Am I doing it wrong?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

You guessed it, its the Ital. This car seems to be completely unsaleable. Allow me to tell the tale so far.

 

 

I bought this car off eBay for £200 a while ago. It was much smarter than I expected and drove well. it failed the MOT on some welding, which I did to a good standard, along with a service and a general check-over. It passed the MOT and I got it valeted at the local Kosovan Kar Wash. All good. By the time it was MOT'd I had found the car of my dreams, the RWD Pony so i decided to let the ital go. I put it up for £425 which to be fair would probably have left me £100 in the black overall after the cost of collecting it from London, the MOT, cam belt and so on. However, I took a day off work to do the welding and grafted on it for 14 hours non-stop - I would not normally do that for someone for £100. Anyway that will teach me for buying stuff off eBay that I dont need.

 

So, a month ago I put it up for sale. I put it on here, Retro-rides, Macdroitwich, and the PC forums. I also put it on carandclassic, and in the CCW newspaper. Pretty good coverage one would think. But:

 

How many viewings have I had? 1.

Some local feller came to look at it. He liked it and could not find any particular fault with it. But while he was looking at it, he spotted petrol dripping from his own car! I helped him fart about in my office car park investigating his fuel leak (holey tank). Of course, that put him right out of a car-buying mood so he cleared off promising to come back if fixing his own car (Ford Puma) didnt clean his wallet out.

 

How many calls? 1.

Some Irish guy rang up, and his opening line was 'whats the lowest you'll take for it?' Hearing this I automatically pigeon-holed him as a tyre-kicker and if i'm honest I probably was a bit dismissive with him. He had no computer so could not recieve any pics, and none of his friends had one either. Next he wanted to know if I could store it for 4 weeks till he could get it on the boat, by this point i felt certain that he was a waster and I fooked him off. He since called back a few times offering slightly shorter storage times etc but I had little faith in him so I gave him the brush off each time.

 

How many emails? 1.

Some lad in wiltshire was keen, but worked as a chef doing crazy hours and struggled to find the time to come and see it. He asked a fair few questions and seemed serious, never managed to get as far as a viweing though.

 

After 3 weeks I stuck it on eBay. It finished last night at just shy of £390. The winning bidder has not shown any sign of life yet. although his feedback is good. Then again feedback as a buyer is meaningless now isnt it, as it can only be positive! I stated in the ad I require a deposit within 48h so if I have heard nowt by tomorrow night i'll be reporting an unpaid item.

 

The ital has now been sitting around for a month and TBH i cant have it sitting around a lot longer. I can't see that the price is unreasonable. No-one has been to see it and said 'too much'. untested marinas + itals of unknown origin often make £2-300 on the bay if they loko complete and functional so you'd think £400 for a tidy runner with a years ticket is not a million miles off. If the price is the stumbling block i've not had anyone attempt to barter it down a bit anyway. Basically there has been an almost total lack of interest in it despite my best efforts. I know that getting folk to come an look at a car is only half the battle, and the other half is getting a sale sorted once they are there. but i'm not getting anyone even picking up the phone never mind coming to see it. Am I doing it wrong?

 

I am going to have to do something fairly drastic anyway, it can't sit here doing nowt much longer.

[Mike D]

It's not just you, I've not had one bite for my Tredia at £300Ah well... fancy an AS destruction derby Mr.B?

[Station]

I don't think anyone wants to buy anything at all at the moment.I'm trying to sell my kitcar (everyone's interested - nobody wants to buy) and my Starion (nobody wants to buy).

[Guest]

I dunno Bollox, but I appreciate your frustration. The worst bit is when people make loads of noises up until you actually sell it, my Galant was a very similar victim of that - whilst it wasn't for sale there were loads of people banging on about how superb and beige and RWD it was, but when they could have it all on a plate for not much cash they suddenly went quiet.If you're getting threatened with the sack for leaving it in the car park my offer stands by the way!

[dollywobbler]

Baffling. My theory is that the Marina/Ital just don't have the appeal of other BL shite. The Allegro and Princess look amazing, if not exactly gorgeous. The Marina/Ital just don't have a distinctive thing about them really. Before I get shot, I still like them! And if I had the cash (and maybe if someone had my sodding Subaru) I'd be revelling in my own slice of budget beige BL shite.If you want the Ital cheaper in the Apr16 issue of CCW, let me know asap!

[Mike D]

 

 

There you go! What's not a good idea about that?!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Hey wobbler! will my ad have appeared in more than 1 issue of CCW?

[Split_Pin]

I reckon most people who look at it will possibly see it as a second or 'hobby' car and as said above, when a feasible purchase makes itself available, they brick it and dont want to part with the cash.I get like that too, although I make a decision at the thinking stage rather than dicking someone about!Excellent motor though, perhaps with the sow season coming up it may sell soon though?

[pompei]

I thought it would've sold a dozen times over at that price and given the work you'd done to it. Maybe you could offer to scrap someone's car if they bought yours?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 

 

There you go! What's not a good idea about that?!

LOLZ! I feel like i'm at the 'world finals' or whatever its called already.

[Mr Lobster]

perhaps with the sow season coming up it may sell soon though?

Female pig season?Can't see why it hasn't sold really. Its a decent enough thing, its not expensive and there are enough people who are into old BL tat. Strange.

[dollywobbler]

Hey wobbler! will my ad have appeared in more than 1 issue of CCW?

Yeah, you get at least two weeks of advertising goodness. I was proofing the ads today and the beige beast just keeps leaping out at me.Sure you haven't got something else to lob in as swapsies for my Scooby?

[RedSparrow]

Top idea - 'Autoshite pre '85 series'Why don't you try the old 'IF I DNT GET £400 I WIL BANGAR IT I DNT CARE' or 'TOP GEAR HAVE OFERD ME £1000 4 IT' lines?

[M'coli]

Has this been onto ARonline's for sale board? Easily done if need be, there's more than one of us on here on there, could put up a link to an advert.[edit] bugrit, I've linked one to the Retrorides ad[/edit]

[Mr_Bo11ox]

If someone could stick it up on ARonline that would be great, heres the ebay ad:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0398858215

 

The price is 'roundabout what it made on eBay' though I would probably negotiate with someone stood in front of me. Phone number is O78OO 9O2396.

[Guest]

Actually, maybe your lack of contact is because thick people can't work out how to dial an "O"?

[morris_ital_lover]

Oh I wish I could buy it as it is right up my street I have even got the money for it but currently no storage and I wouldn't like to think what would happen if I brought that home!m0rris

[Torsten2001]

It was mine of course! My tale was that I bought it for £100 with literally 2 days MOT & Tax and I honestly thought that after I'd had it repaired I'd make a mint it was so lush and in my eyes highly desirable. So around £600 (probably lots more, I can't remember) worth of professional and discounted repairs later I 'bayed it on a no reserve auction and some deadbeat high bidder came in at about £400, luckily he was a no show so I then popped it on a buy it now at £650 and within hours it was sold...at a bit of a loss after new tax, MOT repairs etc. Can't understand why it hasn't sold at over a grand.You do get the promisers on here, RR and lots of other places that are all mouth and no trousers and it pisses me off but it happens, I firmly think that if you can afford some patience then take your time. It only takes one person to buy a car. Alternatively if you'll sell it to me for £100 I'd have it back, it still owes me! A stunning car nevertheless, don't lose hope and maybe try ebay classified with best offer?

[pogweasel]

I'll buy it if I can pay in installments [LOL]That said you know where I live....

[andrew e]

Its beige.... a colour that can never be justified to your other half. MrB I'll post it on AROnline for you, but I believe it is a FACTOID that a car has never been sold there ever I think Torsten even had a go last time with it. How about you drive it to Italy to taunt ITAL design

[andrew e]

Topped up the good work by M'coli with pictures

[Mr_Bo11ox]

MrB I'll post it on AROnline for you, but I believe it is a FACTOID that a car has never been sold there ever

LOL! Ah well if thats the case, I would say by all means post the ad, but dont put any contact details! I would hate to get embroiled in a scandal if a car actually did sell by accident!!

[andrew e]

This is the Ad

 

MORRIZ ITAL GR8 KONDITZION IDEAL FOR TOP GEAR RESERTCHERS.

 

WILL SWOP 4 GEORGE FORMAN GRILL

Oh F**K I ought to edit that

 

MORRIZ ITAL GR8 KONDITZION IDEAL FOR TOP GEAR RESERTCHERS.

 

WILL SWOP 4 GEORGE FORMAN GRILL

 

REASON 4 SALE MY HAMSTER HAS HAD BABIEZ AND I NEED A DEAWOOOO TACUMA

Phew !

[whitevanman]

Mr B I to cant understand why it didn't sell, Only reason I didn't buy it is my other half wouldn't look after it, and it would pain me to see her run it into the ground and destroy it through the lack of TLC, I ended up buying her an old battered and bruised £200 Fiesta, which can be binned if it falls apart

[Guest Kyle]

I'm not saying it is, but it may have something to do with it being in the higher tax bracket? I find that exempt or below 1600 cars make more than above 1600. If it's a car you only keep for occasional use and pleasure, it's a lot of money in tax just sitting there. Credit crunch doesn't help.

[VWPowered]

if i was in the UK Mr_bol

[Hertz]

Would it not look a bit better in the pics with the bottom of the wing in the same colour (or near enough the same colour rather than primer)?Try the Autotrader as well. If you remember I tried to advertise my Dad's Jeep Cherokee on here, ebay, and Pistonheads (all free to advertise) and got no takers at £395 with 12 Month's MOT. My dad put it on Autotrader for £495 and sold it from the internet before it hit the Publication on the Thursday. He had over 50 calls on it as well (probably 40 of those may have been "Marketing" calls tho). £20 for the advert in the "Bargin" section.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

just spoken to the second highest bidder on the phone. He seems super sound and is keen to do a deal so maybe it will find a new home yet.Now how can i get even on the totally silent winning bidder? I have got his home address and his email, I have also found him on the electoral roll but I can't get a phone number for him sadly, the one ebay have provived is a spurious number and his home address seems to be ex-directory. I have also found him on facebook, he appears to be a student at teesside Uni but I cant see his profile. Any tips on how to get revenge on this timewaster? of course I will wait another day or two before igniting the old spam cannon.

[Guest]

Various ideas spring to mind, why not send him a nice letter? I would go for one stating about you doing a County Court claim for non-payment. I can do the wording if you like. Obviously this won't result in payment, but it'd be a laugh I suppose.Alternatively just keep sending him jiffy bags full of random food waste.

[Pete-M]

I hope you manage to flog the bloody thing Mr. Bollox.I suggested the "Contact Top Gear" thing on the PC forum partly as a joke and partly to gee one of the tight-ass skinflint BL apologists on there into buying the f'kin thing.I'll give you 25p and a half sucked, overalls pocket fluffed Wurthers Original for it, if you deliver.