Discussion
P555
Unfortunately the market seems to be relatively depressed at this point in time. All you need to do is look at the ads in the cars for sale section.
I am currently in the process of trying to sell a gorgeous 450 (1997) at this point in time, and am seriously struggling to get the right people.
I am however selling in more favoured circumstances as I try to release the readies for my dream Tuscan!!!
(Sorry Chim fans).
All I seem to get a boys wanting a test drive. I've even had a classic Renualt 5 GT Turbo turn up wanting a go. It was obvious they weren't buyers so I politely told them "No Chance"!!!!
I've even dropped the price to only 15k but still no interest!
Whats wrong with everyone!!!!!
Unfortunately the market seems to be relatively depressed at this point in time. All you need to do is look at the ads in the cars for sale section.
I am currently in the process of trying to sell a gorgeous 450 (1997) at this point in time, and am seriously struggling to get the right people.
I am however selling in more favoured circumstances as I try to release the readies for my dream Tuscan!!!
(Sorry Chim fans).
All I seem to get a boys wanting a test drive. I've even had a classic Renualt 5 GT Turbo turn up wanting a go. It was obvious they weren't buyers so I politely told them "No Chance"!!!!
I've even dropped the price to only 15k but still no interest!
Whats wrong with everyone!!!!!
Tony
If you're going on a work permit, read the following - seems to say that you can bring the car over and keep it as long as your permit is valid.
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importusa/impxus_e.htm
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importusa/impxus_e.htm
Selling a Chimaera is much like selling any other commoditiy: supply & demand. There's lots of supply (check autotrader / PH classifieds) and only moderate demand. I sold my Chimaera in a month by the simple and rather obvious process of making it cheap and preparing it well. Everyone told me my '94L 4.3 was too cheap at £11k (sold for £10.5), but I say it was realistically priced.
I'd advise you to have a look at autotrader/PH and price your car lower than equivalent spec cars. This will at least get people viewing the car. Oh, and a little luck helps too!
I'd advise you to have a look at autotrader/PH and price your car lower than equivalent spec cars. This will at least get people viewing the car. Oh, and a little luck helps too!
I'm a potential new buyer who just needs time to learn more about the car's and see and drive a whole lot more than I have so far (one 450 at a dealer).
Whilst I am sure there are a lot of test pilots out there and tyre kickers I am deadly serious about buying, but when, and only when, I see the right one.
I've read all the info on what a prospective buyer should look at and one of the consistent things I've been told is go drive and see as many as you can so you'll know when you've got a good one - hard to do that if no-one will let you near it.
There are lots out there and I'm going to make damn sure my 20 grand budget gets me the best I can afford.
I hope if I turned up to view you'd take me seriously because you'd know by talking to me that I wasn't a muppet.
As a seller you have to understand your market, compare the opposition and vett prospective buyers carefully. You can't expect someone to just turn up and make you an offer for a car which is costing 10 to 20 grand, so before you even have them round talk to them on the phone and be prepared.
Why not prepare a list of questions to ask any prospective buyer when they initially make contact, that way you can be confident that they are the right type of person? Explain that no drivers license or fully comp insurance papers = no drive and you won't let them have a drive without you in the car dictating the pace.
Be clever, know your market, know your buyer, prepare the car well and you'll get the best deal possible.
>> Edited by S Works on Wednesday 3rd September 22:34
Whilst I am sure there are a lot of test pilots out there and tyre kickers I am deadly serious about buying, but when, and only when, I see the right one.
I've read all the info on what a prospective buyer should look at and one of the consistent things I've been told is go drive and see as many as you can so you'll know when you've got a good one - hard to do that if no-one will let you near it.
There are lots out there and I'm going to make damn sure my 20 grand budget gets me the best I can afford.
I hope if I turned up to view you'd take me seriously because you'd know by talking to me that I wasn't a muppet.
As a seller you have to understand your market, compare the opposition and vett prospective buyers carefully. You can't expect someone to just turn up and make you an offer for a car which is costing 10 to 20 grand, so before you even have them round talk to them on the phone and be prepared.
Why not prepare a list of questions to ask any prospective buyer when they initially make contact, that way you can be confident that they are the right type of person? Explain that no drivers license or fully comp insurance papers = no drive and you won't let them have a drive without you in the car dictating the pace.
Be clever, know your market, know your buyer, prepare the car well and you'll get the best deal possible.
>> Edited by S Works on Wednesday 3rd September 22:34
I started out with a 20k budget from a dealer too. I ended up paying 16.7k for a private 4.5 with the balance of a 2 year warranty.
Obviously as a buyer there was no way that I was going to hand over a large amount of cash without driving the car. I approached the situation like this:
First visit. Try and turn up in a nice car. If you arrive in a Mk 3 Escort with Max-Power bolt-ons you will get told to p1ss off. Visual inspection of the car, get the owner to start it and rev lightly. Get owner to take you out on a test drive. This shows you how they treat the car, e.g. if they allow it to warm up, if they thrash it and so on. You can also do the usual check for fans coming on etc. etc. Back at base, check paperwork and bills. If interested, leave a small cheque as a deposit (£100 for example) on holding the car.
Visit 2, get someone to inspect it and get an HPI done. Phone previous owners, garages and so on. At this point the buyer will know you are really serious. You have already spent money on 'your' car.
Visit 3, the test drive. I arranged with the owner that I could be put on his insurance. I spoke to several insurance companies and they refused to insure me on the car when it was already insured by someone else. I suppose it prevents 2 claims over the same car. I offered to pay for any admin charges but there weren't any. After the test drive I confirmed that I would indeed take the car.
Visit 4, turn up with bankers draft, leave with car.
I found this gave myself time to check on the car and be sure that I was buying a good one. Plus it showed the owner that I was serious. I was making an effort to get to see home more than once plus I had obviously invested in the car before buying it off him.
Good hunting out there!
Rob
Obviously as a buyer there was no way that I was going to hand over a large amount of cash without driving the car. I approached the situation like this:
First visit. Try and turn up in a nice car. If you arrive in a Mk 3 Escort with Max-Power bolt-ons you will get told to p1ss off. Visual inspection of the car, get the owner to start it and rev lightly. Get owner to take you out on a test drive. This shows you how they treat the car, e.g. if they allow it to warm up, if they thrash it and so on. You can also do the usual check for fans coming on etc. etc. Back at base, check paperwork and bills. If interested, leave a small cheque as a deposit (£100 for example) on holding the car.
Visit 2, get someone to inspect it and get an HPI done. Phone previous owners, garages and so on. At this point the buyer will know you are really serious. You have already spent money on 'your' car.
Visit 3, the test drive. I arranged with the owner that I could be put on his insurance. I spoke to several insurance companies and they refused to insure me on the car when it was already insured by someone else. I suppose it prevents 2 claims over the same car. I offered to pay for any admin charges but there weren't any. After the test drive I confirmed that I would indeed take the car.
Visit 4, turn up with bankers draft, leave with car.
I found this gave myself time to check on the car and be sure that I was buying a good one. Plus it showed the owner that I was serious. I was making an effort to get to see home more than once plus I had obviously invested in the car before buying it off him.
Good hunting out there!
Rob
chimhunter said:
I started out with a 20k budget from a dealer too. I ended up paying 16.7k for a private 4.5 with the balance of a 2 year warranty.
...
Visit 3, the test drive.
Rob
If you take 4 identical TVRs and give them a test drive, you'll find they're all slightly different. If you only test drive on visit 3, how many better cars have you missed and how many have you had to put a deposit on? Driving it is THE test.
Just playing devil's advocate.
That's a fair point but how many owners will let YOU drive THIER car? Not many. If you want a go you've got to garner some trust. If I have to sell mine (heaven forbid) I wouldn't let someone take out my car unless I was really confident they were about to buy it.
How would you organise it then?
How would you organise it then?
whilst the market is very slow at the moment (I've just sold my car) there are always buyers if you observe a few simple rules and provided there is nothing serious for people to find wrong with the car. My advice (FWIW and IMHO)
1.Price the car sensibly, everyone always expects their own car to be worth more, which is all well and good but at the end of the day it comes down to what people are prepared to pay for it so be realistic.
2.Make sure the car is spotless inside & out and give people bullet points of anything that is included in the sale, stereo, tax, alarm all cut down on money the new owner is going to have to spend.
3.Invest some money in quality advertising, not the single line ads in autotrader, pay up & get a colour boxed ad and ask for an outside edge of a right hand page.
4.Its up to you but personally I wouldnt let anyone drive my car without an insurance cover note.
5.Offer them a cup of tea!
Also, whenever anyone phones up get their number too, always amazes me how many people ask 50 questions over the phone, make an appointment then don't turn up.
Best of luck, I know its a nightmare.
1.Price the car sensibly, everyone always expects their own car to be worth more, which is all well and good but at the end of the day it comes down to what people are prepared to pay for it so be realistic.
2.Make sure the car is spotless inside & out and give people bullet points of anything that is included in the sale, stereo, tax, alarm all cut down on money the new owner is going to have to spend.
3.Invest some money in quality advertising, not the single line ads in autotrader, pay up & get a colour boxed ad and ask for an outside edge of a right hand page.
4.Its up to you but personally I wouldnt let anyone drive my car without an insurance cover note.
5.Offer them a cup of tea!
Also, whenever anyone phones up get their number too, always amazes me how many people ask 50 questions over the phone, make an appointment then don't turn up.
Best of luck, I know its a nightmare.
When I spoke to an insurer they stated categoricaly that they would not insure a car that was already insured. They also stated that this would go for any other insurer as well.
Fortunately the owner trusted me (cheers Tiggsy) and put me on his insurance for the day. Personally not something I would be prepared to do for a lot of people.
If you've got cover via your own insurance this is normally third party, not even TPFT. I.e. if the car was crashed the insurer wouldn't pay out for the damage to the owners car, just anyone else involved. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyone got any ideas of how to get around this?
>> Edited by chimhunter on Friday 5th September 15:21
Fortunately the owner trusted me (cheers Tiggsy) and put me on his insurance for the day. Personally not something I would be prepared to do for a lot of people.
If you've got cover via your own insurance this is normally third party, not even TPFT. I.e. if the car was crashed the insurer wouldn't pay out for the damage to the owners car, just anyone else involved. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyone got any ideas of how to get around this?
>> Edited by chimhunter on Friday 5th September 15:21
I would suggest that if you have someone who is seriously interested in your car (as a private sale) then you suggest to them that they arrange with you to come back for a test drive at a later date after they have given you *THEIR* details so that you can add them to your insurance but that *THEY* will be responsible for any costs incurred in doing so (but that you will deduct that charge from the cost of the car if they buy it).
I'd be happy with that given that I'm in the "looking for" phase still.
Phil
I'd be happy with that given that I'm in the "looking for" phase still.
Phil
r4 dhc said:A fair and valid response that will also lose you potential buyers. I bought mine this summer on the strength of 6 years with a 1.2 Clio whose only jobs were to be cheap and get the no-claims up.
I've even had a classic Renualt 5 GT Turbo turn up wanting a go... I politely told them "No Chance
V8 Archie said:
I've even had a classic Renualt 5 GT Turbo turn up wanting a go... I politely told them "No Chance
A fair and valid response that will also lose you potential buyers. I bought mine this summer on the strength of 6 years with a 1.2 Clio whose only jobs were to be cheap and get the no-claims up.
OK ... If you make a decision based solely on the type of car that someone arrives in then that's a "bad move" ... however you should be able to pick up pretty quickly whether someone is seriously interested in buying or whether they just want to get to drive a TVR.
It's the same as when you're looking for a Tiv - I've seen a few private cars (not many) but you quickly get a feel for whether a car has been "loved" or whether it's just been something that's been (ab?)used.
For the record we currently have two cars in my family - an S reg Volvo V40 Diesel Estate that I use for racking up the miles to and from work and an L reg Pug 306 Diesel (which is my wifes) ... if you judge me on either of those then you're not going to let me anywhere within sniffing distance of your pride and joy!
Phil
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