Value of gearbox from a salvage car?

[GrahamC230K]

I need some advice guys.

Both Will and R2D2 in full spirit of the forum having been keeping more of an eye out for a replacement manual gearbox for me than I have!

Both have pointed me in the direction of the same contact in Rotherham - an individual who is stripping 60K mile 1998 C230K manual.

I have contacted the seller, he is happy to remove the gearbox from the car and confirms it operated 100% previously.

He is happy for me to collect or for him to get a shipping price. So far so good.

When I quizzed him on a price, he said he did not know, he had not stripped a car before and to make him a sensible offer.

So, you could say it's worth to me what I want to pay - considering my gearbox is broken!

But going by the fact that my box is potentially repairable, an exchange box with a 3 month warranty from Dronsfields costs about £600........

I am thinking a non-recon part with only the sellers say so it's good and no warranty - shall I offer £200?

Too much/too low/taking the Pee Wee?

Let me know what you think guys. I had better reply to him by Monday I guess.

EDIT: After thought: - Ian/Ray are you guys coming south soon to collect your project car? Want some pennies towards your fuel? Thinking what I am thinking?

 

[pammy]

I would have thought £200 was about right, certainly as a starting point. It's the figure that went through my head before I saw you'd put the same. I wouldn't have thought it was worth much more as you have no guarantee etc with it. You just hope it's OK and that it hasn't been treated badly in it's 60k mile life. If it's mainly steady motorway normal driving then you could be onto a bargain - but if it's been used more ambitiously then it might be bit more worn. Should still be OK though

Good luck

And be careful around Rotherham - there are strange folk there

 

[Will]

I reckon that if you could get it for £200 it would be a bargain.

Shoot me for saying this, but your car, 'enthuisiastically driven' managed 100K before failure? I would be surprised if this box could have had much more of a hard life than this. Also, your box's failure does seem slightly unusual anyway, so if I was a betting man, I reckon that this other box would more than likely either outlive other major parts of the car or at least not give you any worries in the time that you are likely to keep it for.

£200 for the box, plus a few £££ for fitting seems like a relief to me. Get him to throw his clutch in too (is there any point in paying for a brand new clutch, MB clutches tend to outlive other parts anyway, 60K is nothing) and you'll be sorted for not much money.

Plus, you could even consider selling the old box off (ie to a refurbishers type place or to someone else who wants to prepare a recon box for fitting etc, eBay?)

Good Luck,

Will

 

[andy_k]

I'd start at £100 and work upwards, it's a lot easier to negotiate your price that way. I would have thought there would be very little demand for the gearbox so you shouldn't have to bargain too much

As you say, the only guarantee you have is the sellers word and becase it's a private sale that's not worth a great deal. Tread carefully and don't spend too much.

Does the £600 from Dronfields include fitting? because whatever you pay for your second hand box you will have to find someone to fit it for you. Have you spoken to Andy Gayle - I believe he does "fixed prices" on gearbox repairs

you could always use this as a reference point

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31355&item=4558646472&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

(yeah I know it's a different car but it's a start )

HTH

Andy

 

[Will]

Some good tips there Andy re: negotiating on price etc, but do remember still that this seller is going to have to strip the gearbox out of the car etc. I don't know if I could honestly be bothered to spend time removing a gearbox to sell it for only £100?

No harm trying your luck, but I wouldn't want to antagonise him if you need his help/assistance to remove the box etc. Perhaps try Andy's method in a 'light hearted fashion'. Ie, in the same way as he has never broken a car before, you have never had to buy a gearbox before! Try £100 tongue-in-cheek and you never know?

Will

 

[Dieselman]

If the seller hasn't been stripping these before then he probably doesn't know the problems accociated with finding one of these boxes.
As Andy said start at £100 and go up if need be.

My first thought was £200 if necessary.

I still cant believe your old box is unrepairable. If you replace the box I'm sure you could then get the old one repaired and sell it for a tidy profit.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Thanks. I mostly wanted to check my idea of a £200 offer wasn't going to get laughed at - from your responses I guessed about right.

I like the suggestion of starting lower - I am much more likely to find the true lowest price that way.

I think I will offer £150, taking the advice about saying I have never bought from a car being stripped either, also saying I judged that amount in compariosn to buyig a recon box with a warranty.

Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[R2D2]

Agree with whats been said but I'm with Andy I'd offer £100 which is silly money but if you dont ask you dont get!

 

[GrahamC230K]

I felt £100 was likely to irritate him.

I have put my offer forward for £150, putting a small case for why. I have put it to him that I am interested in a deal to include the clutch too. I will go to £200 with the clutch I guess. I expect shipping will be about £30?

I have a mechanic that could fit it no problem and I could then leave my box with him to investigate and repair if worth it.

 

[R2D2]

anythings better that £1500 from MB!

 

[Will]

My thoughts exactly!

 

[GrahamC230K]

anythings better that £1500 from MB!

I got a quote for fitted - with a new clutch I think.

£2600! LOL

 

[R2D2]

lets hope you get a good reply! Does anyone know if the MAS from a c230k will fit a C200??

 

[sym]

lets hope you get a good reply! Does anyone know if the MAS from a c230k will fit a C200??

Pretty certain its the same one ..... worth having anyway

 

[C240Sport97]

if you can get your gearbox fixed cheaply, you could then sell/p/x the car

 

[GrahamC230K]

My gearbox is due to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday

thanks everyone.

 

[R2D2]

How much?????

 

[pammy]

fantastic - so are you gonna say what you got it for then?

 

[glojo]

I am so pleased you did not offer £100. I am a soft touch and do not like to insult people. Having said that I am 100% in favour of getting a bargain.

£150 is a bargain and anything less than £350 is acceptable. Hopefully he will throw in other items that you might want.

Good luck,
John

 

[GrahamC230K]

LOL.

Sorry for bing mean. Couldn't resist.

He accepted £150. He called me, umed and erred and said he could live with that. He is going to get the box out today or tomorrow.

He will email me when the box is with TNT. He said put a cheque in the post for £170 (to cover delivery) and he'll send the box without waiting for it to clear or anything like that.

I feel like I have got a bargain and am very happy I posted and did not offer £200! I guess you could say I could have got it cheaper, accepting my first bid I will never know, but I don't think he would have gone much lower and this way he is happy - so hopefully will take care with it and pack well etc.

Not what the guys at Good In at my place of work are used to accepting, but I will prime them first to expect it.