Filthy Cars For Sale

[Brute 33]

Over last weekend I was looking at a few AU XR6 sedans for a friend that are for sale privately in the Sydney / Blue Mountains area , and OMG what a mess these vehicles are , food ,rubbish ,not vacuumed ,some not evened washed or polished.....and they all claim to be in "Good condition".......yeah right...and the price that ask ....wow

And under the bonnet , well just blow me away with oil leaks ,plenums full of leaves and just general poor maintenance.

To me if you are trying to sell your vehicle then presentation is everything .I have sold a few cars over the years and always make sure that the vehicle is well presented as if I was going to buy it.

So are people just lazy or they couldn't care ?

[kaniSS]

Lazy, plain and simple.

[krzysiek]

I would also chime in and said the people are stupid. You want to sell it? Make it look good, at least!

[deesun]

One of the reasons I don't like buying privately, sellers get sick of keeping their car clean if they haven't sold it in a couple of weeks. Some I have seen haven't even been cleaned in the first place. Oh and good luck trying to view the car. "yeah mate you can come over between 8 and 9 in the morning or I'll be home for half an hour at 12.20 other than that it's two weeks from next Thursday." So sick of that.

[kinksta]

Well my G6ET was held up a day because it needed "detailing". When I got home, I detailed it properly. The engine was covered in water marks, especially under the bonnet lid (duh how did water get up there?). Dusted the interior, etc.

I wanted to go back and ask, who did it so I could show them...but at the same time I had just met BOOST.

[jphanna]

there is a counter view to this. i remember going with my brother years ago, when he was looking for a V8 charger. (back then they were a just few grand...), anyway i noticed the engine bay was not clean, and the oil on the dipstick was pitch black. i told my brother that they havnt changed the oil in a long time, so be weary. he told me that the dip stick was right to the top rather than near the bottom, so even though they arent looking after it....it wasnt clearly burning oil. so in this case seeing the REAL condition of the car was seen as a positive, rather than a quickly cleaned up car ready for a sale. myself i have always bought spotless cars, and kept them that way.

[Jim Goose]

To most people a car is a throw away item... good for driving from point A to B. A lot of people are also lazy, filthy pigs.... I would bet the house looks like a dump inside too.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

To most people a car is a throw away item... good for driving from point A to B. A lot of people are also lazy, filthy pigs.... I would bet the house looks like a dump inside too.

Nail. Head.

[lupin]

Well I've looked plenty at cars at dealers that aren't clean.

Matter of fact, I've brought cars home from dealers then cleaned them, because they didn't do a good enough job.

[RAPID_BA]

If they can't be bothered washing it I'd bet they missed the maintenence servicing over time as well. Otherwise they are trying to hide the dings and hail damage by not washing.

I would argue a clean car commands a higher price so punish them with lowball offers, ridiculous offers. When they try and argue tell them they keep it like a pig so you can only pay for a pigs penn.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

If they can't be bothered washing it I'd bet they missed the maintenence servicing over time as well. Otherwise they are trying to hide the dings and hail damage by not washing.

That's usually the first impression I get as well. Also pays to notice the premises the car is parked at for a basic indication of what kind of family they are. Smokers trays out front, kids toys, smell, condition of the front yard and things like that can answer the condition of the car to some extent. Just coz they washed it once for sale doesnt mean its in good order too. I guess a personal list to tick off when doing an initial inspection is required when buying private too.

I tend to check out the paint quality first off. Mainly to see any swirl marks, tree sap, bird poo stains and anything else that tells me where it gets parked or has been parked in its day to day life. Then look at the condition of the seats, stains on the carpet, rips and tears on the stitching, marks on the trim etc.

Under the bonnet, this can be taken a few ways, if its been steam cleaned, it sometimes is done to hide oil stains, leaks and anything else they can. Some discretion is advised if this is the case. Sometimes a slightly dusty, but relatively untouched engine bay can reveal any potential issues a car may or may not have. A independent vehicle inspection can uncover most hidden anomalies a seller is hiding. Sure a cost on the buyers part, but small price to pay for some peace of mind.

[gcg2503]

Perhaps they have washed the car two or three times before only to have the buyer/tyre kicker/ KJ not turn up

I can understand people getting over washing the car for someone who "may" turn up

[Geez Louise]

I remember looking at a wagon back in the early 90's...The car was full of empty coke cans, empty chip packets, kids clothes everywhere, cigarette butts in the ashtray....YUK!

Looked like someone had been living in the car and he wanted top dollar for it and couldn't understand why he wasn't even getting an offer on it.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Its a tough one..

I can see the problem if the person is still using the car as a daily driver, but usually you can tell if they have tried, the interior is easy to get ready in 5 minutes before someone comes and inspects, and once you have detailed under the bonnet etc it should stay like that for a fair while!

[Bucknaked]

You would think a basic clean would be in order. Just a wash and chamois as well as removing rubbish from inside and a quick vaccum. They don't need a 10 hour detail, just some periodic cleaning to sell the car.

[pottery beige]

Im shocking... i aways wash nice n clean and tell dudes everything thats wrong with the car...... its stuffed worn out but still a good car was the last one...(91 diesel hilux 4x4)...

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I remember looking at a wagon back in the early 90's...The car was full of empty coke cans, empty chip packets, kids clothes everywhere, cigarette butts in the ashtray....YUK!

Sounds like this guy I know, got given his mum's wagon and the way he keeps it is absolutely atrocious. The back and front passenger seat are piled high with rubbish, bits of stale Maccas dropped everywhere, food rubbed into the carpet, sticky drinks spilled all over the place.. not only that but the exterior is filthy and it has this terrible body kit that has started to fall apart thanks to careless parking..

It takes almost no time to keep a car clean. Cheap mats to protect the carpet and a vacuum out every few weeks and a good wipe down to get rid of any dust/fluff.

[DJR-351]

Cars...pfft....

Try buying a used 50ft yacht....

[Geez Louise]

I'll see your 50ft yacht and raise you - buying a new house!

One place was open for inspection and the person that lives there (possibly a tenant), just casually walked out 2 mins before the home open...left dirty dishes in the sink and all!

[grandpa_spec_F6]

My car was "detailed" by ford before I bought it... as in they left it in the rain overnight and I picked it up the next day.

When I sold it the darn thing was cleaner than from factory! Paint was polished, leather conditioned with good quality wax products, carpets shampood etc.

I believe your car says a lot about the person you are, and at the moment mine would imply chaotic and desperatly in need of a shower!

[flappist]

Some people actually drive their cars very regularly rather than just on weekends and don't just wander about the inner suburbs.
As they tend to be dirty about 30 seconds after they are washed, mine are cleaned about once or twice a month except in wet season when they are never washed except by rain almost every day.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Realistically which car do you want?

a) Immaculate, shiny, perfect interior, never serviced, never fluid checked and old cheapest tyres possible (but elegantly blacked), always driven from dead cold on short runs of only 2 or 3 km at a time?

b) Dirty, stone chipped, crap on the floors but mechanically maintained by professionals on a regular basis, best fluids, best tyres & suspension components and warmed before mostly long runs?

I suppose it comes down to whether your main reason for acquiring it is to drive it or be seen standing next to it.........

[ray38l]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I'll see your 50ft yacht and raise you - buying a new house!

One place was open for inspection and the person that lives there (possibly a tenant), just casually walked out 2 mins before the home open...left dirty dishes in the sink and all!

probably the last place i rented lol. My landlord was an idiot and would give me 10 minutes notice of someone coming to look at the place. I knew my rights but couldnt be bothered arguing so just left the place messy. I then decided to up the ante by leaving my collection of picture magazines opened to the centrefold on my dining table. It took them a long time to sell that place.
Since moving to a mining town i have given up on trying to keep my car spotless. Its not worth it because you clean it and the next day its got coal dust all over it.

[joolz]

Originally Posted by jphanna

seeing the REAL condition of the car was seen as a positive, rather than a quickly cleaned up car ready for a sale.

In a way i would prefer the engine bay to have a little amount of dirt in it as alot as just quoted above clean it up just for the sale washing away any oil leaks and so on. Later on the oil leaks appear after the sale with no warranty or proof it wasnt there before the sale.

[xbcool]

it's not hard to keep a car reasonably clean without going over the top.

my young niece had the dirtiest car I'd ever seen
12months old mazda 3 full of fast food wrapper etc the car had never been washed due to sheer lazyness, she was going to trade for a new car and was told by myself to clean said car , after much wingeing and grizzling and some help from me she washed polished and cleaned the cartop to bottom .

her comment was the car never looked so good I think I'll keep this car and still has it 4 years later (washed most weekends)


steve

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I believe your car says a lot about the person you are, and at the moment mine would imply chaotic and desperatly in need of a shower!

+1

In saying that, it takes no time at all to give a car a decent clean. If you do it often enough, it really doesn't take that long the next time, particularly the inside.

[Dezza]

My AU when I bought it was fairly clean except the wheels... which were disgusting. The brake dust made a real mess of the finish. It does come up pretty good with a clean though.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by kinksta

Well my G6ET was held up a day because it needed "detailing". When I got home, I detailed it properly. The engine was covered in water marks, especially under the bonnet lid (duh how did water get up there?). Dusted the interior, etc.

I wanted to go back and ask, who did it so I could show them...but at the same time I had just met BOOST.

Got to admit we didn't really have a look under the bonnet of our G6E when we bought it, as we'd been checking out XR6's and knew what they all looked like under there. If it had been a turbo maybe I'd have had a look what was different.
I know what you mean about water spots. The engine was covered in them and the alloy parts of the engine and the cover of the computer on the passenger side were all covered in white corrosion spots. Don't know what they used to wash it with...some people just don't take a little care...

[Hitman]

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/...d=12F37373A58A

Check the engine bay pic...
2 minutes at the car wash would have made it look 10x better.

[Jim Goose]

There seems to be some obcession with cleaning engine bays when a car is for sale... you only need to clean it to pass roadworthy! (not to mention rusty looking engines then put some people off)

Seriously though, id rather the car was maintained well, with a clean interior and washed. If the engine a dirty engine bay it wouldnt bother me.

[2011G6E]

Lot of people pay $150 or so to a detailer to come around and wash and polish thier crapbucket. You'd be amazed at how good they can make a neglected car look with an hour or twos work.

Of course, underneath it's still the same neglected car...just a shiny neglected one now...