found 87 gn

[supercoupe5]

and i thank you for that. the guy said it has had three owners before him. it is in his dealerships name so there is not 4 owners showing. dave

 

[turbo39151]

looks like the real deal. The only mods I saw are a new Alt with a volt booster, a large dirty K& N filter, a siren(supposedly for an alarm), and some sort of ignition cut-off(?) from the battery.

The best way to price the car is to see what it will cost you to get it into the shape that it should be in. (With these cars, it can be very deceiving. Ask anyone here- these cars are affectionately called "money pits" for a reason)

Once you have "priced" the things that must be fixed (don't count misc. mods that you'd like to do because if you price that stuff out you'll go broke before you start), you'll have good info for negotiation.

The car looks good from what you've posted. Here's a few things to look at:

Check for rust at the bottom of the doors and underneath the car. They all have a little bit here and there but as long as there aren't a bunch of holes in the frame you should be ok.

Then check the weatherstrip, worn weatherstrip is expensive to replace. (lats I checked was $449pr. just for the ones that go around the window and the roof rail)

Check the body lines where the doors close (this will show worn hinge holes and or bushings) - not too expensive to fix.-but a PITA nevertheless.

Take the car for a drive and pay attention to the transmission. Trans rebuilds are not cheap and could add $2k-$3k to your bottom line right off the bat!

Check the tires- New tires will cost you $300+

Check the body and paint- New paint and body can start from $2/3k ++++

Pull the hose off the turbo and see if you can move the wheel. If it moves up and down or in and out, it's probably time for a rebuild $300-400 (?)

Drive the car and see how it handles. Does it pull to the left or right (could indicate damage (might not show up on carfax- the guy is a mechanic right? Might have fixed possible issues himself)

As you can see, it's not just the nice look but all of the small stuff that adds up.

If you do the proper research you'll have all of the prices in your head or on paper and then be able to negotiate a deal that is fair for you and the seller. EX: (If you have to rebuild the trans for $3k then the price should be in the $7k area to reflect the expense.)

Good Luck

 

[supercoupe5]

lifted on back of doors andno play. door opens and closes real nice. did not see any at all on the bottom of the doors. no rust seen on the rockers. and did not see any rust on the frame. the only rust i seen was a bit of surface on the trans crossmember. dave

 

[Glenn_A]

buy

You don't take it, I'm coming to get it...all the way from Baltimore


...Just kiddin' bro...let us all know if u do get it

 

[jdpolzin]

Looks alright to me. Ask him about the repaint becuase it was definately repainted. I wouldnt be too scared about a car that has been repainted becasue all of them need to be anyways! Just see if he know anything about it. Looks like a decent deal though! Hows the carpet on the drivers floor? Stains on the shifter handle? Wear on the pedals?

 

[turbo39151]

even if it was a 137k car I wouldn't worry about it. In fact I'd treat this as a 137k car and if you discover that it is actually 37k, well then, even better.

As long as you get a good deal. It's still a GN and even if it were never worth anything as far as a collector car, I guarantee you'll still have lots of fun

For the price range you're talking about there is NOTHING that you can buy today that can even come close to a GN.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Might want to run an AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports for Used Cars. Get a Free Vin Check. - AutoCheck.com as a backup to carfax. It's run by Experian, and is usually pretty accurate.

Were I in your shoes, I'd take the advice and spread the cash (about 8 or 9 grand) on the hood, and then shut up. He who talks first, loses......

...but I wouldn't leave without the car.

Oh, yeah- 4 brand new GN center caps are less than $100.

 

[supercoupe5]

...let us all know if u do get it

if i do get it you will all know because i will be on here asking for tips. dave

 

[supercoupe5]

Looks alright to me. Ask him about the repaint becuase it was definately repainted. I wouldnt be too scared about a car that has been repainted becasue all of them need to be anyways! Just see if he know anything about it. Looks like a decent deal though! Hows the carpet on the drivers floor? Stains on the shifter handle? Wear on the pedals?

i did ask him about paint work and he told me that it has not had an overall but has had some paint work. dave

 

[supercoupe5]

Might want to run an AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports for Used Cars. Get a Free Vin Check. - AutoCheck.com as a backup to carfax. It's run by Experian, and is usually pretty accurate.

Were I in your shoes, I'd take the advice and spread the cash (about 8 or 9 grand) on the hood, and then shut up. He who talks first, loses......

...but I wouldn't leave without the car.

Oh, yeah- 4 brand new GN center caps are less than $100.

i will probibly do just that. dave

 

[supercoupe5]

Might want to run an AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports for Used Cars. Get a Free Vin Check. - AutoCheck.com as a backup to carfax. It's run by Experian, and is usually pretty accurate.

Were I in your shoes, I'd take the advice and spread the cash (about 8 or 9 grand) on the hood, and then shut up. He who talks first, loses......

...but I wouldn't leave without the car.

Oh, yeah- 4 brand new GN center caps are less than $100.

i went to the auto check and it says you get one free check so i put in the vin and it says they got 8 records on the vin but it would cost me $20 bucks to find out what they are. maybe i did something wrong but it did not give me any info on any of the records. dave

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Just wanted to say that it sounds like a good deal to me, check on ebay for what these cars go for, very easy to make a decision then!
Good Luck,
Chuck

 

[INTERCOOLED]

If the car actually has 30K on it, you HAVE to buy it.

Even if you don't like it.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

i went to the auto check and it says you get one free check so i put in the vin and it says they got 8 records on the vin but it would cost me $20 bucks to find out what they are. maybe i did something wrong but it did not give me any info on any of the records. dave

If you're serious about the car, the $20 is chump change...any info you can get about the car's past life can be ammo in negotiations.

Looks like a very nice car; if it drives, shifts (forward AND reverse), handles, and stops decently, go for it! As said before, it it a 20 year old car, so expect some gripes.

 

[Ron Coleman]

it's a no brainer

if $20 gives u info on the car i wouldn't think twice about spending the money.....ide rather spend $20 and get the facts then spen $10,000 and get the shaft

i went to the auto check and it says you get one free check so i put in the vin and it says they got 8 records on the vin but it would cost me $20 bucks to find out what they are. maybe i did something wrong but it did not give me any info on any of the records. dave

 

[Project TNX]

Carmax shmarmax, that looks 137,000 miles of grime, not 37,000, but I imagine MI winters are far worse than where I am at, so I could be wrong.

 

[DOUNVME]

I hunted 8-9 months for a decent GN after I sold my lightning. When I found mine on ebay, I called the guy, talked about the history (the story he told of why he was trying to sell due to no parking I knew was true b/c I had just moved from Jax, FL) and I sent him $8K that day. That was Jan. 05. I got two sets of wheels, an extra tranny and $3K in receipts. He even gave me $100.00 back when I got there for gas b/c I had to drive to FL to get it and all the parts. ( I was planning on takin the GreyHound) That seems like a really good deal to me with the way these cars' values have multiplied. 87's seem to bring more money also. Just remember to check the gas pedal wear, gear shifter wear, and driver's side seat bottom. With 86K on mine, the seat was just beginning to come apart on one seam. A small magnet is a cheap and quick way to check for bondo. Good Luck!

 

[supercoupe5]

DOUNVME that black and silver car in your sig is sweet. dave

 

[tzque]

I am not a grand national authority by any strech . I have done my share of homework . If that is a true grand national it is worth 10 grand . He hasnt done any homework on his car to know he can ask 3 to 5 k more . Search this site look at what people are selling for 8 k . That car is definitley worth the money . All of the 35k to 50k cars still have pretty nice interiors , Check that which will be a good indication of use . Buy it if you dont like it put badges on it and make 5 grand .

 

[turbo39151]

So? What's the status? Did you buy the GN? Don't leave us hangin'