Used Vehicle Resource
OldRelayer
03-12-2005, 04:31 PM
I am retired and quite bored. I spend most of my time researching cars. But what I do have is a lot of time and tons of storage and bandwidth on my server. So I have an idea for a resource center for Used Vehicles. I am starting a forum that I call "Used Vehicle Help". A place you can post those hard to find parts and maybe someone will be able to help you out, research vehicle prices and get some help with small repairs.
It is of course totally free.
http://www.priceoffuel.com/CarParts/PHPBB/phpBB2/index.php
I don't think a place exist as a clearing house for vehicle auction prices. I am not a big believer in the data in any of the books not as the sole source, Edmunds, Kelley or the Dealer bible NADA. They are really weighted. I think places like Ebay and other auctions are a more realistic view of the actual value of a vehicle, not that the asking price or the reserves are realistic in some case, but the price of something is ultimately, what someone will pay for it, or in some cases, not pay for it. This is the kind of data that the "Book" is suppose to derive numbers from, supposedly supplied by car dealers. I am not claiming to be an expert but I have worked in the car business and just like you, the car dealer wants to own the car below loan value if he is going to retail it or at wholesale(what a another dealer will give him for the vehicle), if they are not. They will use many methods to determine the true value or what they refer to as ACV which stands for Actual Cash Value. They may call some wholesalers and "Bank" the car, this means, what they can get in cold hard cash for the vehicle from the wholesaler. Yes the wholesaler is trying to own the car for as little as possible but on the other hand if the dealer doesn't make the deal the wholesaler doesn't get the car, without cars the wholesaler is just another car enthusiast with a hobby, he wants the car in most cases. Now will the Sales Manager just take the wholesalers word for this, of course not, he will then go to the auction sheets and see what similar cars are bringing at the auction. He will also consider the time of the year and what kinds of vehicles he can move if he decides to keep it himself to sell and yes he will look at the NADA book but with a grain of salt. There is a bit more to it but that is pretty much the basics. But the goal is to have the right money in the car, what is the right money. The right money is all dependent on what someone is willing to pay for the car, so ultimately who sets the price of cars, you do not the dealer. But what has to be considered is what he or a wholesaler will have invested after reconditioning and any repairs relative to what they think someone will pay for it. I recently follow an Ebay Auction for a 2001 BMW 740iL with 68kmiles. The retail book was $36k , and this was not a private sale but from a dealer with a good warranty. It was listed with a $25,900 buy now, the dealer had a great Ebay rating and the car by all appearances would be a great addition to anyone’s garage. I would have bought it, but apparently I would have been wrong, even though it was that much below book it didn't sell. This is also a real world situation, I have been to car auctions where vehicles have been pulled when they don't look like they are going to get the right money. Just like Ebay you have to be careful at one of these wholesale auctions, dealers don't sell cars they think they can make money on unless it is just too old for their lot. An Ebay auction isn't all that different, especially if your smart and have the car inspected locally before you do anything silly like send them a check. An example of a car I would stay away from at a wholesale auction would be a 3 or 4 year old vehicle offered by the a dealer that sells them new, if there was a way to make money with this vehicle without a bunch of headaches would it be at the auction, of course not. I am not saying that would necessarily be the case with a dealer using Ebay, he expects to make money, and we expect them to make money but also to stand behind the car. I recently was watching a car on Ebay. A 2000 Mercedes 500Cl with 40kmiles, just a gorgeous car. It was offered with no reserve and had a high book of $54k. This car was offered not by the dealer that took it in trade but a wholesaler. It looked like a bargain, it sold for $41K, but I would have some serious questions about this car, why didn't the Mercedes dealer sell it for $50K, this is a very expensive car. Maybe this car was really perfect and one hell of a buy, but just doesn't sound right to me and I was drooling over the car. You would expect to pay less from a wholesaler that probably isn’t offering any warranty, your on your own. You have to know, if you have problems with this Mercedes, your in for some big time bills. What is my point, we all have our own ways to determine what we think is a good deal, and everyone thinks they are getting a good deal or they wouldn’t buy. Oh, how wrong we can be, but that is another book. I hope my web site helps you obtain some additional information that makes your decision process easier.
My idea is to share this kind of data. One of the nice things about Ebay(when I say Ebay it is more of a general term for on line auctions, which of course Ebay is the largest). If your like me you bookmark these auctions and if you don't want to post them while your still considering buying it and don't want competition, just post them after the auction so others can learn. I have posted a few cars that I have been following as an example in the forum. Here is the thinking, if your looking at a car, it is active on Ebay and comes up in a search. When it can yield you the most data is after the auction has closed. The link is still active for some time but you can't find it with a search. Either during or after the auction if you post the link, people can use the result as information. You will see the listing just as the person did who bought the car, you will see if it didn't sell and what was bid on it or if there was a buy now or if it didn't meet reserve and you can see what people were willing to pay for it. I suspect this is just the beginning of things you can determine with this data.
Another aspect of the site isn't so unique, at this forum and others, you can get information on how to do repairs. For me I want to know how to put Xenon bulbs in your 1997 Olds 88, I think it’s a simple job, but I don’t even know how to get the plastic off without breaking it. A place to ask how to and others will lend a hand in the information you may need to do simple repairs, well simple in my case, you may want to know more complicated things.
I am thinking of calling it UsedVehiclesHelp.com, but if you can think of a better name, let me know, I am open. Here is the address if you want to take a look.
http://www.priceoffuel.com/CarParts/PHPBB/phpBB2/index.php
Let me know what you think or if you have ideas for the site.
Thanks
Barry
It is of course totally free.
http://www.priceoffuel.com/CarParts/PHPBB/phpBB2/index.php
I don't think a place exist as a clearing house for vehicle auction prices. I am not a big believer in the data in any of the books not as the sole source, Edmunds, Kelley or the Dealer bible NADA. They are really weighted. I think places like Ebay and other auctions are a more realistic view of the actual value of a vehicle, not that the asking price or the reserves are realistic in some case, but the price of something is ultimately, what someone will pay for it, or in some cases, not pay for it. This is the kind of data that the "Book" is suppose to derive numbers from, supposedly supplied by car dealers. I am not claiming to be an expert but I have worked in the car business and just like you, the car dealer wants to own the car below loan value if he is going to retail it or at wholesale(what a another dealer will give him for the vehicle), if they are not. They will use many methods to determine the true value or what they refer to as ACV which stands for Actual Cash Value. They may call some wholesalers and "Bank" the car, this means, what they can get in cold hard cash for the vehicle from the wholesaler. Yes the wholesaler is trying to own the car for as little as possible but on the other hand if the dealer doesn't make the deal the wholesaler doesn't get the car, without cars the wholesaler is just another car enthusiast with a hobby, he wants the car in most cases. Now will the Sales Manager just take the wholesalers word for this, of course not, he will then go to the auction sheets and see what similar cars are bringing at the auction. He will also consider the time of the year and what kinds of vehicles he can move if he decides to keep it himself to sell and yes he will look at the NADA book but with a grain of salt. There is a bit more to it but that is pretty much the basics. But the goal is to have the right money in the car, what is the right money. The right money is all dependent on what someone is willing to pay for the car, so ultimately who sets the price of cars, you do not the dealer. But what has to be considered is what he or a wholesaler will have invested after reconditioning and any repairs relative to what they think someone will pay for it. I recently follow an Ebay Auction for a 2001 BMW 740iL with 68kmiles. The retail book was $36k , and this was not a private sale but from a dealer with a good warranty. It was listed with a $25,900 buy now, the dealer had a great Ebay rating and the car by all appearances would be a great addition to anyone’s garage. I would have bought it, but apparently I would have been wrong, even though it was that much below book it didn't sell. This is also a real world situation, I have been to car auctions where vehicles have been pulled when they don't look like they are going to get the right money. Just like Ebay you have to be careful at one of these wholesale auctions, dealers don't sell cars they think they can make money on unless it is just too old for their lot. An Ebay auction isn't all that different, especially if your smart and have the car inspected locally before you do anything silly like send them a check. An example of a car I would stay away from at a wholesale auction would be a 3 or 4 year old vehicle offered by the a dealer that sells them new, if there was a way to make money with this vehicle without a bunch of headaches would it be at the auction, of course not. I am not saying that would necessarily be the case with a dealer using Ebay, he expects to make money, and we expect them to make money but also to stand behind the car. I recently was watching a car on Ebay. A 2000 Mercedes 500Cl with 40kmiles, just a gorgeous car. It was offered with no reserve and had a high book of $54k. This car was offered not by the dealer that took it in trade but a wholesaler. It looked like a bargain, it sold for $41K, but I would have some serious questions about this car, why didn't the Mercedes dealer sell it for $50K, this is a very expensive car. Maybe this car was really perfect and one hell of a buy, but just doesn't sound right to me and I was drooling over the car. You would expect to pay less from a wholesaler that probably isn’t offering any warranty, your on your own. You have to know, if you have problems with this Mercedes, your in for some big time bills. What is my point, we all have our own ways to determine what we think is a good deal, and everyone thinks they are getting a good deal or they wouldn’t buy. Oh, how wrong we can be, but that is another book. I hope my web site helps you obtain some additional information that makes your decision process easier.
My idea is to share this kind of data. One of the nice things about Ebay(when I say Ebay it is more of a general term for on line auctions, which of course Ebay is the largest). If your like me you bookmark these auctions and if you don't want to post them while your still considering buying it and don't want competition, just post them after the auction so others can learn. I have posted a few cars that I have been following as an example in the forum. Here is the thinking, if your looking at a car, it is active on Ebay and comes up in a search. When it can yield you the most data is after the auction has closed. The link is still active for some time but you can't find it with a search. Either during or after the auction if you post the link, people can use the result as information. You will see the listing just as the person did who bought the car, you will see if it didn't sell and what was bid on it or if there was a buy now or if it didn't meet reserve and you can see what people were willing to pay for it. I suspect this is just the beginning of things you can determine with this data.
Another aspect of the site isn't so unique, at this forum and others, you can get information on how to do repairs. For me I want to know how to put Xenon bulbs in your 1997 Olds 88, I think it’s a simple job, but I don’t even know how to get the plastic off without breaking it. A place to ask how to and others will lend a hand in the information you may need to do simple repairs, well simple in my case, you may want to know more complicated things.
I am thinking of calling it UsedVehiclesHelp.com, but if you can think of a better name, let me know, I am open. Here is the address if you want to take a look.
http://www.priceoffuel.com/CarParts/PHPBB/phpBB2/index.php
Let me know what you think or if you have ideas for the site.
Thanks
Barry
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026