Selling Crashed Cars

CarPark

This is not an advertisement, i am just looking for some advice.

I crashed an 01 Focus, 1.6L, 3Dr car. It has ~130,000Km on it. Before it was crashed it was in great condition, a fantastic car. Probably worth €3K - €4K before the crash.

I had a low impact collision with a ditch, airbags were not deployed.
The main damage is one wing, both front lights, radiator, fan and back passenger side wishbone.

I am not going through my insurance.

I have been offered €300 for the car, by the garage it was brought to post-crash, but i feel that maybe i am being shafted. They say that there is about €1000 worth of work to do on it to have it back in good condition.

Any ideas on
a) how much this car would be worth?
b) how or where i could sell it?
c) Does anybody buy these kind of cars and repair them, or do they generally just go for scrappage?

Seth Brundle

Bear in mind that were you to fix the car, it still mightn't sell!
There are places that sell damaged repairables - often found in autotrader & buy and sell - I wouldn't expect much from them either.

Have you had a proper estimate done on the damage?

but43r

Picture of a car would help to see how bad is the damage. Btw the car was not worth 3k-4k, not at that mileage.
Edit: Sorry it's km

L-M

Why is it in Km's?

If it was 1.4 I'd have it off you. Pity that.

CarPark

Why is it in Km's?

Edit: Sorry it's km

Sorry. My mistake. That should have read 130,000 miles.

Is €300 all i can expect for the car, or is it worth more?

EPM

Were you planning on keeping it? If you were a grand spend fixing it compared to buying a replacement seems like a bargain, especially if no structural damage was done. Once you are honest and open about the damage (get pictures and copies of quote etc) you should get someone to buy it later on if priced accordingly

L-M

CarPark wrote: »

Sorry. My mistake. That should have read 130,000 miles.

Is €300 all i can expect for the car, or is it worth more?

Throw up a picture of it.

CarPark

I am not planning on keeping the car. I was quoted ~€2000 for fixing the damage, but was told that if someone was into cars, and did it themselves, they could probably do it for €1000. Even if the garage is shafting me, and inflating the cost of fixing it, so that they can get a good deal on it, the car needs:
- a new wing panel
- new front light
- radiator
- fan
- back axle

I know nothing about cars, so add in labour, and it is not hard to see a high bill.

People above are saying that it is not worth €3-4K, pre-crash. So if it was only worth ~€2K pre-crash, am i going to spend €1K repairing it, and then sell it for €1.5K?

I am really wondering if there is any market out there for people who buy crashed cars and repair them themselves, either out of interest or to get a cheap car.

Either that or sell it for scrap.

Either way, i am wondering how much it would fetch. Should i take the €300, or is there more money to be gotten for this?

L-M

If you throw up a picture, it will tell all...

CarPark

Don't have a picture of it at the moment, but i'll get one tomorrow and put it up.

lifer_sean

CarPark wrote: »

the car needs:
- a new wing panel
- new front light
- radiator
- fan
- back axle

I would have thought it unlikely that the rad and fan could be damaged without the front bumper and/or front panel also being damaged, but neither are on your list ????

2001 Focus with 130k miles and damaged/repaired would not be an attractive option to re-sell. Both factors would deter most buyers, so would have to be priced on the cheap side to overcome this. I can't see the car selling for 3000 post repairs (based on the limited data presented here). Also if you are not prepared to spend 2000 on it (and you know how good the car is), why would you expect someone else to pay more for it post repairs ?

If you don't accept the 300 offer, are you then liable for towing and storage ? If they are waiving the towing and storage, then you are actually getting more than 300 for the car.

CarPark

I would have thought it unlikely that the rad and fan could be damaged without the front bumper and/or front panel also being damaged, but neither are on your list ????

Good point. These should also be on it.

2001 Focus with 130k miles and damaged/repaired would not be an attractive option to re-sell. Both factors would deter most buyers, so would have to be priced on the cheap side to overcome this. I can't see the car selling for 3000 post repairs (based on the limited data presented here).

I don't see it selling for €3000 post repair. I don't intend to repair it myself.
I presume that the only person who would buy it is someone who would be willing/able to do the work themselves, in which case they might buy it for example for €500, spend €1000 on repairs (+ their own time), and have a good car for €1500.

But as i said, i am new to this area, and have no idea how much i should be looking for. BAsically i am asking if i should take the €300 or hold out for more? As i am new to the area, i get the feeling that the garage may be taking advantage of this. But maybe not?

rocknchef

why not go to another 2 or 3 garages and get the best quote you will be suprised what shooping around can do

biggus

put it through an auction

CarPark

why not go to another 2 or 3 garages and get the best quote you will be suprised what shooping around can do

Due to the back wishbone being bust, i've been told its not driveable. The only way i can get anyone else to have a look at it is to come to the garage it was brought to after the crash. Two people have had a look at it in this way, but neither were really interested, or were offering me less than this garage. But i'm not sure what is being said in the background.

put it through an auction

Pardon my ignorance, but how do i do this? Is that an online auction or a physical auction.

Buffman

Maybe give this lad a ring, he might offer you a bit more
http://www.damagedcarsales.com/

Seth Brundle

http://www.merlincarauctions.ie/dynamic.php?lang=&id_sub_menu=46

CarPark

Maybe give this lad a ring, he might offer you a bit more
http://www.damagedcarsales.com/

Thanks for that. I called him, but he offered me less.

Buffman

CarPark wrote: »

Thanks for that. I called him, but he offered me less.

Ok, the damage must be hefty enough then, maybe take the €300 offer if you want to get rid of it.

Or maybe throw an ad in the damaged repairables section of buy&sell.
http://www.buyandsell.ie/search/quick_search?category[id]=47-Damaged-Repairables

jamesO

Me bought a brand new passat €32k in Jan 2007 sold it in April 07 for €4000 after a drunk driver hit me head on, judging by your car value ya won't get much more than €300