Flipping a convertible, which one to choose? *Poll added*

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 05/24/2015 at 22:35 • Filed to: None

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Inspired by an observation I’ve made I’m going to buy a convertible. To resell. Which one would be best?

Yesterday I spotted a familiar to me convertible. It had been offered on an obscure site, got sold, and is now offered on a more popular auction site (not ebay). The highest bid was twice what the original asking price by the previous seller was. The new owner left the car untouched, he merely photographed it better. That inspired me.

I’ve picked three cheap convertibles in my area that seem like great candidates. My question is: which one would be the best one to flip? I picked convertibles because winter summer is coming. All are offered on a relatively obscure site.

Exhibit A:
1992 Peugeot 205 convertible in Roland Garros trim. Good condition, new brakes, power roof, roof in as-new condition.
Upside: parts availability and parts prices, great chassis, luxury trim with power roof, 161k km, I own a 205 GTI so I know these somewhat.
Downside: base 1.4L engine. 1992, so too new to ship to 505turbeaux.

Exhibit B:
1990 Mazda MX-5. Mid 90s American import. Looks good in pictures. Unknown condition. 220k km.
Upside: RWD, the most sporty of the bunch.
Downside: parts. Unknown roof condition.

Exhibit C:
1985 VW Golf convertible. American import (in 1991).
Upside: new roof, tax friendly due to age, parts availability and price, not the base engine.
Downside: I’m guessing the driver seat is worn. Odometer and others not in metric. 147k miles .

Cars all come with a manual. Which would you choose to flip ? Of these cars, which one looks the most expensive?

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Best convertible to flip

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dogisbadob > duurtlang 05/23/2015 at 11:44

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Don’t they have Wranglers, Explorers, and Samurais over there? because *those* are easy to flip!

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > duurtlang 05/23/2015 at 11:45

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The answer is always...

duurtlang > dogisbadob 05/23/2015 at 11:46

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Ha! Theoretically we do, yes. But who would buy one in Europe? And good luck trying to find cheap parts for any of those. I need something people will actually buy.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > duurtlang 05/23/2015 at 11:47

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Flip convertible. Fall out. Bad day.

duurtlang > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 05/23/2015 at 11:48

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Wear your seatbelt! This does rule out the Mazda, as it isn’t a bitchbasket like the other two.

pip bip - choose Corrour > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 06:30

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this every single day!

duurtlang > pip bip - choose Corrour 05/24/2015 at 06:35

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How much do you think these cars cost?

I think I’m going to do a little pop quiz among my non-car loving friends to see which one they think is worth the most and which one they’d prefer.

pip bip - choose Corrour > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 06:40

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seeing that you’re in Europe , peanuts?

did you watch the Eurovision song contest?

duurtlang > pip bip - choose Corrour 05/24/2015 at 06:51

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Ehh, no. You’d have to pay me to watch that .

pip bip - choose Corrour > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 06:56

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oh come on it’s not that bad.

i’m watching the delayed telecast.

LongbowMkII > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:07

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I’m going with the VW Golf. It’s old enough to garner interest as a nostalgic car. you can clean it up and price it a bit above market value and wait for someone to want to relive their youth.

Opposite Locksmith > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:33

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I don't think I would want to flip a convertible, not the best rollover ratings

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:33

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I voted 205 simply because I love the way it looks.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:33

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The Golf has a big following and the 205 is starting to become a classic, so I think either of those is fine. I don’t know if the ‘US import’ status of the Golf is good or bad for selling, it may be difficult to prove maintenance records to buyers. I know I would be wary.

The 205 should sell, mostly because it is the luxury trim, I would advertise it on a enthausiast forum if it is in good shape.

The Mx-5 will not be as profitable as the others I think. Jap cars don’t have a real big following here. It will sell eventually, but I don’t think there is much money in it.

duurtlang > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/24/2015 at 10:35

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Me too, but I might be biased by my own 205 GTI. I like the Mazda and Peugeot far better than the VW, but something tells me the VW is better marketable. I’m not sure, and I’m not going to buy all three of them (yet).

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:37

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It’s certainly between Golf and 205 financially, MX5s dont seem to pull much money right now, in the UK even a nice one can be had for not much. 205s seem to be appreciating. I looked at prices before I bought my Renault during an “I want a classic” phase and they were climbing.

duurtlang > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 05/24/2015 at 10:38

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The Golf was imported into the Netherlands when it was 6 years old. In 1991. I don’t think maintenance records prior to 1991 will matter much. The added bonus of a US trim is that they tend to be more luxurious, downside are the non-metric dials and maybe some US specific parts.

Of these three, I question the condition of the VW the most. That’s what’s holding me back. The big bonus is its tax status, being from 1985 and all. Not that you pay all that much more tax for the other two due to their low weight (all three are <1000 kg, the Peugeot 850 kg), but it’s an item that does sell cars.

Your boy, BJR > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 10:39

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Import this . Sell it over there for a premium.

duurtlang > Your boy, BJR 05/24/2015 at 10:45

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Added bonus with that car is that you don’t need an extra boat to ship it across the ocean.

Slant6 > duurtlang 05/24/2015 at 11:27

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I did this last summer. Bought a 1999 Saab 9-3 convertible for $750 (usd) and sold it at the end of summer for $1500. Even though I profited ($260) it was a bad experience. Hydraulic systems are tricky. Miata doesn’t have one so that’s good.