So Friday I'm going to try to negotiate with a dealer in LaFollette, Tennessee on a 1998 Camaro V6 5-speed with a little over 176,000 miles. The dealer hasn't set an asking price yet as they haven't completely "prepped it for the lot yet" (it needs a brake booster installed and first-gear tightened up). Thus far, all of my research from the KBB website shows that there is about a two-hundred dollar or so average between their car and my truck with my truck actually being the more expensive vehicle.

If anyone has any negotiation tips for me so that I will not come out of this deal losing anything, I'd really appreciate it.

The Sonoma has got to go ASAP. All of the little things just keep breaking on it. It's overall tolerable mechanically, but driving down the Interstate today, the driver's side mirror just broke off for no reason and without provocation. And that's just for this month. All throughout January and February, the truck's check engine light would come on, flashing, and I just couldn't manage to gain any speed whatsoever. (It hasn't done it in about two weeks, though.) I've cleared the code for the check engine light several times now; it usually stays on because I had to remove the catalytic converter last year.

Set in your mind the minimum you'll take for the truck, they'll try to use things like a missing mirror and lack of a catalytic converter to drive down your trade-in.

If possible, have an independent mechanic look at the Camaro, you can never be too careful when your looking at that many miles, especially if its going to be a daily driver.

Hope it works out for you....

I'm not going to mention anything about the cat to the dealership. If they spot something, I'll explain it. What they can't see from a "sitting pretty" view, they'll just have to find out later on their own.

However, I did get a phone call tonight. Someone had seen my Craigslist posting and wants to look at the truck tomorrow afternoon. All bets are on that I'm going to walk away disappointed because the guy pitched me a low-ball offer and I'll again be stuck with my truck.

Yeah, the guy didn't even make an offer.

It's going this weekend, one way or another.

And the powers that be threw a big wrench in the machine today; I found a 1969 Camaro on the way home in great condition. Like the 1998 Camaro I want, it has a downside: it's powered by an inline-six. I'm going to get a price on the '69 tomorrow and make a decision Friday afternoon.

Edited March 4, 200917 yr by YellowJacket894

Maybe a 3rd option will pop up and be better than both of them so far...lower miles, the right powertrain, good condition, etc. You never know

I understand the "it's gotta go" feeling, even if I have only been driving, uh, new cars for the past 7 or so months. Sometimes even they HAVE to go, as well.

I'm the opposite. I never want to let go... but I always want more More MOAR!!!!!.

I think I would fall under BV's category.

Hey YJ,

Good luck! Be sure to post pics if you get it .

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Thanks, knightfan.

Brief update: I called the dealership today as opposed to driving there to save gas, and I talked to the salesman who first showed me the car. He told me that as soon as the first-gear synchro was fixed, he would give me a call ASAP. He seems pretty serious about trading straight-up, so all I have to do is wait for a phone call.

As for the '69 Camaro, it wasn't for sale.

I found "plan B" yesterday: there's a 1999 Pontiac Firebird V6 five-speed in Somerset in black, with T-tops, and 111,000 miles if my memory serves me right -- exactly the way I want a Firebird. The $h!ty buy-here-pay-here lot that had it wants $4,995 for it, but I know it isn't worth that. I'd say they have around $2500 in the car and it needs the door lock assemblies for both the driver and passenger side doors, a new driver's side taillight, and a bezel that goes around the shifter. And, as luck would have it, I know where there is a black, five-speed Firebird sitting in a junkyard for me to pick parts off of.

Any advice on what the car might be worth?

I'm expecting a phone call tomorrow, and if I don't get it, I'm calling the dealership in LaFollette Tuesday to ask one last time where the Camaro stands. Depending on what answer I get, I might pursue the Firebird in Somerset.

Edited March 8, 200917 yr by YellowJacket894

Stupid buy-here, pay-here places always seem to have tough to find cars that I want. But there is no way I'm paying $80/week for the next 2 years on something work $3500. And I can never seem to get them to sell outright, because they dont make any money that way.

Except for the Camaro, all of the F-Bodies I've found were at buy-here-get-raped-here lots and three out of four times, they seemed to willing to take any offer thrown at them. With the economy in such rough shape, I believe these places are feeling the crunch worse than anyone.

I tried getting one to take a wad of cash for a GP coupe, wouldn't bite.

That's somewhat surprising. I know the biggest douchebags alive usually own these types of lots, but one was pretty serious about trading me a 2000 Firebird for my truck. I didn't go for it because both airbags had been popped.