I Need Advice: Selling 58 Impala

[Mark17]

Anything under 25k is a win for him. Anything over 20k is a win for you. Take a tough stand (the best way to deal with jerks, and he sounds like one) and tell him $23 firm. Then accept his counter-offer.

Bottom line, you'll make much more on your new house than the marginal few thousand dollars you're negotiating on the car, so if he offers $22k or even $21k, I'd take it, as long as the jerk didn't add any unacceptable conditions.

[todeen]

I called the buyer on my lunch break to satisfy my wife. I think I got three sentences in. He wasn't rude, but he did all the talking. Here was our conversation.

My sentences:
"Hello, I'm the owner of the Impala."
"$22k is my tipping point."
"Goodbye."

His statements:
"Your car doesn't make money sense."
"I can't get a paint job for less than $30k. You're car will be too expensive if I pay more than $20k. I can buy a restored Impala for $50k."
"I'm going to have to pay tax on your car."
"$20k is the best I can do, take it or leave it. I'm ready to walk away."
"If you want to advertise it nationally, and have to deal with the hassle, good luck to you."

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by todeen

I called the buyer on my lunch break to satisfy my wife. I think I got three sentences in. He wasn't rude, but he did all the talking. Here was our conversation.

My sentences:
"Hello, I'm the owner of the Impala."
"$22k is my tipping point."
"Goodbye."

His statements:
"Your car doesn't make money sense."
"I can't get a paint job for less than $30k. You're car will be too expensive if I pay more than $20k. I can buy a restored Impala for $50k."
"I'm going to have to pay tax on your car."
"$20k is the best I can do, take it or leave it. I'm ready to walk away."
"If you want to advertise it nationally, and have to deal with the hassle, good luck to you."

I am actually in agreement with the buyer. You really do have a car that is hard to sell because it is at the high side of the lower end in condition. It is too high of a price to buy to make mint and on the expensive side to buy/keep as a decent daily driver.

There must be a reason your expert friends in the vintage car business haven't easily found you a buyer at their estimated value yet.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by todeen

I called the buyer on my lunch break to satisfy my wife. I think I got three sentences in. He wasn't rude, but he did all the talking. Here was our conversation.

My sentences:
"Hello, I'm the owner of the Impala."
"$22k is my tipping point."
"Goodbye."

His statements:
"Your car doesn't make money sense."
"I can't get a paint job for less than $30k. You're car will be too expensive if I pay more than $20k. I can buy a restored Impala for $50k."
"I'm going to have to pay tax on your car."
"$20k is the best I can do, take it or leave it. I'm ready to walk away."
"If you want to advertise it nationally, and have to deal with the hassle, good luck to you."

At this point, it’s time to put him in your rearview mirror. Good luck!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Sell it to the people who are telling you it's worth more.

Not trying to be obnoxious, but it sounds to me like unless you find a retail customer, your buyer is probably giving you the high end of what you are going to get from a dealer.

[Econteachert205]

The right buyer is the one in front of you with the cash.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

The right buyer is the one in front of you with the cash.

But that's the thing. We hadn't advertised or tried to sell. He came to us. The way he is saying "take it out leave it" in no way reflects that I am out of options. I am willing to wait until next spring or summer, take it to local shows like I normally do, and advertise it for sale at the shows, combined with national classifieds.

Originally Posted by bnorth

I am actually in agreement with the buyer. You really do have a car that is hard to sell because it is at the high side of the lower end in condition. It is too high of a price to buy to make mint and on the expensive side to buy/keep as a decent daily driver.

There must be a reason your expert friends in the vintage car business haven't easily found you a buyer at their estimated value yet.

Thanks Ben. I'll have to think on this.

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by todeen

But that's the thing. We hadn't advertised or tried to sell. He came to us. The way he is saying "take it out leave it" in no way reflects that I am out of options. I am willing to wait until next spring or summer, take it to local shows like I normally do, and advertise it for sale at the shows, combined with national classifieds.

Thanks Ben. I'll have to think on this.

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

When are you looking to buy the house? Sorry if I missed that.

My son & I did a frame off restoration of a 87 YJ Jeep that started in 2007 and done in 2010 and he did 90% of it, all said and done it was $12000 sold it for $5000.He got it at the age of 14 and was driving it when he turned 17 the sane day he got his drivers license. Bottom line its hard to break even. Mr happy in the pictures

Very Nice Impala Good Luck!

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by rgpete

My son & I did a frame off restoration of a 87 YJ Jeep that started in 2007 and done in 2010 and he did 90% of it, all said and done it was $12000 sold it for $5000.He got it at the age of 14 and was driving it when he turned 17 the sane day he got his drivers license. Bottom line its hard to break even. Mr happy in the pictures

Very Nice Impala Good Luck!

That is cool. My much younger brother done that with a 1950 Ford Pickup at a similar age at my house. I done the welding/paint and he done everything else.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by rgpete

My son & I did a frame off restoration of a 87 YJ Jeep that started in 2007 and done in 2010 and he did 90% of it, all said and done it was $12000 sold it for $5000.He got it at the age of 14 and was driving it when he turned 17 the sane day he got his drivers license. Bottom line its hard to break even. Mr happy in the pictures

Very Nice Impala Good Luck!

Originally Posted by bnorth

That is cool. My much younger brother done that with a 1950 Ford Pickup at a similar age at my house. I done the welding/paint and he done everything else.

I had dreams when I was in school of doing that with a late 1940s pickup. My dad and friends didn't have that kind of knowledge, so it just kind of went by the wayside.

The Impala falling into our hands as a gift was fulfillment of an old dream.

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[Mark17]

Originally Posted by todeen

I called the buyer on my lunch break to satisfy my wife. I think I got three sentences in. He wasn't rude, but he did all the talking. Here was our conversation.

My sentences:
"Hello, I'm the owner of the Impala."
"$22k is my tipping point."
"Goodbye."

His statements:
"Your car doesn't make money sense."
"I can't get a paint job for less than $30k. You're car will be too expensive if I pay more than $20k. I can buy a restored Impala for $50k."
"I'm going to have to pay tax on your car."
"$20k is the best I can do, take it or leave it. I'm ready to walk away."
"If you want to advertise it nationally, and have to deal with the hassle, good luck to you."

I'm curious, and I'm ignorant on this topic, but does it really cost $30,000+ to get a car painted?

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I'm curious, and I'm ignorant on this topic, but does it really cost $30,000+ to get a car painted?

I'm not an expert on price tiers. But I do know a paint job is expensive. For some reason on these classics they require a special kind of paint, or multiple coats. Someone else should know better.

When we received the Impala, we were told to just drive it and enjoy it. Because once we invested $$$ for paint and upholstery we would no longer find enjoyment in the car. We would be worried and paranoid about it getting damaged.

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[CW]

Here are some auction based options. I don't know which one would be the best fit for your car, but they might be worth checking out if you are not in a big hurry to sell:

https://worldwideauctioneers.com/auctions

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/

https://carsandbids.com/

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I'm curious, and I'm ignorant on this topic, but does it really cost $30,000+ to get a car painted?

Yes for a real paint job. They remove every nut, bolt, and screw from the entire vehicle. That way they repaint the entire vehicle without a ton of seams. Many also bake the paint on so it is as good or better than at the factory. The cheaper places tape off the chrome/windows and spray on some new paint. So there is very little labor and the paint doesn't last near as long.