So, a mate and I picked up a Suzuki SJ410 for £200 ($390). We did a little work on it (changed plugs, some fresh oil, new HT leads, couple of bodywork patch ups) but it was essentially left outside for a couple of years.
Anyhoo, it was at my friend's parent's house and they wanted to scrap it, so I decided to flog it online. Interestingly there were a lot of people who wanted to take a look. A 17 year old lad phones me up saying it was as good as sold, despite him only having seen a photo of the jeep and that's it. He then calls me and says he's buying insurance for it (which cost him £700! ($1360)).
So in the evening, he turns up, its dark (not a good time to look at a car) and basically is deperate to give his money to me. He tried to haggle but I was having none of it. The jeep hadn't been run for over a year, so the battery was flat. I'd jumped it and she was running to charge up the battery. After maybe 45 mins, the lad was there and the radiator bleeder tank cap popped and it shat out steam. I switched the engine off and told the lad that it needed water, but I couldn't fill it now as it was too hot, but it should make it a fair distance if he wanted to take it. He gives me the cash, hops into it a drives off. Result!!
I pack up my tools, chat to my mate's parents then make my way home. 2 miles down the road there's a traffic jam, which was most annoying. As I pass the cause of the jam, it looks suspiciously like the Suzuki I just sold with the bonnet (hood) up. I continued home.
At the end of the day, it was sold as seen, and the guy didn't have any mechanical knowledge, nor brought someone with him who did know. I suspect the engine just overheated, so he should be OK. I doubt the damage is terminal.
Mean, or a valuable lesson learnt for the kid?
Cliffs:
-Bought 1985 suzuki jeep for £200
-Left it outside for 2 years
-Sold it to a kid who had no clue about buying cars
-Drove past him 2 miles down the road where it had packed up
-Am I mean?
Anyhoo, it was at my friend's parent's house and they wanted to scrap it, so I decided to flog it online. Interestingly there were a lot of people who wanted to take a look. A 17 year old lad phones me up saying it was as good as sold, despite him only having seen a photo of the jeep and that's it. He then calls me and says he's buying insurance for it (which cost him £700! ($1360)).
So in the evening, he turns up, its dark (not a good time to look at a car) and basically is deperate to give his money to me. He tried to haggle but I was having none of it. The jeep hadn't been run for over a year, so the battery was flat. I'd jumped it and she was running to charge up the battery. After maybe 45 mins, the lad was there and the radiator bleeder tank cap popped and it shat out steam. I switched the engine off and told the lad that it needed water, but I couldn't fill it now as it was too hot, but it should make it a fair distance if he wanted to take it. He gives me the cash, hops into it a drives off. Result!!
I pack up my tools, chat to my mate's parents then make my way home. 2 miles down the road there's a traffic jam, which was most annoying. As I pass the cause of the jam, it looks suspiciously like the Suzuki I just sold with the bonnet (hood) up. I continued home.
At the end of the day, it was sold as seen, and the guy didn't have any mechanical knowledge, nor brought someone with him who did know. I suspect the engine just overheated, so he should be OK. I doubt the damage is terminal.
Mean, or a valuable lesson learnt for the kid?
Cliffs:
-Bought 1985 suzuki jeep for £200
-Left it outside for 2 years
-Sold it to a kid who had no clue about buying cars
-Drove past him 2 miles down the road where it had packed up
-Am I mean?
