How much should I pay for an 1981 v-8 El Camino ? I tried looking for it on the net with no luck any ideas ? !

Question

How much should I pay for an 1981 v-8 El Camino ? I tried looking for it on the net with no luck any ideas ? !

Answer 1

Condition and mileage mean a lot. Is it a running vehicle? what kind of shape is it in? Figure a project to cost between $1500 - $3000 and one that is in good shape $3k to $6500. One that has already been restored could be rather expensive.

Answer 2

depending on the condition no more than ten grand from a buy here pay here and a personal sale no more than 8 grand. if it is in bad shape id give 3 grand for it. they are 1 of few good cars that  chevy makes.

Answer 3

Me,

   I can't give you a good real answer, but your question jumped out at me because it's interesting.   I used to have a 1973 nova SS.  I always regretted selling it and sometimes I dig around on the internet to see what unusual or old cars go for.

  

  What I noticed is - it's all about the condition of the car.  I mean - you'd probably still get 500 to a thousand if it was rusty and had no engine, if it was rebuildable.  However - I've seen old muscle cars like chevelles, novas, and el caminos too, that went for 10-20k because they were in pristine condition.    People spend crazy amounts of money getting these things back to showroom quality and other people are willing to pay to avoid the hassle of chasing down the details or doing the work themselves.    

So the answer is - the only way to find out is to find one, and bargain with the dude selling it.

Far as where to look - I'd scour yahoo autos,  ebay motors, and www.craigslist.com  on a daily basis.  If you are doing those things already, then it's a matter of time until one pops up.   You're talking about a car that's almost 30 years old now.  (time flies.  I got out of high school in 81. feels like  yesterday.).   There weren't a zillion of them to start with.  Old muscle cars are bought up every year for stock car projects.   That's been a steady drain on the salvage  yards and supply for several decades now and it's gotten to the point where cars like that are hard to find.

-Kevin