2001 Dodge Stratus with probable blown head gasket -- What's it worth?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hello –



I was on here about a month ago, shortly after my 2001 Dodge Stratus sedan overheated and began to lose pressure in cylinders 2 and 3. Now, I have a car lined up (a 1996 Chevy Blazer with 160,000 miles on it but no mechanical problems), and I was wondering what you folks thought I should ask for the Stratus.



My plan is to post an ad on Craigslist (or something like that) describing the honest condition of the car, and hope that someone equipped to fix it might be willing to buy it.



Here’s the situation with the Stratus:



-129,000 miles

-No accidents

-Body is in fine shape – no dents or dings

-Automatic transmission, 4-cyl engine

-Paint (white) still looks good

-Upholstery is in decent shape

-No radio

-Transmission rebuilt at 80,000 miles

-New timing belt, water pump, and thermostat

-Probable blown head gasket (possibly rings or a valve); car technically runs, but isn’t really driveable

-Tires have 25,000 miles on them



What, in your estimation, would be a fair asking price for this car in a place like Atlanta? I know, there are tons of factors that might go into this; if there’s information you need that I haven’t provided, ask away.



But given the situation, what do you think would be a fair asking price, and what do you think I might actually get for the car? I’m not looking to rip people off; I’m just wondering what it might actually be worth.



– Justin

Atlanta, Georgia

2

??? free?

on second thought, donate it to one of those vehicles for charity orgs.

take th etax deduction next yr.

3

It will strictly be a buyers market and depend on the individual. JMHO, but the vehicle is only worth a couple of hundred dollars at best and even that could be a stretch. It’s 8 years old, 129k miles, and needs major engine work so it could be considered salvage.

Things like new timing belt, water pump, tires, etc. and even a rebuilt transmission do not factor in very much on the value.
The right DIYer type of buyer who has a good engine and is looking for a straight car may give more but waiting on that particular buyer may or may not take some time.