Selling a car you have owned for over 10 years
Discussion
We bought My wife a used car on our first wedding anniversary in 2006. At the time, the BMW owners website had a classifieds section and I spotted a 3 owner car that had only just lost its 'FBMWSH' status with 56k on the clock. We bought the car for £1,450.00. We were going to Oxford to clebrate our anniversary and I asked the vendor if the car would make it- He looked at me as though I was a crazy, I understood that I was running the gauntlet. Returning from Oxford 4 days later it was apparent that this car would make it to the Moon and back- Let me introduce you to the E30 Touring, an engineering masterpiece with timeless good looks.My wife named her Fanny.
She (the car) required a few minor repairs including a ball joint and some matching rubber, but soon it was my wife's daily and apart from a drink problem (again, the car) Fanny was a family member. Fortunately, I had something more interesting to drive, but as we have dogs I was often using the BMW rather than soiling my car.
My wife doesn't really 'get' car maintenance, her cars look like a 15 year olds bedroom (inc.dirty plates and mugs), so it is fair to say that we did not follow the behaviour of a fastidious owner. We service her when the annual MOT fell due, but apart from that maintenance was 'reactive' rather than 'preventative'.
5 years pass and we manage to upgrade the second car to something higher and with 4 wheel drive, but we keep the BMW. In a good year it is cleaned. We upgrade again, the Beemer remains, I use it here and there, the straight six is a joy. It smells of 'multiple dog'. It is used as a pub car, lent to anyone in need,trips to festivals and for the transportation of goods for building projects.We even took her to The Lowry in Manchester and had her valet parked during a weekend of indulgence.
This year, she sat in the street with two flat tyres, her (only) annoying trait being to power the f@@@ing Lazer(f@@@ing)Line alarm to scream for 36 hours as her battery lost the last few joules of power. Recharged, I dutifully took her for her MOT, invested in some minor repairs and sat her back out in the street. The alarm managed another 36 hours use 3 weeks later. The local reprobates emptied the 2 & 1p's in the ashtray as I left her unlocked to stop the LazyLine alarm upsetting my neighbours. The local authority demanded £340.00 protection money for a new permit. Fanny has to go.
So last Sunday, I bought a new battery, feebly cleaned the engine bay, cleaned out 10 years of debris and take her to the local car wash (where they take quite a fancy to her). I am already apologising for her condition before I have even written the ad, but as I photograph her, she really does look pretty damn good. She must go to a good home.
I write an honest ad, albeit brief, and post it online. 90 minutes later a woman calls and asks me what I want for her. I say £900.00 and she says she will transfer the funds first thing in the morning.The woman says she wants the car for herself. The deal is struck. About a gadzillion further calls follow, all wanting to buy her ( clearly, despite my assurances to my wife to the contrary, I advertised Fanny too cheaply) but first come, first served. That is £55.00 PA on depreciation, you gotta hand it to the Fatherland, they know how to make a great car.To my eyes, the E30 Touring is a design classic.
I am now going to cry for our loss.
She (the car) required a few minor repairs including a ball joint and some matching rubber, but soon it was my wife's daily and apart from a drink problem (again, the car) Fanny was a family member. Fortunately, I had something more interesting to drive, but as we have dogs I was often using the BMW rather than soiling my car.
My wife doesn't really 'get' car maintenance, her cars look like a 15 year olds bedroom (inc.dirty plates and mugs), so it is fair to say that we did not follow the behaviour of a fastidious owner. We service her when the annual MOT fell due, but apart from that maintenance was 'reactive' rather than 'preventative'.
5 years pass and we manage to upgrade the second car to something higher and with 4 wheel drive, but we keep the BMW. In a good year it is cleaned. We upgrade again, the Beemer remains, I use it here and there, the straight six is a joy. It smells of 'multiple dog'. It is used as a pub car, lent to anyone in need,trips to festivals and for the transportation of goods for building projects.We even took her to The Lowry in Manchester and had her valet parked during a weekend of indulgence.
This year, she sat in the street with two flat tyres, her (only) annoying trait being to power the f@@@ing Lazer(f@@@ing)Line alarm to scream for 36 hours as her battery lost the last few joules of power. Recharged, I dutifully took her for her MOT, invested in some minor repairs and sat her back out in the street. The alarm managed another 36 hours use 3 weeks later. The local reprobates emptied the 2 & 1p's in the ashtray as I left her unlocked to stop the LazyLine alarm upsetting my neighbours. The local authority demanded £340.00 protection money for a new permit. Fanny has to go.
So last Sunday, I bought a new battery, feebly cleaned the engine bay, cleaned out 10 years of debris and take her to the local car wash (where they take quite a fancy to her). I am already apologising for her condition before I have even written the ad, but as I photograph her, she really does look pretty damn good. She must go to a good home.
I write an honest ad, albeit brief, and post it online. 90 minutes later a woman calls and asks me what I want for her. I say £900.00 and she says she will transfer the funds first thing in the morning.The woman says she wants the car for herself. The deal is struck. About a gadzillion further calls follow, all wanting to buy her ( clearly, despite my assurances to my wife to the contrary, I advertised Fanny too cheaply) but first come, first served. That is £55.00 PA on depreciation, you gotta hand it to the Fatherland, they know how to make a great car.To my eyes, the E30 Touring is a design classic.
I am now going to cry for our loss.
Edited by Tin Hat on Tuesday 25th October 23:07
Edited by Tin Hat on Wednesday 26th October 07:01
Chozza said:
we need pictures of your Fanny!
( i'll be off to the things that make you snigger thread)
Seriously though .. these old BMW especially the touring were some of my favourite cars
Linky( i'll be off to the things that make you snigger thread)
Seriously though .. these old BMW especially the touring were some of my favourite cars
Edited by Chozza on Tuesday 25th October 22:01
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
MitchT said:
Tin Hat said:
Dammit! Definitely couldn't have parted with that!!Sorry. I'm not helping am I?
silentbrown said:
MitchT said:
I couldn't have parted with that.
Particularly not with a full tank of unleaded!ambuletz said:
you sold a tidy E30 for ONLY £900? you sir are a mad man. You haven't seen the 'seriously overpriced cars' thread have you? these things could easily be sold for £2k upwards. maybe double that if you pay someone £50 quid to take photos with a DSLR.
I agree that I didn't play this one that well. In my defence, the photos are quite kind and the lack of interior photos worked well for the ad.....I would be gutted if it is resold for a profit!
456mgt said:
You did the right thing; as much as it's been part of your life, it's your past life and that time is done. It would only bug you if you held onto it.
Did the same thing with my old 456. Owned that for over 10 years, the longest I've owned anything apart from my teeth! Swore I'd never sell it as it was my first Ferrari. But it was the same deal, it just wasn't getting enough use and the costs were still there so it had to go. It would be worth far more now than when I sold it ( a manual M), but no question it was the right thing to do and I don't regret it. A few years on all that I really miss is the smell of the interior, which was absolutely sensational. I doubt you'll miss the smell of your car's cabin though..
Much appreciated! I think that I have missed every car I have ever owned in one way or another!Did the same thing with my old 456. Owned that for over 10 years, the longest I've owned anything apart from my teeth! Swore I'd never sell it as it was my first Ferrari. But it was the same deal, it just wasn't getting enough use and the costs were still there so it had to go. It would be worth far more now than when I sold it ( a manual M), but no question it was the right thing to do and I don't regret it. A few years on all that I really miss is the smell of the interior, which was absolutely sensational. I doubt you'll miss the smell of your car's cabin though..
456mgt said:
You did the right thing; as much as it's been part of your life, it's your past life and that time is done. It would only bug you if you held onto it.
Did the same thing with my old 456. Owned that for over 10 years, the longest I've owned anything apart from my teeth! Swore I'd never sell it as it was my first Ferrari. But it was the same deal, it just wasn't getting enough use and the costs were still there so it had to go. It would be worth far more now than when I sold it ( a manual M), but no question it was the right thing to do and I don't regret it. A few years on all that I really miss is the smell of the interior, which was absolutely sensational. I doubt you'll miss the smell of your car's cabin though..
Much appreciated! I think that I have missed every car I have ever owned in one way or another!Did the same thing with my old 456. Owned that for over 10 years, the longest I've owned anything apart from my teeth! Swore I'd never sell it as it was my first Ferrari. But it was the same deal, it just wasn't getting enough use and the costs were still there so it had to go. It would be worth far more now than when I sold it ( a manual M), but no question it was the right thing to do and I don't regret it. A few years on all that I really miss is the smell of the interior, which was absolutely sensational. I doubt you'll miss the smell of your car's cabin though..
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