e500slr

Hey guys, I want to part out my E500 as it's now redundant due to the new car. Problem is I live in Australia and there's less of a market. How much do you think I can get for it if I part it out and how long would it take here. I wanted to compare because some say parting out will get more money but I wanna see if it's worth the trouble. Otherwise selling the car whole would be better. I would ship the engine and transmission overseas however the other parts aren't worth the trouble.

Duc1098E500

I would try to sell the car as a whole rather than part out. One thing I find rediculous is the price of shipping which you will find out when it comes to larger the items. Most times you would just end up with parts that you and others do not want and now you're stuck. I hope that helps?

Best regards,
Duc1098

e500slr

I guess so. I think the best thing is going to be selling it whole. I don't want to regret it and end up with half a car and half the value. Would it be more anyway like if they all did get sold or would they equal the car's value as whole?

Clinton Horn

Here are some things to consider:
1. Are you willing to wait. ie Some parts although valuable are in very low demand and you might have to inventory them for a while
2. Do you have a place to store the carcass? Most neighbors are not too keen on junk cars in the neighborhood.
3. Are you willing to remove and crate the pieces. Sheetmetal pieces such as fenders are VERY difficult to protect. They are usually not within the size limit of the express companies so a freight trucking company may be required, they usually don't make house calls.
4. How involved are you willing to get? Early build date cars have a number of pieces that will not fit newer cars. If you ship this to a buyer, the implication is that it is the right fit. Will you accept a return, what about warranty?

You don't say whether the candidate is in good shape or a salvage condition vehicle. If the drivetrain is in poor shape, salvage is probably your only real option.

I don't have anything but hearsay to back this up but I think most cars are worth 2-3 times there value if broken into parts and ALL parts are sold.
I did have a conversation with a Brit shipping Ford 427 blocks and classic car parts back into UK. He said the duty laws for parts (used) are extremely low compared to whole vehicles so much so that he could pay the labor to remove the front clip form cars and ship it separately. The duty savings being greater than the labor.

e500slr

My garage is pretty big and I have ALOT of tools I am a greasemonkey however with work etc I'm not sure I'd have the time. Even if I did I can't guarantee they'll all go. I'm not in need of the money ASAP I just need it gone because having it and the E55 is just pointless, no one is driving the other car. The only think drawing me to this is the 2-3 times in value, I understand it's if ALL the parts go but still that's pretty substantial. The car itself is in excellent condition, never broken down on me and always serviced in time. My dealer actually said it's one of the cleaner E500s he's seen so the car isn't broken down or anything. Problem is in Australia the car's are really expensive but lose value quickly. It's gone down so much from when I bought it in only 5 years! I got in new so that didn't help either. I'll get $35,000-$45,000 for it in complete form. I'm not in a hurry and if I can get $70,000-80,000 then yes it would be worth it.

Clinton Horn

It is a bold idea. I am not sure that it will be worth your time and aggrevation dealing with so many different customers. Here in the states, it is common to part out a vehicle when it has suffered a major failure ie drivetrain or sheetmetal damage to the unibody. It is a numbers game, still it makes me wonder why a complete and running vehicle is rarely sold for parts. The newer cars are going to be repaired through insurance or simply because the owners are upside down and they must fix them to get value. Your customers are going to be enthusiasts who are restoring or maintaining older 211's. Here, that car would have sold new $50-60 k US. At 36 months it would be about half value in a wholesale situation. I think your currency and ours are roughly par at the moment so the cost in Australia is significantly higher. My wife would be insufferable thru an ordeal like this unless she got jewelry or cosmetic surgery with the profit. Good luck either way!

MB4tronic

Unless you are a full blown junkyard and will break down the car and sydicate the pates listing to databases like carparts.com etc.. it will not be worth it. Shipping fees would probably kill you also.

e500slr

True. Seems like a huge hassle.

Clinton Horn you're right about Australia being significantly more expensive even though the dollar was stronger a couple of days ago and has been on par for years now. I mean we have to pay $500,000 US for a Mercedes SLS, I went to a US website and an SLR was going for like $250,000 or something. I was stunned. It's absolutely ridiculous and there's no excuse for it other than a stealing, lying, scamming government. They make up the excuse of the tax money going towards free health care but to be honest you still need to buy private insurance if you don't want to be dragged through the mud in an emergency surgery or treatment situation. Crime isn't low either, gangs are on the increase and guns are now readily available for low prices. I have been thinking of a move to the states, the houses, the food prices and cars etc are significantly lower. SO is any other country. It's not like Australia is a paradise either. It was named the MOST expensive place for housing last month. Now there's going to be ANOTHER tax this time the scam is labeled as CARBON TRADING, supposedly to save the koalas.

e500slr

Just checked, there's couple of Gallardo for 100k USD on eBay US. That's almost what I paid for the E55, WTF?!!. I just don't see why we're like this. Dubai, Kuwait, Europe, US etc they're all in the same price range. Just found a Gallardo for the equivalent of 86k USD in UAE Autotrader. No wonder they drive those cars there like everyone has one, they're not rich, it's the norm there. Here if you drive a C63 you are wealthy lol.