Piston Slap: The Terminal Beater

by Sajeev Mehta

Updated: May 16th, 2014 Published: January 19th, 2011

Chuck writes:

I have been an avid reader of TTAC for roughly a year and a half, and I love this site! I really like the advice articles. I have come into an automotive dilemma concerning a inherited 2004 Honda Civic VP.

My mother recently passed away, so i inherited her Honda. I need to sell the Civic as quickly as possible for as much as possible. There is a issue though- The front bumper is damaged, I put the car into KBB for value assessment and KBB in “Fair” condition says the Honda is worth $7,000 I would like to get as close to 5K as possible. Our friendly neighborhood watch has given me a notice with a $44.00 fine to remove the car that doesn’t have plates from the driveway ASAP!

Here are some details about the car. It’s a 2004 Honda Civic Value Package. Just under 58,000 miles, two owners: my mom and I. The A/C works, it has a CD player but the rear speakers cut in and out. The front bumper damage was caused by “bottoming out” on a dirt road that my mom used to travel on in the FL countryside. The Bumper and radiator support seem most effected. The car does drive straight and doesn’t leak fluids. I have been driving the car since Feb of this year while I fixed up my 1998 BMW 323i Coupe, I had no issues with the car using it everyday. I replaced the battery, and air filters. The Civic has good tires and new front brakes. I cannot to the repair work myself, I don’t have the time to fix the front end myself, I work Full-Time and I go to school Full-Time. I guess my question is what would be the quickest way to get the car out of the driveway while getting the a close to 5k as possible.

Sajeev answers:

I’m sorry for your loss. Much like the last Piston Slap, there’s no easy way to sell a car for the amount you’d prefer, and not because of a personal connection to a loved one. Unlike what we last saw, the smart move this time is to dump your money pit BMW and keep a fairly reliable and value conscious Honda Civic. (Sorry, couldn’t resist channeling my inner Steve Lang.)

So anyway, an average Civic needing cosmetic re-conditioning can sell for $5000-ish at a private party sale. Which is somewhat meaningless, especially with your time crunch. So here’s my best advice: clean the car up (even under the hood and trunk), take a lot of pictures (host them remotely) and place it on craigslist. Mention the good and bads about the car and be honest but succinct. Ask for $6k obo, CASH, and say Motivated Seller. You will deal with a lot of trashy people, but someone will come up with something over $4000 cash and it will be worth the short-term hell.

Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.

#Advice #PistonSlap

Sajeev Mehta

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2 of 55 comments

Ajla on Jan 19, 2011

You're just lucky no one caught you walking barefoot in the clubhouse... Anyway, I can't imagine that you couldn't easily sell this car for around $5000 with just a wash and vacuum. Craigslist is the easiest and cheapest way, but Autotrader or ebay tend to attract fewer psychos.

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Gator marco on Jan 21, 2011

Chuck, Very sorry about your loss. I'm in Florida also, so yes I've heard about "The Villages". They don't sound any different than any other HOA in this state. They have to be fair in recording all violations and sending out notices. $44 a week is a little steep even by Florida standards, but that's probably what they have in their bylaws. Maybe I've missed it, but I didn't see anyone suggesting moving the car to one of those storage places. Many storage places have a fenced in grass area where folks park boats and RVs for extended times. For probably something around $44 per month, you can park the car somewhere safe until you have reasonable time to deal with it. If you really wanted to protect the car, you could rent a garage size storage space for around $100. You may decide to keep it, or just wait for the right offer. Good Luck.

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