Seling classics

[Twincam16]

So, I've reached that time again when my beloved classic has to go.

But...

Why is it that whenever I want to sell a car I can't find a buyer for love nor money? Even the traders are saying they don't want it because - believe it or not - it's in too good a condition for them to make enough profit on it whilst paying me a fair price!

I'm going to stick it on eBay, the PH classifieds and Auto Trader, but I'm not entirely sure I'll get a decent price for it even then.

I dug through all my mags last night - they're full of buying tips, but no selling tips.

Anyone got any good selling tips for classic cars? I really need to get rid of this car by the end of the month!

[215cu]

Try Practical Classics, Try an ad with the owners club.

Chances are then you'll get a realist, not a tyre-kicking dreamer.

Good luck, the amount of aggro getting rid of my 2000TC was unreal. Nearly gave it away in the end.

The usual tips apply. However, with classics, what annoys me is spanking clean car inside and out, engine bay is a total horror-story.

If it is unwelded and not rusty, say so. This counts to a lot of prospective buyers. As is 'Dry weather use only for the last xx years...' I know it's very anal but the real killer of anything 30+ years old is tinworm.

Edited by 215cu on Tuesday 9th October 13:44

[Twincam16]

215cu said:

Try Practical Classics, Try an ad with the owners club.

Chances are then you'll get a realist, not a tyre-kicking dreamer.

Good luck, the amount of aggro getting rid of my 2000TC was unreal. Nearly gave it away in the end.

Silly thing is, I need to join the owner's club in order to place an ad. Also, they haven't updated their home page, it seems, since April 2006.

[shouldbworking]

Ive not found a good avenue either and am stuffed trying to sell a perfectly good car for peanuts on ebay

Owners clubs... in theory a good place but ive yet to find one for my marques that doesnt delight in ripping all joy out of the ownership with infighting.

[Twincam16]

shouldbworking said:

Owners clubs... in theory a good place but ive yet to find one for my marques that doesnt delight in ripping all joy out of the ownership with infighting.

I've found the problem with owners clubs to be the sort of buyers they attract. Thing is, everyone in the owners club will have one, so the only people after one through the owner's club will have recently joined, and unless they bring an expert with them, won't know a decent one from a munter, and won't justify the slightly higher price. Then they'll buy a nail and will regret it.

Weird thing with X1/9s is, everyone wants to buy an absolute dog rather than a decent car. They're either after a project or something they can bodge - seems no-one wants a car to use.

[restoman]

Yet the Classic dealers seem to get an absolute fortune for the cars they sell.
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[ELAN+2]

Twincam16 said:

shouldbworking said:

Owners clubs... in theory a good place but ive yet to find one for my marques that doesnt delight in ripping all joy out of the ownership with infighting.

I've found the problem with owners clubs to be the sort of buyers they attract. Thing is, everyone in the owners club will have one, so the only people after one through the owner's club will have recently joined, and unless they bring an expert with them, won't know a decent one from a munter, and won't justify the slightly higher price. Then they'll buy a nail and will regret it.

Weird thing with X1/9s is, everyone wants to buy an absolute dog rather than a decent car. They're either after a project or something they can bodge - seems no-one wants a car to use.

t'is a difficult one, selling classics, best bet is the owners club or classic weekly I'd say, prices,are as said bizzare, they are all over the place, bodged ones for good money, minters don't sell for sensible money etc, just persevere, give an accurate description to save grief with viewers and stick to your price.

[biggbn]

iv always found ebay a good place to sell classics....

[danhay]

I sold my X1/9 on Ebay in winter last year for a fair price. Although the auction winner reneged, the second highest bidder ended up buying it for the same price.

[shouldbworking]

I sold my old x1/9 on ebay too, although it fell into the project / shed category. Rescued from a scrappy for 150, motd and sold for 650

[plasticpig]

You should also try:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Unfourtunately its the wrong time of the year to be selling a classic car. A lot of potential buyers would not want to drive the car in the winter especially with a Fiat which has a reputation for attracting tin worm. You would get a far better price in the spring.

[Twincam16]

plasticpig said:

You should also try:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Unfourtunately its the wrong time of the year to be selling a classic car. A lot of potential buyers would not want to drive the car in the winter especially with a Fiat which has a reputation for attracting tin worm. You would get a far better price in the spring.

That's the thing though - it needs to go now, or else I'll have nowhere to put it over the winter, then it'll rust and be worth bugger-all.

I've got one bloke who's interested in it, but needs photos - I'll take some tonight.

[plasticpig]

Twincam16 said:

plasticpig said:

You should also try:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Unfourtunately its the wrong time of the year to be selling a classic car. A lot of potential buyers would not want to drive the car in the winter especially with a Fiat which has a reputation for attracting tin worm. You would get a far better price in the spring.

That's the thing though - it needs to go now, or else I'll have nowhere to put it over the winter, then it'll rust and be worth bugger-all.

I've got one bloke who's interested in it, but needs photos - I'll take some tonight.

Have you thought about rust prevention treatment to protect it through the winter? If you get it cleaned and treated you should have to worry about rust over one winter. These guys are in Cheshire and are very good http://www.chassisclean.co.uk/ with very reasonable rates. I reckon you would recoup the cost by getting that done and selling in the spring.

[Twincam16]

plasticpig said:

Twincam16 said:

plasticpig said:

You should also try:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Unfourtunately its the wrong time of the year to be selling a classic car. A lot of potential buyers would not want to drive the car in the winter especially with a Fiat which has a reputation for attracting tin worm. You would get a far better price in the spring.

That's the thing though - it needs to go now, or else I'll have nowhere to put it over the winter, then it'll rust and be worth bugger-all.

I've got one bloke who's interested in it, but needs photos - I'll take some tonight.

Have you thought about rust prevention treatment to protect it through the winter? If you get it cleaned and treated you should have to worry about rust over one winter. These guys are in Cheshire and are very good http://www.chassisclean.co.uk/ with very reasonable rates. I reckon

you would recoup the cost by getting that done and selling in the spring.

Well, there are a number of things at stake here:

Firstly, I'm moving house and I won't have a garage. I also need something that will stand being used every day so I need to buy something about ten years younger.

That car will be a Lotus Elan SE, and I want to take advantage of cheaper winter prices.

However, I need to sell the X1/9 to get the remainder of the money I need.

[Big Rumbly]

I've always found Classic car weekly a good place to sell, might be slightly dearer, but I'm sure they do some deals.

Cheers Big Rumbly

[Transmitter Man]

If it's as good as you say then how about one of the better classic car auction houses, H & H for instance?

Got to be better than ePay.

Phil
79 De Tomaso Longchamp GTS

[Moikey Fortune]

I think in reality Twinners you will have to be patient if you want to get a good price.

If however you neeeeed to sell it this month then you will have to "give it away"

But good luck

[Twincam16]

Moikey Fortune said:

I think in reality Twinners you will have to be patient if you want to get a good price.

If however you neeeeed to sell it this month then you will have to "give it away"

But good luck

It's OK, I've got another plan.

Instead of buying a Lotus Elan M100, I fancy a late-model Excel instead.

They're half the price.

Therefore I don't need to raise the money from this sale in order to fund it.

And therefore, if it fails to sell on eBay, I can hand it over to commission sale without having to worry about a quick sale, garaging it, or taxing or insuring it.

Incidentally, as I won't have received any money for it, I can still have the PH ad running and I'll pass any speculative buyers in the direction of the commision seller instead.

Job done!

[shouldbworking]

Be sure to let us know how test drives / running an Excel goes... theyve always appealed as the potential ideal compromise between daily driver and err. racing car?

[steven f]

Twincam16 said:

plasticpig said:

Twincam16 said:

plasticpig said:

You should also try:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/

Unfourtunately its the wrong time of the year to be selling a classic car. A lot of potential buyers would not want to drive the car in the winter especially with a Fiat which has a reputation for attracting tin worm. You would get a far better price in the spring.

That's the thing though - it needs to go now, or else I'll have nowhere to put it over the winter, then it'll rust and be worth bugger-all.

I've got one bloke who's interested in it, but needs photos - I'll take some tonight.

Have you thought about rust prevention treatment to protect it through the winter? If you get it cleaned and treated you should have to worry about rust over one winter. These guys are in Cheshire and are very good http://www.chassisclean.co.uk/ with very reasonable rates. I reckon

you would recoup the cost by getting that done and selling in the spring.

Well, there are a number of things at stake here:

Firstly, I'm moving house and I won't have a garage. I also need something that will stand being used every day so I need to buy something about ten years younger.

That car will be a Lotus Elan SE, and I want to take advantage of cheaper winter prices.

However, I need to sell the X1/9 to get the remainder of the money I need.

there is your problem you want a cheap winter priced car but want a top summer price for your car in the winter