How to best rid myself of my Intrigue

I've been wanting to sell my Olds Intrigue and buy a small truck in it's place. I had been fixing some issues with it (a new wheel bearing and four struts installed, still some things to go) and one item I wanted to have fixed to aid in the sale was a new windshield. Safelight wanted $230 to come do the job but there's a snag; the roof was replaced about a decade ago and the repair shop didn't do a great job. There's rust around the windshield and Safelight won't do the job because of that. There's cancer in the rail around the windshield at the top and bubbles in a couple spots on the A pillar, passenger side.

The current windshield has a single crack that branches out from the lower-middle and while I haven't received a ticket for it, this seemed like a major obstacle in getting a decent price for the car. I really don't think it's worth the cost of having the metal cut out and new welded in, the affected areas repainted, and whatever trim work is needed to do to get this thing back into good shape.

Should I find a "less concerned" glass shop to do this, should I try to do this myself, or what would be the best inexpensive route to fixing this? Or should I just hang a For Sale sign in the window of the thing, fix some other items, and see what develops? I can get used windshields for less than $100 locally, I've never replaced one before, so not sure how hard this would be. And maybe a bad idea anyway.

In related news, I have an Olds Intrigue for sale if anyone is really excited about these cars, and I'm willing to deal.

Honestly, it sounds like you're already on the wrong track because you are putting hundreds of dollars (struts, wheel bearing) and trying to put hundreds more into an Oldsmobile Intrigue thinking you will get a 'decent price' for it. I sure hope you're not paying labor for those parts installs..

They havent made Oldsmobile Intrigues for a long time. It's an old, and more importantly boring, car, and it even has visible rust.If you get over 2k for it you'll be VERY lucky. I dont think you can come out ahead putting more money into it...

I had a similiar issue.

I removed the windshield myself( which is fun if you don't care about it), scraped out the rust, POR15, fiberglass bondo, more POR15, then called the glass guys to install.

Offer $250 off for any possible buyer?

Scrap it?

In reply to Vigo:

Naw, I was buying the parts off Rock Auto and putting them on myself, I've got $80 in the bearing (there's one more that needs to go on the rear, not sure which yet, noisy) and maybe $225 in the struts. So about $300 so far and there's probably another $200 in remaining parts outside of this windshield. My hope was to clear $1500 from a sale, or $1000 'profit". My fear is the car is $300 as it sits now.

In reply to Cone_Junky:

Yeah, thought about that, little time with a wire brush and POR15, bondo and primer, then get some glass dude to do it in the driveway. Still curious about that option...

In reply to ArthurDent:

Possibility for sure, not sure who'd pick up on it.

Well, you're doing right using the cheapest parts and not paying labor..

But i think hoping to be $1k up might be optimistic, especially after you pay for a windshield.

I think a running car is worth more than $300 no matter what. I dont think you should take less than a grand for, and if the ac works id start at $1500+.

If that car was perfect it would only be worth mid-high 3s for a later one, less for an early one, and sounds like yours is a long way from perfect. I still say stop putting money into it, but definitely dont take 300 for it. I dont think it'd be much of a stretch to get 1500 for it, although i havent seen pics.

Don't put a penny into it and just sell it "as is" to someone. Craigslist is good.

My dad bought an absolutely mint 1998 Intrigue (only year for the 3800, and therefore a better car than the Shortstar cars) for $2k with 60k miles on it 5 years ago. If your car isnt absolutely mint, ditch it for whatever you can and quit throwing good money after bad.

In reply to 93gsxturbo:

Mine's a 99 with the 3800, they quit that around April or so in that year's production run. In any case... that's scary cheap. Ouch.

The car needs an ignition switch for the A/C to work reliably (the HVAC control head in the interior gets power from that switch, switches start acting badly and these things drop out and come back randomly, it's a riot) and some other stuff. I'll probably get the camera out and take some pictures this weekend and get it on CL for $1000 OBO.

Hate to rub salt into a wound but (sorry) that really is a loser car. Sell it as is for a beater on CL.

In reply to Feedyurhed:

Thanks for the useful info.

pres589 wrote: In reply to Feedyurhed: Thanks for the useful info.

I already said I was sorry and it's nothing personal..........this is just a discussion board of people's opinions. I merely meant, as other's have already suggested, sell it for what you can get for it and move on. Don't put any more money into it.