OK, Charlie’s Foreign car repair says it needs the following:
$425 clutch master and slave cylinder replacement;
$175 Battery replacement;
$470 Power steering pump replacement;
$110 drain and flush fuel tank, and replace;
– fuel filter replacement;
Total: $1,335 (plus gas)
I’m rather certain that is what it really needs.
It also needs a right front window regulator replacement, about $350, but this can wait (you can get the window back up manually when you get the hang of it). It was like that ever since I had the window replaced after a thief broke it.
It also has a slow moving crack across half of the lower part of the windshield, but it is still intact and doesn’t hamper vision.
Question: Should I have that done, and then sell it? Or should I basically give it away (webuycars might give $300 for it as is).
The Blue Book values for my model parameters:
private party :: “Fair”=$1,945, “Excellent”=$2,845
trade-in :: “Fair”=$1,025, “Excellent”=$1,775
retail :: “Excellent”=$4,045
So, if I only got the “private party, fair condition” for it, then I’d about break even. If I only got the trade-in value or less, then I’d lose money on the repairs. I see comparable models advertised for over $4,000 but I don’t know if the sellers actually get that for it. The body is in good-to-excelent condition, attractive Forrest green, 5 speed, with spoiler – a popular model.
well if you’re at the break-even point, just give it to a charity or a tech school and take the tax deduction.
I’d sell it as-is. That $1335 is to fix what they know is wrong with it, other things could crop up, now you’ve got big money tied up, start putting more money into it, not good. Do you need the car (I assume not)?
No, I don’t need it. I want to get rid of it so I don’t have to pay insurance and licensing on it. What do you think I might be able to get for it as is? I don’t know how long the shop will let me have it sit there without working on it.
The thing is I’m not sure if it is only at break even, or if I might be able to get $4,000 for it if fixed. I was looking forward to getting something out of it.
That’s a big ‘if’…what year and miles?
year 1996, 151,000 miles. It also has a sun roof, and a built in analog telephone – almost
like an antique, LOL. I am the original and only owner if it. Before I let it sit for two years, it ran fine but was starting to run a little “rough”.
You’re at a little over 2 grand in repairs once you factor in the windows (and if you don’t then it’s not in excellent condition)
If you’ve let it sit long enough to have all the repairs you listed become necessary, then I figure it’s a pretty safe bet there’s other stuff wrong with it too. I’d be surprised if you got the “excellent” price for it, but you could get lucky and find someone that doesn’t know how to price cars.
(edit)
Oh, it was running rough? Well there’s another repair right there 
Good running '96 Accords with about 150k miles get bid to around $2,000-$2,500 on Ebay. You’d have to be EXTREMELY lucky to get much more than that after you get it running, given your description of the car.
ya, I guess you guys are helping me face reality. The young mechanic at Pep Boys was favorable to consider $1,000 for it as is, but he had no money (actually complained they hadn’t paid him or something too). Maybe I’ll go back to him and see if he can give me a few hundred for it as is.