Refreshingly honest car adverts
Discussion
There's been a lot of threads on misleading car adverts, adverts that are scams or fronts for ringing/cloning etc.
What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
Seems fair enough, it's a shed and he's describing it accordingly probably to try and stop some knob buying it then complaining several weeks latr that it's got a dent and the 4th speed on the fan isn't quite as strong as the same setting on their 2022 Range Rover Velar tip / station / dog car.
As an aside, any "humourous" ads will get slated as seems they're trying too hard. See the previous "She'd of the week Volvo S80" effort and the comments the writing style attracted. Seems you can't really win in car advert land... say too much and it's wrong. Say too little and it's wrong. Be honest and it's wrong. Be funny and it's wrong.
"Hello, is that Scrap My Car... come and take it away"
As an aside, any "humourous" ads will get slated as seems they're trying too hard. See the previous "She'd of the week Volvo S80" effort and the comments the writing style attracted. Seems you can't really win in car advert land... say too much and it's wrong. Say too little and it's wrong. Be honest and it's wrong. Be funny and it's wrong.
"Hello, is that Scrap My Car... come and take it away"
I advertised an old beetle convertible I had like this. Sold to first caller. Wish I'd kept it.
Are you looking for a once in a lifetime pristine little old lady owned beetle convertible? Are you hoping to score one of these once in a lifetime internet bargains you always hear someone else brag about but you missed out on it cos YOU AINT THAT LUCKY? If you are, keep looking, cos this isn't it. My beetle, and I use that term loosely as it has been passed around our family for the last several years like a comfy old sweater, is a bit of an eyesore. It's only had three or four owners, but it's had more drivers than a London cab. But I know them all, and for the most part can vouch for their sanity and mechanical sympathy. In a vain attempt to pass its numerous problems onto a third party who I hope to never see again, I am going to list all of its bad points in detail so said third party cannot come and view the car, visibly recoil, and offer me a half eaten mars bar and yesterday's newspaper for the privilege of rolling home in this Wolfsburg iconoclast.
The car is a 2005 beetle cabrio with the 1.9tdi lump and power hood. It has covered @180k miles and has been serviced once a year wether it needed it or not. Bodywise it has a horrific repair on its passenger sill. Why? Cos it was cheaper. It will pass an mot, it was done by the garage who mots it and that was my instruction. The car is not in any way rotten, these stupid running boards get bumped and bashed and fill with mud and other road crap and rot from the inside out. Shocking piece of design. I'm not bitter. I'm sure you could grind it down and with a voodoo incantation, some fairy dust and a recognised bona fide miracle make it look less, well, horrible. If you wanted to. But I wouldn't. Why? Cos then you have started. And there is a long list til you finish. This was my daughters second car and I think most corners have a parking scuff on them, I may have added a few myself. The drivers mirror which still upholds its contractual obligation to function in a mirror like fashion is aided in its battle against wind, weather and gravity itself by judicious, and artful, application of God's chosen adhesive, gaffa tape. This was initially silver but in pursuit of a less visually offensive aesthetic, I have cunningly replaced it with a darker tape so you can only know see this bodge from less than a hundred yards away. It only has one key, and whilst this will start the car first time, every time, it has not functioned as a locking implement for many moons now. It will remotely lock and unlock the car if you change its batteries every six minutes but I just don't bother. Unless you are a car thief reading this, in which case it is locked up like a Swiss bank vault I tells ya!
Ok, so, it is cosmetically challenged, but here are the good bits. It was my daughters car and as such, mechanically it has been looked after. It is a big, safe, tdi Volkswagen. I don't think it's being disingenuous to use the word legendary for the VAG 1.9 tdi/pdi. The car starts every time, and until recently has been covering 500-800 miles a week at well over 50mpg with no issues. I would genuinely jump in this and drive it anywhere. It has covered about 180k but engine uses minimal oil, clutch and gearbox are spot on, brakes pull car up straight and true, and it drives really well. The roof works perfectly, and it's a lovely looking wee thing with the roof and windows down. It's that ugly duckling/swan thing. Well, ugly duckling/slightly less ugly from certain angles in the dark duckling in reality. The roof is free of rips and car is dry, it has a glass back window with heated element so no worries about misted up plastic.
What you are looking at here is a car that has been loved. No, make that LOVED. And needs a lot more love. I am gutted I can't keep it, my daughter will cry. I may get something in my eye and have to turn away at an opportune moment myself. So, why the sale. We bought our daughter a new Kia last Christmas, and I have used the beetle ever since. But I have bought a new car. One that isn't quite so, erm, bohemian/embarrassing (delete as appropriate). I had thought to get a rusty patina wrap done on it, or a Janis Joplin flower power one, drop it on its ass and keep it for sh!ts and giggles, but it is not feasible, another load of road tax and insurance and I would not now use it often enough to justify the expense. So, you can do all this. This is as bad as this car can get. You are seeing a blank canvas. It's mot has just run out on 17th October and this is something I could discuss with its new owner, but I would rather sell it as is as I work away a lot and am unlikely to find time to get it done, and I don't want the wee bug becoming a lawn ornament.
First £500 buys this car, no offers, no haggling, or I will keep it. You will not find cheaper and it's worth that in bits alone. Ideal Christmas present for a child who,has neither been particularly good nor particular life, a tangible life lesson that says could do better
lord trumpton said:
There's been a lot of threads on misleading car adverts, adverts that are scams or fronts for ringing/cloning etc.
What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
That 'filthy' interior is cleaner than my car's.What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
Edited by Slowboathome on Saturday 11th December 10:18
Roboticarm said:
It's a great ad, I've seen similar cars before get s quick valet, a rattle can over the front bumper damage and descriptions like "drivers perfect, bodywork needs some TLC" or "bodywork in average condition for age" this and is very refreshing.
When I was looking for bangers for a rally, I saw an S Class described as 'Perfect' at £300. 
I would have bought it if it wasn't so far away...
Ace Rimmer said:
Wow! The pictures...... 
Edited by Slowboathome on Saturday 11th December 10:42
TheAngryDog said:
biggbn said:
Far too much wording for a £500 car
I'm surprised you sold it. It took more effort to read the advert (i got bored after something about the running boards) than it would have done to buy it. Slowboathome said:
lord trumpton said:
There's been a lot of threads on misleading car adverts, adverts that are scams or fronts for ringing/cloning etc.
What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
That 'filthy' interior is cleaner than my cars.What about a thread for open, honest and genuine ones?
This is a great starter....
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112100...
Edited by Slowboathome on Saturday 11th December 10:18
Spotted this and this thread fits the bill. Refreshingly honest compared to similarly priced 911s. Picked up an E90 330i a few months ago and sadly the seller wasn't quite as honest 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209029...


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209029...
Roboticarm said:
That is just brilliant.
Love the last bit:"No doubt you'll be mightily impressed that its only done 70k or so miles, had a cambelt and tensioner about 1000 miles ago, that it starts every time without fail and has good tyres, whilst conveniently ignoring that it has no MOT, is as rotten as a pear and has the intrinsic value of a white turd.
I'm listing this as no reserve in the hope that someone has the same bout of insanity as I did and bids like there is an asteroid about to hit Earth; try it, it really is very liberating. If you do win, not only will I throw in a couple of beers and some sausages for nostalgic purposes, I'll tell you what I paid for it...
'old aht yer aaaaaaand!!!"
Roboticarm said:
It's a great ad, I've seen similar cars before get s quick valet, a rattle can over the front bumper damage and descriptions like "drivers perfect, bodywork needs some TLC" or "bodywork in average condition for age" this and is very refreshing.
(bump)Is this still available?
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