Getting rid of a car

[Dogtrousers]

I have a 2007 Merc A class diesel. Some rust spots, plenty of corrosion underneath, new-ish tyres, generally not great nick. MOT expires on the 18th jan. Service is currently due. I have one last journey to make in it on the 13th. Full service history (except for the latest one that is overdue).

I don't intend to service or MOT it myself so I want rid of it after that last trip, which gives me 4 days, one of which is a Sunday.

What's the best way? I'm not expecting to get any significant amount of cash, but a couple of hundred would come in handy, but lets face it I'm saving a whole lot by not putting it through service/MOT. Also it has to go because later this year I'll be inside the ULEZ and it will cost £12.50 just to take it off the drive. So it has to go.

Webuyanycar value it at a few hundred but that's contingent on it having 6 months MOT. I expect if I go with them they'll suck their teeth, look at it, and offer me next to nothing, which to be honest is OK with me provided I can get it over with quickly.

Rewardrecycling/autogreen are offering £71 to scrap it. That seems a bit drastic as I don't know if it's ready to be scrapped but I doubt they would drop their price, unlike webuyanycar who certainly will.

Any thoughts?

 

[Brandane]

Depending on the cost of getting it an MOT for the year, it might make it worthwhile. Without the MOT it might be worth £200; put a full year's MOT on it and maybe £600? Just figures off the top of my head without much trade knowledge other than looking through AutoTrader.

 

[13 rider]

Do you suspect it will fail the mot ? . Worth a gamble get an Mot 50 quid and take webuyanycars price on the day ands its gone

 

[IanSmithCSE]

I had a 2004 Ford Street Ka that failed its MOT just after the COVID lock down came into force in early 2020, so I couldn't even take it to a breaker.

It needed £600 worth of welding, dismantling and reassembling so I ended up putting it on Freecycle on the basis that it was for a mate's rates repair.

I am not sure if the person who took it lied and simply had a mate who could scrap it or did what he said he would and kept it on the road. :-)

It did get it off the drive in a matter of hours, so if you are only going to get scrap this might be a reasonable route.

 

[DCLane]

eBay is a simple route, but be prepared for the potential of idiots bidding and then not collecting. Gumtree's also an option.

Stick a basic enough start price / ask a low-ish price and collection only within a certain time period.

 

[13 rider]

Not sure about the mot fail invalidating the current one . Phone call to mot centre to clarify . It's the drivers duty to ensure the cars roadworthy so depends on what it fails on ?

 

[lane]

Easiest option is scrap yard but may get less than £200. If it was me to be that's probably what I would do.

 

[vickster]

Friend of mine just got rid of his old car. He used some site where scrappies bid. Worth googling.
It was an Astra twin top which was in decent Nick other than the interior and boot as it had had an ongoing and catastrophic leak for about a year!!
Did have some mot tho

 

[Cycleops]

Scrap it. If you manage to sell it for a few hundred it'll probably be used by a scrote to tool around minus insurance and license until he crashes it into somebody or something or the police catch up with him.

 

[Shreds]

Philip Schofield clearly has too much money from his advertising We Buy Any Car

 

[sleuthey]

If it were me and I enjoyed driving it then I would put it through an MOT and if it needed major work I’d take it to WBAC and take whatever they offer. If it passed then I would just keep the fluids topped up and drive it till it brakes then scrap it.

If I didn’t enjoy driving it then I would sell it to WBAC as is.

 

[Sharky]

Thanks for the reminder. Just checked our two cars and surprised that our 2002 Zafira (petrol) passed the ULEZ. Two of our daughters live just inside the south circular and would have made visits expensive!

 

[gbb]

Scrap it once you've seen what they will offer or...
As my DIL did with a very poor condition 2009 Kia Rio with plenty of miles on it and a very short MOT, advertise it on FB etc, she got £200 from someone who thought they could do the necessary work cheaply. Everyone was happy.

 

[gbb]

Also I'd have thought the engine and gearbox, as the car has a good / full service history, has to be worth a couple hundred quid alone...perhaps a good bargaining point when you come to sell it.

 

[Chris S]

I had a 2004 Ford Street Ka that failed its MOT just after the COVID lock down came into force in early 2020, so I couldn't even take it to a breaker.

It needed £600 worth of welding, dismantling and reassembling so I ended up putting it on Freecycle on the basis that it was for a mate's rates repair.

I am not sure if the person who took it lied and simply had a mate who could scrap it or did what he said he would and kept it on the road. :-)

It did get it off the drive in a matter of hours, so if you are only going to get scrap this might be a reasonable route.

If you're curious you can check to see if it still has a TAX and MOT
https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/