For all the reasons that life can offer up, I am strongly considering selling my 1988 Fiero. I have had the car since the late 1990s and have many amazing memories with it. Based on the description below, what might it be worth in it's current condition?
1988 Fiero V8 Archie design Chop Top Windshield, rear glass, side lexan installed Chop 100% completed. Paint has zero miles since complete professional, disassembled spray (same color blue as the Blue Devil ZR-1 Corvette) Has rear f355 style bumper and round c3 Corvette taillights All new suspension new dash new carpet in box Porsche 914 seats (need to be recovered) 4.9 Caddy engine swap= Everything installed but never started exhaust manifolds and cross over are ceramic coated exhaust sytstem is tacked welded. Needs to be welded and ceramic coated C6 exhaust tips factory 1988 Formula wheels (Black) with new rubber Needs rear fast back windows comes with factory headlight setup AND the bubble lexan covered setup (with halo light option) All brake, plumbing, wiring, etc is completed Has Angle vent front hood (installed prior to paint work)
What is NEEDS to be done: Drain fuel tank weld remainder of exhaust interior installed fastback sail windows bleed brake system battery trunk floor installed (removed to tuck muffler)
All work has been done VERY well with no corners cut or expenses spared. The intention had been to keep it forever (already have had it for 20 years).
Obviously I have WAY more into this car than it would ever be worth. Looking to sell only becuase we have SO many projects and with my work schedule and having a little girl, there is no time to dedicate to this any time soon.
I can text pics, but have rarely had any luck posting them.
Same I always tell people. Pick a price, if you get no responses, lower it gradually till you get some...only then do you have an idea what its worth. Customizing, even if its expensive, usually wont return any value.
ie/ a chopped top may appeal to some and be worth more already done. In most cases, it would cut the value though. A buyer may not like less headroom, non OEM windows. If you have $2500 worth of wheels and a potential buyer dont like them, they add nothing to the value for him...he has to spend more money for ones he wants. Ive seen custom cars at shows im sure cost tens of thousands to modify, but to me the car wasnt worth $1,000.
Thank you for the input. Im thinking I will get it running, that way a potential buyer could hear/see/feel it run and make a more well informed decision. At 6'4" I completely understand some may not want a chopped fiero at all. lol. I would LOVE to keep this forever, but cannot see a time when I will be able to give it the attention it needs/deserves. Also, the money would be better put to use finishing up different hot rod builds I've got underway.
At 6'4" I completely understand some may not want a chopped fiero at all. lol.
You're 6'4" and you have a choptop? You're nuts!
A friend of mine has a Corvette powered Archie choptop, and as much as I like the power and the look of the car, at 6'3" I absolutely hate driving/sitting in it.
A friend of mine has a Corvette powered Archie choptop, and as much as I like the power and the look of the car, at 6'3" I absolutely hate driving/sitting in it.
In all honesty, the headroom is just fine. I am pretty fit (by no means muscular) and fit great. I had to replace the fiero seats for Porsche 914 seats. The shell for those seats is not adjustable. So, I machined a set of wedges to go under the seats. In doing so, I moved the seat forward and then tilted it back. It worked great. We did the same thing in a non chpped fiero for my 6'8" brother. He drives and fits great.
In all honesty, the headroom is just fine. I am pretty fit (by no means muscular) and fit great.
Try putting a helmet on and doing an autocross (or heaven forbid, a track day) then.
My friend's choptop has had the driver's seat rail lowered (as per Archie's instructions), but I find if I slide the seat forward enough to tilt the back of the seat down far enough to give me headroom (with my helmet on), that my knees are jammed into the dash. There is no choptop in my future. (And no, I'm not fat either... 190 lbs.)
Try putting a helmet on and doing an autocross (or heaven forbid, a track day) then.
My friend's choptop has had the driver's seat rail lowered (as per Archie's instructions), but I find if I slide the seat forward enough to tilt the back of the seat down far enough to give me headroom (with my helmet on), that my knees are jammed into the dash. There is no choptop in my future. (And no, I'm not fat either... 190 lbs.)
Yeah... the knee thing is not ideal (to say the least). Small price to pay for looking cool... well, looking cool once you unfold yourself onto the blacktop next to the car and THEN stand up proudly.
What any seller is up against right now is that the economy is in the toilet, the collector car hobby is experiencing declining interest and the market is flooded with inventory. There are 100's of Fieros presently on the market all across the USA and Canada. You own a custom car that should be worth a few bucks but only to a collector or hobbyist that appreciates such a thing. I will second the estimate of $5K-7k . This may not make you happy but you never get back what you invest in any Fiero. The demand for this car is just not there.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
There are 100's of Fieros presently on the market all across the USA and Canada.
And with the way the value of the Cdn dollar has plummeted compared to the US dollar, it pretty unlikely that a Canadian is now going to snap up a car in the States.
I'd let it go for 7 today and help load it up. lol Clearly I have many times more that into the car but I do understand the market (in general). We just sold a split window vette that had never ever seen rain (or any other weather) for under 90k! [Sadly the money from that sale was NOT mine!]. If someone was serious and had cash in hand, 7 grand would take it.
I'd let it go for 7 today and help load it up. lol Clearly I have many times more that into the car but I do understand the market (in general). We just sold a split window vette that had never ever seen rain (or any other weather) for under 90k! [Sadly the money from that sale was NOT mine!]. If someone was serious and had cash in hand, 7 grand would take it.
IMO, get the engine running, take pictures and post them here. For $7K its a good deal and you should have a good chance of selling it.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
Whatever it's worth, you'll get offers around half that on here. Unless someone is looking for exactly what you have, modified cars are incredibly hard to sell and never for what the modifications cost. There are exceptions for extremely well done show cars, but if it's not totally complete and needing nothing, it's just a project car in most people's eyes.
I'd let it go for 7 today and help load it up. lol Clearly I have many times more that into the car but I do understand the market (in general). We just sold a split window vette that had never ever seen rain (or any other weather) for under 90k! [Sadly the money from that sale was NOT mine!]. If someone was serious and had cash in hand, 7 grand would take it.
I have one very similar in my garage, (V8 Archie chop, 4.9 V8, custom blue paint) and I would have to be in bankruptcy before I would let it go for $7K. I know you have at least three times that amount in it. I have about 5 times that amount in mine. I'd rather be buried in it than sell it for that.
I do agree with what someone said above, is that for big money people expect a car to be turn-key flawless. Like a new car just get in and drive. No one wants to spend big money on a car that "just needs this" and "just needs that" A car that does not run and drive is just a parts car for most people.
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 09-12-2015).]
This is one of those situations where if I had the time to get it further along, Id finish it and keep it. Working as much as I do (60 hours or so a week), plus having a one year old and working on a second doctorate degree... there is simply no time. Which is why Im willing to let it go cheap. Gotta local guy that made a very strong offer. He SAYS he is coming with a trailer and cash this coming Friday... We will see. If not, I may just move it into our storage place and save it for a rainy day project.
It is a lot of work for sure. My first is a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology. Currently, I am working on my Ed.D. in educational policy and leadership. Much of my course requirements are closely aligned with my daily professional responsibilities.
Welp, for the first time in my life, I have turned down cash in hand for selling a car. Guess this ol project will (eventually) be seen to the end. Thank you to Bill for being so understanding of my change of heart. With the agreed cash in hand, I just could not part with the car. It will go back on the back burner, but will get it done eventually.
Thank you for the reply. Like I said, I did decide to keep it. The 4.9 was an engine of convenience when I started the build. I would have strongly preferred an LSX. For the non-completed car, I walked away from 9,500 cash. They local buyer had money in hand. Looking at the pile of cash was tempting, but the history I have with this car (two 15K+ mile road trips) won out and I could not part with it. For now, gonna put it in storage and get back on it when time permits. The paint on the car is amazing (done by Tha Driver), the chop top was done here by Archie's design. By no means is this a high dollar chop top, jsut a very clean build. Figured a completed car would not be worth as much as I turned down. In the mean time, a nice reliable CLEAN formula or GT would be fun....
You're nuts! 
