Tips on selling a car

[Greg]

The reason for price disparity is that not all cars are the same.  Some are exceptionally well maintained and obviously well cared for and serviced.  My experience has been, for example, and I have owned well over 500 cars, that cars like the Toyota Corolla above are exceptionally good value for money even at $1600.  98 percent of cars of that age are not only old and knackered they are off the road and in the wreckers yard.

Half of the population are women.  I have never known a woman who wanted a second hand car who did not value the colour of the car over and above its mechanical condition.  So for at least half of the population appearance matters more than economical running or the ease and utility the car offers.

It's therefore impossible to make a book of prices on older second hand cars, because some are high mileage, some are worn inside, some are green, some have weak air conditioning which matters little in Britain or Maine but is very important in Texas

[Akavit]

The other day I found an ad for a diesel 1999 Mercedes priced at $2,000 with less than 200,000 miles and most likely the owner would have taken $1,500 or less.  Somebody busted the glow plugs off and left the broken ends in the head.  I was strongly tempted to purchase it because that's a fix I could do myself for cheap (dealer would charge at least $1,500) and those diesel engines are good for half a million miles.  It's rare to have that much useful life left on a car selling for under $2,000.

Most people wouldn't touch that car though - broken plugs can be tough to get out unless a person is really good with a drill.  Once fixed though, the estimated value for that model would be $3,000.

[Heinrich]

Could you conceivably make a grand with a few hours of work?

[Akavit]

Possibly but if I pulled it off I'd not let go of the car.  It would take a long while to find another vehicle with years of service left for that price.  The added bonus is that it would provide the good ride of a luxury car and the gas savings of a diesel opposed to that of the more economical vehicles I'm used to driving.

Probably won't spring for it though as I decided to try a couple inexpensive fixes to my current vehicle before giving up on it.

[Miriam_M]

I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee in good condition that I want to sell. I have done the Craigslist thing but the only calls I get are the vultures who offer to sell it for you and take 75% of the selling price. I have a sign on it, but there is no insurance so we don't drive it anywhere and it is parked where not much traffic comes by. The local paper has a $50  per week cost, which we have not done yet. I would prefer to stay away from spending money to sell it, but it looks as if it is the only option now. Anyone with suggestions?

I.m.o., there are only two low-cost ways to go:  One is trading it in (if you are seeking a replacement at a dealership, for example).  Depending on the time of year, etc., they are often willing to bargain to get rid of last year's models.  However, if you're not buying to replace, then the best way seems to be a young mechanic who wants to work on a car.  It has worked for others I know. 

Recently, therefore, when I went to get my tire fixed at one of the few gas stations that still repairs cars, the young mechanic inquired about my car, and I mentioned that I was looking for a buyer.  He offered himself and we settled on the price right there.  (I haven't returned yet, just because I'm still waiting for the Pink Slip from the car company.)  The price I negotiated was, I'm sure, at least slightly higher than the estimates I had received to date from various car dealerships.  (My car is 9 years old & has 214K miles on it, with numerous repairs indicated -- engine mount, bushings, more.)

You'd be surprised how many mechanics-in-training want their own car to work on.

[Miriam_M]

Just bumping this thread to report back on the successful sale of my 9-year-old car to a young mechanic this week.  He honored the same price agreement we had made 5 months ago.  Before I came back to him, I had the car detailed on the inside and made some other cosmetic fixes.  He never asked for the vehicle history but had to have known there were significant issues with it. (Even if I didn't offer him all such information -- I honestly don't remember because of the 5-month gap -- anyone can hear the car when it's driven, and he heard it again on the day we finalized the transaction.)  That often doesn't matter to a mechanic, because he, not a dealership, will be its new mechanic.  He valued the V6 engine and the brand name (make/model).  And interestingly, he, too, was (5 months ago) additionally concerned about appearance, remarking that his "wife would be bothered by the dents."   Wow, that's the least of concerns.  (Suspension? engine mount?)

In any case, immediately after the detail job, a mechanic in that shop indicated a similar interest in buying the car and was willing to submit a bid if the sale to the mechanic didn't materialize.  The detailer also was interested in having his own "toy" to tinker with.  (External flaws remain:  paint, dents)

This was just so much easier than putting the car on the open market.  It might never have sold at all, and certainly wouldn't have reaped the price it did!  No online calculator met the price the mechanic was willing to pay, and in any case calculators stop at 200K miles.  (Mine was over that.)

I never published a classified ad.  I merely drove it over to a local gas station which also repairs (I had first brought it in for a tire repair), and then to a detailer.  That's how I obtained both potential customers, by casually letting both know the car was for sale.  No pressure or solicitation from me; no resistance from the customers.

[Heinrich]

COngratulations on the successful sale.

On my end, I gave away the Jeep in the OP.

[Miriam_M]

COngratulations on the successful sale.

On my end, I gave away the Jeep in the OP.

Thanks.  And if I were in a position to, I would gladly have given mine away to a local favorite nonprofit of mine.  However, I need cash for a down payment for a new car with outstanding mileage, since a car is essential to my work (I travel extensively, daily), and much more efficient mileage is a necessary requirement for that.