Is it better to Trade or Sell highly Customised/Modified Vehicles?

[HEM19X]

As the subject suggests, we are looking to turn over our 2010 BT50 which has been customised to suit our needs. When we traded our Courier [which had a customised drawer & fridge slide in it] the dealer suggested that it should be removed as we would get nothing for it... That said some weeks after it we sold, the new owner actually approached me to see if I still had them, he subsequently bought them, so maybe the dealers don't know everything!

While it has all the "normal" mods - Bull Bar, winch, driving lights, Aux. battery, long range fuel tank, suspension upgrade etc etc, we have also added a custom canopy that includes a stack of 12v lighting & plugs [ciggie, hella & Anderson] a 60L ARB fridge on a platinum drop slide, drawer, tie down rails & pull out drop shelf, compressor rear view cameras.

While the canopy has a WOW factor [I have lost count of how many people want to check it out] I feel that the canopy MAY be a negative when trying to get the best price possible if trading it in but this is the easiest way to get a deal done. The other option is to try & sell it privately which may take longer but get us a better return for the money we have spent on it.


So, what experiences have you Swaggers had?

Thanks in advance

[baldheadedgit]

Trade is like making a donation to there Xmas fund.... sell it privately,  leave all the bells and whistles on it, see how it goes.... then if no luck start to remove the goodies...
sold my hilux recently,  had all tne gear on it........ not one call, striped it back to bear bones ... sold within a week. ?..

[time]

X 2

My old Hilux sold without the canopy, drawers, second set of wheels etc.  Got what I asked for it, which was my original price with all the goodies.  Sold the goodies separately and made a nice little bundle from them, that otherwise I would not have.  The last thing I would do is trade in.

[JCOJ]

I just sold my Pajero which was highly accessorised for $8,000 more than I was offered as a trade in, and I have two back ups at the same price if the first person pulls out (we are 99% there so I doubt it).

The dealers don't appreciate a vehicle with accessories, plus they need to make money off the car too, hence why the low value they offer.

Stick it on carsales, get some great photography done with the car having an appealing background, and you should be fine.

[swanny]

Hem, defo go for a private sale to start with mate, with the extras you have on the vehicle, and how it is set up you will find that there will be 4wd enthusiasts out there that will be interested, BUT, patience will be required, it may take time but in the end it will be worth it.

The other part to the equation is PRICE, im not sure wat $$$ your looking for, and I guess it goes with out saying, but if you make it attractive dollar wise you will move it on much quicker.

At the end of the day if trying to sell privately doesn't work then you can always go the trade option.

Good luck in any event.

Swanny

 

[Diesel Power]

Yeah try to sell it with all accessories ( or all the ones you don't want for new vehicle ).
I sold my old HZJ105 that way because someone was looking for a 105 with everything on it, he even took the other set of rims with muddies on them that were on camper trailer.
Regards
Angus.

[GeoffA]

Try selling privately with all the fruit.

If trading, strip it.

[Black Diamond]

Try selling privately with all the fruit.

If trading, strip it.

Agree 100%

[Watty2975]

Agree, private is the way to go, sold our highly modified Patrol last year with all the gear for exactly what we asked.

However dealers need to move cars. We have traded previously. Work out what is fair bearing in mind they need to on sell it and stick to your price. If they know you are a serious buyer you will be surprised what you will achieve. There will also be some give and take on the new car.

Good luck

[muzza01]

Private sale. Highlight all of the accessories in the write up. Make sure there are plenty of pics in your ad. I notice all of the time people don't advertise their vehicle properly. If there is space to insert 10 pics make sure you take 10 pics.

[gronk]

Whatcha getting Hem ??

[Hairs]

Whatcha getting Hem ??

Yeah, Come on, tell us, we wont tell anyone else 

[dazzler]

If I want to move something quickly I price it between what I would get as a trade and what is being asked privately.

Say the vehicle would trade for $20k.  It would probably sell private for $28k.  So list it at $24k and make a note that you are selling it at the wholesale price (they have no idea what that is as it is dependent on the price of the new vehicle and whether they want to sell the new one quick).

You will pick up the 4k that you would lose in trade and also get the purchase down for no trade.

With highly modified vehicles though I think its best if you can take your time.

[doc evil]

Highly modified..........wtf....standard accessories if ya ask me......

I modified my vehicle to keep, not hand on to some nuffty or even worse strip out.....anyways it'll be too hard to weld the back on again.......

[rodsswag]

Sell private is better if you can hold on that long.
With last 2 4wd I've sold
last one was custom built for the cape.
I only had it for just over a year and took about 3 months to sell at what I asked for.
And it went back to Cairns to do the cape again.

One before that I just wanted it gone .
Lost about 3-5K but Happy I did it.
Just depends on what you're looking for.

If you can wait do it.
If not cut the losses and trade.



Rod..........

[geopaj]

If I want to move something quickly I price it between what I would get as a trade and what is being asked privately.

Say the vehicle would trade for $20k.  It would probably sell private for $28k.  So list it at $24k and make a note that you are selling it at the wholesale price (they have no idea what that is as it is dependent on the price of the new vehicle and whether they want to sell the new one quick).

You will pick up the 4k that you would lose in trade and also get the purchase down for no trade.

With highly modified vehicles though I think its best if you can take your time.

I actually bought my last car from someone who did exactly this. Win-win situation. He got more than the trade in value and I got a cheap car, that I otherwise would not have been able to afford (would have had to buy an older model 

[HEM19X]

Whatcha getting Hem ??

Probably getting something similar.. maybe a Cruiser Dual Cab or another BT/Ranger... then do the custom canopy all over again!!

Highly modified..........wtf....standard accessories if ya ask me......

I modified my vehicle to keep, not hand on to some nuffty or even worse strip out.....anyways it'll be too hard to weld the back on again.......

That's what I said... all the usual mods... the main thing is canopy... very unique.

[gronk]

IF you go the Ranger route, check the measurements, the "old" canopy may fit the new 4wd ??

[HEM19X]

IF you go the Ranger route, check the measurements, the "old" canopy may fit the new 4wd ??

Thought of that but the new Rangers have the same specs as the BT's

[McTavish]

I assume you will advertise it on MySwag too?

[HEM19X]

I assume you will advertise it on MySwag too?

Yep, as the BT50 is specifically set up for towing & remote travel & camping, it will certainly be advertised here 1st.

From my discussions with a couple of dealers, they really aren't going to give me great trade in & had suggested that selling privately would be best.

Rest assured, I won't be asking for too much.

Watch this Space [or at least the classified]s.