How do you sell a unicorn car?

"phenotyp" (phenotyp) 11/07/2013 at 01:28 • Filed to: Ask Oppo

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So. I brought a car home tonight. I may buy it tomorrow. The gauges are the right color. The transmission is the wrong kind. I feel lost and small in it (I'm over six feet tall, but I'm used to a car that I pretty much wear).
I haven't figured out how to work the radio yet.
It goes fast. It's really, really quiet when it goes fast. When I drove it down the empty freeway tonight, I had the radio tuned to the weather band, and the alternating robotic female and male voices describing weather systems and daily vs all time highs and lows somehow was perfect for that drive.
I think I like it.

And that presents a dilemma. One that I hadn't wanted to face. Do I sell my car? The car that is mine? The only one like it? Something that started out sweet, had some real highs and lows, became a joke for a while, then became a signature? I can't give it to a dealer. They wouldn't know what they had. I'm not sure I want to sell it, but I don't really want to insure two cars. It's low-mileage, nothing mechanical has ever gone wrong with it in the eight years I've owned it. It has fewer than 80,000 miles on it (and I will be keeping it at least until I can take a picture of it at 80085), a few biggish-deal custom things done to improve it, and a lot of life left.

How do you find the right buyer for a unicorn car?

Help me Oppo, you're my only hope.

Also, in hindsight, either that image is way dirtier than I remember, or I am.

Maybe both.

The unicorn in question, for those who don't know:

offroadkarter > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 01:34

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so, you have a what now?

johncalvinyoung > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 01:36

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Assuming (for no particular reason) that you're not in sore need of the proceeds of the unicorn to fund the new purchase, why not just reduce its insurance coverage to the legal minimum and a low estimate of miles and keep it? Or even (depending on eligibility) move it to a collector's/show/historic/limited use policy?

TheOnelectronic > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 01:37

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You'll be mad if you miss 80085

phenotyp > johncalvinyoung 11/07/2013 at 01:41

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Thinking about possibly taking it off the road and turning into a track car. Also thinking about maybe using it for commuting, since it's less thirsty than the maybe new machine. Haven't talked to the insurance company yet, so this is all speculative. The unicorn (2001 MR2 w/custom underbody bracing) would handle a lot more power, and if I started messing with the suspension, I could make a great fun track car out of it if I had money to throw at it. The money for the new machine is irrespective (mostly) the old one.

So.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 01:42

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So what do you already have and what are you thinking of getting?

phenotyp > TheOnelectronic 11/07/2013 at 01:42

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That's what I'm sayin. I only have like 150 miles to go. And I've had it since 2005, I think I owe myself at least that. It is tits.

phenotyp > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/07/2013 at 01:46

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2001 MR2, bought in 2005 with 29k miles. Best and by far longest-owned car I've ever had. Love it to death.

But. I need a car that can safely transport my 6-month old daughter, and not make me hate it. I found a good deal on a 1-owner 2008 528i, and it's got enough scratches on it that I don't care about it, and I have enjoyed the hour or so I've spent driving it. I haven't decided whether to sell the 2, or do something interestinger with it.

phenotyp > offroadkarter 11/07/2013 at 01:48

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See other comments. 2001 MR2, possibly buying 2008 528i.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 01:51

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Keep your car. You will kick yourself if you sell it. Buy the other car and daily drive it. Preserve your MR2. As your kid gets older, use it to teach her how to hoon. How to work on cars. Take her to car shows and autox events. Kids love fast cars- at least, normal ones do.

phenotyp > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/07/2013 at 01:54

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Sorta where my thinking was to begin with. I wanted to find a solid wagon under $10k, but the only ones out there are shitboxes or money pits. So expanded my search and found this. If I had a garage, there wouldn't be a question.

offroadkarter > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 02:05

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hmm

your call I guess

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 02:08

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My neighbor had a 7 series and I'm not sure if they are similar in terms of quality, but he was working on that car all of the time. If you don't mind that, go ahead. Otherwise I think I might just keep on looking.

phenotyp > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 11/07/2013 at 02:14

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Yeah, you can't give away a 7 series. The prices are so low that they're almost impulse purchase territory. Like a 2003 for five grand. I think that the number in front is inversely proportional to the value held, and I'm pretty sure it has to do with bloat and electrical stuff. I'm not sold on the 5, but I really kinda like it, especially since the first owner didn't try to keep it pristine. I'm gonna have it looked at tomorrow, and its only an hour of traffic wasted if I give it back and keep looking.

911e46z06 > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 02:22

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Have your cake and eat it too, man. 4-door 335s are very reasonable right now. Drive the kid home from school, drop her with mom, then go do some hooning.

But yeah, I feel where you're coming from. Just got rid of my beloved e39, which I'd had since I was 17. It's gonna hurt. You may even cry a little bit (I totally didn't though, cuz I'm a man... OK fine, I did). But sometimes needs change and you just need to do what the rational part of your brain is telling you to do, even though it sucks.

I put the e39 on Craig's, and I just didn't sell it to the first couple people that looked at it. Finally a guy came along who you could tell was a car guy. He was giving the car to his son as a first car. I met the kid, he was a car guy too. Just had a good feeling about them, so I sold it to them.

phenotyp > 911e46z06 11/07/2013 at 02:27

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Thing is, I've never wanted a BMW. I'm trying to figure out whether to keep the MR2 for special stuff, keep it as the commuter and buy something safe for the kid, or just keep looking. This 5er is in pretty good shape as far as I can tell, and is a very good deal.
And I don't hate it.

911e46z06 > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 02:49

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I never wanted a BMW either, until I ended up owning one. Now I'm a Bimmer nerd. But that's beside the point.

But yeah, I had kinda a similar situation. Bought a Tahoe and an M3, so I just didn't need the 5er anymore. It was totally redundant. So though I didn't really want to, selling it was the only move. But in your case, if you can afford it you might as well keep the MR2. Having a second 'for fun' car is good for the soul. But it does get expensive.

Also, based on recent experience, I can tell you that if you decide the MR2 needs to go, parting with it will be much much easier if you replace it with something that invokes something more positive than 'not hatred'. There are much better compromises than a blobtastic e60. 335i, WRX, big-engine Legacy, Speed3, various SRT8s, S4 just to name a few. There are more good deals out there. We live in the Golden Age of great used car deals.

Derpwagon > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 03:54

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"If there's any question at all, then there's no question at all".

If you think you'll regret selling it, it's an iron-clad guarantee that you will curse the day you made the mistake of selling it.

johncalvinyoung > phenotyp 11/07/2013 at 11:53

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Yeah, I've been looking at various new-to-me cars, and if I get something like a Triumph Spitfire or MGB, I'd probably have it on a limited-use policy and keep my current car for my 70-mile roundtrip commute.

Texican > johncalvinyoung 11/14/2013 at 00:33

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I came to ask the same question about the insurance. Second cars are cheap. I believe I pay a whole $4.50 per month to have my toy Volvo on my daily's insurance policy. The logistics of owning two vehicles is a bigger consideration than the insurance. If you don't need the money, and you have a place to keep it, hang on to it for 6 months and see how you feel.