Just realized I have never traded in a car. We either wore them out and scrapped them, gave them away or totaled one in a accident.
I’m told the average US car goes through 4 owners before it finally goes to that great gasoline alley in the skY
What did you do with the last car you parted with?
Washed it, took pictures, got all the service records together and put it up for sale. Prior to sale I had the timing belt replaced so I could sell it knowing it won’t disappoint the next owner. Used several web sites, such as Auto Trader, but free listing on Craigslist attracted the attention of buyer.
I have always sold mine.
Some background on my departed cars:
- 1948 Dodge; wrecked in collison
- 1948 Chevrolet; gave to kid brother in college
- 1957 Plymouth; gave to kid brother just starting to work
- 1965 Dodge Dart; completely rusted out and scrapped, got $30, or $1/100 lbs
- 1966 Chevelle Malibu; wrecked in collision; got $100
- 1971 Mercury Comet; gave to mother-in-law @ 56,000 miles
- 1976 Ford Granada; sold privately with 108,000 miles on it. Great stereo!
- 1977 Dodge Colt; rusted out, scrapped; got $60
- 1984 Chevy Impala; gave to son in college @ 200,000 miles
- 1988 Chevy Caprice; sold privately for $1400; still in great shape.
Donated it - '95 Suburban, $4 gas at the time, Carmax offered $750, donated it, it sold at auction for $2,800. Good deduction.
91 Explorer, “hand-me-down”, gave it to sister in-law.
80 Bronco 351M, blew a hole through the top of one piston, repaired with used piston, sold it to the mechanic who fixed it.
78 Chrysler Cordoba, sold to owner of indy shop in Zuni NM.
1974 Ford F100, bought by my parents for me when I turned 16 : Still around, my dad has it
1992 Ford T-Bird SC, bought by my grandparents for me because they did not not approve of me driving around in a vehicle without proper saftey equipment: Taken from my possesion when my brother turned 16 so he could have something to drive and because I didn’t pay a cent for it in the first place. My brother drove it for a month before trading it in on an F-150 (which my parents paid the difference for, That pissed me off a little).
1995 Ford Bronco, bought by me when it had 46k on the clock, it now has 197K+ on it. I still use it go off-roading and to tow my seadoo, and to get around in snow, but it’s been retired from daily driver status
2003 Ford Mustang GT, the daily driver, I really wanted a Cobra, but the deal I got on this one was too good to pass up. I was able to add a supercharger, suspension upgrades, a big brake kit, dyno tuning, rear end gears, and bullitt wheels and still have money left over from what I originally planned on spending. I bought it when it had about 44k on the clock, it has almost 90k on it now. I suspect I’ll hold on to it until the 2011-2012 Mustangs with the new line of engines comes out.
Did the same thing with my last sale (Caprice). Cleaned, washed and waxed, took color photo and posted 8 1/2 x11 on supermarket bulleting board. Had a call the next day and sold for $100 less than asking price. The buyer loved the three ring binder with the original brochure,and all the service records and road tests by magazines. Ad in the Auto Trader brought no calls whatsoever; it’s mainly good for newer cars.
I sell my cars privately. Sometimes I run an ad in the local newspaper, but mostly I just park the car in my front yard, near the road, with a “For Sale” sign in the window. This has worked well for many years and many cars; including, but not limited to:
'63 Dodge Dart 270 sedan
’71 VW Bus
’79 Ford Fiesta S
’85 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
’87 Mazda RX-7
’91 Pontiac LeMans
’91 Geo Prizm
I Don’t Mean To Offend Anybody, But I Found Out 91 Dodge Spirits Aren’t “Chick Magnets”.
We had the Spirit since almost new (6,000 mile rental, $9,200 OTD, 1991). Our family drove it for 16 years and a couple-hundred-thousand miles (totalled once by a drunk jerk) until it went to live with my son at college. Before long he was whining about this and that and suggesting the car needed to be replaced. I figured out that the real problem was magnetic, as in cars like that are not chick magnets. I flashed back a few decades and realized that chicks were about the most important thing to be able to attract for a 19 year-old (and lots of other ages, too). So he got an upgrade. He dumped the Dodge and went back to school.
I sold the old Dodge a year and a half ago. I ran an ad on a bulletin board at the grocery store. My ad was called “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” and told all about some of each. A 15 year-old bought it (he “needed” a chick magnet too, but could only afford the $675 Dodge). He practiced driving it in his driveway for a while. Now when I pick up my daughter from Middle School, I see it parked behind the High School. It makes the run every day and probably will until the kid can afford a chick magnet. Definitely goes on my list of best cars I have ever owned.
CSA
2000 Saturn SL 92,000 miles. Trade-in. Did not want to inflict it on a private buyer.
Scrabbler
I donated my last car to a local rescue mission.
There’s chick magnets and chick magnets, I went to college in a very cold town and students did not have inside parking. My 1948 Chevrolet (in billious “Kermit the Frog” metallic green) had a powerful heater and always started easily. I remember often the richer kids borrrowing my car and lending me their MGs and other sports cars, which were hard to start and had lousy heaters.
A good place to park at night was on the lakeshore and “watch the submarine races”.
I trade them in because when I finally let one go, they are ready to go I do not want to deal with any unhappy purchasers, or potential liability issues. I would consider donating as my second best option.
Agree; I only sell a car if it is mechaniclly sound and not dangerous. If not, it gets scrapped.
I gave it to my kids. We donated the 2 cars before that.
We traded it in.
I gave my Camry to my son and my Toyota pickup to my daughter, both at the same time.
The car before that the divorce court dicatated my parting with.
The truck before that I drove until it literlally broke in half in the middle of the street. After 11 years the frame rotted through on both sides. The only thing holding the front and rear together was the bed & bedmounts.
Most of my vehicles I ended up trading when my needs changed.
My saddest story was how my first car got parted from me. 57 Belair paid $100.00 in 1973 purchase did not include title. Came home one night slightly “adjusted” and did not notice temporary street sign saying the City was going to do some work on the street and that if your car was parked there at 5.00am it would be towed. Well it was and I had neither the money nor paperwork to get it back. O well I had a motorcycle also.
Now that gas is $2/gal, do you want it back?