I have 2 cars- 1974 Chevy Malibu/Chevelle with 113,000miles; and a 1990 Toyota Camry with 241000 miles. The Chevy I love and have owned for 6+ years. I know its history since 60K miles and have maintained it well. The Camry I bought at a garage sale recently. My mechanic checked it out and said it was good but it is an automatic and shifts hard. Do not know its history. I am headed to Hawaii and need to pay for the trip with proceeds of a sale.
Tough choice. However, taking a 25 year old car to Hawaii might not be a good idea. Parts are hard to get for anything that old even on the continent.
I would sell the Chevy and fix the Camry transmission, and any other items that will soon give trouble. Repairs in the lower 48 US are bound to be less expensive than in Hawaii. I assume you will not drive as much in Hawaii as you are used to.
A third option would be to sell both cars and buy a basic compact such as a later model Corolla, Civic, Mazda Protege.
Hawaii? Sell them both and get a Vespa when you get there.
There are no interstate highways, no long distances on any of the islands. And no snow or icestorms. You may find that maintaining a car is a waste of money there.
You won’t get enough money from the Malibu to pay for a taxi to and from the airport, let alone a plane ticket. Unless it’s an SS. So, sell the Camry. Of course, you might not get enough money if you sell it, either.
Are you moving or is this a pleasure trip? The cost of shipping either car is far more that both are worth.
oh just going on a vacation. I’m leaning towards selling the Chevy now after your and several other replies I really appreciate. The Chevy is in rather good shape so maybe I could find a Detroit steel fan that would restore it themselves. Thanks
Many tell me that one visit to Hawaii will make you wish you could move there, but I’m just trying to fund my vacation. When I return I still need to have a car that will last two years until I can upgrade. Thanks for the response.
Go outside and look at the car. Pretend you are a buyer. What does it need? The interior, exterior, and mechanical conditions has to be good or you can’t get top dollar. Go to eBay Motors and check out the 1973-1977 Chevelles and see if any of them are similar condition to yours. The Malibu Classic the highest class of Chevelle that year, and if you have a big engine in it, that could help the price. Just be aware that it’s a couple seconds slower in the quarter mile than the pre-1973 cars. That’s going to cost you at the sale.
I’ve decided to sell the Chevy. Both cars have straight bodies. Good/untorn cloth interiors.The Chevy has a v8 350 and lots of power. With the low miles for the age I now have to decide what price to start with. The right buyer will fall in love with it. Any input on that. A few months ago I was offered $1000 and another car maybe worth about $700-850 but I had no idea at the time that I’d sell it.
Here’s one that’s similar to yours, and it has bidders. Bidding closes in 5 days, so check in to see what it goes for. If youcan wait a week and your coar is in similar condition, you might have a starting price.
Life is too short to sell something you love…for money alone. I’d find another way to raise the money, store it and decide on transportation needs when you return.
Have a safe trip…
Thanks for all your input! I should have gotten on Cartalk ages ago as I’ve enjoyed the show and its callers for decades. I’ve bookmarked the bidding although that one has been restored/souped up( is that still a term used?)