Anyone ever sell a car that's not in working order? (Dallas: to buy, school)

[Aggielina]

Has anyone ever sold an old car that won't run to one of those places that will come pick it up from you? We need to get rid of our 14-year-old car that's in poor shape. It needs about $1200 in repairs, but blue book value is only $400-$800. For many reasons, we want to buy another vehicle. I believe we got our money's worth out of this one after owning it for 13 years.

I'd rather get a little cash from it if I can. I assume that a dealer would have no interest in it as a trade-in. I know that alternatively, we can donate it, but to whom? Of course I always hear radio commercials that Dallas Can Academy will take any car as a donation. But like I said, I'd prefer to make a little money off of it. Any recommendations for a business to do this? You can PM me if you want. I need to get if off our street before I get a ticket from the city!

[TheOverdog]

I've only donated, never sold. They are very easy, and you get a tax write-off value form (I actually gave it to my parents, since technically the vehicle belonged to them, so I'm not sure what the write-off was worth). They take it away and deal with everything.



You can try selling it on Craigslist - you might get lucky.

[10-23]

I have. Those places are not looking to repair it, they look at it for parts. Don't expect to get anywhere near that you think the vehicle is worth.

[ChristieP]

Unless the car is worth a fortune in parts, you're not going to even get book value for it if it's not running. Dealing with people on Craig's List is a huge PITA. Take the tax-deductible donation and move on.

[GoldenHair]

Originally Posted by Aggielina

Has anyone ever sold an old car that won't run to one of those places that will come pick it up from you?

I did back in late November. I just wanted the car gone. Those places will quote/give you $75 to $250 for your car depending on year, make , model, and the demand for parts. Try asking for $25 more. The worst that could happen is that they say nope. After you sign the title away immediately go to Texas DOT website and inform them of the sale. Be sure to fill in all the particulars of the seller. If you do not do that then you could be on the hook for tolls and/or other fines the new owner incurs. Although you do not have to, it is best if you remove the plates before sale.

[Philip T]

What is it? Looking for organ donations / low-cost buys for Electric Conversion -- school project.

[stan4]

Sold my dad's Prelude to the yard guy, who towed it away. I think a squirrel lived in it.

[Sydney123]

I sold a 1955 Chevy that didn’t have an engine, transmission, or interior. Didn’t even have any paint... it was primer gray.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Funny story: I once had a 2001 VW Passat that went downhill, got parked and went downhill further. It had a perma check engine light on, and among other things, it seemed to be sending unburned fuel into the catalytic converter. Anyway, I posted it on Craigslist for $800 (it was a decently nice car aside from the mechanical issues), and I fully disclosed everything I knew about it. In fact, I even explicitly said that I would not plan to drive it very far due to the fuel into cat issue.

A guy shows up. Bought it. Tried to drive it from Southlake to Garland. I get a call about thirty minutes after he left, and the car was on fire on the side of the road. I kid you not.

[naterator]

The first truck that I ever bought was a Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Had it for over a decade, but after a wreck it wasn't driven much for several years.

I had the intent to repair, but never had the time. So I called Dallas Car Guyz. They took my title and gave me a much nicer backyard (and 300 bucks to boot).