Might be on Ebay soon...if so don't abuse me too bad

[mally002]

Hey Folks,

Well...........I may be selling my 73 240Z.

Time and Space are telling me I need to sell a car so I was thinking about the 1973 918 Orange. Of course I would have to give Ebay a whirl just for the sheer number of people that look there. If I do go that route please take it easy on me as I'm sure it will be noticed by the board.

I would love some opinions on some of the photos I took, Do you see anything that would worry a potential buyer.

The car is really GREAT, but I just enjoy the Green 71 so much better that I hardly drive the Orange one anymore. (I know poor Randy)

Anyway, I'm not 100% but just from the pictures would you rate it in the number 3 condition code?

The engine bay needs a good cleaning, but otherwise the car is a solid 9 out of 10. No rust that I can find, it was all taken care of several years ago.

Thanks guys,

RM

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AcsmzNq0bsnHw&notag=1

[bkelly]

I don't know how many time I've said this, I HIGHLY recommend not selling it on ebay. I just got done selling one of my cars on there.

Here's what will happen-

You'll get 25+ emails from tire kickers/low ballers. The problem is you have to take each one seriously and reply with the info they want. It takes a lot of your time up.

After (If) it's sold, you'll get more emails offering to buy it at a lower price or if the deal doesn't go through.

The guy who bought my car is a total ahole to put it lightly. He bought the car blindly with out asking any questions. Then started making demands, none of which I would honor. He sent me and out of state bank check which takes 2 weeks to clear. He would literally call me twice a day demanding the title. I told him not until it clears. Then one day I get a call from a trucking company to pick the car up, again before the check cleared. The driver was pissed but I told him there was no way that car is going anywhere. Then with 2 days before it would clear, he sends me a threatening email saying he's going to call the police if I don't send him the title out the next day. I got the feeling he was trying to scam me and wound up being out smarted. Had I known all this BS would have gone down, I would have never sold the car in the first place. Since I'm self employed, responding to numerous tire kickers on top of dealing with this wack job cost me ~$1000 or more in productivity. This is what can happen with ebay.

Save yourself the headache. First try to sell it through the Z forums, even try contacting some local Z clubs to send an email out to it's members. I can give you the email of the pres. of my club who can send it out to over 100 people. You have a beautiful car, not some piece of junk. You should have no problem finding a decent buyer quickly....after looking at the pictures, I would buy it if I wasn't in the middle of a restoration. I would only use ebay as a last resort.

[Oiluj]

Where was this car when I was looking! Looks pretty nice. As bkelly indicated, I'd be talking to you if I wasn't in the middle of doing one already...

For selling to a non-local buyer, try to look at the car as if you were a non-local buyer. What questions would you ask?

I think some statements relating the non-perfect items such as the dash cover, usual dents in the bottom of the front frame rails, battery area, etc will help reduce buyer questions. Post info on engine & drive train condition, indicating any fluid leaks, (or lack of leaks), the condition of brakes, tires, etc.

Have some close-up pics of the rust prone areas: quarter panels, dog legs, front floor boards, spare well and hatch deck. Indicate when the car was last painted, interior refreshed, and any details of what was done. Also indicate total miles on rebuild of engine, if applicable.

The more detailed information you provide, the fewer questions you will get.

I agree that I'd try to sell first to a site member, because they know what they are looking at and what is a reasonable value for the car. If that doesn't work, then I'd try your local Craig's List and eBay.

I've sold a motorcycle on eBay and sold cars on Craig's list. I had no problem with eBay, but did not have the same experience as in bkelly's post above. I tried to eliminate potential issues by being VERY clear about shipping and escrow requirements for non-local buyers. I also set a "firm" minimum price. From my listing: "I will not accept offers below the asking price, so don't waste your time and mine with a lower offer". Sometimes though, no matter what you do, you get an a-hole as bkelly described. It's the luck of the draw...

Good luck with selling the car. I expect she will sell fast.

[MEZZZ]

Looks good to my untrained eye, that is part of the problem with Ebay. It is very hard to buy a car sight unseen, and we all know, photos can be very deceiving. I've sold a car and a Harley on Ebay and both sellers were great to deal with. The trick to selling on Ebay from my experiences is to be VERY critical in your description. Obviously, you want to point out all the good points, but I also described everything down to the slightest flaw. I stated in my ad that I wanted the owner to get it and say, damn, that guy was anal retentive as hell, I would have never noticed the little things. I wanted the buyer to be pleasantly surprised, not dissapointed. On both vehicles I sold, the sellers were thrilled, I got my asking price and it was a hassle free sale.

You will get emails from a few here and there asking questions. I wrote the first guy back very detailed info and then for the other potential buyers, I just did a quick edit of the original email and let it fly.

Looks great, here's hoping you get what you need from it.

[xray]

Hi Randy,

Sorry to see the orange Z go....making room for another project?

If I were a potential buyer I'd want a few more pics of the battery area. Despite the corrosion, It looks pretty solid from what I could see. But sometimes there's some rot right where the inner fender meets the frame rail and firewall, and some pics would help assess that area better. Other than that it looks like all the bases are covered. I like the undercarriage pics.

I would consider ditching the "240Z" mats, as they look worn. Maybe go with just the carpet if it looks better. Since you have a half dash cap on, if it's not permanently attached consider just removing it and taking a pic as the presumption is that the dash is already cracked (hence the cover).

Best of luck,

Steve

[JonnyRock]

Randy,

Just thought I'd weigh in on the ebay issue. After weeks of little to no response from forums when I attempted to sell my truck last August, I decided to put it up on ebay. It was a very interesting experience.

First off, do be anal about it's flaws, but also be clear that none of them are major, and you won't take any lowball offers because of them. Your intention is to make the buyer completely aware of what they are purchasing.

Because it's ebay, your posting will get a crapload of hits. I was amazed at the number my truck got after so little attention on the forums. Because I'm fairly experienced with ebay, I stated very clearly that all bidders need to contact me before bidding, or I would cancel their bid. Even then not all bidders complied.

I also put my cell phone number on the listing because I needed to sell the truck, and therefore needed to know the winning bidder was legit. Let me agree that yes, you will get tons of lowball offers/tire kickers. Ultimately the winning bidder did not contact me prior to using the "buy-it-now" feature, but turned out to be a great guy and was very happy with his purchase.

You may have more luck with the forums than I did, but don't write of an ebay sale. It's a great venue and I've almost always had a positive experience. You've got a great looking Z (even though I prefer your green one :laugh:) and any buyer should be happy with it.

-Jon

*hope my rant was somewhat useful.

[Sailor Bob]

Car looks great (as I have stated in previous posts), are you going to offer a BIN price?

Got to agree with the boys - pics of trouble spots will avoid repetitive requests for more pics. The battery area looks like it may draw attention. State answers to the obvious questions in the opening description: dash is cracked with cover, Dings?, scratches ....

Depending on the price I think it will draw alot of attention and perhaps many bids.

[helopilot]

Randy,

Looks like a great car. I sold one of my roadsters last Dec on E-bay. It was a good experience. Set a reserve price you can live with a fairly high buy it now. Set it up for a immediate pay-pal deposit. My buyer flew in with verifiable funds, and rented a truck and trailered it back. He could have driven it but a roadster from Bend to Seattle in Dec...

I made a history of the car in a word file detailing all that I knew about the car. Good things and bad. When I recieved a question I just did a cut and paste it was real fast. I ended up getting what I thought was top dollar especially for a convertible in December.

It was a good experience for me. Now that being said all comments are worth exactly what you paid for them.

If you have a weekend free it might be very worthwhile pulling the engine and detailing it out. I love your car as others have said, buying long distance that batt tray would be a cause for concern. I just bought 2 more roadsters a 67 and a 68 or I would also be a buyer. Do give the guys on the club a shot though. What do you want to get for the car?

Good luck

Phil

[mally002]

Thanks for all the information guys,

I sat down this morning to draft a description and I am now on page two, In trying to write about everything you don't realize how much information there is.

Xray, no new project yet....still have to finish the 356.

Sailor Bob, I don't think I would offer a BIN price, would let the auction run it's course( if I even go this route) and see if it meets my reserve.

Again, the information everyone offered was great, if I do decide to try Ebay you can be sure it will be the most anal ad they have ever seen.

Again, I appreaciate all the advice......I'll let you know what I decide, as you guys all know the best time to sell your car is when you don't have to.

[mally002]

I forgot to ask in my last reply...

Regarding the battery tray, what type pictures or test if you will would help show that it is solid. I agree it looks bad in the photo, but it is solid. If you could see it in real time you can see that it's not rotten.

Would you guys clean it off by scraping down to the metal and then prime it, or leave it as is for people to inspect. I think I can take some steel wool or my grinding pad and remove all the surface grim....

[five&dime]

Unfortunately I can't see your pix from work

I have sold numerous cars for myself and others. As stated.... The key is accurate description. I would list any and all problems no matter how insignificant. My last 3 auctions, had no inquiries sent to me. I had such an accurate description with up close shots of every problem area that there were no questions about the condition.

I honeslty think eBay is a good place to sell your Z if done right. Poor auctions lead to problems with inquiries.

I would also state your requirements for payment and shipment. Include a disclaimer saying that the car is listed locally and you reserve the right to remove the auction up until 12 hours from the end or until the reserve is met.

There is no other venue that will give you the kind of exposure that eBay will

In regards to the tray. I would probably leave it (although I haven't seen the pix) if you do sand it down, prime it with photoetching primer. But takes pix of the before, during and after

[Sailor Bob]

(Battery tray area) I definately would not strip it, only remove dirt and grime. For me I would prefer it as unaltered as possible.