Selling a car privately

[Tom]

I've pretty much decided to buy a Chimera, so I'm going to flog the TT privately. I'm looking for £16500-£17000 for it. Its got a brand new exhaust on it, although I doubt that will influence the price much.

I've never done this before, my old car has always gone to a dealer, so can anybody give me some tips?

I'll put it on Autotrader with some good photographs that I'll take, and I'll also put it in some classifieds that potential TT owners will frequent. Should I advertise the fact that it has a Tracker fitted? How much haggling normally goes on?

Most importantly, what forms of payment are best? I'm thinking a banker's draft, written out in front of me in the bank of my choice? Or what about some kind of funds transfer, again takes place in the bank of my choice?

What about insurance so he/she can test drive it (I know all the stuff about not leaving keys in ignition when swapping seats)?

Is this a good time of year to sell?

Thanks

 

[Trem]

Its the worst time of year to sell.

Top Marques is good, use AutoTrader and Top Marques but no one else.

Expect a shitload of wankers calling, expect a shitload of canvassing unless you put in the ad 'no canvassers'

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/TOPMARQUES/

 

[GDW]

Only accept cash, unless of course they're
Northern Bank notes.

 

[Tom]

If its the worst time of the year to sell, does that make it the best time of year to buy?

 

[Trem]

Yes, kinda.

Unless you REALLY want the car. If thats the case then you can't walk away.

Try Ebay as well Tom, sold my Skyline on there for 2 grand more than the garages were offering.

Don't put a reserve on it just give me a shout and I will bid it up to what you want.

 

[old.user4556]

Said it a few times now, but have you paid off the finance company first?

Remember it's illegal to sell a car with outstanding finance. If the person HPI checks the car, it'll show up and they could report you/the car.

 

[Xavier]

If he were to, and got reported what happens? They sieze the car?

 

[Trem]

Well, basically the people won't buy the car for starters. The car is not rightly Toms to sell and if he ever didn't pay the loan they have the right to seize the car off whoever owns it.

I would never risk it.

Incidently the Skyline I bought had HP on it so I pulled out of the sale, the guy then rang his finance company and transfered the car loan to a personal loan so that he could sell it. He also gave me access to the account so I could ring up and check for myself.

 

[Tom]

Said it a few times now, but have you paid off the finance company first?

Yes. Got the loan today, finance gets paid tomorrow. Will probably advertise it as soon as work allows, which should be about 2 weeks or so.

Had a play in a Chimera today (just a sit really), its fucking gorgeous. £300 per 6k service, £400 per 12k service, honestly you couldn't really find a nicer interior on a car for that money. Fantastic.

Wish I'd not bought the TT now

 

[old.user4556]

I don't know for certain, but I understand the finance company have the rights to seize the car (since you don't really own it).

So lets say you sell a car that has finance left on it, someone pays you £10k for it, you give them the car but you don't pay back the finance company - the new person loses the car and the ten grand. Big problemo.

Have a google for it.

Edit: apparently a finance company can give consent for you to sell the goods (however unlikely) and then you can sell them

 

[old.user4556]

A thread on it.

http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=5227

 

[.Wilier.]

An alternative way to do the finance thing.

We bought our TT privately and it had oustanding finance, so we paid the finance off for the lady selling it, and she gave us some cash to cover the sale difference.

Only thing I would suggest is Tom, be VERY carefull with test drives etc. Ensure, as well as you can, that the buyer has decent insurance and is serious about buying. Try and see the colour of their money before they drive and make sure you go with them or there is no test drive.

Sounds obvious, but these things can get forgotton in the heat of the sale.

 

[Clown]

I know nothing about this, but it just seems strange that you had to take out a loan to sell it properly. You should have just kept it

 

[Tom]

Well I got finance on it, but the salesman was a bullshitter and lied about the amount I'd be paying. So I got a much cheaper loan, paid the finance off, which makes the car legally mine, then the idea is I sell the car, get a bunch of cash, use that cash to buy a new car, and continue paying the loan as before.

If I keep the car I lose £4000 in depreciation in the first year, so I might as well get shut now.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=33819&s=1

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=35032&s=1

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=34727&s=1

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=30838&s=1

Those are the kind of cars I'm thinking of, although I'm waiting nervously for the insurance company to get back to me with some quotes (the fact they couldn't do it instantly is worrying).

 

[Lazarus]

you not a bit old for that kind of car Tom?


/me runs

 

[Vae]

Nah he's just hit his mid-life crisis

 

[Lazarus]

Nah he's just hit his mid-life crisis

isnt he a bit old for THAT as well ?


/me runs faster

 

[Tom]

Just been for a ride in a 4.5 Chimera. Fucking awesome. I want one, not today, not tomorrow, NOW.

Selling the TT. Bye bye German reliability (yeah right), hello Blackpool build quality (oops was that the wing mirror that just fell off).

Honestly, unless you've heard one and sat in one, you won't fucking believe how awesome it sounds. It was ripping the fur from rabbits as we roared around Derbyshire. Bodhi, the Clio V6 sounds ace, but it sounds like a bag of shit compared to one of these.

My neighbours are gonna love me.

 

[old.user4556]

Don't think you're gonna beat a V8 for a slag sound, but a de-cat and racing exhaust system soon sorts that out on the Clio V6 .

 

[Mercenary]

If you want something that is quick, rare, reliable has the 'wow' factor and stand out in the car park, get a VX220

http://vx220.org.uk

 

[Gumbo]

A brick? Puhlease, if you want something like that it has to be the liz. And we've been down this route before...

 

[old.user4556]

It says "vauxhall" on it, that's my only problem with it. It also says "i can't afford a Lotus".

 

[Bodhi]

Don't think you're gonna beat a V8 for a slag sound,

I dunno, I reckon the V12 in the back of the Murcielago sounds pretty damned sexy. Will make the TVR sound like a food mixer aswell. But I suppose if you really want a proper sounding V8 you should try and hunt down one of these:-

Anyone who's seen the film Vanishing Point will know what I'm talking about.

 

[nath]

But I suppose if you really want a proper sounding V8 you should try and hunt down one of these:-

Or

Hrng. I love how they've managed to get that old muscle car beefy look mixed in with some modern slickness.

Gifv.

 

[old.user4556]

The sound of "10 mpg" puts me off.

 

[nath]

Yeah, I'd not want to own one in this country - however out in the states it'd be fab.

 

[Bodhi]

Nath, the potato salad you requested


Oh and whilst we're on the subject of new U.S cars.

I'd even consider one above an M3.

 

[nath]

Oh come on, I'd have that beefburger but just not in this country. Apparently it handles like a bitch anyway, so in the states (with it's particularly straight roads) it'd be great.

Oh, and that Corvette is hideous. Fairly typical American attempt at stylish sporty look, fails miserably. Looks like a Mazda which is never a good thing :\. Stick to the muscle machines.

 

[Tom]

Isn't that the Corvette that uses leafsprings on its rear suspension?

 

[Bodhi]

It's an improvement on the live rear axle of the Mustang, and even with it's old skool engineering it can outpace a 911 costing £20k more. And it looks sooo much nicer. Nath, you are a philestine.