Advice on selling my VT

[nabed4t]

Hey all,

I'm after some advice in regards to selling my 1998 VT Commodore S. I'm in the market for a new car and I'm trying to decide whether to sell the VT privately, strip it and sell it for parts or just trade it in.

Information:

• Rego until Nov 2016
• Automatic transmission
• 215,000km
• 18" VY SS rims
• Rockford Fosgate Subwoofer and Amplifer
• 6 speakers powered by an earthquake amplifer
• CV8 Monaro front bumber
• CV8 Monaro headlights and tail lights
• Body is in great condition

There are a couple on mechanical issues, the AC doesn't work and I've been notified that it needs a new air compressor. There is also what I think is a fuel pressure issue as she struggles to start.

Has anyone had experience with selling their VT's? I know that I won't get much as a trade in but I'm just after some input.

Thanks for the help guys.

Dan

 

[pebbs]

Be a lot easier just to trade it although you probably will struggle to get 1000 dollars trade in.
with those 3000 min trade they only load it onto the car you purchase anyway so you dont gain much unless you go new.

 

[edals]

Do you have any of the original parts ? If so swap them all back. Sell the wheels etc all seperate. Trade in the car, the ac doesn't work and struggles to start. Don't need that biting back at you if you sell private etc.

 

[NeddyBear]

Don't trade it for $500 better off trying to sell it privately say for $1,500 max.
Sell it as is and the key selling points VT, 215,000 Ks and great body.

 

[nabed4t]

Be a lot easier just to trade it although you probably will struggle to get 1000 dollars trade in.
with those 3000 min trade they only load it onto the car you purchase anyway so you dont gain much unless you go new.

Yeah I feel like it'll be a lot easier to just trade in, I'm planning on on going a new car.
What do you mean "with those 3000 min trade..." do you mean that I'll need to buy another car worth at least $3000?

Do you have any of the original parts ? If so swap them all back. Sell the wheels etc all seperate. Trade in the car, the ac doesn't work and struggles to start. Don't need that biting back at you if you sell private etc.

No I don't have any of the original parts. I sold them when I moved interstate.

Don't trade it for $500 better off trying to sell it privately say for $1,500 max.
Sell it as is and the key selling points VT, 215,000 Ks and great body.

I'm trying to add up whether it's worth the extra grand selling it privately. I've never sold a car before but I've heard all sorts of BS that people are put through when selling privately. Adding to that I think I would need to get a RWC before selling privately. And that will cost a couple of hundred, I'm also pretty sure that the car wouldn't pass RW anyway.

I'm super reluctant to sell her, sentimental value being my first car and all. I've had it for 12 years but she is costing a bit of money to keep running. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[kiwicon]

I think by minimum $3000 trade in isjust that they give you a minimum $3000 trade in..

If you are reluctant to sell it then dont.. esp if you have the space to bring it back up to scratch..
Look on your local aution place for a crappy free or $250 car - buy it and trade that in as a minimum $3000 trade in.. <-- just remember that these places will normally chuck the $3k on top of their asking price in one way or another..

 

[mpower]

I wanted to trade my Series II VT 6 or 7 years ago, was offered $500., turned it down and gave it to a family member.

OP, rip out and sell the expensive stuff and trade it in - sounds like it's due for some work anyway or as above flog it off for $1k privately if you are lucky. Great cars as they are at that age a 98 VT is worth next to nothing.

Also bottom end of the market be prepared for a lot of time wasters when selling.

 

[pebbs]

Maybe wait until the end of the year, usually some good deals going on then.

 

[mpower]

Just remember when they offer big trades, they are often not flexible on anything else and sometimes - that turns out worse for you.

 

[WHCapriceHBD]

Different car, but similar story- I had an old 2002 AU falcon (my wife needed to learn to drive, so it was a cheapy first car for her) and after we had got the use we wanted out of it, we then were faced with selling it privately or trading it on something else we wanted.

I drove it to the dealership to see about a trade, and because it was an XR model AU, the sales guy was happy to trade it, but he would only give me $300 trade in value, as it was "a bomb". I waited in the foyer while he had a discussion with his business partner in an office, and my hearing is good- I heard them say through the slightly open doorway they were going to "throw it up for 3 grand" once they got it off me. So when they came out of the office, I said no deal and went home.

I put it up privately for sale on gumtree for $2000, and the amount of idiots I had to wade through and who wasted my time was huge. One guy was keen, so he comes around at 10am. Takes it for a test drive. Looks at it really hard. Umms and ahhs and picks out stains in the carpet under the floormats. Then after 2 hours of umms and ahhs and test driving and picking it apart, he pulls out his wallet and says "Mate I've only got $100.00. Would you consider that?"
I told him to get lost and stop wasting anymore of my time.

Second guy wants a look, and says he'll be there at 11am, three days later. So I stay home and wait. And wait. He's running late. He had to drop a dog to the vet. Eventually he arrives at 2pm, and my wife is angry because we've wasted half a day waiting for him and we had things to do.
This bloke test drives it. Then stands in my yard for I kid you not, 2 hours and stares. Just stares. Stares at the car. Any attempts to talk to him or ask him anything were met with silence. He stared at the drivers front wheel for 45 minutes alone. Would not even speak to me. Then he goes "I might give you 1800". And he goes silent again and won't speak. Then after an absolute eternity, he says "I'll need to go home and ok it with the wife." He leaves, and its 6pm.

Guy comes back the next day and does take it for 1800. Gets it home, then calls me one week later and demands his money back because he was "drifting it" and slammed it sideways into a power pole, and kinked the roof and bent the chassis and wrote the whole car off. Sends me a photo of the wreck and wants 1800 bucks because now his back hurts. I said not my problem, what you do with it after you buy it is not my issue. Never heard from him ever again.

That's my story about that. I felt like sharing.