Hey guys,

So my best friend is giving me first crack at his absolutely pristine STI soon, but to afford it I'll need to get rid of my beloved Cooper S.

I've never sold a car, let alone a modded car, so I was hoping to find some wisdom here on the boards. I've basically given my car the JCW package but without the JCW name. I feel like to some buyers this would decrease the price of the car, while other buyers (such as myself) would look on it as a huge plus. Have any of you ever sold a modified car? Whats the best way to approach this? Should I list an ad in the NAM marketplace? Carmax? For-Sale sign in the window? I would love any insight you guys might have.

For the record my car is:
'02 MCS
67k Miles

and Has:
15% pulley
Webb-Motorsports/Powerchip ECU flash
Alta CAI
Milltek Cat-Back exhaust
Alta Adjustable rear swaybar

Thanks guys, i could really use some guidance here!

 

Ive had pretty good luck on craigslist. Just take oodles of pictures and list out exactly what you've done. Also maybe put an add on autotrader.com

 

It certainly wouldn't hurt to list it in the marketplace, because you're more likely to find someone like minded. And I believe carmax does the inspection and makes the offer for free, so it could be an option, though it would be closer to trade in not private party type sale, so you might take a hit on it. Otherwise I'd list it everywhere that it's an option to do so, giving you more odds of it being put in front of the right set of eyes. And a good detail helps the value too, as well as if you're willing to put in a little tie and offer it closer to stock as an option (statistically modifications hurt resale value).

But the MINI is more fun than the STi anyways

 

when ive sold cars in the past there are two basic routes
1. un-mod and sell stock

2. sell modded

both have advantages and disadvantages. either way you go take a ton of good pictures. it always helps to sell if you have a lot of detailed pictures.

 

I sold my MINI on the Marketplace here. It was heavily modded, but I removed all the easy stuff so that I could sell separately and make more money.

I would leave it modded, unless you have trouble selling it. then consider selling it in stock form.

List on here first, ..its free, and if you are on here, buyers know you likely take care of your car. 2nd, try eBay. If you list it as a classified ad, then it can run for a month free of charge, but the only people that live within a small radius to your zip code can see it. You can list it auction style, with a reserve, and you do not have to pay a dime unless it sells. If it sells, its a $125 flat fee. (I sold my Mazdaspeed6 this way.)

If all those fail, look into autotrader and cars.com Putting a sign in your car can't hurt either, the more exposure you can get, the better.

goodluck

 

I'd also add, people are going to buy your car for the looks, wear and tear, and maintenance. Clean it up nice and hopefully all your mods look neat and clean as if they were stock. Make sure you document up front dents, dings, paint scratches, w&t on the seats, carpet, and interior moulding. People will be more apt to buy if they feel they "know" everything about your car in a positive light. Hopefully there won't be to many detractors as this is an older car as well. Last but not least, assure the buyer that maintenance was routine and you have extensive documentation. Take numerous pictures after a thorough cleaning and waxing as people will be like moths to a light if they can see the car from all angles inside and out before they buy. Just my two cents.

 

In addition to what all was said here, if you really want to try and get the most out of your MINI, and it's in really pristine condition, you can get a professional appraisal. This will most likely put the value above blue book.

Also, compare yours against similar ads, like here on NAM, on Craigslist, and in the local Auto Trader (if you have one nearby). Many of the '02 and '03 MCS' I've seen for sale lately have been around $10K give or take.