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Old 02-13-2007, 03:51 PM   #11 (permalink)
smooth
Junkie
 
Location: Right here
$1600 is the price I had in mind when I was reading through the thread.
What do I think you should ethically disclose?

well, for starters you have no idea what the clutch noise was. it could have been a bunch of rats for all you know! leave that out
the windshield, and really anything visual, is not your responsibility to disclose. it's the buyer's responsibility to observe.

that holds true for the alignment. that's one of the first things I personally observe when I buy a used car. but it's no big deal. alignments are around $50 or less if you've got a coupon and they come with normal wear and tear. that's not something "wrong" with the car any more so than you disclosing you've got worn wiper blades or a half tank of gas.

the tread wear is visible, the wear pattern is visible--you're not required by any standard I'd go by (moral, ethical, or legal) to explain everything you see is wrong with the car. wear is assumed, or the person would be paying 9K for a new one...yeah?

the e-brake. I'd say something along the lines of it's out of adjustment rather than it's broke. because, it actually is out of adjustment or the pads are worn. That's pretty rare though, because normal drivers only use the e-brake when they're stopped. most are self-adjusting, so try this around an empty parking lot: drive in reverse and put the brakes on a few times. See if it adjusts itself back up. or hubby gets to crawl under the car and he'll see a little hole in the rear wheel backing and in that little hole he will see what looks like a tiny gear. spin that gear with a flathead screwdriver and the e-brake pads will tighten back up. when all is said and done, though, it's minor and a brake shop will do it free of charge when you pay them $50 for the front and rear pads.

now, the cable could have broke or the last person to replace the brakes might have put them on backwards or lost a spring. all of those might be true, but you don't know and none of them are significant, but will give a lowballing prospective buyer reason to drive your price into the mud.

by the way, stop worrying because no one will buy your car for what you think it's worth...does that make you feel better New cars are the worst investment one can make.

BUT, if you want to maximize your chances of selling that kind of car, there are two places you can almost guarantee a generated sale: high school or college

high school: the add should be geared toward it's past reliability. the perfect time to mention that it's been cross-country. it's "ugly" to a teen, but perfect for the parents. inexpensive, safe, and well maintained (reliable).

college: cheap, reliable, gets good gas, perfect commuter
it's not pretty, but it's not supposed to be
it goes from point A to point B and does that well
it's $1600, half your loan dispursement, and will get you around until you earn that degree and get that new job.


I like the idea of cleaning the car...inside and out. powerwash that engine bay, take care of the stains with a good shampooing, and vacuum that sucker out. but DON'T even think of putting any money into it. when you drop $1000 into your car it will still be worth...$1600 to someone who's looking for a ford escort. oh, and a radio, even a cheap one, as long as music comes out goes a long way to getting your asking price.
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