help me sell this albatross
December 30, 2011 1:25 PM   Subscribe

How do I sell this car? Special s--tflake details, I can't drive it, it doesn't run, it is a green 1997 mg, and it was written off on insurance due to a bonnet dent which was never fixed. Oh also nasty ex b.s.

I bought this car when his twenty year old Mercedes died and he needed something to go to work in. We broke up. Title is in my name, he has all the stuff ie keys log book etc and I presume he will give it to me. How do i best sell it?

I would like to get a decent price but truly money is very tight and i want it moved before it causes problems.

What is wrong with it is some thirty pound hose that is missing, I am told by the ex. Can't count on him to fix it, so I need someone to fix and i don't have money to spare at the moment. Any influx is needed and welcome!

It is essential I separate all affairs from this horrible ex, it is toxic for me!
posted by By The Grace of God to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)
 
Response by poster: Mgf, sorry.
posted by By The Grace of God at 1:26 PM on December 30, 2011


This sounds like a donation opportunity.
posted by bq at 1:30 PM on December 30, 2011


If all else fails you can ring around the scrap yards and see if someone will come and pick it up and give you a bit of cash.
posted by Abiezer at 1:36 PM on December 30, 2011


Well put a nice ad in craigslist at least. It may just grab someone. If the body is in good shape do a couple nice photos. Google around to see if there are forums and ask specifics there.
posted by sammyo at 1:41 PM on December 30, 2011


Response by poster: Doesn't have mot or tax right now.
posted by By The Grace of God at 1:53 PM on December 30, 2011


I'll bet there are enough MG tragics around that one would buy it for spares/repair. Insurance companies regularly write of older cars that are emminently repairable, and that means they are still worth something.

I don't know CL, but I would first try and find an internet forum for MGs and advertise it there. That might also give you a basis to assess its value.

Good luck.
posted by GeeEmm at 1:56 PM on December 30, 2011


From this link:

The only pricing advice we can be 100 per cent sure of until then is that anyone trying to unload a used MG will be extremely negotiable, so bargain hard. And don't be in a hurry, there won't be a lot of buyers competing against you.

It's something of a classic, but selling a non-running car is tricky. I'd check the MG discussion boards, and perhaps check with car-clubs in your area. You really want to find an MG enthusiast who'll be interested in taking it off your hands.
posted by DaveP at 2:26 PM on December 30, 2011


DaveP/GeeEmm: It's a 1997 MGF, not a pre-1980 MGB. As far as I know, there is no such thing as an MGF enthusiast!

1) Go to the newsagents and check what it would be worth in a copy of Parkers. Be prepared to be disappointed. It's in poor condition, and even if it weren't, it's a 15 year old (i.e. old but not old enough to be scarce/desirable), unpopular and cheap, two-seater sports car. Whatsmore, yours is untaxed and untested, and has been written off (which is recorded in the DVLA database). Unless you are extremely lucky you will get less than the lowest price listed in Parkers. Probably significantly less.

2) If possible, sell it to your ex. He may be the easiest person to sell it to. Let Parkers guide your offer.

3) If that's not possible then you can either sell it (on Gumtree) or scrap it. I suspect it won't be worth selling though. The quickest (and perhaps most cathartic!) solution is to have a scrapyard come and pick it up. They will probably give you somewhere between £25 and £200 for it, depending on the condition of the tires.
posted by caek at 3:29 PM on December 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'm going to second calling the scrapyard. Even if you're very lucky, you'll not get much money out of an MG-F. The scrapyard will be quick and pain-free, which should count for something.
posted by Harald74 at 1:28 AM on December 31, 2011


DaveP/GeeEmm: It's a 1997 MGF, not a pre-1980 MGB. As far as I know, there is no such thing as an MGF enthusiast!

Want to bet? I have a friend, who to all intents and purposes is quite sane, except for his MGF fetish ...

I reiterate, there will be a market for this, the OP has to decide how much time effort they are willing to put into coverting this into a useful lump of cash. The quick solutions will generate the least cash, putting some effort into research and advertising (on forums etc) will almost certainly generate significantly more.

OP, the decisions are yours. I understand that you have lots happening at the moment, and this is probably one of the lesser matters.

Good luck
posted by GeeEmm at 8:31 PM on December 31, 2011


Response by poster: Sold to a local fella who owns a garage. Many thanks for the answers, folks.
posted by By The Grace of God at 11:37 AM on January 9, 2012


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