21 in Two Months: How Do I Sell My Dud and What Do I Buy Next?

blurrybird on 08/03/2015 - 17:18

Hey there,

I had the unfortunate pleasure of buying a complete dud of a 98' Peugeot 306 XR while learning to drive, and was careless because of the 'great deal' that I found. $2500 w/ 12 months rego and rwc in perfect physical condition and all electrics working.

Now it's dead, with a water leak and cracked aluminium block, battery carks it after a few days of not being driven and I'm completely over it. No more rego and definitely not in RWC condition as our makeshift fix for the crack was JB Weld (or a clone better suited to the metals).

First question is how much would you sell this for and where considering it's still in perfect condition externally and runs quite well (when it's charged) considering it's pitfalls.

Secondly, What should I buy? I will have $10k in savings and have been doing contract work on/off making roughly 2-3k per month so I'm fairly sure I'd have a hard time getting a loan; otherwise I'm not against that idea. My ideal car would be a hot hatch and reliable. VW Golf/Polo, BMW 1 Series, Ford Fiesta/Focus, all options I would not mind.

Ideas?

Automotive

Comments

  • Flying Ace on 08/03/2015 - 20:12

    I absolutely love my MkV Golf GTI but it has been the most unreliable car I have ever owned. Pretty much from 6 months after purchase it's been one thing or another going wrong with it. Will be offloading it as soon as I can.

  • firedragon on 08/03/2015 - 21:18

    Is a car essential for you right now? I only ask because buying a car would dent your savings.

    I recommend a Toyota Corolla :)

    • billy_bob on 08/03/2015 - 23:02
      +1

      I think he said he wants a hot hatch, Corolla is about the dullest car you could buy in terms of driving enjoyment. If any hatch will do, then at least go for Mazda 3 or Ford Focus which have decent handling.

      • firedragon on 09/03/2015 - 08:36
        +1

        He wants a hot hatch, but does he need one?

        • Flying Ace on 09/03/2015 - 12:33
          +1

          Who cares, that's not our decision to make.

  • billy_bob on 08/03/2015 - 22:55

    List you car for 2k and see how you go. It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
    Then have a look at the Fiesta XR4 from 2008 or Renault Clio Sport. Polo GTi is good but you will struggle to get one for 10k. Golf and BMW 1 will be out of your price range, unless there is something major wrong with them.

  • maybeamacy on 09/03/2015 - 00:41

    Reliable, cheap = BMW, VW… I don't think so. Stick to your Corollas, Civics, Mazda 3's.

    • Flying Ace on 09/03/2015 - 12:32

      None of which are hot hatches, but are about as far from a hot hatch that it is possible to imagine.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 09/03/2015 - 01:54
    +2

    $2000 is an absolute pipe-dream. You would be lucky to get even a few hundred for the car, even with targeted advertising, given that it's almost 20 years old, is nowhere near roadworthy, has running problems, is a Euro model (not sought after, for good reason), etc. Ask yourself what your time/storage-space is worth. If the answer is "something", then either get someone to come and tow it away tomorrow (they will give you about $100 for it), or if it has decent tyres and panels, and you can somehow get it to a wrecker's yard, take it there and they should give you at least $200 for it.

    Then you can forget about it forever, which will be a merciful release.

    Oh yeah, and re what to buy; anything Japanese that is not too old, that you like the look of/suits your purposes, and has at least a passenger-side air-bag as well as the driver's side one (statistically you're pretty likely to have a smash or two in the next 3 or 4 years, given your age; be prepared!). Trust me hombre, after having had this Euro thorn in your side for so long, you'll really love having a nice, reliable, easy/cheap to run/service/fix Jap car!

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