I am going to try to flip a car, any experienced people here?

"Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder" (pabuuu4) 07/14/2016 at 16:23 • Filed to: None

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I want to see if I can do it. Fueled by Tavarish posts I spent some time researching and I think I will have about 150 euro of added costs, without gas.

So I have my eye on two cars at the moment, I am looking in the sub €1000 category.

My theory is that I live near a major city, and they drive mostly small cars. but they are not willing to drive to rural areas to buy one. So I found two cars that fit the bill.

1. Ford Ka 1.3. €700

Has a hideous sticker on the side (at least I hope its a sticker) that may work in my advantage. Looks clean, alloy wheels, has a good amount of life left on the yearly inspection too. 140k kilometers.

2. Fiat Seicento 1.1. €875

More expensive, but has good kilometers. 120k on the odometer. Looks really clean, but has no description. also a new inspection was done 10 days ago so thats awesome.

Really im just doing it for the experience and dont think I’ll even make profit. even a loss of €50 isnt that big of a deal because i got to drive another car for a while.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:26

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My first thought was “Dafuq? Well to each their own just make sure you wear a helmet...”

Then I realized that was stupid.

Chariotoflove > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:27

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This is serious business; so, be prepared or you’ll cause serious injury. Wear properly-fitting work gloves, and get yourself one of those abdominal support belts. Good luck!

MonkeePuzzle > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:34

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buy low, sell high.

I’d say my greatest success in selling cars, applicable to flipping, is have a better ad than anyone else, and a clean car.

Mention all the blemishes and be overly details, but even if it’s a cheap turd make sure it is spotless inside and out.

I guess in regards to flipping, keep in mind mods or fixes need to be in the interest of the general public, who won’t care about a new wing, but will care about good tyres and shiny paint.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:35

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Personally, I’d flip the KA.

RallyWrench > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:38

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Well, what I did is catch a wheel in a rut at the margin, which caught the car and put it right on its roof. Quick and efficient, if you time it right.

itschrome > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:39

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eh not worth it really. use to flip ‘em but unless you are flipping cars worth dealing with tire kickers to make a few grand you are asking for more headaches than it’s worth. Dealing with the sort that buys super cheap cars is not worth the few hundred you might make. that’s my opinion any ways.

ceanderson920 > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:41

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My friend flips cars quite a bit. He buys them locally and then puts them on craigslist for a profit. He usually fucks people over so if your comfortable doing that go for it!

TysMagic > MonkeePuzzle 07/14/2016 at 16:45

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ALL OF THIS!!!
I love buying and selling cars. I’ve been on a roll for some time and all of this is spot on.
CLEAN the car. Take pictures of the car, while it is clean. Make sure the car is clean when someone comes to look at it. That will make a world of difference.
Be specific in the ad. If applicable, take pictures of things people will see as blemishes/issues.

Lastly, aftermarket parts are not helping. If anything, you’ll have better luck selling those bling rims outright and buying a set of OEM wheels with good tires.
Do not underestimate the power of good tires, even if the brand is no name.

Azrek > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:45

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This looks fairly easy. Just go easy on the turn.

cazzyodo > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:53

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.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:55

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Dont touch the Ka. Even if it doesnt look like it has rust, it has rust. Lots of it.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 16:58

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Duurtlang is most experienced with flipping cars in the Netherlands, though he is in the US at the moment. I’m kinda wanting to do some flipping myself too, so I’m curious how it works out for you.

Watch out for rust on the Ka, though, they tend to rust at the gas filler and at the ‘Kokerbalk’.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 17:03

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Hmmm....tough decision. Removing the sticker might get more people to look at the Ka, but the fact the Seicento has a clean inspection as of 10 days ago is a pretty big deal.

I’d say try the Seicento. :)

That being said, if you can go check them out in person first, obviously do that and decide based on your first-person inspection!

CobraJoe > TysMagic 07/14/2016 at 17:04

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You said what I was going to say. Cleanliness helps make a car seem worth more, and shows that you tried to take care of it. Stay away from aftermarket parts UNLESS you need to repair something and aftermarket is cheaper than stock replacements.

Only thing I’d add other than that is DON’T FIX EVERYTHING!

You don’t have to sell a car in pristine condition, you just want to make sure it’s safe and have some of the expensive maintenance worries taken care of. You want the kind of buyer who would worry endlessly about a bald tire or an old timing belt but doesn’t care about a spot of rust or broken interior panel.

And don’t spend big bucks to fix something that costs more than what you’d get when you sell it. If the trans is slipping, best to just get rid if it sooner rather than later, but please don’t lie about it on CL.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 17:05

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Avoid cars that will need tires.

You make your money when you buy.

Detail the car. That alone is worth 100 Euro.

Don’t forget about insurance,title, taxes, and all associated fees when you factor in your costs.

Needmoargarage > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 17:06

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You’ll find that the math doesn’t usually work out like it does in the tv shows. I start with the expected sell price, and work backwards from there for an estimate on my buying price. Just remember there’s a lot of risk (especially if you want to do things honestly) that you’ll be assuming so never buy anything you can’t afford to lose.

E92M3 > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 17:23

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Don’t go in expecting to make a lot of money. In my experience it works out to less than minimum wage if you count all the hours invested. I’ve literally driven hours to look at 20+ cars, before finding a suitable candidate. For the most part I buy classic cars, cars I want to drive for a few months. Reason being they cost less than $100 a year to insure thru a classic car insurance company, and $25 to get a tag for. If I bought newer cars I would have to pay a 7% sales tax to get a tag, and insurance would be $60 a month for just liability. That eats away most of the profit. Classics also don’t depreciate. So if I’m stuck with it for a year, I don’t really lose anything. Worst case I break even, but still enjoyed myself.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 17:28

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For a second I read flipping a car as rolling it over and had one question: Why?

Needmoargarage > ceanderson920 07/14/2016 at 18:21

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Your friend sounds like a bit of a dick.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/14/2016 at 19:52

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Yup, and I just found out the ‘sticker’ is painted on.. its a decal of a flower on the side. I’m positive I could sell it like that, but still disappointing.

the price makes the Ka more interesting, but the Seicento looks really clean.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder 07/14/2016 at 22:48

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Will be interesting to see which you go with! I have a thing for small FIATs, so, logic aside, I am rooting for that one. :P