Should I junk it or sell it?

General Discussion
1

Good day to all,

My 2003 325i seems to have reached the end of its days.

Here is the situation: It has a cracked engine block from overheating, and the clutch seems to have gone as well. I need advise on what to do… I really don’t want to put any more money into it. Neither do I want to try and part it out. I will either sell it as it, or junk it…

I am sure that it would probably be a nice “project car” for someone who has time and money. However, that individual is not me.

Do I try to sell it? And what would it go for in NY? Or should I just junk it?

Thank you.

2

Find out what the scrapyard would give you for it, then try to get more by selling it. If you can’t, give it to the scrap yard.

You might have good luck registering on a dedicated BMW forum - if someone’s looking for a clean roller to swap an engine into, they might be interested in yours.

3

The scrapyard’s going to give you about $0.12/lb. That’s…$400? Some states have real weird regs about accepting “un-prepped” cars from individuals.

The auto junkyard might pay more for it than the scrapper that’s going to crush it and put it on a slow boat to China.

E-bay it with a $500 minimum bid!

4

Put it on Craigslist for $700 as a parts/project car and see if you get any bites.

5

It’s a beautiful car. Someone out there would love to have this as a “project” car. They probably already have an engine and transmission waiting in the wings. I would run an ad (inexpensive or free) and put a $1000 price tag on it. I bet it sells.

6

List it on craigslist as a tow away…“Beautiful car just needs a new engine. Great project”…$1000 CASH. Resist the temptation to use the tag “OBO” in your ad. That just tells buyers the $1000 is not a serious price. You can negotiate when a serious buyer shows up…Be sure you have the necessary paperwork in hand when you list the car…(a clear title and a bill of sale). Deal only directly with the buyer, accept nothing other than the agreed amount in CASH…

7

Check the Kelly Blue Book for current value of one in working condition, then that figure minus the cost of a new engine and clutch, minus a thousand or two for inconvenience. Then advertise it as a repairable. The thing is whether you fix it or not before selling, you will still pay for it one way or another. So either the aggravation of fixing it or the aggravation of selling it. Maybe one of the mechanics at the BMW shop would be interested.

8

Beautiful car. I’d take it off your hands if it wasn’t so far away.

9

I agree, it’s in nice shape, especially compared to some of the rust buckets around here. I agree with the ones who advocate selling it to someone as a great project car. You’ll probably get a lot more for it than selling it to the scrap yard.

10

EBay.
As is, $1500 or BRO (Best Reasonable Offer).

11

What about joining a BMW forum which has a classified section? There could be someone in your area who will jump all over that car. From the pic it looks pretty clean and a DIYer could be very interested in it.

If it were closer I’d be interested in it.

It only takes one mechanically minded person, maybe with a crashed BMW, to offer more than scrap metal prices for it.

12

First try to sell it. If you can reach the right audience via Craigslist, Ebay etc, you might find someone who will pay you $500 to $1000. If no bites after 2-3 weeks, junk it. Or donate to your local NPR station if the donation avenue is available for non-working cars.