Price range for a 2003-05 series drive Club Car DS

[golf cart man]

I was there several years ago to get a part. I had another western at the time and they take ez-go parts. why?

[Tom47]

Originally Posted by NoleFan4Ever

It is going to be hard to find them in that range anymore. Not to say they don't come up, but not nearly as often as golf carts have skyrocketed in both usage and demand the last 5 years, at least in the Florida area. If one comes up for under $2k, it is almost immediately gobbled yup by the trolls on Craigslist, swip-swap and the local papers.

I have been looking for another IQ cart for my some over the last 2 months from Jax to Daytona and have still not found anything affordable as most everyone has bought them, modified/upgraded them and are trying to flip them. I found an '06 two weeks ago in Jax and by the time I called, he said he'd underpriced it due to the call volume and wanted $3k. I said no thanks and called back that night to try again and he'd sold it that same day.

So as others mentioned, it is more based on model and condition than actual year. Meaning Series, IQ, Excel, DS/Precedent, etc. but just keep looking and you will eventually find one. I would at least get an IQ cart.

Clearly, cart prices vary much based on supply and demand. If your location has only a few for sale, the price skyrockets.

Three years ago I began seriously looking for an older cart just to drive around the neighborhood. I didn't have any brand favorites or required options. Just a golf cart!

I found several within 50 miles, mostly on Craigslist in Jacksonville, Fl. Prices that I checked out ranged from a low of $1400 to a high of $3500.
The $1400.00 one was only 4 years old with new batteries, an EZGO. I jumped at it only to learn it was a misprinted ad. It was supposed to be $3400.

I found a 1976 EZGO just 10 minutes from my house on Craigslist for $1300 with 4 new batteries and 2 good ones. This was not a bidding option, but a firm price which turned into a bidding war by email.

I jumped on it as did many other buyers. It sold in one day for something over $2000. to the highest bidder. I was notified by email of that just 2 hours after offering $1500.00.

I finally found my 1999 CC DS, completely stock with almost 4 year old batteries at a feed dealer. He wanted $2000. for it. Two weeks later it still sat on the lot. Many people looked at it but no offers.

I offered $1850. if he agreed to replace one front end bushing and he accepted. It was not a very good deal on my part, but that is how it goes around here. If you can find one you like at ANY price, chalk it up to supply and demand and learn to be happy with the purchase.

EVEN IF YOU NEED TO SPEND ANOTHER $2500.00 ON IT TO MAKE IT RIGHT WITHOUT EVEN NEW BATTERIES!

[dundeebarnbuggy]

Same here. A turd that is structurally solid will bring a grand.

[Tom47]

Originally Posted by dundeebarnbuggy

Same here. A turd that is structurally solid will bring a grand.

[jsmith294]

Originally Posted by golf cart man

Around here a 03-05 DS stock would be in the $1500 range. If you can go on my profile and go to my created threads you'll see two listing I offered here to BGW people before I put them on the open market. One was a 1997 and one was a 2002. Both were extremely clean one owner carts. Battery age matters and one had 2015 batteries and one had 2016 batteries. I sold the 97 for $1100 and the 2002 for $1250 to local buyers after I got little to no interest in the carts on here. I think it really depends here in FL you are but I wouldn't pay much more than $1500 for 2003-2005 DS.

Check craigslist daily and a clean one will pop up. I will certainly let you know as well. There are plenty of 1 owner DS cars where I live. Many of the snow birds come down get their cart serviced and the dealer talks them in to a new car so they offer their old cart to people in the neighborhood.

If the batteries are no good, I guess they should be worth about $500-600 but its really hard to find a clean one for that price. Seems to me most people list them for $1000 no matter what.

Thanks for the feedback, GCM, it raises my hopes again. I wish I had seen that 2002 DS; I would have been all over it (even though I realize the price probably would have been higher without the false hard-luck story from the eventual buyer - what a scoundrel). I would be grateful if you could alert me if you notice a decent deal.

[yamahaguy97]

Originally Posted by golf cart man

I was there several years ago to get a part. I had another western at the time and they take ez-go parts. why?

No reason just wondering if you've been to the same area I've been to.

[jsmith294]

Originally Posted by jsmith294

Well, that's a cold splash of water in the face I always thought FL was golf cart heaven. Maybe it's worth my time to start looking around the Louisville area and haul it 1000 miles down there.

Brace yourself for a stupid question, Nole. We're new to golf carts and I've always liked the simplicity of our series cart. It's certainly slow ('round 12 mph), but we're rarely in a hurry to get where we're going. What advantages could I expect from an IQ?

Thanks.

Well, I checked the CL ads for Louisville and environs, and saw nothing I thought would qualify as a decent deal. Even lousy carts were over $2k, and most decent carts were over $3k. Ez-Go (IMO not suitable for use on the island due to the potential for frame corrosion) seems to be the cart of choice around here, and there seems to be an inordinate number of gas cart (not permitted on the island). It also looks like several people are buying up used carts, slapping on a $200 lift kit, $400 wheel set, and $600-700 in cheap batteries and trying to resell for $3500+.

[yamahaguy97]

Yeah your right about ezgo rusting out they tend to do that.

[jsmith294]

Originally Posted by NoleFan4Ever

Oh I will not say anything bad about Series carts, I have had and still have some in the group. I just like that IQ carts do all the high amp switching in the controller (as opposed to the cables to FNR switch in a Series), the program capabilities (speed codes), regen capabilities, and safety aspects/protection (roll away alarming, run/tow switch for electrical protections, etc.). Mine is an '07 and so far has been bullet proof and I like how easy it has been to troubleshoot and upgrade. The Precedents are about the same, I just prefer the looks of the DS's.

And with the boom of carts the last few years, there are so many garages and shops popping up now for carts that they are the ones trolling and buying up the cheaper carts to upgrade and resell. Nothing wrong with that at all, but you need to be on the ball to catch that "great" deal or if you blink, it may be gone...

North Captiva is a barrier island we have a relatively uncommon operational environment. The roads are unpaved sand prone to forming 3"-8" deep puddles in response to heavy use or rainy weather. The puddle water is usually fresh, but in some locations we can get tides high enough to leave behind brackish water when they recede. The island is flat, flat, flat. There is a 2'-3' ridge in the middle, but you don't notice it visually or in a cart. Brakes are rarely needed. Carts coast down quickly from the high rolling resistance road surface and lack of slope. I probably use them more out of habit than due to any need. All in all, it's a place that seems almost custom-tailored for a cheap, rugged, non-regen cart with an aluminum frame!

I agree with you on the DS looks. It seems... substantial. Timeless, perhaps. I even like the looks of our humble cart. The photo in my original post doesn't do it justice. You all should see her when she is clean. I'll wash and polish her over Thanksgiving, slap some Armour-All onto the tires, take an "after" photo immediately afterward (carts don't stay clean for long on those roads), and post the photo for everybody to enjoy.

Another reason I'm inclined to stick with series drive is that I am tremendously impressed by the current cart's load capacity and towing capacity. It easily hauls four big adults while simultaneously pulling me on a bicycle as I hang onto a roof or rear seat support (yeah, yeah, I know, not the world's safest practice). I added a home-brew trailer hitch and it pulls massive loads of dead vegetation. I will grant you this, the most problematic part of the drive system has been the mechanical FNR switch, which seems incredibly sensitive to getting wet (although it has always dried out after a couple of hours). Electronic switching would be nice!

[jsmith294]

Originally Posted by yamahaguy97

Yeah your right about ezgo rusting out they tend to do that.

It's amazing, CC seems to outnumber EzGo by about 5:1 on the island, yet there is a golf cart junk/parts enclosure where the ratio seems reversed. The CCs just don't seem to die, even in that harsh environment.