No, no. I mostly use what they call "Trim Paint", which is a satin-finish black for window and door trim--I also used it to repair the flaking air scoop on my Subaru for instance. It made the entire hood look so much better.
which is a satin-finish black for window and door trim
I know what you mean now. Makes sense as the black trim around the windows gets beat up pretty easily, especially the part people use to shut the door.
Also I will consent to paint the wheels. Ford makes a nice wheel color called Argent or Argenta...it's a dark satin silver and dresses up most cars very nicely.
Last week we took my friend's old 1989 4Runner and bought about $200 worth of materials to "spiff it up" for sale, and I have to say with two guys doing one day's work, that truck looks 10Xs better and will sell for $1000 more at least--maybe $1500 if he's lucky.
What we did:
1. car slip covers
2. treat little rust bubbles at rear removable top side windows, and re-spray with black trim paint.
3. Paint the wheels
4. Detail interior
5. Wash and wax exterior
6. Clean engine with Simple Green and paint brush and warm water.
7. Fix broken tail gate latch (rod came loose inside)
8. Detail bumpers with "black chrome" to refresh black rubber parts
My xTreme had the classic rear window trim rot that plagues all 2dr Blazers. For some reason, GM used one type of plastic on the 4dr, and a different plastic on the 2dr. The 2dr trim has no UV protection, and will literally rot away with exposure over a relatively short period of time.
I spent a day sanding, smoothing, filling the trim, then repainted with a satin black Rustoleum containing LOTS of UV protectant. Over two years have passed, and the trim still looks brand new.
You might notice that when folks post photos of 2dr Blazers for sale, you will rarely if ever see a close 3/4 shot from the rear. The sun rot looks really nasty.
Sounds like a long day's work. However, I am sure that any buyer looking at it would immediately notice that its one clean vehicle. It always amazes me that people that put vehicles up for sale don't even vacuum them out. Even a $10 trip through the car wash would certainly help!
Well it was a long day's work but it could turn 14 man-hours into $1400 dollars, so really, that's not chump change in this economy.
I, too, am amazed at how little effort some people will put into selling a car---equally amazing is the borderline contempt some have for prospective buyers, as if to say "if you don't like it, buzz off buddy".
True, no sense in putting lipstick on a real pig, but there's no excuse for presenting a car for sale with dirt all over it, or one that smells REALLY bad inside....or those dented beer cans we all love to point out to each other.
HOW TO MAKE A CAR WORSE:
1. Do NOT duct-tape your seats 2. Do NOT do your own body work using a stone from your garden 3. Do NOT let your dog live in your car while waiting to sell it. 4. Do NOT remove the $99 CD player to "save it for my next car" and leave a blank hole with wires dangling out of it. 5. Do NOT use red tape on the tail light lenses 6. Do NOT leave empty oil or STP cans in the trunk
I love seeing filthy cars being sold by clueless or indignant idiots on Craigslist. Most people are shamelessly lazy. Of course, that's from my view...I am one of those OCD car-cleanliness people, so I see it differently...maybe someone has other priorities. But I know cars I have owned will receive higher trade-in prices or be quicker to sell than those who can't spare a few minutes now and then. It's worth the time investment for me.
but I know cars I have owned will receive higher trade-in prices or be quicker to sell
When the leasing company came and picked up my Avalon last year, the guy inspecting it asked "Did you sit in it?" He said normally the cars he picks up are filthy and have fast food wrappers on the floor. I absolutely hate a dirty car, although lately with all the salt on the roads even mine is not looking too good right now :sick:
What's even better is when you can pick up one of those for super cheap, do the work Shifty mentioned, and resell it for $1000-$2000 more. Sometimes you see posts on CL (type "re:" in the search box) about owners complaining that something they sold for $XXX amount is now relisted for $XXXX a few days later. Too bad their loss.
The couple of mechanics I have patronized over the years have said similar about my cars "it's so clean in here" etc...and I put a lot less effort into the interior than exterior. Simply shaking out the mats and wiping things down is all it takes. Of course, I don't eat or drink in the car. With the last car I traded in, the salesman said he wouldn't even need to have it detailed before resale - it looked good to go.
I think I would only need 5-15 minutes with a car to tell if there was profit left in it or not. You have to be able to "see past" some things, but also spot trouble that could turn out to be serious.
I wouldn't know enough to not get in too deep...I also get attached to my cars...so I wouldn't be a good flipper.
It's one reason I know I shouldn't buy a house with any kind of land or even a good yard - the parts cars will start accumulating in no time. Why have one parts car fintail when you can have 5? Or parts cars for cars you don't even own? I'd do both.
That's one good thing about my area...in older housing areas, there really aren't any neighborhood associations...I think if the mess is hidden from street view, it's A-OK.
I've seen many not-horrible but still shot fintails over the years I could have bought for no more than a few hundred bucks apiece, along with other cars. Heck, I remember seeing a worn out 560SL at an auto auction once...I wonder what it went for. I could pass the fine line from hobbyist to junkyard hoarder pretty easily.
this scares me to say, but I actually like that SUV. especially for the price, hard to see how you will lose (other than when you have to put gas in it).
I would, however, be totally afraid to sit in the CRX mid engine, never mind try to drive it.
They didn't pay 43K for it. I knew someone that bought one of those back then and ended up almost 10K off sticker. Huge rebate and the dealer sold under invoice. What funny is I forgot how long those SUVs have been around. My GFs father has an 09 Envoy and looks pretty much the same except for the trim. GM made 6 different varients of that SUV... lets see
My thoughts also. And that was 6 years ago when $43K really bought you something
That's a pretty hefty MSRP, but I wonder what the out-the-door price ended up being on it? I imagine the discounts were pretty steep.
My 2000 Park Ave Ultra, as equipped, probably stickered for about $40K when it was new. Adjusted for inflation, that comes out to around $50K today. Ouch! I'm sure they were discounting them pretty steeply as well, though.
My guess andre is that these people selling the Rainier aren't the best money managers, and that when they bought the car, they got piled on with "paint protection" packages, high interest rates, and paying over invoice. They might also have bought into a 72 month loan and so the interest stacked up.
What funny is I forgot how long those SUVs have been around. My GFs father has an 09 Envoy and looks pretty much the same except for the trim.
Didn't they debut as 2002 models? It doesn't seem that long ago. I still remember they got recalled about a week or two after they hit the showroom floors, because there was some issue with the steering, or something else that could cause loss of control, and they had to be towed back to the dealership.
The Saab version was probably the most redundant of all, but for some reason I found it to be the most attractive. I thought the Bravada was pretty attractive as well.
2002 seems about right. I am not sure what the ratings are but they seem fairly reliable. The 09 hasn't been to the shop in 30K and the previous one an 06 went 65K with maybe one oil change. Yes we are not talking about someone that does much maintenance. He just drives them and every few years gets a new one.
The thing that blows me away is that they say they are selling it to get away from the debt! Um.... that's a 2004 model; if you still owe money on it, there is something very, very wrong!
I have a coworker who owns one of these; I think hers is a 2006. It is an amazingly comfortable ride, but like all GM SUVs, I imagine it has awful driving characteristics. I can only wish my living room's couch were as comfortable as that rig's seats.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Yeesh! Did he take out a 72-84 month loan on that thing? Let's just take the "average" five year loan. Think about how different things were five years ago and you realize just how long a time that is! Now stretch that out to six or seven years and you really get the picture!
That's quite true. Really, statements like that in sales ads are pointless. In fact, they make a seller sound a little desperate to me. That's like walking into a dealership to buy a new car and saying, "I must have a new car by tomorrow, let's negotiate a price." Hahah; yeah, well, you just took away your ability to negotiate....
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
You're right - I took a negotiating course a few years ago, and they talked about the most common error people make: giving too much information. Gives the other side insight and leverage.
94 Audi Cabriolet ---no doubt it accidentally killed the host it was feeding on and now it needs a new blood supply.
88 Reatta --- ah, yes, the "future classic" we were all supposed to buy. Price is market correct for a clean driver.
91 BMW 850 -- just stab yourself and get it over with. Why suffer a prolonged, agonizing death? Do I see monochrome trunk emblems? Uh-oh :sick: Pricey for what it is---about $9K should make the seller click his heels in a 2010 economy. $12K for a really sharp one.
94 Jaguar Xj12 fixer-upper ---- to the wrecking yard please. Sacrifice your life so that others may live. List of "things to do" is daunting.
I LOVE the keyword crap on that money pit Audi ad. Stupid.
I think I saw on one of the vintage Motor Week segments on Youtube that the Reatta was built in its own facility, to a higher standard. Maybe they aged better than other period GM products.
19 year old V12 BMW with 130K on it...I can't imagine anything could go wrong there.
That second Caddy is hilarious.
94 XJ12 with 77K on it is at least 50% past its average lifespan.
The 12 cylinder engines are the problem, along with a propensity for electrical failure. I think the 6cyl models were less troublesome...although at the time not up to Japanese or even German standards, of course. A few years later the cars would be much improved.
If I have time later I will try to find the report but IIRC the 1996 and 1997 XJ6 models beat out the Lexus LS of the same years in a couple of quality surveys.
is starting to make me miss my '68 Dart a bit. Must...not...look...back!
I guess my inner redneck is showing through, but I kinda like that '80 Caddy! I think Lemko would have a heart attack though, if he saw me in such a travesty!
I wonder how much that Jag would have sold for when it was new?
Comments
I know what you mean now. Makes sense as the black trim around the windows gets beat up pretty easily, especially the part people use to shut the door.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Last week we took my friend's old 1989 4Runner and bought about $200 worth of materials to "spiff it up" for sale, and I have to say with two guys doing one day's work, that truck looks 10Xs better and will sell for $1000 more at least--maybe $1500 if he's lucky.
What we did:
1. car slip covers
2. treat little rust bubbles at rear removable top side windows, and re-spray with black trim paint.
3. Paint the wheels
4. Detail interior
5. Wash and wax exterior
6. Clean engine with Simple Green and paint brush and warm water.
7. Fix broken tail gate latch (rod came loose inside)
8. Detail bumpers with "black chrome" to refresh black rubber parts
9. Detail tires
I spent a day sanding, smoothing, filling the trim, then repainted with a satin black Rustoleum containing LOTS of UV protectant. Over two years have passed, and the trim still looks brand new.
You might notice that when folks post photos of 2dr Blazers for sale, you will rarely if ever see a close 3/4 shot from the rear. The sun rot looks really nasty.
my xTreme
Sounds like a long day's work. However, I am sure that any buyer looking at it would immediately notice that its one clean vehicle. It always amazes me that people that put vehicles up for sale don't even vacuum them out. Even a $10 trip through the car wash would certainly help!
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I, too, am amazed at how little effort some people will put into selling a car---equally amazing is the borderline contempt some have for prospective buyers, as if to say "if you don't like it, buzz off buddy".
True, no sense in putting lipstick on a real pig, but there's no excuse for presenting a car for sale with dirt all over it, or one that smells REALLY bad inside....or those dented beer cans we all love to point out to each other.
HOW TO MAKE A CAR WORSE:
1. Do NOT duct-tape your seats
2. Do NOT do your own body work using a stone from your garden
3. Do NOT let your dog live in your car while waiting to sell it.
4. Do NOT remove the $99 CD player to "save it for my next car" and leave a blank hole with wires dangling out of it.
5. Do NOT use red tape on the tail light lenses
6. Do NOT leave empty oil or STP cans in the trunk
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
When the leasing company came and picked up my Avalon last year, the guy inspecting it asked "Did you sit in it?" He said normally the cars he picks up are filthy and have fast food wrappers on the floor. I absolutely hate a dirty car, although lately with all the salt on the roads even mine is not looking too good right now :sick:
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.
It's one reason I know I shouldn't buy a house with any kind of land or even a good yard - the parts cars will start accumulating in no time. Why have one parts car fintail when you can have 5? Or parts cars for cars you don't even own? I'd do both.
Because my wife would leave me. :sick:
I think she was quietly biting her tongue on the fact we had 6 running cars for that brief time.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Because my moribund neighborhood association might spring back to life and get on my case!
So far they are tolerating one inoperable vehicle (an '87 Mercedes 560SL in the lot behind mine). It hasn't moved for at least 3 years. :sick:
I've seen many not-horrible but still shot fintails over the years I could have bought for no more than a few hundred bucks apiece, along with other cars. Heck, I remember seeing a worn out 560SL at an auto auction once...I wonder what it went for. I could pass the fine line from hobbyist to junkyard hoarder pretty easily.
I wonder what she'd think about non-running cars? Or never-will-run-again cars? :shades:
doughnut interceptor
not exactly a renaissance
Difference of a decade.
not living up to the name
I would, however, be totally afraid to sit in the CRX mid engine, never mind try to drive it.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
(2) Buick Specials --- parts cars, $500 bucks each.
Mid-Engine CRX --- I wouldn't give you $10 for a car like that.
Chevy Capricii-- no harm done.
Trailblazer
Envoy
Rainer
Saab (can't remember name)
Izuzu (can't remember name)
Olds Bravada
Badge engineering at its best....
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
My thoughts also. And that was 6 years ago when $43K really bought you something :shades: .
"THIS CAR ACTUALLY RIDES ON VARIABLE AIR BAG SHOCK ABSORBERS"
Wonder what they cost to replace.
That's a pretty hefty MSRP, but I wonder what the out-the-door price ended up being on it? I imagine the discounts were pretty steep.
My 2000 Park Ave Ultra, as equipped, probably stickered for about $40K when it was new. Adjusted for inflation, that comes out to around $50K today. Ouch! I'm sure they were discounting them pretty steeply as well, though.
Of course, the term "write-off" conveys pretty much no information anyway, but that is a different topic.
Didn't they debut as 2002 models? It doesn't seem that long ago. I still remember they got recalled about a week or two after they hit the showroom floors, because there was some issue with the steering, or something else that could cause loss of control, and they had to be towed back to the dealership.
The Saab version was probably the most redundant of all, but for some reason I found it to be the most attractive. I thought the Bravada was pretty attractive as well.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I have a coworker who owns one of these; I think hers is a 2006. It is an amazingly comfortable ride, but like all GM SUVs, I imagine it has awful driving characteristics. I can only wish my living room's couch were as comfortable as that rig's seats.
I've bought cars older than that and made payments.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Your mechanic will love you
remember these
Always liked these
How to ruin a Caddy
How to ruin a Caddy Part II
Starts with no problem
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
94 Audi Cabriolet ---no doubt it accidentally killed the host it was feeding on and now it needs a new blood supply.
88 Reatta --- ah, yes, the "future classic" we were all supposed to buy. Price is market correct for a clean driver.
91 BMW 850 -- just stab yourself and get it over with. Why suffer a prolonged, agonizing death? Do I see monochrome trunk emblems? Uh-oh :sick: Pricey for what it is---about $9K should make the seller click his heels in a 2010 economy. $12K for a really sharp one.
94 Jaguar Xj12 fixer-upper ---- to the wrecking yard please. Sacrifice your life so that others may live. List of "things to do" is daunting.
I think I saw on one of the vintage Motor Week segments on Youtube that the Reatta was built in its own facility, to a higher standard. Maybe they aged better than other period GM products.
19 year old V12 BMW with 130K on it...I can't imagine anything could go wrong there.
That second Caddy is hilarious.
94 XJ12 with 77K on it is at least 50% past its average lifespan.
As for the Jag hard to believe at 77K it is pretty much ready for the junkyard.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Caddy Part II - I'll give him $5 for the horns. That way if I move to Texas I'll be all set.
The Jag is only about 5 minutes from me. If anyone needs to have it checked out... Just don't blame me if you are dumb enough to buy it.
I like the "cuda. Also not far from me. Might even go take a look if it had a 4 speed.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I guess my inner redneck is showing through, but I kinda like that '80 Caddy! I think Lemko would have a heart attack though, if he saw me in such a travesty!
I wonder how much that Jag would have sold for when it was new?