[khkiley1]

I have a '79 Trans Am. 400/4spd and I think WS6, non T-Top. This was my dad's car and inherited it when he passed almost 19 years ago.

I also have a '65 Lemans convertible.

I love them both, but really can only support one, so I am going to sell the TA.

The TA has been sitting in one of two garages for about 15 years, it was a daily driver for a little while until I parked it. It ran fine when parked.

My question is whether it makes sense to get it running prior to selling or to sell as is.

The body is solid but the paint is tired. Doors are sagging. Somehow the reverse lockout got jammed.

I know at a minimum i'll need to have the fluids replaced and a new battery installed. It needed a tuneup when I parked it.

My dad took care of it, doing regular maintenance. It hasn't been touched otherwise and is stock.

I might have the work done by a local mechanic who is trustworthy and fair. Its really the time factor now as I've been procrastinating on this for years.

So the question after all this rambling, Is it worth getting running prior to selling or just sell it as is ? I'd like to see it drive away on its own power, but don't want to invest a lot of $ if I wont see a return in the sales price.

Thanks for the advice!

Kurt

[Stuart]

A running car is always going to be worth more, but I guess the question is will that increase the value enough to offset the cost of recommishing it. If it's something you don't have the time to do yourself, talk to your mechanic to see if he can give you an estimate. If it's just a matter of draining the gas tank and cleaning the carburetor, you can still show it runs with a borrowed battery even if it's not fit to drive any further than back and forth in the driveway. Leave any other maintenance (like flushing the brake system, etc.) for the buyer.

[FrankieT/A]

Let's see some pics...

[mrrat1]

Hey Kurt, I might be interested when you decide to sell. If you don't get it running I'm fine with that. I'm down in S NJ near Atco. kensinger117@comcast.net for pics. When are you looking to sell?

[khkiley1]

Thanks Everyone. I don't have any currents pics, and she is buried in the garage and coverred in dust. I am going to work on getting her out and cleaned up and then I'll snap some pictures.

Kurt

[Skip Fix]

Kurt getting it running usually adds more value. Using a 2 gallon gas tank straight to the fuel pump to bypass nasty old gas, maybe a carb rebuild, fresh plugs and a hot battery can fire up a lot of motors. Still might not run smooth but shows it is not locked up.

[rohrt]

Set yourself a goal. Can you get it running for less than $200 within 4 hours. Change the oil, plugs, cap, rotor, wires, battery. Prime the carb from the vent tube and see what happens.

BTW I think your making a good decision on selling the TA and keeping the 65.

[68ragtop]

The car will for sure be worth more running. Non running a buyer has to expect the worst.
Would love to see pics, right were it sits. That never gets old. 400/4 speed if original adds quite a bit of value, especially if it has a few extra creature comforts. Share what you can.