dusting off and selling - guidance needed please

[Webby]

Hi all,

This is my first post so apologies if it's in the wrong place.

Due to my growing family I have finally accepted that it's time to sell my moggy that I have owned for 20 years. It has been sitting in my mum's garage for the past 2-3 years and hasn't been touched.

My question is what should I do/not do to bring it out of hibernation? I presume that charging the battery and pressing the starter button would be a bad idea, but other than that I'm at a loss. Do sympathetic mechanics make home visits? Does anyone have any hints for people to use in the Sheffield area?

Another question is how do I get a realistic valuation? It's a 1953 split screen factory convertible and I paid about £2,800 in 1990. However, those were the days when classic cars were going for silly money so I realise things are different now. I've spent a fair amount over the years, a big chunk of which was 'underneath' although I lost all the receipts and can't remember exactly what that entailed. For some reason my mum had the front seats reupholstered a few years ago (they were a bit shabby but original) and I have no idea which way things like that would affect the value, if at all. Is there a way of getting it objectively valued? I do want to get what it is worth, but I need to be realistic.

Finally, I actually live in London. Does anyone think it would be easier to sell from down here?

Thanks for any advice you can offer,

Charlotte

[stephenpolhill]

Unfortunately I am not that clued up on valuation or preparing a stored car for sale (apart from a bit of rust treating a cleaning!). I am sure someone on here will be able to help you out and quite a few people will be able to give a rough idea. They're a great lot!

[Dean]

A '53 cheesegrater convertible isn't a rare car, but not a particular common one neither. Therefore with an MOT, it would be worth considerably more than without one. So where do you start.

If it were me and you have the time:

1. change oil, oil filter, plugs, points, condenser.... charge battery.
2. Fill gearbox and rear diff up with oil.
3. get it started (it will, mine stood for longer).
4. Release the brakes and see if you can get them working efficiently (I had to renew every pipe, wheel cylinder and master cylinder).
5. Get it out in the open air and generally check for rust (mine needed minimal welding and mine had been stood since 1986).
6. If happy, book in for MOT... fingers crossed it may pass ask the garage to service it for you too.
7. Flog it on here or put it on a classic car website (I'd avoid ebay... it will sell but perhaps for less than you and we think it's worth).

Okay you could be talking several weeks work, but you could be looking at the difference between a few hundred pounds to well over £1000 pounds for the effort. Obviously all this depends on it overall appearance. Some digital pictures may help us anoraks with something a little more accurate.

It'll make a nice motor for someone.

[Webby]

Thanks!

I'll be going up to my mum's next weekend and will take some pictures.

[LouiseM]

Hi Charlotte,

It might be worth contacting the Barnsley branch of the MMOC as they have members in the Sheffield area and there may be someone nearby who will take a look at the car for you and give an honest appraisal of it's condition & value. Photos can help to give an idea but they're no substitute for thoroughly examining a car to identify all of the good and not so good points.

Here's their website, with contact details: http://barnsleyminors.co.uk/

Finally, I actually live in London. Does anyone think it would be easier to sell from down here?

Well it's difficult to say really. Sheffield is more central so will possibly attract buyers from a wider geographical area, as some potential Minor buyers seem to not want to travel too far to view suitable vehicles. On the other hand, as there aren't too many split screen convertibles around, to some buyers distance won't really be an issue. Depending on condition, if the car isn't driveable, or needs a lot of work to get an MOT, you'll need to factor in transport costs too. You won't necessarily be able to ask a higher price just because the car is in London (although everything down here seems to be more expensive than everywhere else!) so I think you'll be just as likely to sell it in Sheffield than London, providing it's priced right. Good luck