So, the recent unpleasantness has resulted in my wife's car, already used on a sporadic basis, not having turned a wheel in many months.
It's a Y-reg automatic Polo. It's VERY low mileage - we got it through family in the motor trade, it was a little old lady's who would have it serviced religiously every year but do about 500 miles a year in it. There's about a genuine 25,000 miles on the clock on it. There's a few scratches and dings on the bodywork - I don't think Ethel was the most assiduous about parking - but it's (AFAIK) entirely mechanically sound, with only a couple of niggles needing sorting - driver's door lock and electric window switches need replacing.
We got it because for a while my wife had a job where she had to do a fairly hefty commute. However, for about the last 6 years or so she hasn't had to do it at all.
Just before the pandemic, between MOTs the car did 300 miles one year. Since then I doubt it's even done 100. We used to service it every year but that dropped to every two in 2019 and it hasn't been serviced (or really used) since.
It's presently declared SORN but we're still paying insurance as it's part of a multi-car policy.
It seems to me that we have two options, either service, deal with anything that needs replacing, and tax and sell; or just sell as is for parts/repair.
There's one here with higher mileage for £875:
I doubt the very low mileage would make that much of a difference to the asking price.
This seems very optimistic to me:
But ours has lower mileage.
I suspect the cost of a full service plus replacement lock and window switch could easily get close to £500.
Has anyone had to deal with anything similar recently?
I wouldn't service an old car to sell it let them deal with it especially if your paying a man to service it
Don't tax it either. Makes no odds to sale it can't be passed on.
On an old car it won't add anything to the price. It'll make it more desirable but if you price it right so there's meat on the bone for them to get it serviced then it'll be as desirable to them.
Not recently but, you don't lose anything by trying to sell it as it is- just get some pics, throw up an ad with a price you like, see where it goes. I got a ridiculous amount for the last car I sold as spares/repairs, with good photos and a detailed and totally honest description- I think it basically stood out from the crowd as there were 5000 shitty focuses on ebay being sold as runners but only a couple being sold as dead but you could genuinely have got a perfectly good running car for less.
The other thing is, you really need to know exactly what the costs are likely to be, in order to decide- like, does it need a new lock barrel or is it a mechanical thing? Can you swap the bad lock to another location? (people care way less about passenger doors). I wouldn't even worry about the windows, and definitely wouldn't service. Don't spend a penny that a buyer might have chosen not to spend.
And basically can it be MOT'd as it is or nearly? No MOT loses a ton of value. A door doesn't have to properly lock and unlock if I understand the rules correctly, it just has to open on the handle- safety not security. Even a "spares or repair" car is far more desirable if it can be driven.
Check how much a lock repair is, there is nothing that clever needed so shouldn't be much. You might even just fit a replacement lock from the scrappie. Broken lock is something I think would bother a lot of buyers I expect.
You are looking at less than £1,000 for the car so don't spend much on anything.
Spares and repairs are a pain in the... You will get left with a load of useless bits of car stuck on the drive unable to move them because you sold the wheels and you will deal with six months of weirdos asking why you don't still have the right front wing they want and was in the picture 6 months ago.
Spares and repairs are a pain in the… You will get left with a load of useless bits of car stuck on the drive unable to move them because you sold the wheels and you will deal with six months of weirdos asking why you don’t still have the right front wing they want and was in the picture 6 months ago.
That's breaking. That's idiotic unless you have bags of space/time/knowledge and/or something rare.
Spares or repairs is just selling it lockstock to one person .
Sounds like her perfect STW bangernomics mobile. Assuming its in good bodywork condition, its just run in. . Tax and sell.
Ha, I have the same car. Tbf, they do seem to have a bit of a fan club because that year was the facelift model so they're a bit different. Because of that you always see people putting them up on ebay for stupid money like £5k etc. But in the real world, they're still a bog standard old motor. But I love them, just popped in from fettling with mine.
They can earn decent-ish money if they're the GTI (unmolested), or absolutely mint like yours. But you're looking at the around £1k mark. I nearly bought one at the start of the year like yours but with the full-roof ragtop. I faffed around and it went for £1300.
EDIT. Just noticed yours is an automatic. They're considerably less sought after.
There's a 6N2 group on FB. Ask on there maybe.
+1 on sell it as is.
Be clear about the faults and it needing attention.
I sold a 136k, 10 year old Touran with intermittent turbo fault, clutch starting to feel light, bushes for suspension needed, rusty bootlid, dents all over after a red deer interface at 50mph and a couple of tyres needing changing, with 1 months MOT left.
I priced it well, clearly listed the faults.
A mechanic bought it within 6 hours for his daughter, £1300 which was £100 off what I asked.
Tax and sell.
Nope no need to tax and can't be passed on to new owner anyway.
MOT & sell, just remember to remove it from your multicar insurance as soon as its gone.
MOT & sell, just remember to remove it from your multicar insurance as soon as its gone.
+1.
and note that the main reason for removing it from your insurance is not to save paying for it, it's to avoid you being liable for anything the new owner does with it. This follows from the case of somebody who sold a vehicle (a motorbike I think) and didn't cancel, the buyer didn't insure but crashed and injured a third party, the third party claim was settled by the insurer (as they were legally required to) who then sued the policyholder (the seller) for the amount, on the basis that he had allowed somebody to drive it who wasn't covered by the policy.
Where are you....
I'm almost tempted as I need an auto for my mum. She does 3miles a day
We’re in Bath.
Balls I'm south Scotland mums near liverpool.
In answer to the question just Ebay of FB market place.
I'd be tempted to throw it in for an mot. If it's a pass winner. If not people know what's what.
A door lock for my old 306 cost me a fiver from a scrappy and an hour or so to do. May be worth changing that.
.
And yes, it has to open and close properly for the MOT. They aren't interested in if it locks though.
Money arrived at the centre with the rear door closed, and had no back seats so clearly not used, but they found it wouldn't shut on the first attempt, usually took me a dozen good slams to get it to stay shut, and failed it. Hence changing it. Buggered up the central locking doing that as I couldn't find one with that on it.
Also, if when you want the headlights on you just turn the switch and then get out and whack the passenger side one to make them work that's a fail too
I had a tatty 16 year old van that needed a bunch of work. I put it on the classifieds with that very description and it sold in 20 minutes. Both I and the buyer were happy.
And I hope he still is!
Just to update - astonishingly the car passed its MOT with only minimal advisories so once I've washed it it's going up for sale ASAP.
It is really astonishing considering!
It is really astonishing considering!
It's a safety/roadworthiness test. It won't tell the new owner that the clutch/flywheel is rusty, the brake lines have rusted from the inside, or the brake fluid will boil on the first hill, the tyres are about to crack from non-use etc etc. But all that is someone else's problem if you get it sold!
Unless you pull every 2nd hand car to bits you'll never know. Even new cars have defects that's why they have a warranty
Brake lines corroded outside in
What would a rusty flywheel matter
Also perished tyres would be an advise.
Anyone buying a used car has that risk.
@jakester good stuff. Any odd advisorys or just usual toss from a tester covering them selves
Anyone buying a used car has that risk.
I wasn't being negative, I was being positive for the OP! Most people over inflate the MOT as some gold standard (which probably explains why they also let their cars get into a state where it fails) when the reality is its just a basic roadworthiness check.
My current car has a full MOT, but is a long way from being inn a condition I'd sell to anyone I'd consider a friend 🤣.
Valid on day of test indeed.
I’ve recently sold a car for spares/repairs - hopefully to someone with the ability to DIY fix it. Maybe they can do so and save some cash vs buying a runner. Since I’m not that person I’ll leave it to those who have the time / expertise / inclination.
Any odd advisorys or just usual toss from a tester covering them selves
Smeary wiper anyone? Not seen that before.
Some other small stuff - brake pads will need replacing soon but nothing else terrifying.
Valid on day of test indeed.
Not so much that, it's always in good enough order to pass and MOT, anything less would be negligent.
But the MOT doesn't cover leaking door seals, a clutch that doesnt 100% disengage making the gearbox stiff, a sunroof that only closes properly 90% of the time, and a nearside rear door that you have to check the central locking actually locked if theres anything valuable in the car.
Smeary wiper anyone? Not seen that before.
Yep, they have to work properly. Otherwise it'd just be another excuse for running over cyclists allong with the sun appearing out of nowhere and dazzling them.
You can download the test book from the .gov site. Its not hard to read/follow and do 90% of the checking yourself at home before the test.
Personally I think the theory test should have a section focussing more on roadworthiness than just the tyres. And things like why you shouldn't get diesels re-mapped, DPFs removed etc.
And replied!
There was a thread the other day about low cost autos.
Was that you jamj1974?
If not jakester if jamj doesn't want etc do a quick search