Need some help selling a car

[CrimsonProf]

So here's my deal.

I've got a 98 Cavalier. 197K miles. Bad body and a transmission that is about to go - but the engine cranks and the car moves. It's knocking but for now - it runs.

I need to sell it and I'm getting low balled by junkyard men.

I need about $500-$700 for it. New battery...two new tires and a starter that was replaced last January (2013).

Any advice on how to move this thing on e-bay or Craigslist?

 

[92tide]

So here's my deal.

I've got a 98 Cavalier. 197K miles. Bad body and a transmission that is about to go - but the engine cranks and the car moves. It's knocking but for now - it runs.

I need to sell it and I'm getting low balled by junkyard men.

I need about $500-$700 for it. New battery...two new tires and a starter that was replaced last January (2013).

Any advice on how to move this thing on e-bay or Craigslist?

i sold an old truck via craigslist a couple of years back. within 72 hrs of posting i had it sold.

 

[CrimsonProf]

i sold an old truck via craigslist a couple of years back. within 72 hrs of posting i had it sold.

I think I need to update my Craigslist ad. Problem is that I get inquiries but everyone is low-balling me.

 

[CrimsonForce]

I think I need to update my Craigslist ad. Problem is that I get inquiries but everyone is low-balling me.

You have to put the asking price higher than you actually want. Nobody will want to pay "sticker price." List it at $850 negotiable and "come down" to the price you actually want for it. Everybody will want to haggle down the price from whatever you list it at.

 

[92tide]

You have to put the asking price higher than you actually want. Nobody will want to pay "sticker price." List it at $850 negotiable and "come down" to the price you actually want for it. Everybody will want to haggle down the price from whatever you list it at.

i listed mine at about $1k more than what i originally wanted to get, he talked me down $800 and i got $200 more than i was expecting. however, it was a toyota tacoma 4wd that was apparently in high demand despite being 13 years old and having almost 200k miles.

 

[Bama Reb]

So here's my deal.

I've got a 98 Cavalier. 197K miles. Bad body and a transmission that is about to go - but the engine cranks and the car moves. It's knocking but for now - it runs.

I need to sell it and I'm getting low balled by junkyard men.

I need about $500-$700 for it. New battery...two new tires and a starter that was replaced last January (2013).

Any advice on how to move this thing on e-bay or Craigslist?

It doesn't sound like it's worth anywhere near what you want.
My opinion is that you should remove the battery, starter and tires. Then take the best offer you can get from the junkyard. JMHO.

 

[GreatDanish]

Seriously, take it to the nearest CarMax. I drive my cars until they are literally falling apart.

I took a 15 year old Ford F150 in need of a new engine. It would vibrate horribly when driving and was very loud. I had tried to sell it on Craigslist - three or four people came and inspected it and the best offer I got from them was $200. CarMax gave me $1,500 - and I told them about the engine.

After that success, my wife had a 12 year old Infiniti G20 that needed a new transmission. KBB said the same car in great condition was worth about $4,500 and the transmission was going to cost over $5,000 so basically it had a negative value. CarMax gave me $2,000 for it.

I think they get parts so cheaply that they can fix the car and resell it at auctions for nice profits. I would at least take it there and have them make you a bid. You don't have to take it - I think you get 7 days to decide. I've even thought about taking my current car by there just to see what they would give me for it.

 

[Bamaro]

Seriously, take it to the nearest CarMax. I drive my cars until they are literally falling apart.

I took a 15 year old Ford F150 in need of a new engine. It would vibrate horribly when driving and was very loud. I had tried to sell it on Craigslist - three or four people came and inspected it and the best offer I got from them was $200. CarMax gave me $1,500 - and I told them about the engine.

After that success, my wife had a 12 year old Infiniti G20 that needed a new transmission. KBB said the same car in great condition was worth about $4,500 and the transmission was going to cost over $5,000 so basically it had a negative value. CarMax gave me $2,000 for it.

I think they get parts so cheaply that they can fix the car and resell it at auctions for nice profits. I would at least take it there and have them make you a bid. You don't have to take it - I think you get 7 days to decide. I've even thought about taking my current car by there just to see what they would give me for it.

Carmax must have changed. They used to only take cars for their own lots. You wont see 16 year old cars with 200,000 miles on their lots.

 

[BamaHoosier]

Carmax must have changed. They used to only take cars for their own lots. You wont see 16 year old cars with 200,000 miles on their lots.

As a former carmax sales consultant I can actually answer that question. They do have very set standards for what they will sell on the lot. 10 years and 10 miles used to be the standard that they wouldn't go over either, but they loosened up a tad on that. What people don't know is that carmax houses the 3rd largest wholesale auction in the country behind only Manheim and Adessa, so they have the ability to buy any car no matter what because they can take it to auction.

Another thing that surprises people is that they actually make their profit on dealer fees in the auction, so they price they offer is the literal wholesale value that they try and sell it for. It's an auction, so some cars they still make money on, some they lose on, but they do attempt to give the price they expect to receive.

To answer the OP. Carmax will still take it off your hands, but they probably won't go a whole lot higher than the junk yard. Keep in mind the offer will be based off wholesale value, but the process will be super easy for you if you go that route.

 

[cbi1972]

You have to put the asking price higher than you actually want. Nobody will want to pay "sticker price." List it at $850 negotiable and "come down" to the price you actually want for it. Everybody will want to haggle down the price from whatever you list it at.

I don't do this, but I also wouldn't want this car if it were free.

 

[bamachile]

I don't do this, but I also wouldn't want this car if it were free.

This.

Prof, I hate to break the news to you, but a '98 Cavalier approaching 200K with a bad tranny and knocking engine isn't worth the next month's liability insurance payment. Ditch it fast, and call whatever you get a profit.

 

[Displaced Bama Fan]

So here's my deal.

I've got a 98 Cavalier. 197K miles. Bad body and a transmission that is about to go - but the engine cranks and the car moves. It's knocking but for now - it runs.

I need to sell it and I'm getting low balled by junkyard men.

I need about $500-$700 for it. New battery...two new tires and a starter that was replaced last January (2013).

Any advice on how to move this thing on e-bay or Craigslist?

$700 isn't low balled for that. Take it and run. You just said the transmission is about to go. Take the battery out and Let them haul it off after giving you the cash.

 

[RedStar]

$700 isn't low balled for that. Take it and run. You just said the transmission is about to go. Take the battery out and Let them haul it off after giving you the cash.

I don't think he was saying $700 was a lowball offer. I think he was saying he wanted at least $500-$700 meaning the guys at the junkyard were only offering a couple hundred at most for it.

 

[Bama Reb]

Carmax must have changed. They used to only take cars for their own lots. You wont see 16 year old cars with 200,000 miles on their lots.

As is the case with most dealers. That's why I either run them until they have over 250K miles on them, sell them outright to an individual or just junk it. A vehicle that's over 15 y/o or has 200K+ miles is worth zero to a dealer. In fact, those are the ones they send to the auctions and let them go for whatever they will bring.

 

[ValuJet]

It doesn't sound like it's worth anywhere near what you want.
My opinion is that you should remove the battery, starter and tires. Then take the best offer you can get from the junkyard. JMHO.

Heh! Post of the week!

 

[RedStar]

I mean this dude's asking $1750 for his 1993. http://shoals.craigslist.org/cto/4561967509.html

$700 isn't unreasonable.

 

[cbi1972]

I mean this dude's asking $1750 for his 1993. http://shoals.craigslist.org/cto/4561967509.html

$700 isn't unreasonable.

You can ASK for anything you want, but I bet this guy's grumpy about getting low balled too.

 

[Catfish]

I think I need to update my Craigslist ad. Problem is that I get inquiries but everyone is low-balling me.

You're trying to sell a 98 Cavalier with almost 200,000 miles, a crappy body, a shot transmission and an engine that's knocking. And, for some reason, you seem surprised that everybody's low-balling you. :conf2:

 

[Catfish]

I mean this dude's asking $1750 for his 1993. http://shoals.craigslist.org/cto/4561967509.html

$700 isn't unreasonable.

At least that one allegedgely "runs great!" It's still way over-priced, though.

 

[TheAccountant]

You may do better just donating the car and taking the tax write-off.

You did remind me of a line (starts at the 2 min mark) from my namesake film, seems like you are heeding his advice. Well done: