Technical Stuff You were happy to sell for a loss..............

Sometimes it is far better to sell unwanted stuff at a loss and get some cash to buy something better, or needed for a project. I've dumped some stuff and feel a lot better without it, and the yard looks cleaner too. Bob

 

buy high ,sell low, make up for it in volume is my motto

 

My first rule is to never buy anything I don't like to look at, you really feel bad looking at an ugly piece of crap you don't want, and worse knowing nobody else will want it. Bob

 

It seems like I usually end up with half of my investment with everything I sell ,But it was fun in the process.

 

This is why i hate auctions. When you win you are really just the only person in that room dumb enough to pay that much.

 

I had a 4.3 Chevy V6 block and heads reworked several years ago for my son's OT pickup. Before I got them out of the machine shop, he found a running Blazer with title problems and got the engine out of it, leaving me with a newly machined block and heads with no use for them. I sprayed them down with WD40 and put garbage bags over them, and they sat in the carport for a couple of years, then moved them into a storage room where they sat several more years. Last summer I got tired of them being in the way and decided to sell them for what I could get out of them, knowing I probably couldn't even get the machine shop bill back. Drug them out, moisture had gotten to them, and they were ruined. Cylinder walls had rusted, would take another overbore to clean them up, they were already .040 over, valves had rusted in the heads, I was sick. Ended up putting them in the scrap pile. When scrap prices go back up a bit, I'll haul them off and get a little out of them. Never again will I leave a fresh machined block in a bag like that unless I pour motor oil on it or grease the cylinders with some kind of grease. They probably wouldn't have rusted if I hadn't of bagged them, the moisture got in and couldn't get out.

 

I seem to have some kind of personal problem selling anything, regardless if I still want it or not.

 

Bought a truck once that had been rolled, with intentions of rebuilding it but once I got into it, I saw I had bit off more than I could chew, so I sold it and lost 700 and was glad to do it, whew, what a sigh of relief

 

I don't keep stuff, had a complete 264 Buick Nailhead (running) alum. valve covers, a couple of pans, 10 gallon fuel tank from another hot rod, some other stuff, got rid of all that for not much money, wanted it gone, I don't like clutter in my small shop, if parts are there I'm not planning on using in the near future, I ask myself why?

 

A few years back, at a small estate auction- a bunch of guys old enough to know better are staring at an old hood. They all concluded it was from a Ford truck. I turned to my son, then about 16, and remarked: these guys need to head for the old folks home, the hood is from a Cord 812. There was a set of wheels nearby that bore a family resemblance. So we bought the hood and the wheels- all for about $100. Well the wheels turned out to be gold, seems they go bad frequently. We sold the wheels in a few days for about $400. The hood on the other hand, turned out to be a large POS that nobody wanted. It didn't help it was not from a supercharged model. We eventually lugged the thing to Hershey where it HAD to sell. Well it did, finally on Saturday afternoon after I cut the price to a point a Cord guy couldn't resist- $100! The lesson? Don't buy big stuff if you don't know it will sell quickly.

 

I lost $3K in cash, not counting the many hours of work I did to the car in my avatar, I guess I leave it there to remind me not to make any more errors of judgement like that again. It was powered by the original flatty but less than a year later there was a chromed up SBC and auto with the chrome stick coming out of the floor, the original instrument cluster (that I'd cleaned and worked great) was replaced by one of those white faced street rod cluster, they'd cleaned up some paint work but I thought they ruined all that was good about the old car. It was on the second owner in less than a year after I sold it. I liked the looks but don't miss that car at all.

 

Aren't you always supposed to sell at a loss?
Or is it just me?

 

Surest way to make something rust is to cover it with plastic. It can't breathe and traps moisture. Have seen this many times.

 

I may be the only guy in the world to sell a 1928 Packard 443 Roadster project to cover the cost of a 1912 Model T Touring car. That was back in 1983 and I still have the T, and it was one of the best deals I've ever made. Bob

 

The WD-40 was the first oops. It will break down rust in the short term but start attracting moisture after a while if it is not cleaned or covered with oil of some sort.


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Yes lots of times Ive lost money. If you had something for a long time and sell for what you paid you still lose because of inflation. The last vehicle I lost any appreciable money on was a OT mustang. It was one of those newer ones 4 cyl with 8 spark plugs. First thing was it needed a alternator. Then Tires. Was Ok after that but that little thing was very uncomfortable. If I went very far I felt like a pretzel when I got out. I had paid $1500 and spent another $400. Sold it to my son for $1000. He drove it for three years and sold it for $1300.

 

. Have to agree with this system, been working for me for years.

 

I bought this old 57 Lloyd for $500 and had Ben D transport it from Michigan to Nebraska for another 500. I had no place to store it so I put up a privacy fence next to my garage for another $250 or so. I rolled it in place and it sat for almost 10 years. It rusted so bad a big old boar racoon was able to push the floor up, out of the way and took up residence in the car, leaving numerous "Coon Cookies" all over the seats.
I finally came to the realization I was never gonna get to this thing before it rusted right down to mother earth so I put it on Craig's list..
Got $250 and was glad to see it go. Not bad! I only lost $1000 on this one!

 

Well Rocky, at least your initial intentions were good. ( saving an orphan ) Thats worth something.

 

I haven't experienced any lose with any of the old cars but later model crap I have taken a beating or two. HRP

 

I learned to never buy anything with intent to sell for more $$..

 

The surest way to lose money on a vehicle is to find a new one that you just have to have. I've sold a few cars for less then I should have just to get something new. It's amazing how your tastes change in a short time frame

Gary

 

I would say I have never sold something for a loss and been happy about it.

 

I have a bit different system.

Never ever keep track of how much any thing costs while doing a build.

It doesn't matter and makes the sale at whatever the current market is, palatable.

 

Yep, live and learn. Thought I was protecting it, ended up I was only speeding it's demise....
Know better now.

 

I'm pretty sure I've sold EVERY car I've ever had at a loss. I've made out good on parts, but that's nickels & dimes compared to the shellacking on the cars over the years. I figure 100-years from now, nobody will know the difference...............

 

My loss your gain, I would be happy to lose 1K on this '48 Chevy Sedan Delivery that I have 2K into!

 

An old employer was fond of saying; "you can't put a price on a good time"

 

First couple of wives........................

 

Never been so HAPPY to see this one go down the road after 3 years of blood sweat& booze & $$$$$$.Took a loss. on that one but slept better at night.Bruce.