Toying with a Breaker - Reality Checks, please

[Citroënbender]

I've been offered a 147 TS 5 door that has some useful bits for my purposes. Some, not all. It would leave me with other, possibly saleable stuff.

Price is not unreasonable, but past experience has me aware there's folly in spending work hours parting out a car when it will return less than my preferred hourly rate. 

Am I on the mark or close to, with the following as actual selling prices for Sydney suburbia (as opposed to some well-known traders' asking prices):

• Engine <130K with books and 24 months old belts/variator/stat/etc is worth about $200
• Leather seats (plain teabag pattern, not Ti stitching) including unbroken console and centre rear headrest is worth no more than $250
• Complete audio system with door speakers, subwoofer, boot trim panel and all wiring would fetch $200 tops

Happy to hear critiques, be told I'm dreaming etc.

[bazzbazz]

Best way to see if your in the ball park figure for parting out is to do a comparison with similar items on Gumtree & eBay.

Of course it also depends on what the car is going to cost you in the first place.

Just remember one thing, people usually like to be able to see the part before buying, are YOU in a suitable location?

Baz

[Citroënbender]

Yes, location is easy to sort - I can leave big things at a workshop I haunt. 

When checking asking rates, I see prices that appear insanely high.  I'm not in it for a career, the "easy option" is to cherrypick what I need, save a few small choice items (fuel flap, door mirrors etc) and crush the rest - but it then restricts the potential benefits to other enthusiasts... 

[bonno]

HI CB
The prices seem to be reasonable/good, just several tips for advertising are as follows;
1.   Prices is for pickup only via prior arrangement or buyer to arrange freight at buyers expense (the packaging of motor and in fact other items identified can be a little difficult) so local pickup is preferred.
2.   Good description of engine, if possible include hear running.
3.   Interior seats are to include photos and in the description if door cards are included.
4.   Radio and associated speakers to include radio code is to be supplied.
5.   What other items are to be included whether body panels, instrument cluster, mirrors, etc.

So if your initial purchase price is such that you only need to keep several of the parts and recoup outlay, then the return on breaking out is a no brainer, just a little time and effort. Additionally, if you have the space the need to dismantle parts can be done at the time of sale.

[bonno]

CB fogot to include another  option and that is to set it up for the Twin spark Cup or to sell it as a complete car as there might be interested people if became available as a going vehicle.

[Citroënbender]

Hi Bonno,

That I would need to basically chop the back off it, means the car would not be usable as a track project. All I want from it are:

Rear cut, not including tailgate
Boot trim (plastics and carpet)
Underfelt for beneath rear seat
Door mirrors and fuel flap (for spares; history/experience shows these as damage prone)
Instrument cluster lens (mine is cracked on the Sele)
LH C-pillar interior trim (ditto)
Driver's door switch panel
Rubber liners from console section forward of gearstick and beside handbrake
Cup-holder gizmo from centre dash
Timing and aux belt covers from motor
Sun visors without floppy mirror covers (rocking-horse poo!)

That would leave a whole lot of good stuff to share around, the catch being that I don't have a dusty corner in which I can slowly pick meat off the bones.  I can stack a couple of doors, motor and tranny in the back of the workshop but that's about all.  I'm not sure that using the outlaws' carport at their weekender would make me popular.

So, you can sort of see my conundrum; if I pull the trigger on this car it needs to be resolved in a timely manner and that means not being in la-la land with pricing. 

[Side note] I've never had a radio code situation with an Alfa, with the Frogs you just edit the VIN as stored in the radio via diagnostics, so it matches the body computer's idea of the VIN.  I don't know how you enter the code in a Blaupunkt head unit, or if it's reliably obtainable on the market like some other brands.  Education welcome.

[Citroënbender]

It looks like this may come into my hands at the right price (ie, so I don't end up spending thousands on used parts that may be barely different to what I now have).

I'll be thinning out the items aggressively and quickly, most on a FCFS basis.  Good-natured banter and insults are welcome.

[Citroënbender]

Here's the car in question, it actually experienced "un bacio di legno", courtesy of a large bluegum.

First person to say "That'll buff out" wins a special prize - I'll sell them my next used oil filter at half the new trade price.  That's a bargain for road-tested premium quality parts. 

I've trailered it back to my catapecchia spacious abode, and will start dismantling it shortly.  Unfortunately, due to my rubbish Italian, negotiations will be preferably in Inglese.

[poohbah]

Looks like the prior owner was parked very carefully while transporting the mother in law.

[Citroënbender]

I literally LOL'd at your idea, and the fact it immediately gave me evil thoughts.   

Interestingly, a passenger under the worst damage would likely be fine. The shell distortion is textbook and while the door is stuck the hatch opens reasonably.

[bazzbazz]

Ahhh yes, but what you don't realise is that the cunning bastard had the mother in law strapped to the roof rack!   

Now lets see with that idea what mental images pop into that twisted little mind of yours . . . . 

[Citroënbender]

Hmm!

[Citroënbender]

Broke out my mad panel beating skills from watching East European videos...  (Hey Warsch - khoroshiy rabota, net?)

[poohbah]

Good as new.

[bazzbazz]

Broke out my mad panel beating skills from watching East European videos...  (Hey Warsch - khoroshiy rabota, net?)

Я бы не сказал русскому, что он часть Восточной Европы, безопаснее сказать ему, что это часть России!