General 4x4: What's a fair price for 2005 with 60k miles?

[Andyii]

Very sadly, I'm forced to sell our much beloved "banana car", as the kids call it (due to the colour). Need something a bit bigger, more solid and with more oomph for longer trips.

From research, I've seen prices from a little below 1000 to 2000+. I would say ours is very good, if not excellent condition for the age. I paid 1500 for it three years ago and have spent a little over 1000 in servicing and repairs.

My plan is to do MOT a month early, so sell with 13 months.

So, this totally standard (other than LEDs in almost all lights), used every day, never let us down. No dents, no tears, no broken bits.

So to sell reasonably quickly, is 1500 too much? 1250 1000?

It will be a sad day. Thanks in advance for input.

 

[jrkitching]

£2500 on purchase, servicing and maintenance for three years motoring shows what a good buy these older Pandas can be, provided you can do any necessary work for yourself.

Whatever you get for it, you've definitely got excellent value from it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Prices of these are all over the place and at this age its really all about condition. It sounds as if yours is a great one and with the 13 months MOT I would go for the £1500. What can you get for that with a really long MOT and in decent working order? Not much in my experience. Ask more and be prepared to negotiate a bit would be my suggestion.

 

[koalar]

Put your details in an insurance comparison website let it use it's own value for the car, this will be top wack

 

[AnthonyH]

I'd say try £2000, and if there isn't much interest drop it to £1750

 

[Andyii]

Thanks to all for replies. I think I'll go for 1500 aiming for a quick sale. Inexplicably, I also care about it going to a good home!

 

[DaveMcT]

Buyers expect to haggle so ask £1700 and be prepared to drop the price.

 

[AnthonyH]

Sold yet?

 

[Andyii]

Not sold, but failed MOT due to underbody rust cost of repair maybe not worth it.

 

[AnthonyH]

Take it somewhere else for another MOT? A lot of time garages over egg the amount of rust. Its probably ok.

 

[koalar]

Rear subframe
Or
Or corrosion near suspension mounting point

By any chance

 

[Andyii]

Rear end for sure, but I got details over the phone and didn't make notes. They also talked about the need to replace some part(s) that would be difficult (additional cost) due to rusted bolt heads.

I'm dropping in there on Monday, so will ask for specifics, but their rough estimate to get it sorted was £1000+, depending. Doesn't seem worth doing.

 

[koalar]

Fingers crossed it does not need a rear subframe

Decent rear subframe in the UK are very hard to come by

And postage from Italy is expensive

 

[Andyii]

Take it somewhere else for another MOT? A lot of time garages over egg the amount of rust. Its probably ok.

Plan was to sell it after MOT, and I wouldn't feel right about selling it knowing that rust has set in. Shocked, would not have guessed, from the body work.

 

[jrkitching]

Take it somewhere else for another MOT?

With a recorded fail for corrosion on the central MOT database, the chances of a different testing station passing it without a substantive repair are negligible.

A lot of time garages over egg the amount of rust.

Actually testing stations err on the side of caution to the person presenting the vehicle. If there's room for doubt, they'd more likely pass and advise.

Its probably ok.

It's probably not OK.

I'd rather rely on the opinion of an accredited vehicle tester who's inspected the vehicle than an opinion posted on an internet forum by someone who's never even seen it.

Shocked, would not have guessed, from the body work.

We've seen some horror photos of 4x4 rear subframes on the forum on vehicles that appear sound until you look underneath.

I wouldn't feel right about selling it knowing that rust has set in

No more would I. Serious corrosion in the rear subframe would put it well beyond economic repair.

It owes you nothing. Sell it for parts, and move on.

 

[AnthonyH]

With a recorded fail for corrosion on the central MOT database, the chances of a different testing station passing it without a substantive repair are negligible.


Actually testing stations err on the side of caution to the person presenting the vehicle. If there's room for doubt, they'd more likely pass and advise.



It's probably not OK.

I'd rather rely on the opinion of an accredited vehicle tester who's inspected the vehicle than an opinion posted on an internet forum by someone who's never even seen it.


We've seen some horror photos of 4x4 rear subframes on the forum on vehicles that appear sound until you look underneath.


No more would I. Serious corrosion in the rear subframe would put it well beyond economic repair.

It owes you nothing. Sell it for parts, and move on.

Sometimes the MOT testing station gets it wrong, sometimes they're crooked and fail a good car. I wouldn't scrap a car based upon the opinion of one MOT.

The OP needs a second and perhaps even third opinion.

 

[jrkitching]

The OP needs a second and perhaps even third opinion.

The OP might wish to take a few photos of the underneath, especially around the rear subframe, and post them here.

 

[AnthonyH]

The OP might wish to take a few photos of the underneath, especially around the rear subframe, and post them here.

Agree. OP can post pictures here if they wish.

 

[berlinasportiva]

If still selling I’m looking for a project that may require welding if I can help you that way?

 

[jrkitching]

If still selling I’m looking for a project that may require welding if I can help you that way?

The problem with the 4x4 is the tubular rear subframe corrodes to the point where repair by welding would be challenging, to say the least. New replacement subframes have long been unobtainable in the UK and the last known price was substantially more than the value of a 20yr old car.

If it's just rust on the sills, it may be possible to get another year or two by stitching in a patch plate, but if the rear subframe has rotted to the point where the car is no longer roadworthy, there's no cost-viable way of repairing it.

In the worst case, one option to save the car might be to remove all the 4x4 bits, fit a new aftermarket 2WD subframe (cheap and readily available), and run it as a 2WD car. But after 20 years, it's probably just plain not worth repairing.

@koalar, do you know if the rear subframe mounting points on the 4x4 bodyshell are the same as the 2WD one?