selling advice

[rs32]

I'm likely to be selling the CSL in a few months - company car arriving and the CSL is just not going to get used enough.

General question about selling - the car has a stone-chipped front end which kind of spoils a very well-kept 40k mile example with warranty and the usual extra options.

what do prospective owners prefer to see - something that has been repaired i.e. a front end respray or the raw version at a lower price that they can sort out themselves ?

If it was at a dealer of course it would be sold as "unmarked paintwork" but I'm trying to gauge whether the stone chips are worth my while fixing. I can spend the money, but does it knock out too many prospective buyers if I don't bother ?

thanks

[Rags]

IMO, one would be deluded to think that a 40k mile car would not have stone chips.

So, with that out of the way there are two trains of thought:

1) Leave it as is and let the prospective buyer see the 'real world' effect of stone chips. However, it can make a car look untidy.

2) Paint the front end and demonstrate real rationale for this and ensure the buyer doesn't think it was painted for 'other reasons'.


Personally, as long as the price reflects the need for a painted front end, then its fine.


I am selling my car at the moment and luckily, the stone chips are not bad at all. This is the real world we are living in!

[shimmy]

you want to get it looking as good as possible and be prepared to hold the price until a genuine buyer appears

[Mark CSL]

When i am looking for a car i would much rather see it mint than all chips
If you get the paint sorted it looks better looked after
Just my 2p worth after all not all paint work is accident damage

[Jeff]

As a current buyer at this price level I am expecting the paint has been maintained as much as the rest of the car. A battered car will make me think other items of work have been neglected. Obviously a few are one thing but a heavy smattering of chips is not good.

I'd also as a buyer prefer to have it done than have to deal with it myself.

These cars aren't your Ford Focus so you expect higher levels of care and repairs works done.

[glendog74]

I would get the bumper sprayed as it creates that good first impression of the car. You then just be up-front and tell the buyer you have done it for the simple reason of making it look good again. The rest of the car condition should speak for itself.

When i was looking for a CSL, i discounted a few cars that looked 'shabby' as you can't help thinking "what else hasn't been maintained properly?" It may sound a little petty, but there are always better looking cars out there after all (in the buyer's eyes).

[Jeff]

Another point. I have been looking at the car at BHP with all the mods. With the work on it it's not too badly priced but the thing that lets it down is a stone chipped front end, a large scratch on the bonnet trailing onto the guard and two more big scratches on the A pillar / door frame. All I see is a lot of money having it professionally repaired and until I take it to get the work valued, I can't be sure what it would cost. I then don't know what sort of a deal I'm really getting.

Having said all that, my wheels could do with a good refurb but have I done it? No..... Pot, kettle

[SpineOnABap]

Originally Posted by Jeff

A battered car will make me think other items of work have been neglected.

You can't really make that link because the fronts of these cars do suffer (that's a CF bumper and paint easily chips from it).
I'm not going to respray mine every year, I just can't be bothered.

So if you were to see my car you'd suspect it had been neglected in other areas. If I sprayed it you'd be no better off really would you?

Look at the overall condition - don't just judge it on the notoriously 'weak' frontend

[Rags]

Originally Posted by SpineOnABap

You can't really make that link because the fronts of these cars do suffer (that's a CF bumper and paint easily chips from it).
I'm not going to respray mine every year, I just can't be bothered.

So if you were to see my car you'd suspect it had been neglected in other areas. If I sprayed it you'd be no better off really would you?

Look at the overall condition - don't just judge it on the notoriously 'weak' frontend

Fair!