Just wanted to add my GTO sees no extra abuse then any other of my cars.

In fact the Mini and Ridgeline spend more time at full throttle then the GTO does getting on the freeway.

Just because it's modded doesn't mean it's crap. It's it well done and to your tastes then go for it.

 

I've been there before...I didn't act like I don't like the mods, but more like I am indifferent to them. "They have no special value to me" , so the seller will have a lower price expectation.

Actually it helps that many prefer unmodded cars, because if you find the right car, you can get a better deal.

Funny that many of you express a preference for a unmodded car, and you have all kind of mods in your signatures. Kind of a contridiction in logic if you feel the market value of your car goes down each time you add mods, AND add mods...?

 

Right-buy the highest valued unmodded car and spend full retail to mod it just so that the ultimate value is less than unmodded, instead of buying a modded car that is selling below unmodded book and put no additional $$ into it......that makes sense.

I just recently got my car appraised on a trade up to a 2500 mile 06 MCS with some very extensive non-drivetrain mods a couple of weeks ago at a MINI dealer. The trade-in price offered to me pretty much reflected unmodded market, actually a bit higher than I expected, and I don't think they knew or cared what was done to it (most are drivetrain as you can see in my sig)-they never asked. I ended up deciding to keep my car, restored the exterior and interior, put on new wheels and tires and the Milltek and Bypass valve.....for now.

 

This is an interesting thread to me, especially since I am in the market to sell my "modded" MCS. When deciding on an asking price, I took into account KBB values for the stock car and added in a "fair" (subjective, I know) dollar amount for the additional parts. Anyone who knows me knows the car is worth every penny and then some. If the car sells for the price I am asking, great. If not, it goes back in the garage under a cover to enjoy on nice days. If I were desperate to sell, I'd strip it and dump it (remove aftermarket and sell cheap).

 

I think the point of the thread, is what mods are worth to the market value of the car if you're buying or selling. Mods destroy the value of a car, and a seller will take a loss 99% of the time.

That many of us have mods is irrelevant. Not trying to sell the car. I do plan to add mods to my car, but IF the day ever comes that I sell it (unlikely), I will restore it to it's stock configuration.

 

These MINI Cooper S's were designed to be driven, and driven hard. Being driven hard from time to time does not necessarily mean "abused either".

From looking at most signatures here, I would bet 99% of NAM members have modded their engines, intakes and exhaust, and I would also bet that most would say that they never abuse their MINI as well..........so that will not always add up.

That said, do the usual MINI inspection ( Test drive and dont be bashful, take it down some bumpy roads ect, Power steering pump sound/fan, strut tower mushrooming check, oil check, tire wear, brake inspection, body and paint check, interior check, odors/stains ) and Carfax for your prospective MINI.

If the owner is not available and repair records do not come with the car, try calling INSKIP MINI in Warwick RI, ask for Geoff in Service Dept., and give him the VIN. Maybe he can shed some light as to the vehicles repair history as well....

Good luck!

 

Damn, Love your MINI ! It's worth every penny over KBB and NADA. No doubt you will get it too.

 

I notice a lot of people on here telling the OP to "stay clear" of a modded car!

Why?
Mine is heavely modded, runs and drives fantastic, and has not had any issues. well except for the one unmodded part (factory sway bar link broke in half).
as a custom car builder and vehicle restorer, Ilook at it this way. I customize every car i buy, and at very least get all my initial cash back and sometimes get a little extra to make up for some labor as well.
point is this.
If you plan on modding the car, then buy one with the mods as close to what you want on it cause it will save you a bunch of cash.
If you know what you are looking at when looking over a potential car then you can tell if the car has been maintained, abused, or neglected.
if you don't know what to look for then bring the vehicle to reputable source to look it over for you. Or you can always buy one stock spend a fortune paying someone else to install the parts and loose your shirt when you go to sell it.

Theres nothing wrong with a modded car, i had a jeep that was modded for rock crawling I had a total of 13K into it, including purchase price. used it as a daily driver and went rock crawling at least once a month (where talking 3-6 ft. high boulders) and still got 15K for it 6 yrs. later.
So, does a modded car devalue a car? NO. It does not.
have you seen what the modded muscle cars are going for? or how about a model T or A? there worth squat unless there modded into a hot rod.
model T is worth 13K restored to factory specs, its worth upwards of 40K as a hot rod.

 

My honest opinion... dump money into a car and you need to expect to not re-coup. In the eyes of insurance and your finance company, it's still Just a MCS regardless if you dumped 30,000 into mods and upgrades. It truly is a buyers market car wise and it's only worth what someone will pay for it.

 

I disagree with the buyers' market theory. With the price of fuel the way it is, small cars are at a premium, modified or not.

 

mods usually make the car worth less even though it doesnt make any since lol all the money you put into it then no one wants to buy it for stock value.
Buuut I would buy a modded car for more than stock only because I am sick of all the labor hours to do mods : p

 

wowww looks perfect!! except for the orange sidemarkers, should def get the clear .
BUUUT the car is damn near perfect. definitely close to what I want mine to look like one day.

 

So again, it seems like one might be better off playing it like you don't want the mods... I guess you'd kinda have to hope no one else wants the modded car either so the seller becomes desperate and drops the price. Conversely, if one jumps right on a car with mods, the seller might sense that you appreciate the mods and could possibly become less reluctant to lower the price any in an attempt to gain back some compensation for mods?

This is all too complicated for me - I just want a nice MCS at a respectable price with some of the mods done already. Bleh! Hopefully this will all be over soon and I can enjoy modified motoring right away!

 

That is a great idea, you can pretend the mods dont interest you. and then when you get the car at a lower price you do your happy dance because it came with mods.

 

I purchased mine slightly pre-owned and had few mods. Got a great deal and did my happy dance. I have added more, and do so with no intentions of ever selling her.

If I modded a MINI, with no intentions of keeping it long, I would just sell it to a local MINI Club member or someone whom would appreciate the work that went into it, and willing to pay the premium price for an awesome modded automobile.........if they arn't willing to pay what it is worth, they don't deserve it.

 

But they are willing to pay what it's worth. A modded car is just not worth as much to a prospective buyer as it is to the person who created their own idea of the perfect Mini. Prospective buyers have other opinions. That's the market value.

If I were to ever sell my MGB, the Derrington cross flow head would come off, with the 40mm DCOE's, and all other performance mods. Right now, the MG is not worth half it's market value, because it's not collectable stock.

 

Most places I have found use KBB, but they also factor in the Average Auction Prices for tha region for last three months when pricing a pre-owned automobile.....and those auction prices drive the average trade in values into the ground too.

On another note, I bet Will Castro of UNIQUE Motor Sports aka: Uniquie Whips on SPEED CH would disagree.

I would bet ANY of his modded Lambos, Lades, Range Rovers, Jags, MB's, and even the Dodge Chargers he's done would sell higher than KBB or NADA. Dont ya think ?

 

They might sell for slightly more than book, but keep in mind he does mostly aesthetic stuff that's fairly personal... I mean, sure it might have thousands of dollars of professional work in it that can't be ignored, but I would NEVER pay (any) money for a Lamborghini with blinged out wheels and a huge stereo in it. It's kinda a grey area anyhow, since some of the ellaborate stuff from places like that get into the "custom" segment where the value of the vehicle is based more on the work done than the actual car - Like Boyd Cottington cars or something similar.

The way I see it, mods are always a highly personal thing. I agree that mods generally do not increase the value of the car, but I don't think they decrease it either. What they do decrease it the quanity of prospective buyers for your vehicle, leaving you to either lower the price of the car to make it more appealing for a quick sale, or hold out for someone who finds the mods worthwhile.

 

Think there might be a little difference between a well known mod business that only attracts a niche clientele, and the other 99% of the buying public?