Successfully swapping cars
Successfully swapping cars
Author
Discussion

macky17

Original Poster:

2,239 posts

219 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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How many people have successfully swapped a car in a private transaction with someone they don't know? I don't mean purely as a px which is then sold on but with both parties taking ownership of their new vehicle in a successful trade. I wondered how often this actually happens.

Toaster Pilot

14,867 posts

188 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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See stuff advertised all the time "for swapz only innit" and can only ever think that one of the two parties (or both) is getting rid of something utterly shagged in the hope of getting something slightly less so

adsvx220

705 posts

213 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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A close mate of mine did exactly this. Swapped a very quick highly tuned impreza for a Clio 182 due to the imprezas fuel cost.

Turnt out the Clio was fubard. EML and limp mode came on 10 minutes of the swap and 2 weeks later the diff crapped itself.

I would never do a swap.

Adam

ikarl

4,061 posts

229 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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About 8 years ago I swapped my 96 Impreza STi with a guy from about 60 miles away. He had a 300zx tt.

He posted a thread on the Impreza owners club, we met up, had a look around each others cars etc... both agreed beforehand we wouldn't do the deal there and then, went home, slept on it and then met up the next day and swapped cars.

I knew my car was running 100% and it was abit of a gamble, but we chatted for long enough and I trusted him. I wasn't disappointed! The 300zx was absolutely tremendous! and we kept in touch for a few months after the swap and he seemed as happy as I was with the deal.

They do work sometimes, but you need to go in with your eyes open and be aware that if anything doesn't add up, it's probably easier to just walk away.

rob0r

442 posts

200 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Not a car but I straight swapped a downhill mountain bike for an E34 530i V8 manual with T&T. True story.

The 530i is awesome and I used it til the MOT ran out. Now it's farm/drift slag.

surveyor

18,691 posts

214 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Chap wanted to swap his Octavia VRS for my X5.

Did the deed, and quite happy other than I'm not compatible with the Skoda, so its got to go. I think the values were slightly in my favour so happy enough.

macky17

Original Poster:

2,239 posts

219 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Interesting so far - keep em coming.

An exchange with some cash one way or the other counts as a swap also...

nagsheadwarrior

2,789 posts

209 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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I've done it twice, all good both times.

Swapped my beloved old Granada Hearse, Cordelia, for a Pontiac 6000.

Then swapped my old 924S for a 205cti, brand new Mac book laptop thingy n a brand new I phone thingy, sold the phone n laptop for the asking price of the 924 and got a free 205cti

p1tse

1,412 posts

222 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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I was closing in doing so about 5 years ago

my mild modded TT for a 350z
local guy, we both test drove each car

I pulled out the night before having ran a HPI and found it was cat D registered which I then rang the guy and he said he knew nothing about it!?!

Sammo123

2,187 posts

211 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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I swapped my 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV for a 1993 Ford F150 Lightning a few years ago. I wasn't particularly impressed with the Evo and fancied something different. The F150 was advertised for the same price and after a couple of viewings we did a straight swap. 2 happy parties and no money changing hands.

MysteryLemon

4,968 posts

221 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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I've done it twice.

First time was when I was trying to sell an Impreza wagon on ebay. Was the non turbo 2.0l. Very thirsty and not much go. Didn't like it much. Wanted something sportier and said so in the advert. A guy emailed who was selling his MR2 2.0l n/a at the time and was looking for an estate to lug the family and dog around in. Perfect swap. Met him at some services, both happy, signed docs and drove away without a penny changing hands.

Second time was my partner selling her Polo. Was after a bigger hatch (daughter on the way). Guy got in touch saying he was looking to downsize from his Fiat Stilo 5dr as only used for commuting etc. Again met at motorway services.. both happy, signed docs and drove away without a penny changing hands.

Would probably do again if the car offered was the sort of thing I was after.

macky17

Original Poster:

2,239 posts

219 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
I've done it twice.

First time was when I was trying to sell an Impreza wagon on ebay. Was the non turbo 2.0l. Very thirsty and not much go. Didn't like it much. Wanted something sportier and said so in the advert. A guy emailed who was selling his MR2 2.0l n/a at the time and was looking for an estate to lug the family and dog around in. Perfect swap. Met him at some services, both happy, signed docs and drove away without a penny changing hands.

Second time was my partner selling her Polo. Was after a bigger hatch (daughter on the way). Guy got in touch saying he was looking to downsize from his Fiat Stilo 5dr as only used for commuting etc. Again met at motorway services.. both happy, signed docs and drove away without a penny changing hands.

Would probably do again if the car offered was the sort of thing I was after.
Brave meeting at services twice but you are obviously a good judge of character (and cars).

sidekickdmr

5,210 posts

236 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Ive done it once before, swapped my high miler E36 328 convertible for a newer, more reliable Astra coupe turbo.

No problems and would do it again on a low value car.

Escy

4,130 posts

179 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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I've swapped cars twice, met at services twice. First time was an E36 328i Sport I had, was asking 2k for it, wasn't getting much interest so swapped it for a Toyota Starlet turbo, kept that for a couple of months and sold it on for slightly more than the 2k I wanted for my E36 so it was a good deal for me. The second time I swapped an Alpina B3 3.3 for a R53 Mini Cooper S with the Works tuning. I was struggling to get rid of the Alpina, it was a bit rough, think I was asking about £3500 for it. The Mini was decent except for a road noise, I swapped loads of parts trying to find it (driveshafts, diff bearings, wheel bearings), had no joy, think it was probably the tyres and I didn't need to swap any of it. Even so, I sold it for over 4k so came out of that one well also.

I've got a couple of cars for sale at the moment. I keep getting daft offers, people top end money for their px's but want to take money off mine. How does that work?

gazchap

1,546 posts

213 months

Friday 19th September 2014
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I swapped my 2003 Celica T-Sport for a 1995 Celica GT-Four (and about £900 in cash on top) a few years ago, with a guy from down near Portsmouth - we met at one of the services on the M40, took test drives and then did all the paperwork.

Only snag was that he reneged on his promise to transfer my private plate back to me afterwards.