[Flassh]

Hey, Dingbat,

Don't let the sleezy sales guys wear you down.

An earlier post from Freezer set 3361 as the last 03. Serial numbers in the high 6000 range are now showing up on EBay. That would indicate that over 3600 04 SSRs have been built since mid-December, fitting in with the 1200/month projections, and the 15000/year estimated production.

I had a salesman tell me only 500/year were being built, while showing me a SSR with a serial number in the 3800 range. He wasn't impressed when I pointed out the serial number. Another told me he had the only silver in Western Canada - pointed out there were at least two others - didn't like me either. Also learned from a salesman that the SSR weighed 3000 lbs.!!!!

Bottom line, there's a lot of BS going around when sales guys are trying to bend you over on the price. There are over 40 on EBay right now, and several 04s, including purple and silver, are selling - yes, actually selling - in the $44000 - 45000 range, well below MSRP.

Do your homework, and you can go into the dealership armed with great information. Sign up on EBay - you can then watch up to 30 items, print the list, go back after the auctions have ended, and chart where bidding stopped, or the selling price if it sold. I've kept track of serial numbers as well.

Selling price has dropped steadily over the last three months - consistently under MSRP. Knowledge is a good thing. Even EBay has its sleezy sellers - one SSR listed on EBay now has a claim that it is #47 of the first 100 built (it's 1347) It's quite entertaining to read the claims made for this truck by various dealerships - they don't seem to check who else is out there before listing. You'll even find some with starting bids in the $50 - 55000 range - don't get much action on those.

Good luck - there's another 1200 out there every month. You should find one with fair pricing somewhere within a plane ride's range.

 

[kwhopper89]

Production

The numbers that I have seen for months are:

2003 = 3,500
2004 = 10,000 to 15,000
2005 = 10,000 to 15,000

I've read a production run of 5 or 6 years.

Perhaps less than 100,000 TOTAL SSR's...

 

[dingbat]

Thanks guys. I do plan on lots of homework and hitting the salesman hard when I am ready. I spent some time on the other side of the desk selling so I do know most of the BS.
A dealer that has one on ebay ($50,000 Buy it now) told me that they really don't expect to sell it through Ebay but its advertising and it lets people elsewhere know they have it. He insists they will get 50K+ for it. Some dumb ass with too much money and no time for homework will fall for the sales pitch.
I havent paid more than invoice for a car in 20 years. I don't think I'll get that low but I think somewhere between invoice and MSRP will happen. My one stumbling block right now is getting my better half to agree to me writing the check. I think she is about 90% convinced. Got to finish working on her first.:banghead

 

[dingbat]

Thanks guys. I do plan on lots of homework and hitting the salesman hard when I am ready. I spent some time on the other side of the desk selling so I do know most of the BS.
A dealer that has one on ebay ($50,000 Buy it now) told me that they really don't expect to sell it through Ebay but its advertising and it lets people elsewhere know they have it. He insists they will get 50K+ for it. Some dumb ass with too much money and no time for homework will fall for the sales pitch.
I havent paid more than invoice for a car in 20 years. I don't think I'll get that low but I think somewhere between invoice and MSRP will happen. My one stumbling block right now is getting my better half to agree to me writing the check. I think she is about 90% convinced. Got to finish working on her first.:banghead

 

[dingbat]

One thing I don't seem to quite understand. If this car is in such demand that dealers are putting markups on MSRP why are there so many offered on Ebay (over 40 at this time)? It would seem to me that if you had a product that was a hot one your local market should take care of sales. If anything, by advertising and not selling or selling under MSRP, this is helping to bring down the prices. Good for the buyers, bad for the sellers.

 

[Flassh]

The unscrupulous dealers are counting on a customer coming it, getting all goose bumpy, and not doing his due dilligence. More than once, someone has come on this website and indicated they got burned by their dealer, and realized after wards they got a raw deal. ( Check old threads involving Tycoon - he was at 7500 over, and none too happy.)

One Chev dealer in California has bought at least 18 SSRs on EBay, originally up to $5000 over MSRP, now under MSRP. He's obviously able to resell them in LA for well over MSRP to buyers who don't care how much it costs.

 

[nostoc]

Ding, another thing...

One thing I don't seem to quite understand. If this car is in such demand that dealers are putting markups on MSRP why are there so many offered on Ebay

I bought mine a month and a half ago and just looked on gmbuypower and saw three of the same SSRs I offered $1000 under for (they said no). These dealers might have sticker or more in the truck, since they often delt with other dealers back when they were selling for $10K - 15K over list. Some of them can't bear to "take a loss" so they are still tacking on markups.

I'd suggest you do like I did. Be willing to hear several dealers laugh and say, "You don't understand." Eventually, you'll get one to accept your under-MSRP offer.

From selling cars yourself, you understand the floorplan costs that some dealers let exceed the profitability. If these guys have been holding the SSRs for 8, 10, or even 12 weeks waiting for someone to pay top dollar, while the going price is going down, they should be wishing they had accepted earlier offers...like mine.

#1692

 

[dingbat]

I was just doing a search. According to GM buypower serial#7372 was just delivered to a dealer here in Florida. If #3362 was the first 04 then there are already over 4000 04s made.

 

[Wylde]

The only thing I know is I will not pay nearly $80000 for an SSR which is what the 4 SSR's that I know of in this city are priced at. I hope dealers in Canada get hosed big time on that rediculous price and nearly none sell. I hope they are parked on their lots for months. I am so pissed off at that MSRP set by the GM brass, it almost make my mouth foam up like a rabbid dog.

I wanted one of those so bad, but I refused to pay more for a heavy gutless (by comparison to the vette, so no one take offence) truck priced higher than a vette. I don't care how cool it looks. The idiots out there with more money than brains can waste their money, I'm not and I am very certain I am not alone in this. The MSRP on the SSR in Canada is priced as if our dollar was only worth about $.54. It has NOT been that low since the turn of the 19th century.

:venting over: :steps off soap box and takes a deep sigh:

 

[Flassh]

Hi, Wylde

Go easy on the Canadian dealers - they're just as choked about this as you are. I have yet to see one situation of a Canadian dealer attempting to get over MSRP for an SSR, so they're not the bad guys.

I know several GM dealers, some with multiple dealerships. When one of them complained to GM upper management (don't want to get more specific right now), he was told not to order any if he didn't like the price.

Even if dealers went below cost to unload them, the price would still be significantly higher than US MSRP.

Your best bet is to wait a while, and look for a low mileage pre-owned - that's where I'm headed, hopefully soon. With new 04s selling in the $43000 range, there should be some owners willing to part with a 10000 mile SSR for $40000 or so.

If someone's out there is listening, I'm ready to buy - 6 months & 7500 miles, around $40000.

email to: [email protected]

 

[Zainossr]

04s for $43,000? where?

Hey, Flassh where did you see any 04s selling for $43,000; haven't seen any that low yet.

 

[Flassh]

Hey, Zaino

Notice I said in the 43000 range - so anything under $44000 should count. One sold at $43910 mid March. A little literary license, please!!!

Here's the latest stats I picked up on EBay

Currently listed - approx 45, mostly 04's. There's a purple 04, no reserve, starting bid at 44855 - no bids yet.

Black 03 1SB with boards, no reserve, bidding has stalled at $41100

Bill Heard, Sandford Fl, has 4 04's, 1 03 on EBay, all listed as selling below MSRP, so I assume reserves are fairly low - bidding is just cracking the $40000 mark on some of them today.

04's that have sold:

#4050 @ 45099 Mid-February
#4853 @ 45125 Late Feb
#4427 @ 45200 Late Feb
#4334 @ 43910 Early March
#4567 @ 44600 Mid March
#4427 @ 44700 Mid March

Selling prices are definitely trending downward, and the number available on EBay has increased significantly the last few weeks. There are a lot of hopeful sellers on EBay, but the buyers are backing off. Reserves aren't being met, and either the SSRs are going to stay in showrooms, or reserves willl have to drop. Some of this week's "Reserve not met" EBay results are pretty indicative of where the buyers are at:

#6503 RNM @ 42000
#6328 RNM @ 42250
#5111 RNM @ 42600
#6197 RNM @ 43000
#5669 RNM @ 43600
#4436 RNM @ 40100
#4094 RNM @ 30225

Any bets that some sales will be under $43000 fairly soon? - I'll keep track of the 03 at $41100 to see where it ends up - I'd love to take a shot at that one, but GM Canada will whack us with the big "no warranty" stick if we dare to bring a new one up - Can you say blackmail?

 

[Wylde]

I was visiting the dealer that I get corporate pricing at this afternoon (Don Wheatons Chev Olds). I have a friend who is the fleet sales manager there. He told me they are the only dealer in Edmonton to have sold 2 SSRs already with a few more coming (but I think he is wrong on that, Edmonton Motors had a Yellow and there is a black one in the showroom right now of which I am willing to bet it's already sold). They were both high $70k range (I think he said about $77k) The ones coming he believes are all presold too. I told him to just wait and that will soon stop because there are only so many people willing enough to pay that stupid price. He told me the same thing about GM saying to this dealer "if you can't sell them at that price then don't order any." What a stupid attitude from GM. He told me a dealer in Saskatchewan, couldn't sell theirs so they traded it to this particular dealer for an Aveo. His quote, "they traded a $10,000 car for a $75000 car" of course neither dealer loses. This one they got from Sask is a silver one and it was is the wash bay. He told me he doubts it very much GM will lower the price. Instead they will simply remove the availability to Canada which is good news for us because then the "voided warranty" issue will likely go away with it as well.

He made a good point of which I never thought of. He said, GM sells more vehicles in California and New York alone than what it sells to all of Canada, so we are just a small drop in the bucket.

 

[realprowlerfan]

Living just an hour from the assembly plant, over the weekend an employee followed me in my SSR and gave me some good info. Looks to be just a 3 YEAR RUN for the SSR. He seemed to fear for his future at GM with the possibility of a short 3 year run of the SSR, but I have to agree being a Prowler and New Tbird owner that I saw this coming.