Wednesday 5th October 2011

Weirdest Barn Find Ever: 150 Unused Chrysler Neons

Help a forgotten Neon to see the light...

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If you find the newly launched Chrysler-badged Lancias vaguely horrifying, but for some inexplicable reason want an effectively brand-new right-hand drive small Chrysler, then a Singaporean entrepreneur might have just the answer for you.

How so? Well, on sale via business-to-business trading platform alibaba.com are 150 right-hook 1997 Chrysler Neons. With zero miles. Quite how 150 of Chrysler's finest *cough* have been left to gather dust for a decade and a half is a mystery that the vendor doesn't resolve.

Nor does he explain why none of the cars has a radio. But hey, she's only asking $1350 USD (£875) for each car, which is not a lot of money. The only problems are that you have to get the car over from Singapore, and find a radio to fit in it. Oh, and cope with driving around in a Chrysler Neon...

[Ali_T]

Ironically, a 1997 Neon isn't even worth £875, no matter what the mileage.

[thewheelman]

I say close the barn door, leave the Neons in there, walk away & forget you ever saw the horrors contained within the barn.

Maybe set fire to the barn, and sacrifice them to the car gods.

Edited by thewheelman on Wednesday 5th October 11:02

[AV12]

Solution:

[maccas99]

The owner is better off trying to scrap the lot - will probably make more money.

[zorba_the_greek]

AV12 said:

Solution:

[thewheelman]

AV12 said:

Solution:

<cough>Read the quote above, kind of what i already said<cough>

[jdwoodbury]

They must cost a few quid to put back on the road though, gaskets and rubber seals etc?

[Switch]

1 make "Banger" race series. GO!

[markmullen]

Whilst the neon wasn't a highlight in motoring terms there is potential to make a few quid here. Knock them out at £4995 each for a brand new, reasonably well equipped, car and the old folk will flock to them. Buy in a warranty at £800 or so for 3 years and you've still got a load of margin. Sell them through the internet with minimum overheads, deliver them to the customer, you don't even need decent premises, just somewhere to PDI them.

Radios were probably dealer fit, MG worked in the same way, it saved building loads of combinations, the customer specced whichever radio they wanted (cassette, CD, changer etc) and the dealer ordered them and fitted them at PDI. From an international manufacturer it makes even more sense as different radios are needed for different areas, an FM radio made for JDM only receives radio 2 in the UK for example.

[thewheelman]

markmullen said:

Whilst the neon wasn't a highlight in motoring terms there is potential to make a few quid here. Knock them out at £4995 each for a brand new, reasonably well equipped, car and the old folk will flock to them. Buy in a warranty at £800 or so for 3 years and you've still got a load of margin. Sell them through the internet with minimum overheads, deliver them to the customer, you don't even need decent premises, just somewhere to PDI them.

Radios were probably dealer fit, MG worked in the same way, it saved building loads of combinations, the customer specced whichever radio they wanted (cassette, CD, changer etc) and the dealer ordered them and fitted them at PDI. From an international manufacturer it makes even more sense as different radios are needed for different areas, an FM radio made for JDM only receives radio 2 in the UK for example.

Nobody would pay £5k for a ten year old Neon, even if you were to sell it as "new". The price she's asking is about right. That's the most Del Boy type plan i've heard of in some time........next you'll be calling them a "consignment"

[Flying Toaster]

On a similar note, there are a few mini special editions for sale on ebay with what appears to be delivery mileage. There's an era turbo for sale with 75 miles currently at 25 grand. Less than a hour left to bid though.

[AUDIHenry]

Great mileage, cheap to run, cheap to insure. I'm sure you can sell them for $5K/each. With $1000 ship, if you can secure them all for $2000 net to your door, you can make a good $300,000+

[Sir_Dave]

Considering how expensive cars are in Singapore, you could sell them to ex-pats out there for £875 easily lol. In fact, you'd do well to buy them all & flog them all at 2 grand each out there. Easy money to be made.

(In theory)

[Riggers]

markmullen said:

Optmistic plans

How is that new sheepskin jacket, Mark?

[Twincam16]

UK Chrysler main dealer, yesterday...

[Riggers]

Flying Toaster said:

On a similar note, there are a few mini special editions for sale on ebay with what appears to be delivery mileage. There's an era turbo for sale with 75 miles currently at 25 grand. Less than a hour left to bid though.

Couldn't furnish us with a link, could you? (I'm too lazy to search...)

[markmullen]

thewheelman said:

Nobody would pay £5k for a ten year old Neon, even if you were to sell it as "new". The price she's asking is about right. That's the most Del Boy type plan i've heard of in some time........next you'll be calling them a "consignment"

I disagree, but then what the hell do I know about selling cars?......

[markmullen]

Riggers said:

How is that new sheepskin jacket, Mark?

It takes a Glass's in the pocket just perfectly [/swiss toni]

[mikey77]

While the dreamers have a field day, I wonder if any of those engines will actually turn over? Tight as new and standing for ten years? I don't think so.
And what other horrors will be uncovered if anybody actually tries to move one?

[sanctum]

£900 for the car
£300 for new tyres
£150 for the SVA certificate
£200 shipping including insurance (that's a guess by the way)

£1550 before you even get to the mechanicals, paint damage or dead rats in the footwell.

Could probably build gen-sets out the engines and make more money. Assuming the crank bearings aren't seized,timing belts haven't rotted, valve guides are still intact and the ECU hasn't succumbed to corrosion...