How to sell a non-moving car?

January 31, 2005 11:50 AM

How to sell a non-moving car? [MI]
posted by defcom1 to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

A little more information might hasten useful responses, but you could just advertise it as, say, "1975 Gremlin, not running, make offer." Or donate it--Google something like "donate car auto charities." That's how I got rid of a perfectly good (running, though old and beat up) car. That way you get a tax deduction.
posted by scratch at 11:56 AM on January 31, 2005

Response by poster: My car's transmission died on Friday, and the shop just told me that it's going to be $2200 to fix it. I would like to sell it instead, since it's 12 years old, and I have already sunk enough money into it. Currently it's sitting in the Mr. Transmission parking lot, but he wants it gone by Friday. How do I go about selling it?
I want about $1000 - 1500 for it, it's in fairly good condition, all the other parts still have quite a few miles left on it, as I brought the car in from California. (Currently at 137 000 miles, 1992 Mazda 929), currently I'm living in Toronto.
posted by defcom1 at 11:56 AM on January 31, 2005

Response by poster: I don't really need the tax deduction, since I just started working 6 months ago, thus I'm in a very low tax bracket already. The cash would be better.
posted by defcom1 at 11:58 AM on January 31, 2005

When that happened to me, I sold the car to the transmission shop. Granted, I didn't get $1000 for it. In my case I was happy to get $100 for it. Since it isn't running, I would be willing to bet you won't get $1000 for it.
posted by Doohickie at 11:59 AM on January 31, 2005

they'd given me advice on this before, but I actually managed to trade the damn thing in (and I didn't get screwed!) i thought i could get about $1500 for mine too, but then I gave up fantasizing because I needed another car soon.

if you'd be interested in another Mazda, mention it as a trade-in at your Mazda dealership (only AFTER you negotiate your price). I bought a newer model of the same car I had mainly because I knew that no one else but a Dodge dealership would take it off of my hands.
posted by lnicole at 12:02 PM on January 31, 2005

I was in the same situation: I sold my car on Craigslist, indicating in the ad that the transmission was dead. There are plenty of mechanically-oriented people out there who'll be willing to try and install a salvaged transmission on their own.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:20 PM on January 31, 2005

To be blunt, that seems like a lot for a car that will need extensive work just to get it moving. (I had 92 Corolla with similar miles, a 94 Gallant with less miles, and paid about that for each in running condition.) However, I'm thinking US dollars. If you're thinking Canadian it does change things.

Honestly, your best bet is to have it towed to your driveway and post an ad in the paper. You may end up having to sell it for parts.


On preview: for the tax deduction as of this year you can donate it, but you would only be able to deduct what the org sold the car for. However, the poster is in Canada, so I have no clue what the rules are there.
posted by Kellydamnit at 12:48 PM on January 31, 2005

I had the transmission die on my '89 Mazda 323 about four years ago, right before I went away to school. The situation was more or less the same as yours: everything else worked great, the brakes had recently been replaced, etc. My parents put in an ad and sold it for, I think, C$300 to someone who wanted to fix it up themselves.
Realistically, that's probably your best bet.
posted by SoftRain at 8:48 PM on January 31, 2005

XQUZYPHYR is right about the actual-value rule change for tax deductions. Also, charities like the Kidney Foundation are much more restrictive about what they'll take than they were a few years ago. Even if you were interested in the deduction, it's probably not an option.

I also think you'll be disappointed if you expect to get $1000 for the car. 12-year-old cars can be a reasonably good way to ride cheaply, but only if you're able to do with your own hands some of the major repairs that inevitably crop up. (Or if you have friends who can and will.)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:47 AM on February 1, 2005