looking for answers to no-sale 2002

[ibjettin]

I think it needs to be lowered with a wider wheel to fill the flares.

Other than that I think its a great looking 02.

[MN2002]

LimeySteve summed it up for me as well. I like the color, but I generally prefer the trim on these cars. It breaks up the paint and adds some contrast and definition. Personally, I have never liked flares. But it is a good looking car and hopefully a good running car. Just need to find the right buyer who appreciates the look you have created.

You asked for a critique, on 1st look your car is too monochromatic , to me it looks very 80's. In my opinion you need some BMW bling, rain gutter trim, chrome tail light bezels,rear 2002 badge( not painted), chrome front & rear screen locks , rear bumper will look great,but not a deal killer. black cam cover kills the engine bay, polish or paint a contrasting color ,(be creative ) add the under hood decals too ,they add an interesting detail .Rear wheels/ tires are too small & look lost in the turbo arches,get a wood steering wheel yours looks cheap (too monotone again )The interior you are already tidying (good ) remove the tan mats they look cheap too.

IMHO not too much outlay will get you a nicer more detailed looking 02.

My 02 c worth

Cheers

Steve

[Tommy]

IMO it's the body modifications that hurt the value of a classic car most. When you do something like that you do it for yourself. If you had put the same effort on original style restoration with original color it would be worth much more. Mistake is already made, sorry.

Tommy

[DavinSF]

Lots of great advice here, I would agree with pretty much all of it.

$8k is strong money for a squaretail '02 that is non-tii and does not have other significant provenance. You have a nice car and should be proud that it brought that number.

The bottom line is that you customized the car pretty significantly to your taste. If you find a buyer with cash in hand looking for that exact style, then great! You'll hopefully get the number you're looking for from that person.

The thing is, when you personalize the car you limit your buyers and thus will draw less from an auction than a car that is unmodified and has broader appeal.

Nice car, good work. The number that was bid is the right number in this market for a heavily personalized car, in my opinion.

[tlapham]

Too heavily modified. These cars get their value from originality, and although it is a better car for the mods it has, it just doesn't bring cash value to the general market. You may wait and eventually get what you want from an enthusiast, but we are few and far between...

[Marsattacks]

Now for something a little different:

1. Great car, though idiosyncratic.

2. Ok, so what do you think it is worth? Using my Jedi powers I am going to guess that your reserve is set at about that price. Big mistake. You stifle bidding that way. Auctions involve risk for both buyer and seller and you really arent playing the game correctly if you peg your reserve at a "fair" price then hope for a premium. Sure you dont want to leave money on the table but really that increases the chance you wont see any money at all.

3. You say your car is for sale locally so you must have a price in mind. My "Jedi" guess is $11,000 reserve. Are my powers strong or weak? Assuming no bid fraud it looks like you had 10 unique bidders but six at the $3k+ or so level. Says to me the $8k price is prob pretty good as a market price, but see No. 6 below as a caveat.

4. Looking at your auction as aprospective bidder/buyer, I see some things that would alarm me. Foremost among them is that you "reserve" the right to end the auction off ebay and sell it to someone locally. That makes your offer to sell illusory. It is a bad practice and ebay should not condone it. Do the bidders have the right to withdraw their bids if they find another car locally? So this would make me very wary of bidding on your car.

5. You say you are picky. Did the odometer really roll over a "few" times? If so as you say, then we are dealing with a 300k++ mile car. If you don't know this then I would suggest a re-phrase to be more precisely ambiguous instead of being vaguely ambiguous. Think about it.

6. Do you fish? If you cast lines all day in an empty pool is it the fault of your fly/bait/cast that you dont catch one? Of course not. Your auction is limited to the guys/girls looking for an 02 in your stipulated 7-day window. That is pretty much a pig in a poke for a single auction cycle. Conventional car auctions are promoted and/or have existing followings. Ebay is just a gateway to a yard sale. You might need to list your car multiple times.

7. Lastly, your 02 is not an investment or if it is then it is a poor one. It is a wasting asset. We can perhaps convince our wives or girlfriends that we can recover our expenditures but it is a mistake to believe it. Maybe just maybe a very nice, very original desirable model will hold some value but dont put it up against the S&P 500.

-- GLWS.

[Mike_R]

For a car that realy needs a few $1000 more in finishing touches I would say that was a good price to get. I have close to $20,000 in mine and ther is no way I would get 10 for it. New engine new suspension lots of upgrades ....but, needs seats, dash, bumpers, carpet, .......still the car otherwise looks very nice, great engine bay & trunk.

Good luck

[c.d.iesel]

you should have taken the $ 8 , 2 0 0 . o o gladly.

i'll add more detail later today........

the car looks great !$8,2000. 00 is a fantastic sale price.

Your a fool for declining the offer.

the book you wrote in your ad means little. It turns me off!

It's first impressions - your photos are what sells it.

Not any audio or other accessorie you added.

all your labor was what made you happy and you'll

will never be paid for it.

Put it for sale again - celebrate the fact that someone

DID bid as much as they did. Hopefully that same person will

come back to you.

[vintage_car]

thanks guys, all really good stuff. I really appreciate all the kind comments about the cars looks, and I really like some of the ideas in here for more sellable changes.

I do see personalization as an outstanding issue from what you all are saying. I think the rear bumper delete is definitely a personal flavor. I think the polished valve cover would do wonders to the engine bay.

I would like to lower the car more, but my driveway prevents this from happening, it is as low as it can go.

Marsattcks..your jedi powers for the reserve are very close...the force is strong with you.

Question regarding #5 you posted to me. "Did the odomoter really roll over a few times?" I would say 2 times. does it mean we are dealing with a 200K mile car...well, technically yes. Wouldn't that entire restoration of body/suspension help. How do you word something like that in an auction, do you even address it?

CD...I'm anxious and nervous about the addition to your post. You are 'passionate and direct' in your posts...be gentle

[Koblenz]

Straight up! Your car looks amazing. Your mods improve the "evovled series lines." Removing the park bench bumpers is a must. The rear mod is perfect. As far as more contrast? WTF? Why? Your mods are clean and well executed. Very visually appealing.

I think "sexy" pics, spruce up the interior, wait awhile, post again. That being said, I dont think we will get what we put into them. Its like putting a pool in your back yard, you dont get that initial pay out back.

Your car is dam nice. I'm going to mod my rear end just like it. hope you don't mind.

[BillyRay]

I must concur with most all of the comments, I think the high bid was market value or close to it.

My ebay Recipe:

Photos, photos, photos...study up if you need to on photography...They matter

Run a long Buy it Now or Best Offer Advertisement explaining the highest offer...if not accepted will be the reserve on the 10 day auction you will run immediately after the buy it now ad has run.

Why? this speaks to what the Jedi was talking about... a 7 day auction is not enough market exposure.

Clean it up with a few details...take some great photos...market it so it gets good exposure and realize market value. Might not be what you want but the market has spoken at that point. OR Wait for that one buyer.

Best Regards, "Z"

Former dealer "Smallfastforeign" out of Chattanooga, TN

[jrkoupe]

great read here.........alot of strong points......

CD is a straight shooter....always has been.

I bought a similiar style/modded car a few yrs back as most of the mods appealed to me even tho I did not like the overall look of the car. The mods alone and cost of labor is what sold me. And I knew I could sell alot of the stuff Id remove. The car had over 190k on the chassis as well..but it was all rebuilt.

On your car, you will need to be patient if u can....it needs a specific buyer. To me the mats have no affect whatsoever..who cares?.....not me. mats?......mats?...mats?..c'mon now.

I would not think youll get near or over 9k...82 is strong.

[eastsidebimmer]

Interesting car, but not even close to my cup of tea, and for me personally, I'd rather have an unrestored/patina'd but solid 02 for a little less and then drop a few bills improving it. If even the slight majority of 02 folks are of this same mindset, you have a very narrow audience of real buyers in that 7 day span, even on eBay.

The thought of taking $8,200 probably makes you want to barf, but like others, I think that is about what a modded car should bring in this climate. I would not invest anything additional on expensive upgrades/improvements---you'll just be digging a deeper hole.

I have a 91 Dodge Ram truck, I've spent more than I paid for it to fix a floor pan & rockers, AC system, alternator, engine computer, muffler, etc. If I listed it for sale today, it wouldn't bring anything higher than what I paid originally. Very crude example, but just how a restoration project works sometimes.

GLWTS!

[markmac]

Alot of good info posted here. I would agree with several, if you are really going to sell the car (and it sounds like you are) do not put any more money into it. It is highly unlikely you will get it back, certainly not anywhere near dollar for dollar. TMI!!! Way too much information I think in your narrative. Its like a novel. I skimmed over it and was just too much for me. If you re-list the car i would arrange things the same way but use bullet points or something similar (sample)

• New strut bearing mounts (OE BMW)

• New Bilstein Sport Shocks (Front/Rear)

• H&R Sport Springs

• 19mm Adjustable Sway Bars (Front/Rear)

I think you want to list the main stuff but stay away from the minutia (new header studs... or whatever. As a buyer I want to see an honest representative list of what is on the car or been done to the car for both good and bad. You probably already did this but I would write up the description in a word doc and give it the once over, maybe send it to an unbiased friend or two for constructive critique and then use that when you re-list. Looks to me like a good honest car that you have done a nice job with. As others have said, once you "mod" something for the most part you drive the cost down, the exception being the one guy/gal out there looking for that particular car with those particular options. Best of luck with your sale (or re-sale).

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[Palindrome]

Add a pic of the car actually in the garage: subtext: the car is garaged/babied.

Add a pic of the bottom of the car--subtext: you are confident the car has no rust.

Have a pic of the car someplace else--subtext: the car can go places under it's own power.

You don't need to say these things, just include the pics.