Is my car really worth nothing?

CalamariFritti

Hi Guys,

I think I know the answer, I'm looking just for a second opinion.

Will upgrade over the next couple of months and as I will be looking at importing from he UK trade-in isn't really an option, will have to sell her privately.

She's a 98 E39 523i auto with 150k miles. I have her since 2003, second owner. She is a really clean well maintained car and drives lovely, but she just failed NCT on a couple of small things. CV boots cracked and a brake pipe a bit too rusty. Cheap parts but a bit of labour involved, say €350, and she's also due a service, so say €550 total.

If I were to keep her which I wont she'd also need new shocks. We can leave that out of the picture. Other than that she is perfect.

My mechanic says NCT or not doesn't make a difference. I will be getting max €500 for her anyway. Definitely not going to get my money back on the NCT repairs he says.

I have no reason to question him, good guy, but wanted to know what boards thinks anyway.

So is it that bad? Thanks.

easygoing39

how much is a 98 523i with no NCT and 240,000km's on dungdeal???

CalamariFritti

Depends, there are a couple of dreamers around, but also a couple around 500-800 that don't look too different from my car. Similar miles, failed NCT on small things.

I know she's not worth a thing without NCT, the question is will NCT increase her value to the point where it makes sense to repair?

Big Nasty

As it is it's basically scrap. With the test maybe €600 / €700 if well presented. If it was a Sport you could nearly double that.

bmwguy

I have e39 04 sport with lower miles and I wouldn't expect to make 2k if I sold it so I don't think yours is worth much. Pity really, sounds well looked after

dudara

I had a well-specc'd 2000 E46 318 until the start of this year. Good running condition, 150k miles on the clock. Passed the NCT first time for the last couple of years. But worth f*all. Got a paltry sympathy €500 on trade in against a newer 2013 320d.

I still feel sad at the thought that the car is probably scrapped by now. It was running well and a very comfortable car even by modern standards

CalamariFritti

I feel the same. Its not even the fact I wont get anything, I get over that, its the fact the car is way too good to scrap. It feels like throwing a perfectly good thing into the bin. It makes me sad. But thanks everyone, like I said I kinda knew it already.

magentis

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I feel the same. Its not even the fact I wont get anything, I get over that, its the fact the car is way too good to scrap. It feels like throwing a perfectly good thing into the bin. It makes me sad. But thanks everyone, like I said I kinda knew it already.

The throw away society we live in.

Such a shame to see good solid,comfortable cars worth so little.All thanks to people being more concerned by the reg plate on the car,cheap tax,pcp,easy loans etc.

The herd would rather buy soul less $hite sadly.

mickdw

Your car could suit someone who can repair it themselves.
oil & filter, couple of boots, chop out a bit of brake line. 100 quid plus test fee could have that on the road with new test for a DIYer.
Stick it on dd for 300.

Falcon L

magentis wrote: »

The throw away society we live in.

Such a shame to see good solid,comfortable cars worth so little.All thanks to people being more concerned by the reg plate on the car,cheap tax,pcp,easy loans etc.

The herd would rather buy soul less $hite sadly.

I wouldn't be so quick to blame 'people'. With the obscene tax system and the criminal insurance business, there really is little choice.

I would love to drive an older car, not a BMW mind you, something with a bit of class, but I couldn't afford to run it.

CalamariFritti

Falcon L wrote: »

I wouldn't be so quick to blame 'people'. With the obscene tax system and the criminal insurance business, there really is little choice.

I would love to drive an older car, not a BMW mind you, something with a bit of class, but I couldn't afford to run it.

Steady

ShadowHearth

magentis wrote: »

The throw away society we live in.

Such a shame to see good solid,comfortable cars worth so little.All thanks to people being more concerned by the reg plate on the car,cheap tax,pcp,easy loans etc.

The herd would rather buy soul less $hite sadly.

Problem is not even society. Its insurance companies who see anything below 10 years and get heart attack, barely managing to grab oxygen mask.

There are plenty of nice cars out there, but they became unusable as insuring them costing silly money.

I got my Alfa for 3.2k 10 months ago, I would be extremely lucky to get 1.5k with new nct. My buddy is taking it off me for 1k after I will buy my new car and I could almost bite his hand off.

A shame really. So many good cars are just going to scrapper. I love my old cars and I would buy older one and pay high tax, then buying newish rubbish diesel.

Jimmy Garlic

magentis wrote: »

The throw away society we live in.

Such a shame to see good solid,comfortable cars worth so little.All thanks to people being more concerned by the reg plate on the car,cheap tax,pcp,easy loans etc.

The herd would rather buy soul less $hite sadly.

You would pay a couple of grand or thereabouts for a car like that in Australia or New Zealand. Ireland truly is an American style throw away society. Of course things aren't helped by political parasites who penalise drivers of older cars so that they can keep their buddies in the motor ''industry'' in clover.

Jimmy Garlic

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Problem is not even society. Its insurance companies who see anything below 10 years and get heart attack, barely managing to grab oxygen mask.

The insurance cons, the vile political parasites and the motor ''industry'' have everything stitched up. It is a cartel.

CalamariFritti

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Problem is not even society. Its insurance companies who see anything below 10 years and get heart attack, barely managing to grab oxygen mask.

There are plenty of nice cars out there, but they became unusable as insuring them costing silly money.

I got my Alfa for 3.2k 10 months ago, I would be extremely lucky to get 1.5k with new nct. My buddy is taking it off me for 1k after I will buy my new car and I could almost bite his hand off.

A shame really. So many good cars are just going to scrapper. I love my old cars and I would buy older one and pay high tax, then buying newish rubbish diesel.

Actually insurance isn't so bad, currently on 550 for the year. I'm in my forties with unblemished driving history. I guess the main reason demand is practically zero is the 1080 tax.

elperello

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

The insurance cons, the vile political parasites and the motor ''industry'' have everything stitched up. It is a cartel.

Good to see you put industry in inverted commas. Of course we don't have a real motor industry. The business end of the money we pay out is neatly packaged up and sent to UK, Spain, Italy, Germany etc. while we fight over the crumbs.

CalamariFritti

True but we're not alone. Only about 50 car producing countries in the world and I'd say from about position 20 onwards we're talking licensed production mostly. Link

bazz26

magentis wrote: »

The throw away society we live in.

Such a shame to see good solid,comfortable cars worth so little.All thanks to people being more concerned by the reg plate on the car,cheap tax,pcp,easy loans etc.

The herd would rather buy soul less $hite sadly.

A few things to consider:

1. The car is 19 years old, it's getting harder for people to insure such cars as insurance companies are refusing to offer cover on anything over 15 years old unless it's deemed a classic.
2. Motor tax, the annual motor tax is more than the car's value.
3. It's an old car and naturally things fail and need repairing/replacing which again can end up costing more than the car.

Reality is that a car like that is not for most people especially non car people. It might appeal to a petrol head as a project car or who it has some sentimental value to and not afraid to spend money to keep it on the road. At the end of the day a car is like a tv to most ~ just a product with a limited lifespan. How many people would spend money on repairing a 19 year old tv?

alastair

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

You would pay a couple of grand or thereabouts for a car like that in Australia or New Zealand. Ireland truly is an American style throw away society.

Except that Americans keep old cars on the road all over the place, from bangers, to classics, to restomods, to customs, to just plain oldsters.

Notch000

The reality is its a big old car with high running cost (Tax, petrol, ins etc)  without the performance to match, giving that its also sin NCT it worth even less. Also as a 98 its pretty uninsurable now to most people, sad but true. But as you own it it worth so much more to yourself than anyone else and effectively cost you nothing now. So fix it up and keet trucking on or put it up and sell it for 500E on DD, might best suit an entheuast or some one looking for a parts car,
Any picture of it ???

Idbatterim

just seeing this thread now, probably easier trying to get E250 for scrap etc than selling it...

Tuacathach

as most have said. old car with a big engine,,, although in saying that the car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it... realistically tho, its not worth a huge amount.

benjilxp

Idbatterim wrote: »

just seeing this thread now, probably easier trying to get E250 for scrap etc than selling it...

I'd pay 300 anyway,no nct needed

emeldc

benjilxp wrote: »

I'd pay 300 anyway,no nct needed

What about your tax, insurance and NCT or are you looking to go to prison.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102386441

Idbatterim

problem with this is that its so old an non m sport. Like an 03 or 04 m sport would still be worth something. this if anyone was even interested in it, would nearly have to be given away...

I wouldn't be so quick to blame 'people'. With the obscene tax system and the criminal insurance business, there really is little choice.

I would love to drive an older car, not a BMW mind you, something with a bit of class, but I couldn't afford to run it.

often there is far more obscene waste on finance and depreciation, and you can get a proper car, rather than some box joke... I agree with the motor tax system, anything over 2.5 is an absolute joke on cc...

that's why for those cars to make sense say the ten year old, 3L or 3L plus, with the tax, the only way people can justify them, is by getting them for virtually nothing...

Idbatterim

if I were in the market for that car, id be buying a 2001-2003 facelift and you could probably pick up an SE for sub 1k...

benjilxp

emeldc wrote: »

What about your tax, insurance and NCT or are you looking to go to prison.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102386441

For what ?? Can I not buy a car?

emeldc

benjilxp wrote: »

For what ?? Can I not buy a car?

Of course you can, work away.

blackbox

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Depends, there are a couple of dreamers around, but also a couple around 500-800 that don't look too different from my car. Similar miles, failed NCT on small things.

I know she's not worth a thing without NCT, the question is will NCT increase her value to the point where it makes sense to repair?

Why not fix it up and keep it? Nobody else knows how good it is as well as you do.

The Guvnor

Might be worthwhile to advertise it on a UK site like Pistonheads - could be worth more there where all things motoring are more affordable.