"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
04/01/2015 at 02:35 • Filed to: npocp, nice price, pipe, volvo, wagon, car selling
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"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
04/01/2015 at 02:35 • Filed to: npocp, nice price, pipe, volvo, wagon, car selling | 1
| 16 |
As !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I spent my weekend prepping my car for sale. It's not in as great a shape as I would like, but it is what it is. I finally got the Craigslist ad made, and as their image upload tool wasn't accepting most of my photos no matter what device I used (probably because I was using full-resolution files from my Lumia 1020) I wound up making an album on imgur, which I've never done before.
I know my asking price is a bit high (I wanted negotiating room, and the entire rear of the car is filled with extras), and I was probably too descriptive, but I'd rather be honest and upfront and find a good buyer than undersell the car and the resale value and feel like I cheated myself, as I've done for previous car sales.
Anyway, here it is:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 03:12 |
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OMG CP WAT A BRIK SO PRICY LAKS SANAV OLD PPLS CAR DAFUQ?!?!?!?!?!?
In all seriousness though, holy shit I want that thing.
DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 03:20 |
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If I had the cash, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. As it sits, though, I have two old Volvos that need a bit of care and feeding before I can take on a third. Seriously, I turned down a $400 740 with the 16V, this week...
TopSirloin
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 03:33 |
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Nice wagon. That being said, $3500 seems at least $750 too rich. The goods outweigh the bads for sure. Timing belt, etc. definitely adds value. Still, it's a 25 year old car with almost 200k miles. The turbo kit is probably completely irrelevant to most buyers. You may have better luck dropping the price of the car and selling the turbo kit on a Volvo forum or something. Just as a consumer sharing his perspective, pointing out that this may be a "great car for a mechanic or someone who's not afraid to work on cars" may scare some people away. It's subconsciously pointing out to buyers that this car will need work, regardless of it's current condition. Just my $.02! Good luck with the sale.
Clay Smith's Revenge
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 04:50 |
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I agree that $3500 is a bit pricey for a 25 year old Volvo wagon that's an automatic to boot. Listing all the mods/upgrades is something that always strikes me as someone who knows they're asking too much for their car and if I don't immediately skip to the next ad I'm going to want to know is the work was done by a shop and if so I'm going to call them (and if there's any major mechanical/drive train work not done by a shop I'm instantly out). Doug DeMuro did an article about this very subject last August you might take the time to read if you want more opinions on the matter. Personally I'd just briefly list the routine maintenance work you've done, especially things like replacing the timing belt and servicing the transmission, because if I see that the mileage becomes irrelevant.
So, in a nutshell I'd take out any superfluous items that aren't directly related to how it runs or handles. Additionally you have way too much listed under "The Bad". While I know you're trying to be honest about the condition all you're really doing is giving me more reason not to even call on the car. A lot of what you've listed are things niggling things you'd expect on a 25 year old car, really. The oil leakage issue and maybe the sunroof/window problem plus "normal wear and tear you'd expect from a 25 year old vehicle" should be more than sufficient (of course if anyone asks specific questions, like about rust, tell them your honest assessment of the situation. If they take the time to email/text you, they're interested and more likely to overlook it somewhat). Oh, you might also add "A/C will not hold a charge" since I have heard St. Louis is pretty humid in the summer, but beyond that I wouldn't get more specific.
Hope all that didn't come across as me being a dickhead, just giving you my honest opinion of your ad. I'd definitely read the article in the link, though. Good stuff.
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boxrocket
> Clay Smith's Revenge
04/01/2015 at 08:46 |
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Thanks for the feedback!
I'll probably edit the post a little more (I wound up working on it about three hours past my bedtime, and the image uploading issues didn't make the process any more timely, so it's definitely a bit long-winded), and I plan on going through all the service records with a few more specifics, like the water pump, MAF, radio relays, etc.
You didn't sound like a jerk. I haven't done this in eight years, so any help is appreciated.
I set the price a bit high because I've seen many episodes of Wheeler Dealers and Pawn Stars and I'd rather give myself some negotiating room than undercut myself. As we know from FP NPoCPs, project cars never get what is put into them unless they're extraordinary, so while I've easily put $5k+ into the car since I bought it (mostly labor, and not including the purchase price) I'm realistic about its actual value. If someone offered me close to what I paid for it, I'd feel pretty good about it, as it would cover the cost of the replacement car and the couple of minor repairs it needs.
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boxrocket
> TopSirloin
04/01/2015 at 08:54 |
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Thanks! The ancillary parts are mostly because I'm trying to give myself a clean break from old Volvos. I love them dearly, and have immensely enjoyed owning this one, but I've already emotionally and mentally detached myself from everything in the sale and just want it gone.
The price is admittedly high, but I want to have negotiating room. If someone gave me a solid cash offer in the mid-$2k range I'd almost certainly take it.
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boxrocket
> DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
04/01/2015 at 09:00 |
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Oh, that's agonizing! If I weren't trying to distance myself from the Brick life I'd ask where.
When I bought this one from the dealership it was a choice between it and a gray '89 Turbo wagon with the manual, more miles, red interior - either leather or plaid, I don't recall - but needing a lot more work, but it had a loose 16V head in the back. They still had it a year later when I came in for service, and I came back a few days later to buy it they had sold it online to someone, to my dismay but probably to my benefit. At the time it didn't occur to me to ask if they could have included the head as part of my purchase.
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boxrocket
> Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD
04/01/2015 at 09:01 |
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There is an unadvertised Oppo discount! Come buy it.
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DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 09:03 |
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Lawrence, KS... It's a navy blue '89 wagon with the M46 and a perfect, uncracked interior... That said, it needs some mechanical love...
So, it's close enough that you could haul it back reasonably... (Yes, I know I'm horrible, but speaking from experience, having done just this, back in '13... Brick life sucks you back in, even after you get out.)
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boxrocket
> DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
04/01/2015 at 09:21 |
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I'm putting my hands over my eyes and refusing to read that! (I peeked).
Argh, I actually have a buddy in Lawrence who could pick that up for me and hold it, but my wife would threaten homicide.
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Clay Smith's Revenge
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 09:26 |
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Thanks for the follow up.
You mentioned in your initial post that you'd gone high to give yourself some room so my comment was more along the lines of what I'd personally value it at (bearing in mind I wouldn't place a very high value on anything that old unless it's a funky late 80's/early 90's pocket rocket that's far off the beaten path, like a Dodge Stealth R/T or an AWD Plymouth Laser Turbo, just to use maybe a couple of days a month bombing around some twisty rural roads out of town. Hell, Jalops as a whole probably aren't the best guys to get pricing advice from (We are too well informed about cars in general but we also tend to WAY overvalue other cars that the general public doesn't share our enthusiasm for. I'm looking at you, El Camino and your pal Any Wagon with a 5 Speed. Lol)
Anyway, good luck on getting most of your purchase price out of it. I mentally knock 50%-60% off whatever I pay for a car the second I finalize the purchase, that way when I sell it for 30% I actually think I didn't do too bad. No loss can diminish the enjoyment certain cars have given me though the years
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TopSirloin
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 10:24 |
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What's causing your break with old Volvo's? Any idea what you'll move on to?
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Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD
> boxrocket
04/01/2015 at 12:04 |
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Do you accept chocolate as a payment? I'm pretty broke right now, but I can probably get some Lindt or Reeses or whatever.
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boxrocket
> TopSirloin
04/01/2015 at 16:17 |
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Honestly, I want something newer with more than one airbag and LATCH system for future kids. My wife's also adamant that I get something less than 12 years old and under 100k miles, and not European. I linked a prior post of mine at the top of this article worth more detail. I'm buying a 2003 Mazda6 S V6 sedan as the replacement. It's not my first choice and doesn't check all the boxes, but it is too good of a deal to pass up. Finding it was the real catalyst for selling, along with a pending promotion that will involve a lot more travel that I don't want to subject the Volvo to. I'm proud of the fact I put less than 40k on it during the almost 8 years I've owned it, as most cars of its vintage have well over 200k miles.
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boxrocket
> Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD
04/02/2015 at 08:20 |
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I do enjoy chocolate, but the sale of the Volvo is meant to replentish funds from the purchase of the Mazda, which could prove difficult to do with chocolate, unless I had a significant distribution network.
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Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD
> boxrocket
04/02/2015 at 12:00 |
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=( aw man! Okay I'll just keep on saving up.