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Saw DOHC 1990 yellow/ginger on Copart auctions in Minneapolis, MN


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http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/30300645/Photos?SearchId=1679503614

30300645_02X.JPG

Looks like a decent one if anybody can bid on the auctions up there, I know in CA I can't do any bidding without a license but I look at the auctions anyway.

 

Auction states main damage is mechanical but that it started and idled when they got it.

Edited by ghostymosty (see edit history)
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I am close enough to look and know a dealer that will ride me on the license if it's worth taking. August in Minnesota and convertibles are almost free, If it needs a tranny it stays on the block, brakes I can do in my garage. Wish I had the cash to buy and own, I could have one with the top on for formal occasions and top down for sun.

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Also notice the white or yellow TC behind the one for sale.

Volvo, not another TC. They do look a lot alike from that angle. I got  signed up with copart auction and now allowed through the gate, the car was a charity donation. I don't know the former owner, but I might know people that do. The car needs at the very least a new accumulator and some wire wiggling, even with low miles it's time for a timing belt. Not sure, but the top pull down might be broken. Hard to tell with the top in the way. Wish I had the cash to buy and own, on the bright side of this financial embarrassment, I can probably make more money fixing the things I know for the next owner, than I would by being the next owner.  

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Guest alfieri

I've got a good feeling about this 16V  car.  This is one that was garaged most of its life, had old gas and so it may not start or run good but it,.. and / or, might have been willed to a grandson / daughter etc.... or whoever and they don't know what to do with it now.    I would just tack on the cost of another Getrag trans. ( almost worst case )  then determine if its worth it.          Looks to me like a fair gamble for those of you that are local to that area to snag it for a good price that is under $1,000 dollars.

Edited by alfieri (see edit history)
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Purchasing this car is easy, you can become a Copar member for no charge and because it is a donation vehicle you can buy without dealer lisc. You would need to be signed up as member asap to get ready in time for auction. Because it is a charity seller, buyer pays auction fee which is percentage, which means the more you pay, the more you pay and of course private party pays all MN state tax's.

It needs brakes and it's a Tevis serious problem, system replacement is justified. I didn't like the way the pedal went all the way to the floor with no resistance multiple times before I turned the key on, and the pump starts on the first push of the pedal. Pump runs continuous with pedal pushed and stops after released, ABS light displays as expected red failure does not, could be loose wire or bad pressure switch and I'm thinking several hours test to isolate and know if spending any money on parts to fix this unit is worth risking the money spent on parts. Front license plate mount shows no rust where paint lost with nose damage and appears recent maybe month or two. 

 

From the small bingo in the front bumper that doesn't show in pics and how the hood is a two man job to open, cost prohibitive repair is the reason I think that it was donated. If you can't do the work yourself, this will be pricy to have done and I think that the tax deduction from donation might have been more than the car would have traded or sold for as is. Mileage shown questionable as trip indicator at 000, only drove the car a few inches, found reverse hard to get into and just as hard to get out, could be clutch, could be syncro. Also needs exhaust work.

 

Car was very well cared for by last owner, has the look and smell of a Gulf Coast and Minnesota. Imagine this car has made many a winter migrations to escape the cold. Has a good hood liner and with new belts, hoses and with a good engine compartment detailing, it would look showroom new under the hood. The upholstery is very well cared for and the portholes aren't perfect, but you have to look close to know. Has some surface rust in multiple places where paint was chipped that has turned to scale, clear coat in good condition, car color faded and would have to color sand and buff before rust repair and touch up to color match. Battery looks fairly new, but is week and needing a charge, still the car started easy and ran smooth with no squeaks or clacks under the hood.

 

Knowing what virtually the same car just sold for on Ebay, buying this to fix and flip is a bad investment if you can't do the work yourself. I can do this work, but for no investment I can also do this for the next owner and probably come out ahead in the end.  If you're looking for long term ownership, long term to have and to hold type of ownership is where you need to be to buy this car. Even though I have never cared for this color combination, I wish I could afford to do that, as this TC could be a very nice car.

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Regarding the above post, "Knowing what virtually the same car just sold for on Ebay" --that car DID Not sell- I was high bidder, and withdrew my bid. I sent out a mechanic to check it out, and it was nothing like it was described.  The seller posted "Glamour Shots" of the car, but when my guy sent photos, they looked more like "mug-shots!" It was a very ruff-pup with a multitude of things wrong with it, the worst being mice getting into the car and eating the wiring.

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Right now value is in the drink on them, even pristine the car cars aren't bringing more than 5k. A trans if you need the getrag 284, a chrysler depo new unit was 4500$ when last sourced years back. I had one that was tough to find reverse with, it needed a slight adjustment on the cable at the shifter itself. Buying to own and enjoy is what these are right now, will they truly be collectable again like worth real money, don't hold your breath

Edited by 89TC-16V (see edit history)
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Guest alfieri

In the last 15 years I've bought about thirty or so , cars from auctions,... this is not alot but i still get the feel and so  i've lost money on about 15%, broke even on about another 10%, made good money on about 30% and made extreme high returns on the remaining %'s.   This was something i did on the side and not my normal prof.,   I would buy at LOCAL auctions and try to find the best quick turn investment deal. I would bid on the car as if it had no tranny ( or a bad one )  soas to safegaurd my bid.      If you back up 3 or 4 threads, someone had thoughts close to this.          I did all of my own detail work and about 85% of the mechanical work needed   Trying to stay close to the topic;   When i first started buying auction cars, i found it stressfull,... you've just paid for the car and you get out there to start it and it only makes a clicking sound.       previously     BEHIND THE SCENE....are  two very happy young men have made a profit on the battery that was originaly in the car and now the good car you've just bought has a junk battery.      This is the way it is here when you're dealing with auctions, .. some better , some worse...... So how it relates to this 16V  is that all of the cars that i started and left running , all sounded really bad except one.  ( that's really bad odds )   ALL the others that sounded BAD at first, ( when cars have sat for a good long while ) only needed to get out on the open road ( 60 mph +) for twenty or so miles and get the heat and fluids running and flowing well. this works in about 85%,  Noise, smoothness , ticking and clacking, shakes / brake problems & other seemed to disipate AS IF BY MAGIC.,... well with the other 15% or so,.. you're on you're own.

Edited by alfieri (see edit history)
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Old cars melt when they sit, the longer they sit the worse they get and driving them keeps them going. The brakes won't heal themselves, the muffler and pipe won't recover from rust, a little oil on the latch should free up the hood and the stiff shift to reverse could  get better with use.

 

I grew up on a car lot and went to a lot of auctions with dad. What I learned about buying cars I learned from watching him and figuring the value of a vehicle hasn't changed. Look at what the car is worth top dollar retail, subtract full retail for the cost of getting it into top dollar condition and that's what the car is worth. I figure this car can be bought, transported a reasonable distance and made tootsie pie nice for less than the retail  price, as long as you don't have to pay retail price for all the things that need to be done to make it that nice.

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There is money to be made buying and selling cars when there is a large market. The market for obscure cars is far smaller and can be a lot harder to sell one. I'd buy and sell 4x4 trucks of any make or model all day because a truck is being sought out by loads of ppl and all their needs are different compared to those few ppl searching for a 25 year old obscure hard to maintain if you don't know anything about them TC

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This car sold, and it sold well. Much higher than I expected, not that the car wasn't worth what it sold for, but not without getting it ready for sale and this car was not ready to run through the A ring of a buyer present, cash money auction. At this auction the buyer pays the ring fee, add transport and what it will take to make it safe for the road. The new owner should still have enough wiggle room left to make this eye popping car show ready, without investing more than it's worth. If they can do the brakes without help and the reverse shift is a simple cable adjustment. 

 

I was present for the auction and it was educational, there was no auctioneer, no ring, no people, the car never moved. It had been moved from the time I had viewed it and sometime after viewing it picked up a dimple in the stainless trim on the hood. Very small and easy to fix.   

 

Good luck and happy motoring to the new owner whoever you are.

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Around $3400, I believe, I was in shock at the end of the sale.

I had the high opening bid at 1275, and it shot up to 2000 in seconds.

Then it went to 3000 in a couple bids.

Someone REALLY wanted that car!

My max bid was 2050, and at that price, the fees would be-believe it or not $515, Not including shipping, bringing my price to $2565, add another 1000 to ship, and I would be in it for $3600 or so. Not a bargain in my eyes for something sight-unseen subject to any and all faults.

 

The winning bidder will have to pay around $4200 with all fees included, and no telling what freight will cost, way too much in my opinion. Plus, whatever it needs for repairs. Hope the tranny is good on this one.

Digger, thanks for all your help!

 

Good luck, new owner

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Wow! Sounds like someone in that general area bought the car, not many DOHCs up there and if transportation was less than 300 for a local tow then the buyer got a seemingly decent deal.  These cars do tend to sell for more to someone who is local to the car and is looking for the color combination and engine that happens to be in the car in question.

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Guest alfieri

Nobody mentioned the miles on this 16V car other than trip mileage at 000.  My previous thought on a price of 1k max. was based on no mileage understood whatsoever.    If it has under 30K confirmed miles, I think it was a fair gamble at the price it sold for if the buyer lived somewhat local to that area.  If the buyer is planning to hold on to this TC for long term and really feels it is going up in value then it is even  better than a fair gamble from an investment standpoint.

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And ppl would buy that for that much and take a chance. Makes no sense, reason I'm parting out my 89 16v with 60k miles cause nobody wants to pay for a running driving car, they rather hope and pray they got something that's good. I know the condition of my car, I've owned it 10 years

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I learned a long time ago that in Minnesota convertibles stop selling after the  4th of July, by the end of summer they are almost free and if you're going to own it through the winter to sell it come spring, you take lots of pictures of it while the leaves are still on the trees. Top down pictures on a beautiful sunny day, with a  summer fun scene in the background. Then come the end of February you advertise it for sale and start selling summer to people that are tired of winter and that's when the car in the picture is worth more than it's worth.

 

Never ever thought about running a good looking convertible through an auction at the end of summer. Especially an auction where dealers dump the trades they don't want and insurance companies sell the cars they have taken as totaled. This car was sold the wrong way, at the wrong time, in the wrong auction. That it sold for any money at all was surprising, that it sold for as much as it did was absolutely astounding,

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