all. It's unfortunate that we don't have enough enforcement officials to deal with it. Personally I think drivers licenses are too easy to get.

steve a

[asavage]

[old fogey mode]
When I was a young brat, I got ticketed for things like missing bumpers, hole in muffler or missing tailpipe, cracked windshield.

Nowadays, I don't know what you have to have falling off your car to get an equipment violation. I see some pretty sad crap driving around, lights not working, no wipers, etc.

If I had only two things that I could change WRT vehicles, it would be

a) Correct headlight aim (I highbeam at least three cars every night);

b) Enforcement of maximum noise emission.

We've got a few ricers 'round here, not that many because I'm in the sticks, and they've got the furious weedeater noise thing going, but overall it's the audio systems that are really irksome. And the redneck trucks with "performance" (ie loud) exhaust "systems".

[kassim503]

Where I live, 70 in a 55 would put u slower than normal traffic, and when I drive I dont see that much pleasure in cutting through traffic risking a ticket and burning all my gas.

People dont seem to accept my driving style so well (5 mph over the speed limit) because this guy in a caddilac escalade flipped me the bird and try to run me off the road, not very friendly. All this road rage really takes the fun out of driving.

Cant forget the riced out civics that cut people off on the shoulder while jumping 3-4 lanes at once

gas prices range on long island, NY 3.09-3.19 for 87 octane, and 3.29-3.99 for high test

[glenlloyd]

We've got a few ricers 'round here, not that many because I'm in the sticks, and they've got the furious weedeater noise thing going, but overall it's the audio systems that are really irksome. And the redneck trucks with "performance" (ie loud) exhaust "systems".

Oh yes, the coffee can muffler syndrome...very loud, like a big bumble bee of sorts. Also the ricers with turbos and dump-valves...

I live in the Des Moines inner-city and the noise problem is bad. It's either a truck with a high-perf. exhaust like Al mentioned or "trunk-thumping" hi-fi systems. I've been using a small fan at night to make white noise so I don't hear it so much but it's still a pain.

Also like Al, I've noticed that no one gets tickets for burned out lights or non-mufflerized cars anymore. Like I said, it's becoming a free-for-all!

steve a

[kassim503]

my leafblower has a better exhaust note than ricers

I did notice that the police dosent give out tickets for non-mufflerized cars, but in the past few weeks they have been doing "stings" and impounding cars at places where these cars race because of nitrous bottles

I live about a half mile from a minor highway, and you can hear the ricers at night that just slam their car. But I know there is a cop that just sits right at the intersection where they launch and its pretty funny to hear BRRRRRAAP followed by sirens before you go to sleep..... its like a bedtime story for me

[asavage]

I've been using a small fan at night to make white noise so I don't hear it so much . . .

When I lived in Woodburn (Ore.), I had neighbors that were in party mode most of the time, and a stereo that ran all the time, bass travels a long distance. I used a box fan on a timer to get to sleep, I'd run it for four hours and have it shut off after I was deep asleep. I lived there five years . . . it seemed worth it at the time, I could bicycle to work and it was a dead-end street so no through traffic.

A major reason that I live in the boonies is noise pollution. I just seem to be more sensitive to it than other people. I get very edgy if I don't get some quiet time, and in all my years of city living, I couldn't find a decent place I could afford that let me unwind every day.

[fud2468]

Here in N. Ca we have the ricers + loud pipes on them and all other kinds of vehicles. Most people use turn signals. Tailgators are a big problem in town and on the highway. In town I usually drive 5 mph over the limit and if they're still on my tail I pull over & let them pass. The reactions I then get are interesting, some go by but then go slower. On the freeway I will try to keep my distance behind someone going the speed I want (55-60) and let the tailgators stay behind me or pass. I have a theory that some drive fast, etc. in town because they can't go as fast as they'd like on the highway.
Re: lights--Misaligned headlights on big vehicles hit you at eye level but what really gets me is the under-bumper add-on lights that are there for show and not out of need, and shine in your eyes also.
Years ago when I lived in San Francisco they had periodic vehicle stops and they cited people for misaligned headlights. Not any more.
Ray Mac