Found my dad's old car on ebay

Found my dad's old car on ebay

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Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Wope up this morning to a text from my dad, containing an ebay link. Opened it up to find this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130791144950?ssPageName=...

This was my dad's car from the mid 1990s until 2001, and the car I remember most clearly from my childhood. Dad has always bitterly regretted selling it: it was by far the best car he's ever driven, and he's had a lot of other cars that were technically much better.

He doesn't have the space to buy it back, and after spending several thousand on his current car, he doesn't want to spend more on fixing another car, and I'm pretty sure this'll need some work.

I happen to have the space, and the money to buy it and maintain it, but unfortunately it seems the insurance companies don't want to be helpful: it'll cost £2500 for me to insure, slightly more than I pay for my current car and I can't justify that expense on a weekend project. I was thinking of classic insurance, but at 18 I don't think they'll want me.

Really hope it goes to a good home, I'd be gutted to see it broken up for spares. Maybe I'll be able to buy it back in a few years!

Rosscow

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Geekman said:
Wope up this morning to a text from my dad, containing an ebay link. Opened it up to find this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130791144950?ssPageName=...

This was my dad's car from the mid 1990s until 2001, and the car I remember most clearly from my childhood. Dad has always bitterly regretted selling it: it was by far the best car he's ever driven, and he's had a lot of other cars that were technically much better.

He doesn't have the space to buy it back, and after spending several thousand on his current car, he doesn't want to spend more on fixing another car, and I'm pretty sure this'll need some work.

I happen to have the space, and the money to buy it and maintain it, but unfortunately it seems the insurance companies don't want to be helpful: it'll cost £2500 for me to insure, slightly more than I pay for my current car and I can't justify that expense on a weekend project. I was thinking of classic insurance, but at 18 I don't think they'll want me.

Really hope it goes to a good home, I'd be gutted to see it broken up for spares. Maybe I'll be able to buy it back in a few years!
If your Dad owned it until 2001 then the seller is a bullstter as he says it has been in the family for 18 years!

The car has had 3 owners in total and the most recent two are family members, so the car has in essence been kept in the same family for the last 18 years.

carreauchompeur

17,852 posts

205 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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Lovely cars, especially the Goodwood.

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Rosscow said:
If your Dad owned it until 2001 then the seller is a bullstter as he says it has been in the family for 18 years!

The car has had 3 owners in total and the most recent two are family members, so the car has in essence been kept in the same family for the last 18 years.
No, he's not. My dad swapped it in 2001 with my uncle for a triumph vitesse (in a very poor state which has still not been restored). My uncle is now selling it through this guy as he doesn't have an ebay account

Rosscow

8,775 posts

164 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Ah, OK.

I presumed from your post that your Dad happened to find it on eBay smile

Can't your uncle do you a deal on it?

yajeed

4,898 posts

255 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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Geekman said:
No, he's not. My dad swapped it in 2001 with my uncle for a triumph vitesse (in a very poor state which has still not been restored). My uncle is now selling it through this guy as he doesn't have an ebay account
Hmmm. Bit of a less interesting story then; Your uncle is selling a car that you'd like rather but can't afford to insure so you're giving it a bit of publicity on here?

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Rosscow said:
Ah, OK.

I presumed from your post that your Dad happened to find it on eBay smile

Won't your uncle do you a deal on it?
I think he did actually: as far as I'm aware my uncle didn't tell us he was selling it. I haven't spoken to my uncle, but from what he's said before I doubt he would: he'll want to get as much for it as possible.

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
yajeed said:
Hmmm. Bit of a less interesting story then; Your uncle is selling a car that you'd like rather but can't afford to insure so you're giving it a bit of publicity on here?
Not at all: I genuinely have no interest in giving it any publicity whatsoever. As we weren't told it was being sold (haven't seen my uncle in a long time), I was surprised to find it on ebay and thought I'd share. No ulterior motive here smile

m30dus

551 posts

186 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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Exactly the same thing happened to me earlier this year, but my own car from 11 years ago. The Ebay add on this occasion rather shamefully having turned up on a Barry Boys website, before being passed to me by a mate!

What's even worse, in a moment of stupidity I put a bid on it and won it, lol. To my absolute amazement, even 11 years on, it was found to be exactly as it was when I sold it 11 years ago, with just another 5k on the clock (17k total), and even sporting the beach towel I had put under the rear boot carpet to stop it rattling.

Do I wish I had bought it? No, turns out it is still the same piece of french junk I sold all those years ago, it couldn't pull a skin off a rice pudding and has a monotone exhaust note that would be more fitting on a Saturn 5 rocket.

As it was in 2001...



In my garage in 2012...



That Goodwood however, looks rather nice, but with an insurance premium costing more than the car itself, i'd give it a miss, unless your dad wishes to stick his hand in his pocket :-)



rallycross

12,813 posts

238 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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yajeed said:
so you're giving it a bit of publicity on here
it looks like a v nice example most 309 gti's have long since disappeared. The thing is for the same money you could get a nice 306 gti-6 which is a far better car.

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
m30dus said:
Exactly the same thing happened to me earlier this year, but my own car from 11 years ago. The Ebay add on this occasion rather shamefully having turned up on a Barry Boys website, before being passed to me by a mate!

What's even worse, in a moment of stupidity I put a bid on it and won it, lol. To my absolute amazement, even 11 years on, it was found to be exactly as it was when I sold it 11 years ago, with just another 5k on the clock (17k total), and even sporting the beach towel I had put under the rear boot carpet to stop it rattling.

Do I wish I had bought it? No, turns out it is still the same piece of french junk I sold all those years ago, it couldn't pull a skin off a rice pudding and has a monotone exhaust note that would be more fitting on a Saturn 5 rocket.


That Goodwood however, looks rather nice, but with an insurance premium costing more than the car itself, i'd give it a miss, unless your dad wishes to stick his hand in his pocket :-)
It's not that bad for what it is: I've seen considerably worse. Unfortunately, although he probably would help me out, he wouldn't be able to give me enough to make it make sense cost-wise unless I found a considerably cheaper quote.

rallycross said:
it looks like a v nice example most 309 gti's have long since disappeared. The thing is for the same money you could get a nice 306 gti-6 which is a far better car.
Thanks, you're totally right of course: it makes very little financial sense. But somehow I still want it tongue out

hoppo4.2

1,531 posts

187 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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the big question is who's nicked the wood rim wheel and gear knob?

DanDC5

18,807 posts

168 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
m30dus said:
Exactly the same thing happened to me earlier this year, but my own car from 11 years ago. The Ebay add on this occasion rather shamefully having turned up on a Barry Boys website, before being passed to me by a mate!

What's even worse, in a moment of stupidity I put a bid on it and won it, lol. To my absolute amazement, even 11 years on, it was found to be exactly as it was when I sold it 11 years ago, with just another 5k on the clock (17k total), and even sporting the beach towel I had put under the rear boot carpet to stop it rattling.

Do I wish I had bought it? No, turns out it is still the same piece of french junk I sold all those years ago, it couldn't pull a skin off a rice pudding and has a monotone exhaust note that would be more fitting on a Saturn 5 rocket.

As it was in 2001...



In my garage in 2012...



That Goodwood however, looks rather nice, but with an insurance premium costing more than the car itself, i'd give it a miss, unless your dad wishes to stick his hand in his pocket :-)
I like that.

DannyScene

6,637 posts

156 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
DanDC5 said:
m30dus said:
Exactly the same thing happened to me earlier this year, but my own car from 11 years ago. The Ebay add on this occasion rather shamefully having turned up on a Barry Boys website, before being passed to me by a mate!

What's even worse, in a moment of stupidity I put a bid on it and won it, lol. To my absolute amazement, even 11 years on, it was found to be exactly as it was when I sold it 11 years ago, with just another 5k on the clock (17k total), and even sporting the beach towel I had put under the rear boot carpet to stop it rattling.

Do I wish I had bought it? No, turns out it is still the same piece of french junk I sold all those years ago, it couldn't pull a skin off a rice pudding and has a monotone exhaust note that would be more fitting on a Saturn 5 rocket.

As it was in 2001...



In my garage in 2012...



That Goodwood however, looks rather nice, but with an insurance premium costing more than the car itself, i'd give it a miss, unless your dad wishes to stick his hand in his pocket :-)
I like that.
Always liked these
There was one(same colour as yours) with a cossie lump featured in fastcar or some other horrible mag years back, wanted one since

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
hoppo4.2 said:
the big question is who's nicked the wood rim wheel and gear knob?
My dad's still got the steering wheel at home, don't know about the gear knob though.

falkster

4,258 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
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This is the worst 'hey unc ill get you more for that car!' thread I've ever seen.


epom

11,550 posts

162 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Cool way of getting around the ol car for sale thread anyhow...I thought you had stumbled completely randomly across it on on ebay.

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
epom said:
Cool way of getting around the ol car for sale thread anyhow...I thought you had stumbled completely randomly across it on on ebay.
He never told us he was selling it, my dad happened to be browsing ebay and found it, hence he stumbled upon it randomly as far as I'm concerned. I think the chances of someone on PH seeing this thread, deciding they want the car with only a day to think about it, and then bidding more than anyone else who's been watching the car all week is extremely, extremely slim. If I wanted to publicise it surely I'd have posted on a Peugeot forum about it?

I simply got sent the link, got all nostalgic as I haven't seen the car in years and never got to drive it, and therefore thought I'd make a post about it. I apologise if that's less exciting than some kind of conspiracy tongue out

falkster

4,258 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
Easy to believe if the car was sold to some stranger and not seen for over 10 years but the fact you know where it's been and probably seen it quite often, wouldn't you be a bit more 'oh uncle Ernie is flogging the car dad!'

Geekman

Original Poster:

2,867 posts

147 months

Wednesday 31st October 2012
quotequote all
falkster said:
Easy to believe if the car was sold to some stranger and not seen for over 10 years but the fact you know where it's been and probably seen it quite often, wouldn't you be a bit more 'oh uncle Ernie is flogging the car dad!'
I see what you mean: I guess in a lot of families it would be different. I've not seen the car since my dad got rid of it in 2001, I've seen my rarely since then, in fact, I can't remember the last time I saw him. My dad spoke to him about the car over the phone years ago when the cutting out issue started and he said he was going to sell it on ebay, so I assumed he'd either sold it, scrapped it, or it was rotting in his garage as he never really drove it. Hence, finding it on ebay today came as a surprise.