Selling a clapped out car (update: happy ending)

racing_blue

Update: happy ending below in post 18

***

Getting rid of an old car. Had a pretty hard life under my ownership, daily use on muddy country roads & farm tracks which flood in the winter. Keeps on going but has more faults every day:

- large dent to rear panel
- several smaller scratches and dings but no rust
- handbrake doesn't work
- one wheel sounds like a pair of maracas on bends
- 3 dash lights permamently on: ABS, engine, warning (passed MOT despite this). This does look quite pretty, being as the lights are different colours.
- broken buttons on CD player
- drivers electric window broken
- oil stains on interior ceiling
- generally covered in cow excrement inside and out.
- not been serviced in 3 years
- well overdue a cam belt change

Many of these faults have developed in the last 12 months since passing MOT. I no longer trust it and want rid. Dealer offered me £250 part ex. Should I accept that or should I scrap it, as I think it may be nearing the end of its life? I'm not too bothered about getting money for it as it owes me nothing, but I would hate to be responsible for someone coming to grief because of my various abuses and neglect.

What would you do in this situation?

sparkychris

When I have near-dead bangers to sell, I list them on ebay with absolutely every single fault on them, with photos of all the bad bits as well as the good. I set the starting price at scrap value and have always got more. ..

If you list all the bad things, you can hold your head high.

It's also quite fun!

If you've been offered 250, set that at your starting price.

loskie

just scrap it or sell it on ebay with no reserve. The dealer will easily knock off 250 for no trade in so you are paying him to dispose of it for you.

pompeyrich

racing_blue wrote: »

Dealer offered me £250 part ex. Should I accept that or should I scrap it, as I think it may be nearing the end of its life? I'm not too bothered about getting money for it as it owes me nothing, but I would hate to be responsible for someone coming to grief because of my various abuses and neglect.

What would you do in this situation?

I was in exactly that situation last year, with a Rover 75. Scrap values have plummeted recently, you'll be very lucky to get £100 for it at the moment. Breaking it for parts would probably be a better option, if you've got the time and facilities.

I traded mine in in the end but took a few sale-able bits off before as the dealer was only going to pass it to a scrap yard anyhow.

walwyn1978

Another vote for EBay. Declare everything you've said and mark it as spares/repair, must be trailered away.

The 250 the dealers offered you will be able to negotiate off anyway id imagine, plus whatever you get for the EBay sale, so you should be ahead.

I got offered 350 for a Citroen C3 that had done 127k and failed it's MOT, plus needed new tyres, brake pads, exhaust was blown and other issues. Stuck it on EBay as non runner and got 525. The dealer offer reflects the fact they will scrap it so basically value it at 0.

londonTiger

i dont get why a dealer would ever wnt to be lumped with this. how much is he going to make £100 tops??

I would take the £250

konark

I would take the £250

It's money off another car, not actual money. As others have said you'd probably get £250 knocked off anyway.

arcon5

Who cares where it goes after you, not your problem. Take the 250 trade in

Stigy

£250 seems fair as a trade in, but I'd be more inclined to list it on a free ad website as spares or repair. Assuming it's still MoT'd I reckon you'd get anything up to £500 for the old girl.

Depends how you fair morally, but try not to do yourself out of a sale. Telling prospective buyers that it's over due a cam belt change by three years would put most buyers off. Of course be honest and open should they ask the question, but I'd be inclined to list all defects you have, without putting doubt in people' minds.

macman

I'm assuming the handbrake has failed since the MOT then? That and the ABS failure make the vehicle unroadworthy. Also sounds like a halfshaft is about to fail.
Otherwise, what sort of MOT tester misses faults like those?
All the other faults are essentially cosmetic, other than the cam belt.

rev_henry

Either ebay or facebook. Facebook is fantastic for selling cars (dead or alive) under about £1000, and costs you nothing. Everyone uses it, even people who would fear buying a car on ebay/autotrader. Got rid of my last 2 that way, quickly and to the first person to view. List all the faults though.