Selling a car

I could use some advice.

My mom bought a new car and is going to sell me her Nissan Maxima for the Blue Book value. I need to get rid of my current car and I'm wondering if I should try to sell it. I have a 1998 Cavalier that has 174,000 miles on it. The car runs well but it needs some work. The AC needs to be replaced, the tires need to be replaced soon and there are some other little items that need attention. Blue Book for my car in "fair" condition is around $1200. I'd be happy if I could get $500-700 for it. My landlord said he didn't mind it I put the car in the front yard with a "For Sale" sign on it. I need to clean it up a bit but I may do that. I won't get anything for it if I just scrapped it.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

My advice would be to clean it up, maybe put new tires on it (or replace a couple of the worst ones), and try to sell it (or maybe, since you are not sure if anyone would buy it, forget the tires--maybe knock the cost of inexpensive tires off the price to sweeten the deal?) In my limited experience, it does not seem hard to sell a half-decent, clean car, even if it is older. You may find someone who wants a cheap car for their kid who is learning to drive, and the parent is willing to fix it themselves (this is what happened with my car--which was in worse shape than yours, older, and a gas hog [this was 10 years ago]). I did not think I would get a dime for it, but my brother worked in a car dealership, mentioned it to someone, and they bought it for $600. (May I add that the car was 3rd hand when I got it?). I think people are always on the lookout for a bargain with cars, and, if you are honest about the problems (and I know you will be), they will respect that, and probably would be more likely to buy it from you.

I just remembered that I learned to drive in a Chevy Cavalier a long time ago!

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Just put it up for $1000 OBO, I'm guessing you can get at least $750 for it if you do. Tons of people looking around for beater cars, especially with snow on the way if you haven't been hit already. This time of year they probably won't even check to see that the AC is working or not.

And if you really have a hard time selling it, rather than scrapping it, donate it and write it off on your tax return!

Thank you.

I'm going to be up front with whoever is interested and tell them everything that is wrong with the car. I'm going to ask for $1000 or best offer. It would break my heart to junk the car, especially since it runs so well. I drove it off of the lot new with only six miles on it and have had it over 10 years now. The only major parts that have been replaced on it were the alternator and the fuel pump.

Sounds like a good idea. So many people are looking for decent used cars nowadays that you shouldn't have any problems finding a buyer.

Just make sure to check the laws in your area. I know around here it's illegal to sell a used car without a safety inspection (they won't transfer the ownership). It's also illegal to sell as-is, so you'll want to be sure there's nothing similar in your area.

You also would be surprised how many people buy a car for parts. There are still a lot of 1998 cavaliers around, so someone may want to buy it so they don't have to worry about getting new parts or used parts from a junk yard. I know we did that with my 1997 Grand Am.

Did you use kbb.com to book out vehicle?? It has a feature it you do not know what condition is it asks more questions to determine value.
I wouldn't replace tires as you may not recover your cost.
As for donating it the IRS has changed the rules and allows you to claim only what the charity could get for selling it which may not be what "blue book" says its worth.

Good luck!!

I used the KBB value for "fair" condition. My landlord is interest in buying it. He'll turn around and sell it again but it will get me out of a couple months rent ($800).

You can sell it quickly and he is aware of the needed repairs go for it!

I may have found a potential buyer for the car other than my landlord. The woman who has been my car insurance agent since I first started driving has a friend that just moved here who needs something to get to work until he gets himself settled. I'm going to talk to her when I get up today.

Sold!

Now all I have to do is rework a loan so I can have my new car used as collateral and get the title back for the Cavalier so the deal can be completed. They told me to call them Monday morning.

Congratulations!