Car's not selling. Thread or car problem? Any ideas?

[Ruined 2]

I've had my car for sale on and off for almost the last two years, and I've received very little serious interest. Here's the thread:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68603

The thread gets confusing because this has been drawn out so long and I've taken it off the market and then put it back on. I've tried to be clear in my update posts since I wasn't allowed to scrap the whole thread and just start over, but I think the overall mess is scaring people away. Or is the car just not worth what I'm asking for it? I think it's a fair price considering the miles, extras and condition.

I guess I'm just looking for opinions on what the problem may be. And I'm not that upset about it not selling, as I would like to find a way to keep it. Maybe that's the problem, huh? :wink:

Thanks.
Phil.

 

[The Kid]

It's very hard to sell NSX's. Im an Acura dealer and find it nearly impossible. The last 2 we had, I wholesaled for about as much as I was asking retail:wink: No fuss and no hassles

 

[nsxtasy]

Since you asked, and intended as constructive comments to help you...

First, when I read a car listing, I often get a feeling that either (a) this guy is being completely honest, since he's disclosing even the slightest flaw that's really no big deal, or (b) there are a lot of unanswered questions, and who knows what the real story is. This is a category (a) listing - and that's a good thing. So I assume that the description in the post paints a true and accurate picture.

Regarding the "thread problem", yes, I see one. When I open the topic, I read the first post, which mentions a $50K asking price. I have to scroll WAY down in the topic to find that you have lowered your asking price to $47K. So you might want to edit that bold stuff in the first post to include your asking price in it, so people can find it easily. In fact, I would probably change the bolded paragraph to take out the excess verbiage and include what people want to know, and make it up to date, so that it reads something like this:

"Still for sale, as of Feb 15 2008. Mileage now around 49K, have lowered asking price to $47K. Please contact me with any questions."

The other issue I see is that I think your price is still a little high, even at $47K. You have a car in very good cosmetic condition, but with above-average mileage (average for NSXs is 5K miles per year) and, correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that it is overdue for scheduled maintenance - both the timing belt and water pump service which were due last year (typical cost $1400-1700) and, if you only did the 45K minor service, it's probably overdue for the major 30K/60K/90K service, which includes all the filters, fluids, valve adjustment, etc. (typical cost $1200-1500). (The timing belt service is recommended for every 105K miles or 7 years, whichever comes first; the major service every 30K miles or 2 years, whichever comes first.) So anyone buying this car is probably going to have to spend around $3K to bring all the scheduled maintenance up to date. Also, the fact that the scheduled maintenance isn't up to date makes it more difficult to sell, because it isn't perceived as a "pampered, perfect car". I would expect this car to sell for $39-42K as is, or for $43-45K if all the maintenance were done. So the price, more than anything else, is probably accounting for the lack of interest.

Of course, if the car is worth less than you figured, it sounds like you might prefer to keep the car rather than sell it. And that's fine. But even if you keep it, you might want to consider having all the overdue scheduled maintenance done, just to prevent more serious problems from happening.

HTH

 

[Jetpilot3]

Since you asked, and intended as constructive comments to help you...

First, when I read a car listing, I often get a feeling that either (a) this guy is being completely honest, since he's disclosing even the slightest flaw that's really no big deal, or (b) there are a lot of unanswered questions, and who knows what the real story is. This is a category (a) listing - and that's a good thing. So I assume that the description in the post paints a true and accurate picture.

Regarding the "thread problem", yes, I see one. When I open the topic, I read the first post, which mentions a $50K asking price. I have to scroll WAY down in the topic to find that you have lowered your asking price to $47K. So you might want to edit that bold stuff in the first post to include your asking price in it, so people can find it easily. In fact, I would probably change the bolded paragraph to take out the excess verbiage and include what people want to know, and make it up to date, so that it reads something like this:

"Still for sale, as of Feb 15 2008. Mileage now around 49K, have lowered asking price to $47K. Please contact me with any questions."

The other issue I see is that I think your price is still a little high, even at $47K. You have a car in very good cosmetic condition, but with above-average mileage (average for NSXs is 5K miles per year) and, correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that it is overdue for scheduled maintenance - both the timing belt and water pump service which were due last year (typical cost $1400-1700) and, if you only did the 45K minor service, it's probably overdue for the major 30K/60K/90K service, which includes all the filters, fluids, valve adjustment, etc. (typical cost $1200-1500). (The timing belt service is recommended for every 105K miles or 7 years, whichever comes first; the major service every 30K miles or 2 years, whichever comes first.) So anyone buying this car is probably going to have to spend around $3K to bring all the scheduled maintenance up to date. Also, the fact that the scheduled maintenance isn't up to date makes it more difficult to sell, because it isn't perceived as a "pampered, perfect car". I would expect this car to sell for $39-42K as is, or for $43-45K if all the maintenance were done. So the price, more than anything else, is probably accounting for the lack of interest.

Of course, if the car is worth less than you figured, it sounds like you might prefer to keep the car rather than sell it. And that's fine. But even if you keep it, you might want to consider having all the overdue scheduled maintenance done, just to prevent more serious problems from happening.

HTH

+1...

I think in order to move on from here you also need to think really hard whether your comfortable selling it or not. If I were looking I'd automatically say no to your car because you really seem on the fence about letting it go.

No buyer is happy negotiating with someone who might pull out at the last minute. You've actually said in your post that the buyer might find dealing with you difficult for the pre-purchase inspection - that to me says stay away.

Perhaps ask the Moderators to remove your add, think about whether or not you will sell the car or keep it, then post another add using the tips given above if your sure. Otherwise you'll be back where your presently at.

BTW...I think your NSX is nice and if properly priced - you'd sell it easily following the above.

 

[BladesNSX]

Your car is gorgeous. From reading your ad, it seems you really don't want to let her go. I would be loathe to buy a car from you that you really didn't want to sell. Find a way to keep her and stay happy.

 

[95ttht]

Sometimes "Less is more".

I'd nuke everything, just put "2000 NSX, 6 speed, black/ivory, clean car no stories - 49,000miles - $47,000" and your contact info with all those pictures.

Anyone serious will ask for more, and you can give them the extended version. If you still get nothing in the way of potential buyers, your price is too high.

Hope that helps!

 

[fullracehonda]

yeah you should clean up the origional postand edit your replies as blank, dating the edited origional post too,

i thinky ou should also take those aftermarket wheels off and only post pictures with the origional wheels, your wheels(no offense) look kind of cheap to be had on an nsx and i think its a car most people would rather have stock, just post your wheels in the classifieds unless you do end up keeping the car.


you also need a competitive price, but not so low as to make people think its a ghetto car, the color combo isnt the most desired as well.


good luck on selling or keeping the car, its clean

 

[fullracehonda]

you should also list it on cars.com/autotrader.com, maybe try listing it on ebay to spark some interest you might find a decent buyer on there.


the classifieds on this site just seem kind of "dead" since people cant post replies on them, i dont know what the deal was before as to why they were locked but the first time i looked threw the classifieds i didnt really look to far down the first page thinking they werent very current towards the end but i guess that has to do with the low amount of traffic on an nsx site since it is a low production car.

 

[swbatte]

you should also list it on cars.com/autotrader.com, maybe try listing it on ebay to spark some interest you might find a decent buyer on there.


the classifieds on this site just seem kind of "dead" since people cant post replies on them, i dont know what the deal was before as to why they were locked but the first time i looked threw the classifieds i didnt really look to far down the first page thinking they werent very current towards the end but i guess that has to do with the low amount of traffic on an nsx site since it is a low production car.

+1. Reference your prime ad on your autotrader ad to get a more detailed description. Be prepared for some lowballers to call, and tell you "I can get an NSX for $25,000 in San Fransisco". A lot of people who are shopping for them, have very little knowledge of them and will think they are all the same.

You have a good car. Often we have to sell our pride and joys for a little less than we think they are worth. People are buying NSXs, you just need to figure out what you can do to make yours more attractive, and as others suggested, price is a good start.

 

[sahtt]

Here's my POV, as a 'potential buyer'.

Your car is in PA. Most likely your buyer will not be, if you were in CA or TX it might be a diffierent situation. The reason I bring this up is because why would I even risk flying to PA knowing you might back out. Even if your car was below 'fair market value' I'd avoid it.

Your car is 8 years old and no major maint. is listed in your ad. If I'm coming from TX or CA, am I going to want to risk driving the car thousands of miles back knowing the timing belt should have been replaced 2 years ago? The attention to detail mentioned earlier by another poster is appreciated, but people more concerned with cosmetics than mechanical aspects of any expensive vehicle doesn't give me the 'perfect' impression.

 

[nsxtasy]

the classifieds on this site just seem kind of "dead" since people cant post replies on them, i dont know what the deal was before as to why they were locked but the first time i looked threw the classifieds i didnt really look to far down the first page thinking they werent very current towards the end but i guess that has to do with the low amount of traffic on an nsx site since it is a low production car.

Replies are not allowed because they were sometimes used to "bump" listings (and were often inquiries that should have been handled via private message). The fact that they were prohibited has nothing to do with the amount of traffic on this site, which is amazingly high for such a low volume car.

 

[macready]

I didn't finish reading your ad but half way through I lost interest. You sound unmotivated and want someone to put lots of effort into buying your car.

 

[docjohn]

Exactly,playing hard to get might work at Fridays on a Saturday night,but not on a for sale ad!Selling anything as $ as a used nsx is hard work,don't give the impression that you are not ready to role up the sleaves.

 

[nsx2tall]

It's because you live in Jeanette! :biggrin: I only say that because I'm from Forest Hills originally; and while I was home and driving through Jeanette, all I thought about was whether I would see your car or not. :biggrin:

All kidding aside, price and location are factors. I imagine there is a much smaller market for NSX's in the suburban outskirts of Pittsburgh than there is in some other areas. You might try ads in more specific markets like Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas and LA.

 

[fullracehonda]

Replies are not allowed because they were sometimes used to "bump" listings (and were often inquiries that should have been handled via private message). The fact that they were prohibited has nothing to do with the amount of traffic on this site, which is amazingly high for such a low volume car.

im sorry i think that wasnt too clear what i meant to portray, something about the classifieds not moving, ohhwell



not to mention in the add if somebody reads the whoel thing and then the replies, after the car is 2 years older, 13k miles older, a bit of wear and tear later the price is only 47k as opposed to the 50k,


i would take down the pictures of the car with the aftermarket rims, pics with you, and pics with the NIN sticker, i wouldnt buy a $50k car from a hoodlum:tongue:

thats just what some buyers might think, good luck with the sale again

 

[Ruined 2]

First, let me thank all (almost) of you for your very constructive criticism and suggestions. I often hesitate to even post on this site because of the absence of tact regarding some of the members and the unprovoked attacks I’ve witnessed on innocent newbie threads. This is not what I expected to get in return…and I’m pleasantly surprised. Again, thank you.

To answer back to some of it to hopefully get even more help:

1) I am being completely honest about the car on every aspect. Other than a few dealings with some women in my college years:wink: , I’m painfully honest about damn near everything.

2) I locked the initial thread when I got the situation at home that was forcing me to sell the car resolved. Upon deciding to sell it for other reasons, I started a new thread and tried to clean it up a bit and not be so wordy. The moderator(s) merely deleted that and revived my old thread. They have been patch-working it ever since. Anything in bold is just adaptations of what I’ve submitted and most of the posts I can no longer edit. I begged to have the entire thread scrapped so I could start over, but it never happened. If I could start over I would. On this site it doesn’t seem possible.

3) 30K Service was done before I bought the car. I’m pretty sure I mentioned that in the thread somewhere. And I’ve had any other service, even stuff I would do myself on a “normal” car, done at the dealer just so there would be documentation. The timing belt/water pump should be addressed I suppose, but I’ve never put much stock in the time recommendation in a mileage/years whichever-comes-first service schedule. I know, I know…I just made some of you cringe. But I guess I’m spoiled from having so many Hondas and virtually no problems over the years. And if it was a concern with a potential buyer, I would adjust the price or just have the service done. I certainly wouldn’t let it hold up a sale.

4) Hey! I like my cheapie wheels! Honestly, I do. And I spent a lot more on getting the OEM ones refinished than I did on them because I knew the OEM ones would be more important to a buyer, and so the next owner wouldn’t have to worry about it. They’ve sat in my garage with brand new tires on them under a sheet since I’ve had them done.

5) I haven’t listed elsewhere mainly because of the cost and secondly due to being on the fence. I realize I’m putting some potentials off, but at least I’m being honest about it. And I thought that the fact that I was a bit reluctant to get rid of the car would put the buyer at ease that it’s not a “I gotta sell this thing before it throws a rod!” situation.

6) Cosmetics over mechanics. Hmmmm. I guess that ties in with the whole Honda ownership history thing. As long as I kept them looking good, there was never a problem. And I’ve driven this thing all over the east coast with not so much as a hiccup the entire time. But I do understand others concerns about preventative maintenance.

7) I may not be as willing about the sale as I could be, but if someone understands why and that I’m not trying to jerk anyone around (and I would never let someone fly in or something drastic like that and then back out), then maybe the car is meant for them. I don’t want just any schmucko driving around my baby.

8) Hoodlum!!!!!! :biggrin: I'll have you know that NIN fans are some of the most well-behaved people on the planet. Nothing like those Yanni sociopaths.

Thanks again...again everyone.
Phil.

 

[Mirroredshades]

1. Price is too high. $42-44k is your best shot.
2. Let the 300 year old thread die and start over.
3. Use bullets instead of paragraphs.
4. The economy is in the crapper. You could have gotten $45k last year.
5. It's winter and you are in Penn. No one is buying there right now.

Hold out for spring and pray for the economy. Maybe you will get $44k.

 

[nsxrtd]

Someone from Hawaii bought his nsx from east coast a long time ago. Have you tried
http://craigslist.org/ ? good luck. I remember selling my bmw was not fun at all. I had lost some money and sacrificed alot. Eventually someone loved the car more than I did and bought it.

 

[steveny]

I didn't finish reading your ad but half way through I lost interest. You sound unmotivated and want someone to put lots of effort into buying your car.

+1 First thing I do when looking at an ad is try and find the price. Then I want to know the year then the milage. From those three facts I can determine if the price is what I want to pay. If one of those 3 peices of information can't quickly be found then the car is usually over priced and the seller wants to babble on about the car hoping to catch someones interest enough that he/she can be a salesman.

Fact is if I had read this add and saw 2000, 49k miles, $32k, the car would be sitting in my garage being that it is close to me. I know, I know, the car is worth more than that but I am not here to debate what the car is worth only what I am willing to pay for it. What it's worth is what I want to sell it for after I use it for a year.

 

[Ruined 2]

1. Price is too high. $42-44k is your best shot.
2. Let the 300 year old thread die and start over.
3. Use bullets instead of paragraphs.
4. The economy is in the crapper. You could have gotten $45k last year.
5. It's winter and you are in Penn. No one is buying there right now.

Hold out for spring and pray for the economy. Maybe you will get $44k.

1. Probably right.
2. Tried. NSXPrime won't let me.
3. Will do if I can redo the thread.
4. Maybe, but the economy doesn't seem to affect the type of person who would buy an NSX as much as it does Joe Q. Public.
5. It hasn't been winter the entire time I've been trying to sell the car, and I didn't invoke the So-Cal "local pick-up only" curse to keep the car in PA.

:smile:

 

[Shaun Ray]

Appreciate the post, Ruined. I feel your pain that the NSX Prime cars for sell forum is a bit restrictive regarding deletions, updates, etc. Of course, it's well worth the money:smile:

Last Fall, I also decided to test the waters to see if my NSX would sell. Reading this post, I think I've disclosed too much information and darn it - once the tread is started, you can't go back.

If you really are looking to sell - you might just bite the bullet and put the car up on autotrader.com. I think for about $50 you can post the ad for unlimited time and I would bet you have some control over the content. If nothing else, you get a new start and can learn from all these good suggestions.

I'm sort of in the same boat. I really like my NSX - but wouldn't it be cool to sell it, bank the cash for a year or two and buy a newer one!

And as for the economy and your location - heck the buyers living north of the border should snatch your NSX up if that's the case.

I wish you luck in your efforts to sell that beautiful NSX.

 

[Ruined 2]

Thanks Shaun, I needed that :smile: .

I will probably pursue other avenues to sell her in the very near future, I just initially thought this is the place where all the really interested parties who didn't have one already would be looking. Autotrader, craigslist, etc. will undoubtedly attract responses from a bunch of joyriding, tirekicking, pipedreaming, super tuners .

Ah, the price of having/selling a true legend :wink: :biggrin: .

 

[docjohn]

Thanks Shaun, I needed that :smile: .

I will probably pursue other avenues to sell her in the very near future, I just initially thought this is the place where all the really interested parties who didn't have one already would be looking. Autotrader, craigslist, etc. will undoubtedly attract responses from a bunch of joyriding, tirekicking, pipedreaming, super tuners .

Ah, the price of having/selling a true legend :wink: :biggrin: .

Thats just it Phil you are really selling a car,just a car,a conveyance.To most folks it is just that.It is not a magic carpet or human being.I think when you try to tack on price adjustments for that special something or personal feelings you run the risk of just this sort of thing.Once you start to advertise in the larger pool of sites things will change.Good luck.

 

[Ruined 2]

Thats just it Phil you are really selling a car,just a car,a conveyance.To most folks it is just that.It is not a magic carpet or human being.I think when you try to tack on price adjustments for that special something or personal feelings you run the risk of just this sort of thing.Once you start to advertise in the larger pool of sites things will change.Good luck.

I'm not sure why my post evoked that response, but to reply:

I would agree if it were almost any other car I was trying to sell. And I'm not asking extra for any "special somethings" or even "personal feelings", just what the car is worth or close. But the NSX is definitely not just a "conveyance". Nobody is looking for, or buys this car to go from point A to point B exclusively. If it does end up being your only car then so be it. But I would venture a guess that even those NSXs are still not considered just basic daily transportation by their owners. My girlfriend has a CL, that's an A to B'er, my Ridgeline also. Not an NSX.

I merely meant I didn't want to have to weed through a bunch of awestruck car nuts that just wanted to see/drive one in person (especially in this area) just to find one or two seriously interested parties. But you are probably right, the more places I post her up the more of a chance she'll sell.

Thanks doc.:smile:

 

[docjohn]

No problems, I apreciate your candor in posting this question in the first place.Unfortunatly the tire kickers are part of the process.:redface: