Amethyst643

I'm considering trading my '87 in on an '04 Mazda RX-8 ... maybe.

What would be a reasonable trade-in value I should expect the used car dealer to offer me? My car is an automatic in good condition - not wreck / runs great. Only real issues are that it leaks sometimes when it rains, and the A/C doesn't work. It has leather seats and new carpet, shocks, mats, roof, steering wheel, headlight motors ('88), belt, alternator, air filter, fuel injectors, speakers, and the whole rear-end (including muffler, exhaust tips, and rear bumper) was replaced and re-painted when someone bumped me in the wal-mart parking lot.

Here are some pics:




The RX-8 I am looking at is listed at $5300. I'm trying to get the guy to take an even trade.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Your Vette is easily worth MORE than that Mazda. I would put a value of about $7500.00 to $9500.00 on your Vette if it's as clean as it looks in your pictures and it has low miles if you were to sell it outright. Note that many on this forum think you shouldn't ask more than $3000.00 because it's not a 1996. The stealership is going to offer you about $2000.00 (RAPE!!). If you really want that Mazda (I'd pass on it) sell your Vette outright and pocket more than a few bucks. Are you really sure you want to trade off that nice looking Vette? Especially on a Mazda?

Amethyst643

I love my car, it's just that I don't have ANY money to do ANYthing that I want to do to it. The pictures make it look a little better than it is (a couple of paint blemishes here and there), but overall it's nice.

The car has 115,000 miles on it.

If they only offer me $2000 there's no way I'd trade it! If that happens I'll list it on here and on Craigslist. I don't know what it's actually worth but I was thinking somewhere between 5k-7k. I'm not in any rush to sell it either, I'd just rather have an RX-8 right now (but normally they cost between 6k-12k).

383vett

Keep the Vette. Mazda owners don't wave.

NuckinFutz93

I would say 7000.00 easy on the Vette.

As for the Mazda, buy stock in an oil company, they use a lot of it.

zr1fred

No matter what the dealer "gives" you, he's only really going to pay less than $2k for your car. If you want the Mazda, buy it on a "clean deal" (no trade in) and sell yours outright. For example, say he's asking $14k for the Mazda and he offers you $5k for your car (more likely $3500). That means you probably could have got the Mazda for about $10k.

uptown193

Nice looking vette. I have no 2 cents to offer you because in the end you have to do what is best for you, even if it mean you lose money. People nowadays are cheap and always looking to rip off the next person with anything and everything. It is a shame our vettes are not worth more money than what a book says or the person in the "stealership" offers. In any case good luck.

ddahlgren

'Splain this to me.. When buying a car everyone on this list suggests get as new as possible low miles and as close to perfect as possible and number like 3 to 6k are tossed around yet selling the same car double is generally not enough for the same car. It's an 85 so second year, 115k certainly not low miles and admitted less than a perfect example. Honestly if buying what would you offer?

kimmer

Mazda?

cv67

if the sole reason for selling is you cant do what you want to it just drive it and hang on to it til you can

Dont know much about the MAzda but I can promise when that car needs fixing its gonna cost you way more than the Chevy. Might tinker with the C4 a little more but you know what youre dealing with and most things can be fixed by the average joe, Mazda probably has more tech built into it youll need to learn about/diagnose. Follow your gut

*** cars are usually reliable but it is 8 yrs old and you will be fixing things more than likely electronic.
My Silverado is 10 yrs old and even though very well maintained is killing me $$$ everything electronic related it seems is taking a crap. Not cheap

LongBeachC4

There's no book value on a 87 it's 25 yrs old., the dealer will yank you around an try to give you less than $2000.. He's not going to give you what there selling for or what you think it's worth. He wants to be in it wholesale, if there's no book value then $1500 or less. Why a Mazda ?

FOURSPEEDVETTE

I'm a FIRM believer that newer isn't always better. Especially in a car. I will never pay more for any car just because its newer than the models before it. It's all in what I want out of its looks and performance. From what I can see of the car and as long as it runs decent, its mileage (a bit high but not extreme) and the up keep that was done to it, I'd pay in the area of $6500.00 knowing it very well may need a few things repaired. It may bring more than that from someone looking for this year specifically. Some people like me, prefer the early C4 over the late C4's. It's all in what interests the buyer.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Does this Mazda come with one of those big horsepower mufflers? In another year or two it will be sitting in the back row on some wholesale lot for $2200.00 with a "special" 30 day 50/50 warrrenty.

cv67

have to agree there. Unless you are leasing or getting a new one under warranty every 3 yrs youll soon find out newer cars are "throwaway".

I doubt in 20-30 yrs anyone will be restoring late model computerized cars with all the aging wiring/sensors/modules etc. They will be so far gone if not in the crusher already they will be soon as they will be too expensive to fix

In that respect older/simpler cars =better

jtownc4

Are you serious? This has to be a joke, really? Mind giving me a hit of what you are smokin please? Sounds like it is some good $hit if you are thinking about this for real....

Calderone

I know those rx8's
You'll miss your vette so much so much
If you trade you'll be sorry, i'm sure

Tommy T-Bone

It's always best to sell your car outright and negotiate on the price of the replacement. Dealers are in it for the money/profit. Not because they want people to get a warm fuzzy feeling. If your car runs well, I'd fix what's broken and keep it. What are the advantages of the Mazda?

silverja

Hello,

I would never trade in an '87 C4. It is hard to imagine any dealer wanting such an older model. Banks will not finance them so they are problematic. Translation - The dealer has no interest so the offer you will receive will be low ball. Do not be surprised to hear $1500 - $2500 for your '87. Just business, not personal.

Concerning the Mazda RX8, I owned a RX7 years ago. So the RX8 may be slightly different. My experience: The rotary is a blast and revs to the sky with no vibration. No torque too. The exhaust was a fortune to replace and if you ever flood it, be prepared for a nightmare. My advice if you buy one is to ALWAYS let it warm up completely before shutting it off. If you don't, it will most likely flood itself when you try to restart it. The rotary requires massive amounts of fuel to start. Hence, the potential flooding issue. Another drawback of a rotary Mazda is that many typical mechanics will choose to avoid working on it. They simply are unfamiliar with the rotary workings and will avoid them. The rotary will also develop major issues if you do not monitor the oil level closely. They use one quart of oil every thousand miles. Normal. If you forget to add oil, the apex seals on the rotaries will get damaged. Big dollar fix. The rotary motors are not good on gas mileage too.

Corvettes and RX's are apples and oranges. The rotary motor is cool. Chevy considered using it in the C4. But they discovered its drawbacks were not worth the risks. If you decide to buy this Mazda, you may want to consider selling your '87 on your own first. That particular RX8 is not going anywhere soon. You have time. You may be able to buy the RX8 and have a few thousand dollars in your pocket, which trust me, you will need for keeping it on the road.

My intention was not to damper your enthusiasm. My personal experiences with both the rotary and C4 cars have led me to believe that the C4 is easier to maintain, repair, and operate. Whatever you decide, the very best of luck.

Amethyst643

-.- I guess I won't sell it, at least for now. It sounds like if I do get an RX-8, it should be a well-taken care of low-mileage one. This is what I would really want:


Maybe I'll just start saving up for one instead of selling the Vette. I've got too many dream cars (like my vette, the RX-8, '81 DeLorean, '74 Plymouth Roadrunner to name a few) that if I ever end up buying one of them, it might be hard to trade it for another. This has taught me that I am actually attached to my Vette (I didn't think I was that much), and it is going to be hard for me to actually sell it. ...which is kind of a bad thing financially if I ever want to try and afford any of those other dream cars...

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Seeing how your dream cars (besides the Vette) were an 81 Delorean and a 74 Roadrunner, I now understand where you came from with a Mazda. If you want power and quality out of a sports car or muscle car, you need to raise the bar quite a bit. Keep your C4 and save up to buy another car for daily driving.