Getting Bummed, Long, No Cake Relation

Lounge By TheCakerator Updated 12 Mar 2009 , 8:56pm by TheCakerator

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TheCakerator Posted 11 Mar 2009 , 1:31pm
post #1 of 7

Ok so last summer we bought a pop up camper .. we towed it with our 4cyl grand am .. it does ok, but it's not something we would like to continue .. so we decided to sell our better car, a 2000 chevy prizm, that we had recently put in almost $3,000.00 into it so we could keep it running a few more years, the engine seized up on us, and after putting in a new engine and all the parts that go along with that, we realized there had been a lawsuit on our car's engine, for the same problem that we had, but that since it has a chevy logo on in instead of a toyota logo, which the car really is a toyota corolla, if that makes sense, anyways, because it is called a chevy, they would not recall the engine, only toyota was recalling their engines .. but anyways, we put all this money into this car so now it has 40,000 miles on the engine and it looks immaculate and so we decided to put it up for sale ... we started out asking $4500.00, a little on the high side but we figured most people would negotiate a lower price if they were interested. No luck .... a month later we dropped it down to $4300.00 OBO, then it went down to $3900.00 OBO and now it's sitting at $3700.00 .. dh and I are starting to get real depressed because 1)we need this car to sell for a down payment on a newer used car, and the dealership trade in is only equal to $1000.00 2)at this point if we keep lowering the cars price we are going to take a loss on it ... we have had several people call and test drive it all with the famous "I'll call you" but they never do .. all are aware it has a newer engine in it because we wrote it on the sales tag in the car .. I told dh it's a situation where you are darned if you do and darned if you don't ... some people will walk away because they do not feel it is a safe car with a second engine in it, and some people will love the fact that it has such low mileage and can see getting another 100,000 out of it ... I know we can't please everyone and it isn't like we can go back and undo what we did to the car by uninstalling the used engine .... I guess I am just frustrated because I really thought this car would sell fairly quick and now its almost three months later and we still have it and no new tow vehicle for our camper icon_cry.gif Thanks for letting me rant on and on about this .....

6 replies
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jen1977 Posted 11 Mar 2009 , 4:20pm
post #2 of 7

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the car, and almost everything to do with the economy right now. I think most people are scared to make big purchases for fear that they may need that money later. I drive a 13 year old Explorer, and we know it's about on it's last leg, but we've dcided to drive it til it dies, then get another car.

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TheCakerator Posted 11 Mar 2009 , 4:28pm
post #3 of 7

thanks for the reply .. and I am sure you are right ... I see ton's of postings on craigslist begging for a reliable vehicle to drive their family with young children around, and their maximum amount to spend is around $200.00 .. I can't believe any vehicle reliable for young children could be bought for $200.00 but maybe I'm wrong ... the 2000 chevy prizm is coming up on nine years old this may, and our other car, our "tow vehicle" is a 1995 grand am .. so we also tend to keep our cars until they die ... but we were hoping to be able sell the prizm for something, so we could have a down payment on a newer used car ...

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jen1977 Posted 11 Mar 2009 , 11:33pm
post #4 of 7

If you have the time, and can be patient, I'mm sure it'll eventually sell. Lots of people on Craigslist want something for nothing too!

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TheCakerator Posted 12 Mar 2009 , 2:15pm
post #5 of 7

well technically we do have the time ... but my father in law is retiring in a few weeks and my dh wanted to drive out there, about a six hour drive, for his party but we are both nervous about driving that car for that distance because if something was to happen to us, whether its a deer or another car that's our whole down payment on a newer car. Right now it is just sitting up in a local parking lot where tons of people keep their cars while trying to sell them, it's the busiest road in our town ....

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punkinpie Posted 12 Mar 2009 , 5:36pm
post #6 of 7

That really sucks! We've had our house on the market for 8 months. I can definitely relate.

All I can suggest is to make sure that the car is as clean as you can make it - inside and out. You can even buy the spray to make the tires nice and black. A really clean car will help people feel that your car has been well taken care of it.

My Dad loves to clean up cars for fun ( I was always the girl who's dad was cleaning the car windows while he was waiting to pick me up after school). He has helped many people sell their cars quickly by giving the car a new car feel by cleaning. I used to help him. We'd even take q-tips and toothpicks to get the dust and dirt out from around dials and along the air vents.

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TheCakerator Posted 12 Mar 2009 , 8:56pm
post #7 of 7

well good luck to you and selling your home ... I see homes for sale all over my town ... it does not appear to be the time to sell, ANYTHING! Our car is kept spotless ... we don't have any children, so the back seat has never had anyone in it, we don't smoke, and I'm a real germ freak so yeah, its clean ... and my husband is real anal about keeping records for everything, right down to every time he has ever filled up, how much it was, where it was done at, how many gallons he got, and then he averages out the gas mileage .... we also have receipts for every single thing we have ever done to the car, including wiper blade receipts! I know the car is well maintained and that eventually it will sell, but I also know dh wanted it gone in time to get a new car to take out to his parents and well, I want a new car too!!!

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