User car prices

[MikeH]

Is it just me or have people completely lost touch with the value of their cars? I'm not talkin just VW's here. Seems like used car prices are on the outrageous side.

There's a boat load of "excellent condition" super beetles priced in the 6K range. Most with something wrong with them or high mileage engines etc. You can really pick these things apart when you see them up close yet people think they're gold.

I won't even look at a beetle priced over 5K. Am I unrealistic? There's still a huge quantity of these supers for sale. I see the same cars for sale for weeks and weeks. Anything over that 5K limit seems to sit in the want ads.

I passed up a rust free all original 74 super beetle auto stick for 3K (probably should have bought it in hindsight). It was for sale for weeks because it needed some electrical work and a real good cleaning. It did finally sell.

Where's the sweet spot?

I don't seem many decent condition pre-67 cars for sale. There's a lot of junk and a lot of super beetles.

Just ranting about prices. Guess folks don't really want to sell em. Ghia's and pre-67's I can understand, at least these are semi rare.

I saw a 2003 honda accord with 187K miles for sale for $5800. Give me a break. Its not just the classics.

[ghiastein]

Mike you are not only one looking for a VW I feel your pain too. My biggest pet peeve is nice looking bus, full interior, fair price, and by the way no motor or trans. What?! Why?! So I tried looking for a bus trans its like they don't exist and if they do they want more than the bus I am looking at. Don't even get me started on prices of split window buses. Look rusty shell bus should say free to good home NO that will be $5000 dollars.

[gokart]

I bought a '78 Camper Bus with no engine a few years ago. Never did find a good engine to put in it. Type 4s are pricey.

[jmallen05]

I don't get it either. I lived out west two years ago and out there you could get a nice solid mid sixties car for far less than you can get a beat up super for up here. I realize they are easier to come by out there, but where do these guys come up with these figures. On the plus side it makes my car worth more and more everyday. Its almost cheaper in the long run to buy something from out west and have it shipped here, only down fall is that your buying something without seeing it. I had my car shipped up here from southern az., a little over 2000 miles, for 900 bucks.


jerry

[dansam]

I dont know....We live in Michigan and these cars rust pretty bad here. Any car that is 40 some odd years old and still among the living is worth a little extra. We are creeping up on the peak of our cars value. They are really only now starting to go up in value. And if you ever wanted a 6 volt style bug or bus, act now cuz in 5-10 years they will for the most part be snapped up and restored or worse in museums, anyway they will be worth too much. Heck split bus's are almost there. 20,000 for a 21 window!! well if you can do better.....do it. Soon it will be a sellers market. You can still get deals on Thesamba mind you. But I think for the average baby boomer that wants to relive their youth aught to pay a little premium. I truly believe my car is worth every bit of 6000.00 and frankly all the zits and things that are unoriginal only add to the mystique that is vw beetle.

As for the average used clunker going up in value, as new cars become more and more unaffordable and loans become harder to obtain without spotless credit the used car that is in great shape will go up in value.

Dan