Considering selling my 1990 Q

[mxr662]

Looking around trying to decide a selling price. Doing some downsizing and the Q has to go. Few door dings but overall he body and paint is in great shape. Been garaged since new. No rips in the seats. AC is fair, but doesn't blow super cold. Sunroof needs cable repair.

Any ideas on a selling price.

Pioneer AVIC-D1 CD/Navigation in dash

Done--chain guides, master cylinder, 4 new injectors installed by Deatschwerks Works, radiator hoses, water pump, all hoses under plenum with OEM, knock sensors, knock sensor harness, g35 coupe wheels and tires, trans filter replacement, BG trans flush, OEM air freshener, rack boots and insulators, front sway bar bushings, LF upper arm, alternator, Struts, boots, and bump stops. Nico ECU, first gear start TCU, Alignment.


Modified by mxr662 at 2:55 PM 7/10/2009

[Q451990]

OEM air fresheneModified by mxr662 at 10:58 PM 7/7/2009

Hopefully you didn't modify your post to add that!

I don't have much of a comment on the price you should ask, but I gurarantee it's going to depress you.

Heath

[Q45tech]

I have spend roughly $92,000 on my 1990 Q not including insurance, gasoline, or annual tax/tag fees YET I would be lucky to sell it for $1500.

It cost me $2500 [with my labor and parts discounts] per year to keep it on the road.

Plus it will soon need an overhaul: tires, shocks, suspension, fix a few leaks, new belts, new idler bearings etc., new windshield. Since the last $6,000 biggy was 2003.

5% of 38k [MSRP] is $1600 so that is spot on.

[elwesso]

Honestly, you're going to be better off keeping it, especially if it runs good.. The only way I could ever justify not driving a Q anymore is if it was bad enough to be a parts car only...

Whats the reason for selling?

[Victor]

Q45tech, do you think it would have been better to buy say an eight year old Q45 with low mileage that everything worked on for say $9,000, drive it until it just started to get to the nickle and diming stage, sell it for what you could get for it, and buy another eight year old low mileage Q45 in good condition for another $9000. Yearly repairs would probably be less, and in the long run your total cost of ownership would probably have been lower, plus you would have been driving a newer car most of that time. So maybe every two or three years change cars, sales tax would probably end up being the major expense.

[lino]

Market is soft now especially for old V8 cars. If it were my car and I had to sell it I'd think $5000 would be strong money. That is not my opinion of what your car is worth and please don't take any personal offence. If I were to sell my car in my market I'd be lucky to get $1000 even after spending over $10,000 on it. I would never sell my car for that low, I'd rather run it into the ground first. On a side note, I could have maintained a Rolls Royce Silver Spur, a BMW ///M or V8 or V12, a Mercedes W140, or many other cars for the same money. Had I realized that before I bought my Q45....I would never have bought it. Sorry guys, but that is my opinion.

[elwesso]

Q45tech, do you think it would have been better to buy say an eight year old Q45 with low mileage that everything worked on for say $9,000, drive it until it just started to get to the nickle and diming stage, sell it for what you could get for it, and buy another eight year old low mileage Q45 in good condition for another $9000. Yearly repairs would probably be less, and in the long run your total cost of ownership would probably have been lower, plus you would have been driving a newer car most of that time. So maybe every two or three years change cars, sales tax would probably end up being the major expense.

But finding one that truly has EVERYTHING done for 9 grand every few years is a pretty lofty goal...

You're better off to buy an average Q for whatever, dump 6-10k into it and drive it for 100k-150k miles until everything you replaced once is shot again...

Market is soft now especially for old V8 cars. If it were my car and I had to sell it I'd think $5000 would be strong money. That is not my opinion of what your car is worth and please don't take any personal offence. If I were to sell my car in my market I'd be lucky to get $1000 even after spending over $10,000 on it. I would never sell my car for that low, I'd rather run it into the ground first. On a side note, I could have maintained a Rolls Royce Silver Spur, a BMW ///M or V8 or V12, a Mercedes W140, or many other cars for the same money. Had I realized that before I bought my Q45....I would never have bought it. Sorry guys, but that is my opinion.

In all fairness, your circumstances especially being in Canada are far different than most people here.. Just pointing that out for others..

[Infinitiguy19]

I think we should have a sticky so new members could see that buying and selling a beaten Q is not the best thing to do. But I also think that people that buy Q's and invest so much time and money as mxr662 has done is not the best course of action either.

So you have really three choices, two being the smart ones.

1. Sell the car and get what you can get.

2. Part it out and wait possibly years to get rid of all the parts, But the way the government is running things it won't be long till we are picking parts off each other NICO members cars to survive.

3. keep and fix what you have to or can.

[qship96]

Market is soft now especially for old V8 cars. If it were my car and I had to sell it I'd think $5000 would be strong money. That is not my opinion of what your car is worth and please don't take any personal offence. If I were to sell my car in my market I'd be lucky to get $1000 even after spending over $10,000 on it. I would never sell my car for that low, I'd rather run it into the ground first. On a side note, I could have maintained a Rolls Royce Silver Spur, a BMW ///M or V8 or V12, a Mercedes W140, or many other cars for the same money. Had I realized that before I bought my Q45....I would never have bought it. Sorry guys, but that is my opinion.

Wonder what your costs would have been had you chose a NON ACTIVE model??????? Certainly an old Q has enough needs both time wise and dollar wise, adding the active suspension into the mix completely changes everything.

[goody90q45]

.....5% of 38k [MSRP] is $1600 so that is spot on.

I've sold two $500 90Q's that I rehabbed- the first for $3000 about 4 years ago (made $1500) and the second for $2500 about 8 months ago (broke even). I got top $$ from both buyers by explaining that I had already done the $3000 worth of yearly maintenance and they would have no out of pocket expense for a while. If you're a prospective buyer who's read up on NICO on the cost of maintenance and do the math- this car is a bargain.

With that said I've got to put a plug in for Andy's 90Q. What he failed to mention is that his California Q has only 80,000 miles and is in pristine condition. The car has been garaged all it's life and the interior leather is near showroom condition. Andy has done all the NICO recommended repairs and upgrades and this Q is ready for the next 100,000 miles of worry-free driving. We've gotten together many times over the past couple of years and Andy's work is top notch. I've watched him do the plenum job, install struts and wire in the head unit and speakers.

If you're looking for a Q45 and were ready to spend $3000 a year for a couple of years to get it up to par (like so many of us have) then this is the car for you. All that maintenance has been done. Make a vacation out of it. Fly in and drive it home worry-free to anywhere on the continent.

[greg_atlanta]

I'd list it for $4000 and take any offer greater than $2500. You're better off selling it to someone who doesn't know any better (craigslist, newspaper) and will be won over by cosmetics alone.

[Kiven422]

Brooo you can't sell your car... whenever I saw you drivin around I'm like look errybody!!!

My car was well kept, timely OCI, all records/carfax, major service done... I still spent over $2500 in maintenance after I got the car. I tell everyone, better to buy a higher priced one thats been maintained rather than a cheap uncared for Q45.

[mxr662]

What's the reason for selling?

I am going to be moving soon and probably won't have room to keep both the Q and my truck in the garage. Cost saving not insuring two vehicles. Downsizing less things to maintain.

But I also think that people that buy Q's and invest so much time and money as mxr662 has done is not the best course of action either. .

I don't expect to get back what I have put into it. I have learned quite a bit by doing this work myself.(from the work it's self and reading on this forum). My Q has been my daily driver since my repairs with not one single problem after replacing the alternator. With another couple hours of maintenance the Q would be ready for a trip anywhere in the US (in speed and comfort)

I'd list it for $4000 and take any offer greater than $2500. You're better off selling it to someone who doesn't know any better (craigslist, newspaper) and will be won over by cosmetics alone.

I listed it for 4000 a couple weekends ago at our local auto fair. Driving it for the first time in several weeks, I really noticed how nice it was to drive compared with my 2004 2wd 1500 Silverado. I got several calls and told them that the price was firm and that the Q was expensive to maintain. Made sure to tell them every thing that was wrong. Was very glad to get the Q back after the weekend.

Not sure what I will do next.

[maxnix]

1.) I am going to be moving soon and probably won't have room to keep both the Q and my truck in the garage. Cost saving not insuring two vehicles. Downsizing less things to maintain.

2.) I don't expect to get back what I have put into it. I have learned quite a bit by doing this work myself.(from the work it's self and reading on this forum). My Q has been my daily driver since my repairs with not one single problem after replacing the alternator. With another couple hours of maintenance the Q would be ready for a trip anywhere in the US (in speed and comfort)

3.) I really noticed how nice it was to drive compared with my 2004 2wd 1500 Silverado. I got several calls and told them that the price was firm and that the Q was expensive to maintain. Made sure to tell them every thing that was wrong. Was very glad to get the Q back after the weekend.

4.) Not sure what I will do next.

1.) How much extra does the G50 cost to insure? YOu couild drop collision.

2.) If you are not getting back more than what you put into it, then you are neglecting it. I figure I get back abouit $5 for every dollar I spend to maintain it for what I would have to spend new to replicate it (if new build quality were equal - which it is not) from saving on insurance, parts (thanks Joe!), labor I do myself (thanks Q45tech and NICO), and not very much depreciation. best bang for the buck. My wife had a 1995 Contour SE and a freind has a 1997 VW Passat that each cost much more to maintain. Which would you rather drive? Or be in a crash in?

3.) Here, you answered your own question posed in 1.) above. I had two4x4 suburbans in the eighties. Great to haul stuff, but trucks are tiring to drive. Some prefer motorcycles. I sure don't want to be stuck in a StupidCar on the highway around here. Life is too important and the G50 is cheap life insurance.

4.) Evaluate and consider. I love the utility of pick-ups, but I don't need them every day. I hate the ride and handling of a pick-up, and one stop in the rain unloaded is enough to load my brithches up for a week.

One must remember these are, in present day dollars, $70K vehicles. That we can keep them on the road for ~$3K per annum in parts and labor and deferred saving for big maintenance items is truly remarkable.

What else would you rather be driving for the same or even greater expense? Answer that and you will be content in your decision.