My mom has a 1986 Pontiac Firebird just sitting in her garage that has not been driven for about 10 years. Is it better to fix it up: clean out old oil, new tires, etc. or just sell it like it is…What is the value of this thing, anyway? It is too old for the Kelley Blue Book.
The first question is why hasn’t it been driven? And other than that, what kind of shape is it in? Exterior? Interior? How many miles are on it?
In the mid-80s this kind of car was most every high school kid’s dream. Those high school kids are now in their 40s looking for some kind of mid-life crisis solution.
So…if the car is generally in good shape - especially if it can be made to look good, then I’d probably get it back on the road and then sell it. But I would also do almost all of the work myself. If you would have to pay someone to do everything you should probably just toss it out as is for offers. But the problem is that any buyer is taking a huge risk on a car that can’t be started & run on the road. It will also require a lot of work even if there are no major problems. So if you just list it “as is” sitting in the garage you won’t get much.
You might also just donate it to your favorite charity (or local NPR station) - most have ways of taking complete autos.
If it’s in good condition as to interior and body, etc. it should be worth a bit. The 3rd generation Camaros and Firebirds in good shape are going up in value compared to what they were 8 or 9 years ago.
What would I do? Drain the old gas, add fresh gas with an additive (Chemtool or Seafoam), new battery, and try to get it running first. It will run ragged at first but may clear up soon. A running vehicle will bring more money than an “as it sits” car.
Without knowing miles and condition it’s impossible to put a price on it but if it’s comparatively low miles for the age and if it runs with fresh gas and a battery I don’t see why it won’t bring 2-3 grand. (Assuming it’s not been beaten into the pavement of course.)
I could have added something. About 3 years ago my son had his 88 Camaro run into and it was totalled out. (This is the same generation, body style as the Firebird.)
The car had a broken and buckled frame, just a shade under 300k miles on it, and he sold it in a heartbeat for 500 bucks. You can use that for comparison purposes.