Struggling to sell car due to mechanical issues-DIY??
Discussion
I'm struggling to sell my old 325 (2003 coupe) due to a number of issues with it. The thing is, it isn't worth fixing all these issues, as the price quoted for the work is essentially equal to the value of the car...so here is my question: has anyone rented a garage/space/lift, bought the parts required, and attempted the work themselves?? I have zero mechanical knowledge!
The car needs:
Front wish bones top and bottom
Pads all round
Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
New clutch
It's annoying as the body has zero rust, zero dents and the interior is perfect also. I would at least like to get it fixed and use it as a track motor if no one wants it; seems a waste just having it sit there.
The car needs:
Front wish bones top and bottom
Pads all round
Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
New clutch
It's annoying as the body has zero rust, zero dents and the interior is perfect also. I would at least like to get it fixed and use it as a track motor if no one wants it; seems a waste just having it sit there.
daveco said:
I'm struggling to sell my old 325 (2003 coupe) due to a number of issues with it. The thing is, it isn't worth fixing all these issues, as the price quoted for the work is essentially equal to the value of the car...so here is my question: has anyone rented a garage/space/lift, bought the parts required, and attempted the work themselves?? I have zero mechanical knowledge!
The car needs:
Front wish bones top and bottom
Pads all round
Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
New clutch
It's annoying as the body has zero rust, zero dents and the interior is perfect also. I would at least like to get it fixed and use it as a track motor if no one wants it; seems a waste just having it sit there.
Remove before ignition The car needs:
Front wish bones top and bottom
Pads all round
Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
New clutch
It's annoying as the body has zero rust, zero dents and the interior is perfect also. I would at least like to get it fixed and use it as a track motor if no one wants it; seems a waste just having it sit there.
The only job on the list that would worry me is the clutch tbh.
I payed £450 fitted for clutch and lightened flywheel for my e36 323, an easy job if you have the tools and a ramp!
I've done all of the others on different cars including BMWs and they are easy enough. I'm just a driveway DIYer with a few tools and a socket set.
I payed £450 fitted for clutch and lightened flywheel for my e36 323, an easy job if you have the tools and a ramp!
I've done all of the others on different cars including BMWs and they are easy enough. I'm just a driveway DIYer with a few tools and a socket set.
Is the cost of the work the same as the value of the car before or after the work has been done?
If the car requires £x in order to make it worth £x then at present it is, effectively, scrap.
That said, if you intend tracking it, the material value doesn't matter and it's worth more to you as a car.
As mentioned, everything but the clutch are driveway Satruday morning jobs as well so it might not be a terminal as it may sound. I'd give it a go bar the clutch.....but then once everything else is sorted paying to get the clutch done might then make more sense,
If the car requires £x in order to make it worth £x then at present it is, effectively, scrap.
That said, if you intend tracking it, the material value doesn't matter and it's worth more to you as a car.
As mentioned, everything but the clutch are driveway Satruday morning jobs as well so it might not be a terminal as it may sound. I'd give it a go bar the clutch.....but then once everything else is sorted paying to get the clutch done might then make more sense,
I would say no, if you have no idea what your doing you probably should not do the work to pass on to someone else. Better off putting it on e-bay with a reserve a little more than the scrap value and let someone else who does know what they are doing sort it. I have heard of some DIY garages in the past, but they tend not to last long as bits go walkabout and it becomes too much of a hassle.
daveco said:
Pads all round
Oil and filter change
Surely those are not mechanical issues but service items that should not be counted as repairs, but just part of the cost of running a car.Oil and filter change
TooMany2cvs said:
Flog it on eBay, with all faults fully declared and a fail sheet (if it's got one) displayed.
This. All day.Just be totally honest and crystal clear about all the faults & include as many photographs of the faulty areas as you can.
It'd be worth attempting to fix if you intended keeping the car, but you'll not make the cost of the parts back on the sale price, so better to get rid "as-is".
There are plenty of people who would buy it in the knowledge that they've got to fix it themselves - let them suffer the frustration & grazed knuckles!
daveco said:
Pads all round
Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
These items are much easier to DIY (and require less kit) than the suspension work and clutch. If you do those yourself using online guides and then get a reputable independent garage to do the other bits using (decent quality) non OEM parts, it might make the cost more reasonable.Rocket cover gasket
Oil and filter change
SLCZ3 said:
Just for interest what price are you selling it for????
I had it up for sale at €3k but will put the price down to €2.5k soon enough. I've been honest with everyone who's viewed it/been interested in viewing it.Thanks for the info guys. Absolute shame to see it sitting there as out of all the E46s I've owned it gave me zero trouble in the 5 years of ownership up to this point!
daveco said:
Pads all round
Oil and filter change
IMVHO these should be part of the driving test ;-)Oil and filter change
(Kidding- they really are THAT easy)
But- not in February when its brass monkeys unless you have a heated garage, nothing saps willpower faster than bare hands on freezing, dirty, metal car parts!
R_U_LOCAL said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Flog it on eBay, with all faults fully declared and a fail sheet (if it's got one) displayed.
This. All day.Just be totally honest and crystal clear about all the faults & include as many photographs of the faulty areas as you can.
It'd be worth attempting to fix if you intended keeping the car, but you'll not make the cost of the parts back on the sale price, so better to get rid "as-is".
There are plenty of people who would buy it in the knowledge that they've got to fix it themselves - let them suffer the frustration & grazed knuckles!
Front wish bones top and bottom - there are no top wishbones, bottom can be a ball ache or can come off easy, last one took about 6 hours of swearing a lump hammering on the ball joint splitter.
Pads all round - if not grinding metal ignore
Rocket cover gasket - if not looking like the exxon valdeiz then ignore
Oil and filter change - ignore
New clutch - serious serious ball ache especially on your own.
Bang it on ebay 99p no reserve with the most pictures you can after a wash and hoover and the best description you can. Desctibe as 'if I was keeping it I would do XYZ' viewing advised'. Deal with 99 idiots and sell it to 1. Buy an MX5 with the money
Pads all round - if not grinding metal ignore
Rocket cover gasket - if not looking like the exxon valdeiz then ignore
Oil and filter change - ignore
New clutch - serious serious ball ache especially on your own.
Bang it on ebay 99p no reserve with the most pictures you can after a wash and hoover and the best description you can. Desctibe as 'if I was keeping it I would do XYZ' viewing advised'. Deal with 99 idiots and sell it to 1. Buy an MX5 with the money
daveco said:
I had it up for sale at €3k but will put the price down to €2.5k soon enough. I've been honest with everyone who's viewed it/been interested in viewing it.
Maybe I'm out of touch but I would have thought that the list in your OP was about £1K or half the value of the car, not equal to the value so either repair and flog it or bung it on e-bay. What would WBAC bid?boobles said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
But unless they do it in such a way so it doesn't appear to have been sold through Ebay, the buyer is still protected either way.a) I haven't heard of anyone getting refunded for a car through ebay. I think if ebay did that I would definitely have heard examples of it.
b) Nobody is suggesting to describe it as a minter anyway.
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