Firstly this is not an advert.

I’ve got an old car (1996) in my garage and need to get rid of it before I buy a new bike and before we move. It’s been stored in the garage for 4-5 years and hasn’t been touched during that time. I’m not sure if it will start but if it does the tyres will be ruined and it’s not got an MOT or tax. It’s a roadster with a hard-top. I’m holding on to some hope that I’ll get a few quid for it, but if not it’s not the end of the world.

Will I be better putting it on gumtree and other sites as spares or repair with the buyer collecting it, or should I call the local scrapyard and see if they’ll take it away. If it’s going to the scrapyard then I’ll keep the hardtop and sell that myself, they seem to be worth £100-£150ish.

What do you think?

Ebay, no reserve would be the easiest way. And for that sort of car you will probably shift it for something over scrap value.

Call a scrapman to take it away. He might give you a few quid.

Selling it yourself may take longer but you might get more for it.

Sell it on eBay.

You would not believe the state of cars that sell for decent money on there.

sell it to this guy…

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/car-dealer-disorganised-or-flogged-the-car-i-put-a-deposit-down-on

If he’s happy to give me a deposit for the car and not follow it up, I’ll take his money and call the scrappy 🙂

eBay, especially if it’s vaguely collectable (so an MX5 or similar).

Edit: isn’t almost everything from 1996 now considered collectable?

It is an MX5 (Monaco special edition). I’ll have a go with ebay.

Any scams I should be aware of. I’ve never sold a car privately before.

There’s an MX5 selling group on the Facebook that might be worth a punt too.

If it’s an MX-5 and it’s not rotten and the engine turns over someone will buy it.

Any scams I should be aware of. I’ve never sold a car privately before.

Nothing I’m aware of that a little common sense wouldn’t see right.

Up to you whether you do a buy it now or auction; if you’re unsure on price maybe go auction and start with a low reserve, and finish on a Sunday evening. Certainly worth doing a hunt to see what other examples are selling for.

Obviously give as much info as possible (condition, paperwork, history) and personally I let auctions run when people contact asking to finish early. Make sure it’s SORNed and make this very, very obvious in the listing (so the buyer will need to tow / pick-up). In my limited experience special editions are very collectable.

If you’re getting viewings make sure there’s nothing of value visible in or around the garage with the car. Move the bikes and any assorted kit.

This is purely what I’d do – if I’m telling you to suck eggs I apologise!

Thanks pimpmaster. It was what I was thinking and any viewers can see the car on the drive. As it won’t sell for lots of money I’d be wanting cash on collection.

Looks like your on the right track with eBay. You will get a few tyre kickers and plenty of people asking what your buy it now price is or giving really low offers. Just hold your nerve and wait for the auction to finish. It’ll sell for the top end of what it is worth if you give a good, honest description and finish it at a good time.

It is an MX5 (Monaco special edition). I’ll have a go with ebay.

Stick it on for 99p and put loads of pictures up. End it on a Friday evening and say you want gone by Sunday.

Don’t forget to add “barn find” to the listing – 😉

l@@K R@RE!!!

Should get a couple of hundred for that easy, I reckon.

Does “barn find” really make a difference?

Does “barn find” really make a difference?

No.

🙂

gastromonkey – Member

Does “barn find” really make a difference?

Depends how devote a follower the buyer is…

I reckon if it was a Mk1/2 Escourt you’d get more money with pics of it looking original and dusty in a barn/garage/shed than if it was the same car all cleaned up, but with an MX-5 I don’t know.

Some people do get all giddy at the idea of something that’s like a time warp, left somewhere dry and dusty in a ‘barn’ like finding a Monet hidden in a barn from the Nazis or something, but the more pragmatic amongst us just see a car that someone stopped using for a reason and forgot about it.

As OP was ready to let the scrappy have it, I’d go down that route – leave or make it dusty, take pics with as-is and list as “rare special edition MX-5 barn find” for a laugh, worst case the MX-5 community will all be talking about you and you’ll gain more interest.

As OP was ready to let the scrappy have it, I’d go down that route – leave or make it dusty, take pics with as-is and list as “rare special edition MX-5 barn find” for a laugh, worst case the MX-5 community will all be talking about you and you’ll gain more interest.

Fair point.