Need some advice on buying a Ram Air WS6

Hello all, in 1999 I had a beautiful ram air 6 Speed t tops and all the bells and whistles. it was a GREAT car and I sold it in 2004, I regret selling it to this day, however it is now 2015 and I am now looking for another one, however I am finding them tough to find, not only are they hard to find but there over priced, and over blue book value. I have checked many sites, and they all say for a 2000, with 56K, Ram air I should pay around 10,500 if its perfect, well the one I found has been garaged and not driven in 8 years, it has been started on occasion and driven monthly a tiny bit but not much. I had it inspected today and the mechanic said its good, but it needs tires, and the paint near the t tops where it looks like shiny glass is all bubbles, it was a bad paint job and the owner said its not mechanical and it doesn't matter its still worth her price . the owner has it priced at 14500. way over blue book, when it needs tires and some paint, the tail pipes are hanging to low and need to be replaced there so icky the muffler is fine. the car is tight but my mechanic said to be careful as its been sitting and belts, hoses, water pump and seals could be an issue so to watch it and I will. I know this car I love it and want it. I am finding that the prices of these cars in California are much higher than the blue books, why is this? are people really getting top dollar for this car b/c its not made any more and is a collector? I don't want to over pay for a car but I also want to be fair and if its worth more than 10,500 I can pay a little more. so what am up against looking for a ram air, is it a hot commodity ? I will do a 1998-2002. any advice is wonderful b.c I am not sure what the market is for these cars. when I was cruising that car today it felt so good:) I am a single gal so help me out here please, I need some assistance on pricing and value of these cars. thank you.

Trans Am's are appreciating in value lately...friend of mine in Alabama is in the same situation and is having to pay anywhere from $4000-6000 more than what he was thinking he would have to pay for a lower mileage car...blue book unfortunately is not reflecting what people are actually paying for WS6's right now. He found a white WS6 in Atlanta with 19,000 miles for $18,000, blue WS6 in Chicago with 46,000 miles for $16,000, and another blue WS6 in Ohio with 20,000 miles for $19,900...now, they obviously don't have a paint issue but that gives you an idea of what people are asking all over the country and not just California. I'm actively trying to help him find one right now so I can honestly say I'm pretty familiar with prices.

The "bubbles" you are referring to is a known issue with the adhesive leaking through the sail panel and making the paint bubble up...I'm assuming its that anyway because its a very very common problem. Sounds like the owner is not familar with that issue or just doesnt care.

I've had my current Trans Am for about 3 years now and I could sell it for more than I paid for it right now if I wanted to...thought has crossed my mind more than once too :chuckles:

Lisa,

I paid $14500 a couple of years for an absolute minter (Missouri) and it
was a 2002. Others may disagree but $10500 for a perfect car sounds
a bit optimistic. Is the car you are presently looking at a 2000?

Prices don't seem to have changed much sinceand honestly....the car
you describe sounds like one to avoid?! Yes, cars can be re-commissioned
well but is he an enthusiast for these cars or "just" a guy who has one?!

Prices that Patrick describe may well be being asked for but getting them
is another!!

I would reign in your heart and keep looking! Incidentally where are you
looking? There are a raft of places to look and mine came from Craigs List.

Trev :)

Thanks for the info. The car is a 2000 with 56,000. It's been garaged and not driven in 8 years. The owner passed away and I'm working with the mother, her son was 21. Very sad. The car is mint but itt needs tires and the paint is bubbling near the tee tops.between the roof. It's the. Black shiny part of the roo its bubbiling and has runs. It's nice no dents or dings. I didn't realize they go over the Blue Book what do you think I should offer? My concern is that its been sitting for so long and my mechanic said I need to be very watchful of it for leaks. There also are no maintenance records and her son was the second owner.

speedy, why would you say I avoid this car, just curious. its a 2000, with 56K has been not driven in 8 years owner passed mother has the car, needs tires and that paint issue near the T-TOPS slight bubbling on the glass area, but car is fine mechanically. the car is gorgeous. I had no idea they are selling for over blue book value so I am just trying to do the right thing for this lady as it was her sons car. she wants 14K for it, I am thinking of offering her 12k is that to low?

That roof repair will be expensive if all new parts are used you can't just repaint it you have to replace the sail panel. And it's been sitting for 8 years so once you start driving it's gonna start showing issues. Most your rubber suspension parts have probably dry rotted at this point along with some hoses. So don't be surprised if you start seeing random leaks. Sitting is terrible for cars.

raynor thank you so much for your response it is very helpful. I have some photo's of the roof issue can I e mail them to you or post them somewhere? also where can I find info on this issue so I can bring it to the seller. she doesn't know anything about this car, it was her sons car and he passed away. I am also telling her that b/c its been sitting things are going to happen to it and she needs to give me a lower price b/c of this risk. but I want the car.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by speedyWS6

Lisa,

I paid $14500 a couple of years for an absolute minter (Missouri) and it
was a 2002. Others may disagree but $10500 for a perfect car sounds
a bit optimistic. Is the car you are presently looking at a 2000?

Prices don't seem to have changed much sinceand honestly....the car
you describe sounds like one to avoid?! Yes, cars can be re-commissioned
well but is he an enthusiast for these cars or "just" a guy who has one?!

Prices that Patrick describe may well be being asked for but getting them
is another!!

I would reign in your heart and keep looking! Incidentally where are you
looking? There are a raft of places to look and mine came from Craigs List.

Trev :)

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People are asking and getting those prices for low mile cars...from what I've seen they are getting WAY higher than usual. The one he wanted which was pretty close to where I live sold for $18,900 and it was on the market for less than 24 hours. People were practically fighting for it but that car also had under 20,000 miles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boxergirl

raynor thank you so much for your response it is very helpful. I have some photo's of the roof issue can I e mail them to you or post them somewhere? also where can I find info on this issue so I can bring it to the seller. she doesn't know anything about this car, it was her sons car and he passed away. I am also telling her that b/c its been sitting things are going to happen to it and she needs to give me a lower price b/c of this risk. but I want the car.

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If you Google 4th gen sail panel issues it will link to entire article on super chevy about it and how to replace it and if you look hard enough you will probably come across the service bulletin. At work doing this on my phone so hard for me to find right now. There is a thread on here on how to use photobucket to post on here with pics. But you should just need to save the images in photobucket and then post the image links here in the thread.

thanks Raynor it looks bad regardless as its got bubbles and runs, so It might be that someone tried to paint it, because with the bubbles are paint runs, its very odd, and if its been garaged for 8 years, imagine how much worse it will look in the sun as I do not have a garage, just a nice car cover is what I will have. The ram air is not available in my area, there so hard to find and this car is local to me and I already invested 100.00 having it checked out, I need to not do that again unless we come to a price b/c if I don't buy this car I am out that money. I might offer her 12k for it and explain the sail panel issue, she doesn't know anything about the car as it was her sons and he is in heaven. she is very tearful when we talk so its a tough spot for me to try and negotiate with her while she's crying. can you imagine how bad I feel? However I want her to be fair to me and vise versa. she did say that she had it sold at 14k, however at the last moment the buyer asked her for a 6 month gaurentee on it that if anything breaks she has to pay for it, so he walked away, so now she thinks she can get 14k for it. I am torn what to do.

Lisa, for most buyers when shopping for cars that sit know that seal issues are going to need addressing. If this is something that you feel strongly about it can be used as a bargaining chip on price. You know you're going to have to fix/replace them. Also was the engine/coolant prepared for storage? Oil will break down over time as well as gasoline. Both separate and with gas it can gum up your fuel pump, lines & injectors. Bad oil = spun bearings. Coolant - will eat the inside of a block over time.

I do know that they just replaced the fuel filter. the fact that it has been sitting is not ideal and the seller needs to work with me on price, but doesn't get it. I am trying to educate her on that. so I might walk away but it's hard to do as its a great car and she knows it. as long as I KEEP a close eye on the engine for the first 3 months it should be okay but I am aware things can be an issue, there for she needs to come down in her price. tires for this car are at least 1000.00 I assume?

If it's not meant to be it's not meant to be. Move on to the next one if they won't give you the deal you need or want.

Depends on brand. I paid 680 for my Nitto's 555

I think all the answers as to why you should pass are being said.

Re-paint on sail panel issue which sounds nasty from what you describe.

Needs new tires, seals going or gone bad.

Does the interior show wear or is it in good shape?

I hear you when you say you have paid $100 for a look over but i would
suck that up if you cannot be certain, and /or get a lower deal done?!

Imagine if you DO buy it and the 8 years of sitting come back to haunt you?

With all of the things you mention... What is making it a "great car"??

I played this dance and talked to many many owners to find the right one and
i am thousands of miles away so there must be another just waiting to be found!!

Please do try and find out about the sail panel acne as it is simply not an easy fix
and could cost heaps if a shop does it, never mind having the replacement panel
to hand.

I hope you come to a good decision Lisa!

Trev

There are a lot of these cars out there. Please take the advice of everyone here and walk away from this one. Your car will come, but this one is not it. You do not want a car that's been sitting for that long. Besides, if it's already been painted that's yet another red flag.

Tires are easily $750+.

Keep looking - you'll thank us later. Don't let your emotions for a car you once loved supersede your ability to make a smart car buying decision.

PS - welcome to the site.

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Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

There are a lot of these cars out there. Please take the advice of everyone here and walk away from this one. Your car will come, but this one is not it. You do not want a car that's been sitting for that long. Besides, if it's already been painted that's yet another red flag.

Tires are easily $750+.

Keep looking - you'll thank us later. Don't let your emotions for a car you once loved supersede your ability to make a smart car buying decision.

PS - welcome to the site.

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agreed...get emotionally attached AFTER you buy the car you want lol not before :thumbup:

THANK YOU to everyone that has responded to me. And I have to say that I LOVE the red ram air you have on your profile photo, that is one beautiful baby.

One more Question, so is the bubbling issue on the sail panel always going to appear on the T/A or is it hit or miss? I am looking for a 1999-2002. And one more Question for all of you wonderful T/A Enthusiast, since you know the car and you know the main issues that come up with it, are you pretty much POSITIVE that buying a car that has been sitting for 8 years is definitely going to have seal, belt, washers, and hose issues. my mechanic said it looks good now but he did tell me what to look for and that it could happen but it could be fine, would you guys buy a car that's been sitting this long or no way? . I am still thinking if I can get the right price for this car, I might do it b/c there is a possibility it might be okay, right? or do we KNOW FOR SURE its going to be a problem at some point. its hard to pass up as the interior is flawless as is the car, except for tires, tail pipes, ( there just really cheap and cheesy) nothing mechanically wrong the the exhaust , and a little bit of over spray on the quarter panel that nobody would notice but my mechanic, that doesn't concern me as it is so slight and it doesn't have structural damage. it is a 15 year old car so some of that is normal.

98's and some 99's don't have this issue, nor cracking door panels.

I put these in the other thread you were posting in but I see now that wasn't your thread. These should help you out on your search:


http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/guide-buying-fbody-118628/


http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/differe...y-years-27512/

Some say the sail panel issue is every year from 1999-2002 "1998 was not supposed to be effected" but I personally *knock on wood* have never had the issue and I have owned quite a few camaro's and TA's over the past 10 years...so it is hit or miss based on my personal experience. Try to keep it out of direct sun light when possible because that can obviously make it pop its head up.

I would be more worried about the fuel lines than anything else when it comes to sitting for an extended period of time but thats just me...fuel will eventually start turning into a gel like substance if it sits long enough and 8 years in my opinion is more than enough to start gumming up lines and injectors. BUT if they have been starting the car over the years then it will keep stuff moving around and prevent that from happening.

If you are ok with the sail panel paint bubbles then go for it...my current car sat for over 2 years when I bought it because the only previous owner was in the military and was over seas for years at a time and I was perfectly fine with that. I knew I would just fix it if something went wrong.


Just for clarification, when you say the car has been sitting for 8 years has it literally been sitting not being started or have they been starting it once a month or something like that?

the car has a new fuel injector, just last month. she told me started it 3 times a week for the past 8 years and also lightly drove it but not much, I know she did start it often as the battery never died and she kept it registered and insured so it was started often.

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Originally Posted by boxergirl

the car has a new fuel injector, just last month. she told me started it 3 times a week for the past 8 years and also lightly drove it but not much, I know she did start it often as the battery never died and she kept it registered and insured so it was started often.

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I wouldn't worry about it then. If she's been keeping the fluids moving it should be ok.

Has she been changing the oil even though she hasn't been putting miles on the car? Oil also has a shelf life.

I didn't ask her about the oil, but the mechanic said it needs to be changed. I am thinking she did not change it if its dirty. I just found a 2002 same car same millage for 13,500 B/O and original owner, with record. but its RED. I want black, red is going to stick out like a sore thumb, but it is gorgeous but its a 6 hour drive for me so I have to think about it. interesting that he's asking less for a newer car same mileage and condition.

Prices on these cars are all over the place. Some people are more realistic then others. Alot of it is sentimental attachment so people think it's worth more then they are.

If she did start and drive it every once in a while it's probably ok and you shouldn't worry too much. The way you talked I thought it sat for 8 years as tends to happen when the owner dies and they don't sell the car.

Theorangeguy is right the sail panel issues just seem to hit certain cars. Had a guy at a car show the other weekend with a 8800 mile 2000 ws6 black garage kept and his was riddled with bubbles. Mines a 02 pewter with 114k and not a single bubble. Mines always been maintained very well but was outside for several years straight. Paint color does have alot to do with it.

I would just keep looking if she won't budge. 14k with 56k miles just seems too high for me. They are out there you just have to look and be willing to travel for a good price.

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Originally Posted by boxergirl

THANK YOU to everyone that has responded to me. And I have to say that I LOVE the red ram air you have on your profile photo, that is one beautiful baby.

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Thank you. She just turned 25,000 miles this year and runs like a cheetah chasing dinner.

If you get the car, any used car for that matter, change all the fluids as soon as you can....oil, coolant, transmission fluid, rear end gear oil, etc. It's relatively cheap insurance and nobody really knows how well previous owners kept up with stuff like that unless they provide official documents/records. It sucks, but people lie about shit...

thanks Moderator your car is just amazing. I want to see more photo's of it, I will go to your profile and admire it. that's very good information about the fluids.

I remember when I sold my 1999 Ram air. it was a sad day for me. I remember it well, my ex husband driving it 100 mph to the Hyundai dealer to trade in our T/A in 2004 with 20,000 miles on it, so it was 6 years old and flawless, it was black and beautiful AND it was paid for. So we pull up the dealer to trade it on a Hyundai elantra. the manager saw us pull up and he was all over our car. Apparently he bought it, and it never even made it on the sales lot, we had all records and took perfect care of it. I remember by ex husband driving to the dealer so angry at me in his beautiful T/A looking so hot! and than I saw him driving home in that Hyundai with only 124 HP. LOL I felt so bad and to this day I regret selling it. But really, he drove that car so hard and so fast I was always worried he would get in an accident or get killed it was that bad, he was so aggressive in it and he already had road rage tendencies . he got 2 tickets in it and pulled over many times and got off the hook, he just couldn't keep from speeding and driving it hard, he used to love that traction control in the rain, he would always get nuts with it, so we had to sell it. He is not going to be happy when he finds out I Bought one but were old news now and times have changed.

funny, the lady called me back today and wants to negotiate for the car again. so with it needing tires, a sail panel, and the possibility of engine issues due to sitting for 8 years, even though my mechanic picked it apart and didn't find anything for a 2000 WS6, 56K, I am thinking 10k as were going to need to put 2k into it right off that bat. does that sound fair or should I do 11K still not sure b.c the car is beautiful. UGH, decisions decisions.

Hope it all pans out!

Obviously you want it as cheap as possible but remember...

What I told a bud who bought a '64 mustang and shipped it home,
just negotiate hard as "You are buying a car not forming a lifelong
friendship". I know there is emotional stuff muddying these waters
with her son and all, in this deal, but......


Good luck!!