So, sadly, I am putting my cat up for sale. I need some advice/tips on selling her. Most all the important work has been done except for the trans slip. But, my body is just not able to work on cars anymore.

Any things to avoid? Like certain online listing places. Are there really good places online that I should list her? How should I prepare her for sale?

FWIW, I am in Southern California.

Thanks in advance

 

I think you should post in this forum that you are selling, but do not tell anyone that you are posting to try sell it. Make up something like you need some ideas to sell it, or ask how much you should sell it for. May get some interest.

 

HAHAHA

 

But, seriously. There are like a dozen online listing sites including Craigslist and Ebay (I guess). I keep hearing horror stories about selling on Craigslist. Should I sell to a used car dealership?

 

If I were to sell my coupe, I'd probably use Bring a Trailer. You can set a reserve, and people tend to notice the rarity of a coupe like yours (I think only one has been sold on there). You will absolutely need to provide detailed records and pictures, though, and details such as a clean engine bay will matter. You will also need to be active and respond to questions about the car during the auction.

I'm not sure how the trans slip will play, but at least you'll get a better sense of market value than some random person trying to pry it from you for 2k because of an issue that someone on Bring a Trailer might be less intimidated by (they/we are all car people, through and through).

That said, if you're looking for a pure sale, I'd definitely agree with scottatl, for largely the same reasons as I'd auction it on Bring a Trailer. A more knowledgeable consumer base is probably best, both for you and the car.

 

If you want the car to go to an enthusiast that will care for it properly then I would start with "only" posting in the marketplace on this site.

I sold my previous jaguar using this site - to a great guy that is now a member as well.

The last thing I wanted was for my well treated Jaguar to finish its life like this as somebody's whip with 22s.

 

The car will have to be smog checked before sale. If the transmission problem prevents it from successfully passing the test,then that is a real problem. Not many buyers will take a chance on a non smog compliant car, you can't complete the registration and transfer process. This is a real headache, ask me how I know!

There are lots of Jags offered for sale as "mechanic's specials" and buyers will beat your price down to nothing as your listing drags on and on. Be sure that the car is ready to be driven by the new owner before sale, if that's possible. If there is a good consignment lot in your area that is a good option. The car will be on constant (fairly secure) display. They have staff that will show and accompany test drives, and you can have them assist or complete the entire transaction. This way you don't have to have strangers dropping by your house to see the car. If you belong to AAA you can complete the transfer at a AAA office usually a pretty secure location.

I don't think that you will get too much money selling it to a used car lot. Check KBB values. Dealers don't usually want cars that old. There might be a specialty used car lot that might offer a bit more. It's always a buyers market. Don't forget to list the car on the forum's marketplace. This is probably the best place to start.

It's always a buyer's market. I've sold cars through club listings, Craig's List, and consignment lot's. Good luck with your sale.

 

Oh crap. It's due for a smog check in Feb and I got an engine light and coolant low light. The transmission slip is not disabling. It just slips when you stand on it. So, do you know if there is some DMV requirement that the seller has to have the car smog certification ready before it is sold?

I am guessing the coolant level issue is with the sensor. May pop for a new reservoir from Barrett. The engine light is probably emissions related. I replaced the evap can a few months ago.

My body has been failing me lately so the thought of working on it makes me ill just thinking about it.

Thanks so much for your advice! Really appreciate it.

 

I bought my '97 after seeing it in a FaceBook Marketplace ad.

 

My 00 was found off of Craigslist, my 98 off auto trader and my 07 off of eBay. I have had sketchy interactions on all three platforms, but a good seller and buyer can tell that each party is legit over the phone.

If a buyer starts the call with "will you take x-y", they probably aren't the one, move on. If they ask about tensioners, water pumps, top hoses, thermostat housings, nikasil, a drums, and they want to schedule a time where you can take it to a dealer for an inspection, you got a live one!

​​​​

 

dont worry about what channels you list it on. You want to maximize the exposure....but be warned, you're going to get a bunch of spam calls. I listed my car on Cars.com and Cargurus, i get a lot of automated calls and calls from dealerships that tell me about all the crazy demand on my car!

Selling to a dealership is probably easiest, and has a tax benefit if you're traiding-in........but you will get hosed on the price.

The best advice:
- List it on all platforms, including CL, FB, Autotrader, Cars.com, Cargurus
- Take a lot of pics, very good, very detailed pics
- Be honest in the description. you're just going to give yourself a headache when you convince people the car is perfect and then when they come to see it, they find a bunch of issues and just wasted their time and your time.
- Price the car fair. look at what similar cars are selling for, and KBB. add a few bucks to the price, because people are going to want to negotiate
- show proof of anything you can. new tires? new battery? oil changes, service.....helps a lot

 

BTW - Don't claim services/parts that you don't have receipts for. On most cases, I just view the seller is a liar, exception being things like interior/paint/tires where it's stupid easy to see, stuff like a new clutch, rebuilt engine, etc is where I call BS.

 

Cars like this are always peculiar animals to buy or sell and the usual yardsticks like KBB don't really reflect the small but ardent market of folks who really appreciate classic and unique vehicles like this. When I had my 95 Corvette, as time went on and the car still looked pristine, folks would stop me all the time with offers to buy the car. When I wanted to sell the car after 13 years (and the car still looking pristine and pretty low mileage), it took me 18 months to find a buyer serious enough to pay what I thought the car was worth.

Sad that you need to sell but good luck.

Doug

 

First off your an intelligent man. I am sure you know loads of places to place your advert.
This is the worst time to sell a car, but the best time to buy one. Sales are very hard this time of year and most dealerships would LOVE to sell you a car to make up their end of year figures.

Presentation and facts. Get all the paperwork together and tell potential buyers about it. The adverts that read "rust free" I would never trust. Not seen a car yet that does not have rust, corrosion or even woodworm. Presentation. Your selling an idea as much as a car so take your photos in nice spots where the car is the centre or even center of attention. Try nice angles and do clean the car before! Yes its obvious but you would be surprised at many who do not bother.

Good luck!

 

I hope that my reply wasn't a downer, that wasn't my intent. I've just herded three of my cars through the Star "enhanced" smog test: my '96 Mustang GT, my '89 XJS, and my '97 XJ6. Believe me, I feel your pain! The XJ6 was displaying the CEL and it took some work to get it cleared up to pass the test. Your car has a a bit of time before the smog test is due. Unfortunately the Holiday season is the toughest time to get things done because of so many competing activities. If you have some free time, have the OBD codes read, almost any car parts place cab do that, even O'Reillys. Write down the stored codes and you can list them on this this forum and I know our members can help to identify the problems. Even after repairs there are driving sequences (testing cycles) that have to be completed before the car can be smog tested. Hopefully, you have a good, trusted mechanic that can assist you in preparing the car. It could just be some little things.

Years ago I had a beautiful used '92 Nissan 300ZX that I bought at a higher price because it came with a documented rebuilt motor. I kept it for a few years dealing with a CEL issue that turned out to be an EGR valve problem, adding a new set of high quality tires, an alternator, and a few other fixes. When I listed it I got plenty of lowballers. Even my consignment lot only offered me 2,500 bucks! I held onto it for several more months until I found a knowledgeable, motivated buyer who appreciated what I had. He paid me the 6,000 dollars I was asking for without a complaint. You have a desirable car, a knowledgeable enthusiast will pay a fair price.

 

Thank you all so very much.
This is my plan. I ordered the coolant overflow because I've got a feeling it is the sensor turned to sponge. Got the aftermarket version from SNG Barratt at $64 plus $12 shipping. I just received my BlueDriver OBDII scan tool. Going to rectify the engine light situation and whatever else comes up. If I can't fix whatever is wrong with it at least I can show the buyer what is going on. I am going to try my best to get it smogged before mid Jan. Then put it up for sale.