What's a 1988 SE body/chassis worth? (Page 1/2)
JRP3 OCT 11, 03:23 PM
I have a 1988 SE that I converted to electric over 10 years ago that I took off the road this year. I'm thinking of pulling out the EV components and selling the roller since it was a low voltage moderate power system and there is much better stuff available today. No structural changes were made other than removing the mounting point for the motor dog bone. It has a rebuilt automatic that I put about 15K miles on after the Isuzu 5 speed broke. Frame is solid, only rust through I know of was the battery tray and the inside upper trunk corners. Newer front calipers, steering rack seals and bellows, poly bushings, window dew wipe on one side, have the other side not installed, new rear side marker lights. Would need a paint job to look good. Interior is rather worn. Just trying to get a general idea of what it might be worth.
JRP3 OCT 11, 05:01 PM
It would also need a new windshield, crack in lower left corner and wiper scrapes.
hyperv6 OCT 11, 05:06 PM
Photos would help.

Depends on how much work it needs or how many good condition hard to find parts are on it.
JRP3 OCT 11, 08:11 PM
It will basically be a stripped car, no gas engine components, i.e. exhaust, gas tank, radiator, computer, etc. Here's a few pics.
hyperv6 OCT 12, 04:33 PM
You have two kinds of buyers here. Someone that has a car that needs a new chassis due to rust or they want to do a V8.

Or you part it out. Cars often like this are worth more apart than together.

Now before someone blows up about parting a car out. Yes you lose on but you may hep keep ten more on the road. It is kind of like donating organs.

It it has a decent interior you may have a $1200 chassis. Just my guess.

There may be a buyer but odds are they will have to transport it so that hurts what they may pay. Who know you may get lucky local.

To be honest in the photos it looks better than many I see with running engines in them.

[This message has been edited by hyperv6 (edited 10-12-2021).]

JRP3 OCT 12, 05:31 PM
Interior isn't great, just the basic grey which wasn't that great even when new. Seats are worn and some cracks in the dash. I'm not looking to get every last dollar out of it and don't want to deal with parting it out, I'll list it here and on Craigslist for $800 and see what happens. Thanks for your input.
olejoedad OCT 12, 07:12 PM
$700 - $800 would be a fair price.
skywurz OCT 12, 07:45 PM
The big thing is the paint looks really clean.

The question is how much paperwork would someone have to go through to convert it back from EV if any? In CA if you get somethings fuel type changed its a big challenge to change it back.
fieroguru OCT 12, 08:06 PM
If I was looking for another 88 to put one of my LS4s in and the rest of the chassis was rust free, it likely would be a $2500 given the good paint.

If the rest of the chassis is clean, you have a very good base for someone to engine swap w/o needing to repair the car. There is a significant value in that when you find the right person.

If I knew a person with a black 87 or 88 coupe with perfect paint and everything else was crap, I would still pay $2500 to $3000 for it to swap the body panels.
JRP3 OCT 12, 08:41 PM
As I said in my original post the car would need to be painted. There are chips and flakes especially on the hood and trunk lid. It was repainted at some point but I'd say the prep wasn't good. The best paint is the rear bumper which I sanded down myself and used a 2 part epoxy primer on. The rest I just touched up once in a while so it looked good from 10 feet away.

I never changed the registration/title to EV so that's not an issue.