New Engine

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Harrelsenwj
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Joined: 16 Sep 2002, 22:07
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New Engine

Post by Harrelsenwj »

My Xantia has done 131k miles but had a new engine installed 1998. It's misleading because mileage doesn't reflect real engine life. I am trying to sell my car and the mileage is a minus point but engine a plus point. Can someone explain this to me as I don't know in what region to pitch my asking price. It's a 1994 (M) 1.9 TD VSX.
Edited by - Harrelsenwj on 18 Sep 2002 13:51:17
NiSk
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Post by NiSk »

Hi Wendy,
I'm afraid that there are so many other things on a car that wear out in accordance with the milage that a "new" engine won't make a lot of difference to the selling price - it should however make it easier to sell.
i.e. set your selling price slightly higher than the Price Guide for a car with the same year and milage you have.
//NiSk
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Wendy,
I was a "tyre kicker" - well actually I managed a couple of car dealerships years ago and in that time I learned a lot about cars & people and what's needed to sell & buy them at the right prices. If I ever get around to setting up a web page before I slip any further into senility, I will include a long winded article I once wrote on this subject, but until then it is basically this;
Don't convince yourself that no one will pay your price or you're beaten before you start.
Be realistic. Base the price on cars you've seen not ones you've read or been told about.
Present the car well. No dirty dashboards, papers on floors, rubbish & tools floating around in the boot, greasy dirty engine bays etc. Ever looked at a car someone has just bought say 3 months earlier & thought "now why did they pay such a price for a car like that?" It's usually because you've seen it after the polish & presentation has worn off. You don't try to "bodge" it, that's a recipe for a disaster, simply work on the premise of 'showing it in it's best light.' (Why do you think car dealers spend so much on professional detailing?)
An over priced car will sell quicker than an underpriced one.<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> No I didn't make a mistake; that's exactly what I meant!! Always put yourself in the buyers shoes. Using hypothetical cars & prices, think of this scenario:
Reading the paper and you're a potential car buyer. You see an ad for a car say '98 model 130K miles for let's say 500 pounds. The ad reads "new motor, new clutch, new brakes etc etc etc..." Then you read one for what sounds like an identical one for 2500 pounds but it says "well cared for, regularly serviced, original owner etc etc etc..." which car are you going to go out of your way to see?
The first tells me that the car has been possibly knocked around, been driven hard and the owner just wants to see the back end of it because it's cost a fortune. At 500 they must be desperate and you'll offer 350 because they'll probably take 400 because they sound anxious to sell.
The other car sounds like a family pet they really don't want to see go but they can afford to upgrade and doubtless (if you tell them you're buying another of the same brand. Why do you think second hand cars at a dealer who sell the same brand new are always dearer?) will have years of life left in it due to the way it's been treated. They go & see, the car is well presented, they go for a long drive so they get "aquanted" with the car & feel as though it's theirs, they feel 2500 is too high & are over the moon when you drop a couple of hundred quid (that you never were going to get anyway) and everybody wins.
And why didn't the buyer go look at the 500 car? Because it would have to be a pile of junk to only want that price for in the first place...wouldn't it?<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
Presented correctly, mileage will not be a big barrier to getting an honest price for a properly presented vehicle.
Harrelsenwj
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Post by Harrelsenwj »

Excellent advice. Have now reworded my adverts and feel more confident about selling. Thanks
Wendy
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