Re: value of '84 4Kq?

[Dan Simoes <dans@ans.net>]

> The owner is asking $2500.  He bought the car new, in Houston.  It has
> never been in an accident, no rust, ~115K miles.  It has a few door dings,
> which I would expect for this age car.  Mostly original white paint

He's been trying to sell it for some time.  An 84 is a tough
sell, since they are getting long in the tooth, and they 
are not quite as solid as the 85-7 models.  But, they are somewhat
sportier, have a more classic look, the headlights can easily
and cheaply be upgraded to euro specs, and there are enough
parts around to keep you going (trim, etc).

> The sunroof has tracking problems (?), so it is disconnected.  

Might be a broken track.  Pretty easy to fix.

> electrical tail-light problems,
> ...easily fixed stuff.

Corrosion in the trunk and/or missing grounds.
 
> Based on the sunroof issue (how much could that cost?), and the interior
> condition, plus the additional work it is likely to need (probably
> new plug wires, dist. cap, some rubber suspension & drivetrain components,
> oxygen sensor (how long does the 3-wire last?), I am thinking about $2K.

If there is a dearth of 4kqs near you, go $2k.  Otherwise, I would
say $1500 is a good starting place.
 
> So, what do YOU consider a fair price?

Depends.  I paid $1700 for mine, then had to have $600 worth of
work done, then $450, then... I'm up to about $4500 at last
count, and I've stopped counting :).  But the car is finally solid,
and it has an 86 engine with about 90k on it now, etc etc.

I know Chris Semple sees 84 models for about $1000 or less in decent
shape, and 85-7 models for around $2-3k.  The NH market seems
depressed, as they fetch a bit more here ($2500-4k).  Actually, 
Chris had a red 85 for about $1200 not long ago.  

If the car is in very good shape, go for it.  Make sure you like 
the 84 styling and ergonomics though.

| Dan |
-- 
Dan Simoes			          dans@ans.net
ANS 				http://coimbra.ans.net/dans.html
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