03whitecoupe

I've been looking at Ebay Motors and a couple of other Vette sites that people advertise their cars for sale and noticed that most cars with exterior mods have a much lower resale value than "stock" Vettes that are for sale. This appears to be across the board from fully modded show pieces to even minor mods like an aftermarket hood. My question is then why do people make these changes knowing it's killing resale value? I have nothing against mods (well most of them) and don't want to demean anyone's modded out car. I'm just curious if when making the changes if they take into account the hit they'll take when selling.

Matt Gruber

50 million new vehicles sold in last 3 years.
How many people lose money? about 50 million. Now, why do they do this? Hmmmm.
People pay money to get the things they want to enjoy life.
So original vettes are pretty rare, and collectors get so excited that they pay more.
If money is tight don't mod your vette. When your situation improves enjoy life, and let the ...

mrvette

Well like anything else, I guess it depends on the mods....
some dufus with a holley on a hi rise sticking through the hood and a chrome air hat on it...and a bunch of reverse offset chrome wheels on the back with the camber all hanging out,and some cheap junk tach hanging off his steering wheel.....welll you get the picture.....some dumb boom box stereo ratteling away....

now if the engine and tranny, suspension, steering, interior, and yes even the body work is don'e properly and CONSERVATIVELY....it should add to the value....

mods get a bad rap from the first example.....but in the second example....
like my car, and much more/better/expensive on the forum here...
like Merlin and Monty, and so many many others in between....I consider we are in another group entirely....our cars are at least reasonable thought out, not butchered, clean installs, decent if not GREAT looking, perform on a damn high level, and will probably bring MORE than a mear stock vette in similar overall condition....

now that's the clinker....ignoring a rusted out frame for a Holley and hi rise... BUT like Dave here with his rusty car....when HE gets done, it's going to be really NICE.....modded??? surely...it's no longer original....
but will it be great...??? I"d bet on it....IF he sells it someday will he get good money for it??? probably....

GENE

stingray1974

NCRS drives the market on resale. I have modified my vette as far as performance goes, even that takes away value. I just want a fast vette and have no desire to resale. It goes even farther than restoring to specs and modifying , the saying that you can restore a car 100 times but it is original only once, this saying speaks in dollar signs.

81VETTOM

depends on the mods. Anything beyond pure stock, gets into a personal zone. If the mods are simple changes, like wheels and tires, and can be changed back to something else then it's haggle time. Ground effects, color, and serious engine or drive train mods aren't bad, but makes it less marketable to a wider group. Generally, if car is restored, fairly stock, and fairly priced, better chance of sale, unless it is some something someone just can't live without. :cheers:

mrvette

Sting'74, well like any other hobby field, there are a LOT of dreamers out there, and to that extent maybe more than a few get clipped on their dream....they want a (x year) vette because....(x happening in their youth), and are willing to pay for what they THINK is an original car to help them recover what they suppose was missing from their past.....
good luck and wish them well....
it's a hunk of iron and plastic, and aluminum/glass etc....
that's it....
as a car or a showpiece, it's either in good shape or not....

style is up to anyone....some folks love jellybeans/eggs....

ME I like sea food.......

GENE

Cothrom

Personal preferance always rules.
I put an aftermarket carb and a set of Hooker Header sidepipes on my Vette. I am certain it lost value doing this. I have most of the stock components in storage, if all of a sudden my 1979 L82 becomes a severely prices relic, it would be easy enough to change back. But the sidepipes do add their own charm to the car, and might help the sale of it over the stock (very quiet) system.

:yesnod:

JB

That's what the smart guys do--mod to make yourself happy, but nothing too severe, and keep the original parts. Cake and eat it too. For instance, I admire the hell out of GDaina's '68 vert with a 502ci powerplant and hooker sidepipes--but if you read his sig, you'll see that he's got the original engine bagged and stored.

JB

Robert N

As above, mods do generally detract from resale pricing. Those mods that cannot be undone, will hurt value more. Those mods that change the look of the car generally hurt more.

As whether to mod, personal preference is the guide. I did not plan to mod mine at all, but rather return it to NCRS spec. Since some much is missing, the cost would be unreal. I have a better chance to recover money spent on mods.

70PurpleLS7

I personally did it because I hated everytime I went to Carlisle I'd see about 20+ vettes that looked identical to mine. That's why I could really care less about seeing a "restored" or "original" car. Ya seen one, ya seen them all.

As far as value, sure - I may have taken a hit on the re-sale value, but I was driving something that I made to my liking - if others didn't like because of my mods, that was their problem, not mine.

NHvette

I can't agree with Gene here.
Most of what he says is true -
but I like eggs AND seafood. :D

Obviously, I am a "mod proponent". If the car is modded with style,
then it won't lose much value and a super-modified vette can bring much
more (but at what cost ?). Good advice would be to save all the original parts.
Anything can be restored back to original again - but at what cost ?

My 70+75 (donor parts) will have the 75 front end, due to funding.
Someday I hope to put a one piece front end on - with chrome bumper,
etc. It still won't be "original" - but I bet the market value will go up
substantially. I really don't care. i'll be doing it - because I like it that way.

Bottom line - if the mods are what make you happy - then do them !!

:seeya


[Modified by Daves_rusty_75, 1:30 PM 9/13/2002]

mrvette

Dave, well it seems the labor cost is just that...free, i'ts a hobby car, surely as if I built my own Ham gear years ago...or something else....
but going back to original prooves nothing far as I"m concerned....minor proof the owner can follow directons....

followng someone else's blueprints is a silly waste of time, to me....
did it enough on job sites rebuilding kitchens....
challenge was to design and execute something pleasing to the customer...

same ting here, gotta keep it sell-able...not too wild....

GENE

timbo79

Do what you like... unless your looking for a "reasale" car...

I personally have swapped out the tranny and put real dual exhaust in..plus a CD.. I am sure keeping the original 8 track would add to the value, but then again.. no CD..

HP in '79 was very poor, hence a rebuild, intake, headers, exhaust, tranny... If you are in it for the look as well as performance.. Just do it...

Have Fun

verskel

The 'older' the corvette - the more valuable an original car is.....

My '68 is 'not' all original but it looks stock which keeps the value up where it needs to be..... :D

67HEAVEN

Apparently you didn't read the membership agreement when you joined the Corvette Forum.

You're not allowed to sell. :D

Markm10431

I'm with Dave. and I think it depends on who you want to sell to. in my case, a 1982 is not very desirable to a NCRS weenie (it's not a CE), so I would tend to think that mods to the engine to increase the ponies from the lousy 200, and maybe a solid tranny rebuild, would INCREASE her value to a enthusuast who wants power

Fevre

I guess you need to make a decision before you buy the car: Do I want to mod it or do I want an all orig? I wanted to mod mine but still paid the all orig price, my mistake. But since the purchase price is a sunk cost, all mods will, a long as tastefully done :), will increase the price but not to the extent that I recoup the cost of the mod. I will recoup that in the joy of doing the work myself and driving the **** out of it. :)

terryrudy

The mods here tend to be pretty cool and only kill those users who are causing trouble. Your resale value should be unaffected.


:jester
-terry

Stingray1967

I would say that they don't kill resale THAT much, but they do limit your target audience for resale. :yesnod:

redvetracr

midget,
I race with a guy who sells Corvettes only for a living, he tells me for every dollar you spend in NON stock mods you can deduct two from the value. That makes my car worth less than ZERO as there is nothing left the factory put on that hasn`t been modified!! ...redvetracr