Should I Sell My Car?

[tofu1413]

hm...

its a priceless car imo.. wont be able to buy it back with the same money..

if the issues have been adressed already... why not just keep it.

[hk20000]

I see that you already have your transportation figured out - your mum's minivan.

so if your insurance is in good standing then you might as well change the van's name to your own....then you are already sorted for the collector's plate insurance.

the idea is if your spec of the model (CDN model) comes in less than 1500 made worldwide and is identifiable by VIN (Apparently Mercedes can figure it out by the serial no.) you can have it insured as collector's car at 15 years old.

Otherwise the requirement is 25 years old.

The C36 engine runs on a timing chain so you shouldn't have any imminent surprise problems any time soon anyway and if the bodywork is the only thing that needs attention right now I'd say just kind of fix it and drive it until 2012 and then go from there?

Anyway good luck. Here's my car:

the numbers mark all the parking lot dings and dents I had to get fixed with Dr. Dent last year..... and this year I dropped a tool box onto the fender QQ.

Not gonna bother fixing it until 2012 now ROFL.

And here is the cac.canada@mercedes-benz.ca reply to my inquiry about the number of C36s produced:

Thank you for your reply. Sales data is as follows:

1994 = model not offered in Canada
1995 = 67 units sold
1996 = 87 units sold
1997 = 51 units sold

[underscore]

I would say keep it, I'm in a similar situation with my car (keep the one I've sunk lots of money into, or give up and move on). One of the things that I thought of and considered, is that you have a lot of money sunk into the car. Now not only will you lose that money when you sell the car, but can you be sure that the car you buy to replace it will have received the same level of maintenance and repair? Or will it be needing a lot of money as well shortly after you buy it?

So unless the car is seriously lacking in something that you would like to change by going to a different car (in my case, I'd like a bit more power and RWD) I'd say stick with your current car for a few more years, then get it qualified for collectors plates and consider selling it when it qualifies.

[whynot22]

Hrm, okay. Many thanks to all who've given good advice.

I think I've made a tentative decision. Even though I've spent so much money just to get this car back in working order, I can't justify spending future money on premium gas and expensive upkeep. AND insurance. Yikes.

Need to work it out, but am considering selling the C36 and mom's Town and Country. I'm hoping to buy something like a station wagon - something fuel efficient and normal to drive with a bit more cargo space - as a sort of compromise. Is this even a sane idea?

BTW, the C36 has sizeable paint scrapes on the back bumper. And as mentioned before, the stereo is locked. How difficult would selling be with those in mind? I don't want to buy a new stereo if I plan on selling the car.

[Phil@rise]

You jumped into a car without fully looking into the costs associated with ownership mistake number one.
Mistake number two is jumping into another car and dumping this one at a significant loss.
Take into consideration how much money you will lose by selling this one and also question your motives for doing so.
A) you'll lose a 3rd of your investment. Will the new car make up for that in fuel saving over the next couple years?
B)you'll lose a 3rd of your investment. Will the new car make up for that in maintenance savings?
C) you'll lose a 3rd of your investment. Will the new car make up for that in combined fuel and maintenance savings.
If you drive as little as you suggest you do. I'd suspect no, you will not reclaim much of the loses by selling your Merc at a huge hit. Secondly your Merc has done all its major depreciation already and whatever your considering buying may not have so when its time to sell in a couple of years you will have lost even further from that hit.

Your stereo can be unlocked Mercedes just needs the vin off the deck usually and the cars vin.

[hscpq]

I'd say sell the car immediately. If you are not a car guy and you're concern about fuel efficiency, repair cost...etc, get rid of that car while you can, otherwise C36 is nice car. Mercedes is known for problems, one day your window might stop working, the fuel gauge might be at full when the tank is empty, seat and side mirrors stop working, check engine on due to a bad O2 sensor, a worn out steering dampner, bad ball joints...etc.
Have you ever consider getting a Toyota Prius?

[Dragon-88]

Keep it have some fun and get rid of it when cash flow is better.

[ilvtofu]

If you don't drive much I don't think your gas mileage is something you should worry about, Won't be much difference for you in terms of money if you buy a civic etc. and definitely get a replica bumper. You clearly don't need a car so is parking it in storage for a while an option for you? Remember one year of insurance money, especially if you're a fairly new driver and have been in an accident, is more than enough to make your car perfect, and storage insurance is pretty cheap

The question is, do you even like the car that much? I used to drive a Z31 300zx, sounded great and looked pretty good too, but it was absolutely horrible to drive in the city and the clutch wasn't in the best shape. I could've spent 1000-2000 fixing it and making it perfect again. But I ended up selling and losing 4000 on it. but still that was $3k in my pocket from selling that could go into my current car or whatever else I wanted to do with it. I didn't really feel like letting go of the Z for a while but now that it's gone don't really miss it either, sure it was more fun than my current car but it's nowhere near as good. It was my first car too so it had some sentimental value and if I managed to let go of that fine so can you.

Remember even if you just buy a civic for 4-6k you'll still be paying 3k or more if you get full coverage for insurance. And like HK20000 said you'll be paying a small fraction of that for insurance a few years down the road. (However I think you need to have another car insured but don't quote me on that) But like I said before it's not about money, it's about whether you want the car. And you haven't really said anything nice about the car so I'm thinking you don't need that hole in your wallet.

Maybe invest that money or something, there's definitely better ways to spend it. It's not about how much you paid it's more about shifting your net worth. If theres something else you want and you can afford it then go for it! That's something you have to ask yourself and we can't help you decide. I personally really like the car but that's just my opinion, I pointed it out to my gf on Sunday, telling her that's the one I want if I had the money, did you happen to be at RC outside Pearl Castle on sunday?

[whynot22]

I was parked near the Famous Players at RC on Sunday, so that was likely me. The only other silver C36 in Van I know of has uhh, a spoiler.

But yah, it IS a super nice car. Its just a car I think I oughtta have when I'm 32 and have a real job. From what I see, selling this car is gonna be at a loss no matter what. Seeing as I don't drive all the time, fuel costs aren't a paramount concern. However, the big thing for me is just that, as handsome as this car is - I just always feel 'ugh-ish' when I drive it. That's a stupid reason, but it's a reason. Also, I feel like a douchebag for driving a way fancier car than my dad.

Oh, and I went to Mercedes dealership about my radio. Guy said since I didn't buy it from them he couldnt (wouldnt) help me.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by whynot22

Hello, new to the forum. Apologies if this sort of thread is not allowed or in the wrong section.

I have a 97 Mercedes C36 AMG.
I just got my license, had saved up some money; and not going to lie, had funds from family. I hadn't done much research on what kind of car I really needed/wanted and honestly, bought it on impulse from a small dealership.
I did not get it checked by a mechanic, and lo and behold it had a plethora of problems.
Anywho, after spending over 5 grand I got it to full functioning order. And of course, me being a wonderfully good driver I got into a minor parking accident that knocked off my front bumper, which thanks to my car's rarity cost over 1g to replace.

Okay, so I've spent almost 18g on this car. I know if I tried to sell it, Id get at best 10g, less with the damage I've done to it. Thing is, now that I've lived with it, I definitely know I do NOT want a premium gas using lux car that costs thousands to fix.

My question is: Would it be best to cut my losses and sell the car before it bleeds me even further? Or to hang onto it seeing as I've spent so much to get it running?

THANKS.

Notes:
I don't drive it as a daily commuter. I use it on weekends and for errands such as groceries.
Also, the radio is locked. Merc Dealerships and the dealership I got it from claim they have no way of obtaining the radio code. Any ideas?

Dude, I am in your same situation.

I have about $10K into repairs of my 2003 C230. With 185K kms is has a trade in value of $6K and private sale value of $8K. There's no way I could recoup the $$$ I've put into this car. (all the haters, save your comments for fight club) The only way to recoup the $$$ is to drive the car into the ground. You have a nice car, everything is fixed, it is running well, keep it.

The good news is that nothing has broken in 3 years. Once all the little repairs were done this car has been super reliable. Your car should be the same from what I understand of the W202 platform. Sure accidents are going to cost more cause Mercedes parts are harder to find, yet luckily your C36 shares many parts with the rest of the C-class so you should beable to find cheaper used parts to swap - like a radio as hk2000 points out.

[taylor192]

Ignore all the fuel efficiency and premium fuel non-sense unless you're commuting 100 kms/day.

I commute 30 kms/day, 15 each way. In a normal year I will average ~10K kms at ~10L / 100km city driving. If 91 costs me $1.25, that's $1250/yr in gas. By switching to 87 I will save ~$200/yr, or ~$16/mn.

I waste more than $16/mn on beer. Fuel efficiency is a terrible argument unless you're driving a ton.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by whynot22

I think I've made a tentative decision. Even though I've spent so much money just to get this car back in working order, I can't justify spending future money on premium gas and expensive upkeep. AND insurance. Yikes.

Why is your insurance so much? The insurance on my 2dr C230 is about the same as a Nissan sentra, I cannot imagine the C36 costing that much more.

Originally Posted by whynot22

And as mentioned before, the stereo is locked. How difficult would selling be with those in mind? I don't want to buy a new stereo if I plan on selling the car.

I would not buy a car with a non-working stereo, and I am a car guy capable of easily replacing it. Imagine the typical Mercedes buyer who knows nothing about cars - they will shy away from it cause they'll expect to pay a fortune at a garage to change it.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by whynot22

And a really lame aside, but I regret how conspicuous a Merc is. Like, I think this is one of the handsomest cars out there. It's got the box shape I like and it's just shaped like what a car ought to in my mind. HOWEVER, it's a Mercedes, the very name is associated with luxury. I know I shouldnt care what others think, but it definitely paints me as a bit of a douche. It's not exactly understated.

There's so many C-classes, A-series, 3-series, ... in Vancouver, the boxing W202 just doesn't stand out anymore. Don't worry about the douche factor, it is just another car now as far as most people are concerned. Only a few will recognize and appreciate the C36 and AMG badges.

[sonick]

^ Spotted you yesterday. Can't remember where, south Vancouver or Richmond...

[PK-EK]

go lease a M3 like all of your other friends

Leasing is best = Always driving new cars, no maintenance

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

Originally Posted by sonick

^ Spotted you yesterday. Can't remember where, south Vancouver or Richmond...

DId you use a set of binoculars or you spotted him 5 blocks away with your poor eye sight.

Originally Posted by PK-EK

go lease a M3 like all of your other friends

Leasing is best = Always driving new cars, no maintenance

[alex.w *//]

acura csx

[whynot22]

http://www.revscene.net/forums/fs-97...s-t628330.html

Up for sale.

[Mananetwork]

Originally Posted by hk20000

Give me a PM and we can chill and talk about our Mercs over some bubble tea or something. Cheers.

Dont do it, it's a man date!

[DC5-S]

I'm in the same situation as OP. The cost of my car plus all I have spent in it almost reaches 30k. Now the fucking car is only worth 13-15k and it pisses me off everytime I think about it. That money was hard earned and I can think of a million better uses for it. I don't care for my car like I use to. But I'm stuck with it now and I will drive it to the ground. I was a dumb kid when I bought the car, I wish I never bought it
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