Re: Need pricing advice on possible purchase (archive)

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I have an 86 635 5sp that I bought 3 1/2 years ago with 41k miles on it--totally clean--perfect all around. I paid 13k for it here in the Bay Area (marin). The car has 80k miles on it now, has had all the upgrades (suspension, shocks, chip, wheels & tires), and I likely wouldn't part with it for under 10-11k...but (1) I'd never sell it, and (2) I'd have to find an absolute 6-junkie to pay my over-inflated value for it. That all said, totally cherry ones like mine do go for that much around here if the seller is patient.

Net-net, as you probably know, there are a LOT of BEATER sixers here in the Bay Area. Finding a cherry one is a treat. The suspension/shocks/wheels/tires is a $3-4k effort here in the Bay Area, so if it's been done (sounds like it has) that's a plus.

If you can get it for 6K, buy it now. If you have to pay 8-9k, that's top dollar, but that's what you'll pay--around here--for a well-loved sixer.

Also, don't discount the euro-factor. I've not done it, but I hear it's a pain-in-the-a**

Have is checked out--let me know if you need a mechanic closer to the car than Sunnyvale. My old mechanic is awesome, checked out my 635 when I bought it ("Blaine, you MUST buy this car; if you don't buy it, I will..."), and is in the Belmont/San Carlos area.

'84 635CSI Automatic with 77,000 miles and EPA/DOT papers; smogged
Very dark metallic green, almost black (sorry, didn't get paint name)
Light tan leather interior, very nice near-mint condition (non-power seats; driver's seat bottom shows early stages of cracking; no rips anywhere)
Has A/C, but is non-operable now
Hand-crank sunroof; works smooth; drain tubes are clear; no rust in the rails
16" BBS-type mesh wheels, tight suspension (very little roll), front stress bar
No LSD
Strong, solid brakes with no pulling
Original paint is glossy everwhere (no cracking or fading); body is near mint with only 2 small dents (both about the size of a quarter, no more than 2 or 3 mm deep)
Garage-kept at night

I drove the car and it has good power with quick response from the tranny. No smoking that I could see or smell. Steering is smooth, with no play, binding, or strange sounds. To look at this car from both inside and out, you'd think it was no more than 5 years old. I just realized, I forgot to check the trunk and shock towers for rust. Car is on consignment from a broker friend of mine in Burlingame, CA. He says the owner has maintenance records, and that the transmission was rebuilt within the past 3 years. I searched through the archives here a bit, but have not found anything on a car with miles this low. I know it's hard to estimate without seeing the car, but what do you think is a fair price from the description above? Thanks for your input.

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