How/where can I find the CAP price of a car?
How/where can I find the CAP price of a car?
Author
Discussion

TREMAiNE

Original Poster:

4,157 posts

176 months

Tuesday 24th October 2023
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I'm currently looking at models that I know to be at an inflated price right now and I've been overseeing some examples having thousands periodically taken off them where they're not selling. I believe I have a rough idea of what the dealer would have paid for the vehicle and I'm using that as a basis for what I believe I should be paying - e.g. car is currently up for 17k but if the CAP price is 8k, I'd expect to be paying 12k for a good example, not the 17k listed, etc.

It's very difficult to get an accurate CAP price on this when my only way to do it is by using WBAC as a guide.

As a non-trader, where can I find out the CAP price of a particular model?

Lowride

5 posts

261 months

Wednesday 25th October 2023
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If you give me the reg and mileage I can give you the three cap values of any car

charltjr

471 posts

36 months

Wednesday 25th October 2023
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WBAC has about as much to do with CAP book values as the Daily Star has to do with journalism.

griffter

4,143 posts

282 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
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I’m sure there was an insurance company which used CAP values to tell you what your car was worth when you got a quote online. Or it might have been Volvo when you entered your p/x details or something.
This was a few years ago. Anyone know of anything current?

GolfDragon

291 posts

94 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
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Volkswagen approved used website lets you put in details for a CAP valuation but whilst that feature still exists they now ask for personal details when entering the information

Chris_91

159 posts

135 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
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GolfDragon said:
Volkswagen approved used website lets you put in details for a CAP valuation but whilst that feature still exists they now ask for personal details when entering the information
Got a link? wink

TREMAiNE

Original Poster:

4,157 posts

176 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
quotequote all
Lowride said:
If you give me the reg and mileage I can give you the three cap values of any car
Thank you.

All 3 are R230 SL350s.

LD61 ASO
27,000 Miles

SW09 VHR
51,000 Miles

KJ10 JSJ
47,500 Miles

And if possible, this SL500

KR60 MVF
63,000 Miles

Edited by TREMAiNE on Thursday 26th October 11:21

TREMAiNE

Original Poster:

4,157 posts

176 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
quotequote all
charltjr said:
WBAC has about as much to do with CAP book values as the Daily Star has to do with journalism.
Hence I've made this post.

WBAC does work as a very basic guide. If WBAC offers 10k for a reg, I know its unlikely the dealer paid 15k for the car and likely paid nearer the 10k if not less.


123DWA

1,436 posts

130 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
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CAP will be of no use on a niche older sports car like that.

As I'm sure you're aware preparing a car like that for sale could see you easily spending £1000+. Cap also doesn't take into account colours & specs. I'm sure we all agree that on a car like that, the colour combo could make it or break it. I once paid £2500 over CAP clean for an SL500 as it was 1 owner, FMBSH in silver with burgundy leather. I also paid well under book for a blue with cream leather SL350 with little wheels. They also take their time to sell so you have to build in extra margin to have the money parked in that car for a while. Even the 1 owner unicorn 500 I mentioned above took nearly 2 months to find a home.

TREMAiNE

Original Poster:

4,157 posts

176 months

Thursday 26th October 2023
quotequote all
123DWA said:
CAP will be of no use on a niche older sports car like that.

As I'm sure you're aware preparing a car like that for sale could see you easily spending £1000+. Cap also doesn't take into account colours & specs. I'm sure we all agree that on a car like that, the colour combo could make it or break it. I once paid £2500 over CAP clean for an SL500 as it was 1 owner, FMBSH in silver with burgundy leather. I also paid well under book for a blue with cream leather SL350 with little wheels. They also take their time to sell so you have to build in extra margin to have the money parked in that car for a while. Even the 1 owner unicorn 500 I mentioned above took nearly 2 months to find a home.
I don’t expect to be paying CAP price but its more of a guide to gauge roughly what a dealer might have paid.
Values for these are falling out of their arse currently and the cars are not selling. I have seen several examples listed at £20k drop to as low as £15k over the last 6 weeks.

If I have the CAP price, I may be better able to estimate if a specific example might drop another 4-5k or if the current price is already decent.

I’m happy to wait for the right car to come along, but equally I don’t want to miss the right car because of a belief its still thousands overpriced leaving someone else to swoop in.