Cosmetic issues - should I fix them before sale?

[user 22223]

Hi!

I have been struggling to sell this van. I think that an inconveniently timed MOT might be contributing to that but mainly I think that it is the external cosmetic issues.

I will put some pics at the end of this post to show the damage, how much do you learned individuals think that it'd cost to put right? I'm currently thinking that a new sliding door or repair panel would be needed and some sanding priming and painting of the rear arches. The metal underneath the bubbles on the rear arches appears clean and not rusty, the door is not in such good shape in terms of rust I don't think. However, I am no expert! One person saw these pics and then told me that it was £4000 worth of work. I'm not so sure...

The real question is, should I bother fixing these problems to aid the sale? Any opinions welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Robin

Whole van to give a sense of scale

Close up pics:

 

[radish]

Depends how much your trying to sell it for, £4000 may not be to far off the mark. To get that all welded up and then a bottom half spray, it unfortunately looks like a lot a filler all over that's a lot of work to pay for.

 

[user 22223]

It's up for £10500, I obviously expect some haggling though. Prices are really hard to gauge, Danny at the garage (Fox and Sons, Berks) says that prices are too hard to judge, if he can't give a ballpark figure I have no hope!

The door has got filler, that is for certain as I saw that being done. However, the arches don't appear to have filler. I'm not sure what happened with them, it almost looks like the rear arches were repaired with a welded in section on each side that has bubbled along the seam (does that make sense?).

I suppose the next question is, does anyone know a good bodywork place near the RG10 (Twyford/Hurst) area of Berkshire?

Sent from my Windows Phone

 

[Tofufi]

No offence, but that's a lot of paint blistering and smacks of poor paint and prep in the past. If I had that kind of money to spend on a Bay window, I'd see that amount of bubbling and run a mile.

I'd be astonished if you popped all those bubbles and didn't find rust.

There would be a lot of work there, as it's always worse once you start digging all the old crap out.
If the other side is similar, I'd have thought £4k to repair and repaint that properly would be good value. If it's just the one side and only what we've seen, it might be a bit steep - depends on the bodyshop and their standards.

 

[dazza1975]

One option would be to scrape/ sand all the bubbling back and give it a coat of primer as you have done the front arches. At least then you can see what your getting and might not put people of as much.

As others have said, it has at some point been filled and water has got behind, caused it to rust and gown the filler and paint.

Good look with the sale!

 

[geordie]

If your selling the old bus, i would just leave it as is, so your not ploughing more money into her.
getting any work done takes time and i guarantee there will be more to do and more cost :evil: ,. Also the buyer can see the honest state of the bus so they too know what there buying.

geordie.

 

[chad]

I'd do what Dazza suggested - it'd look far better in primer than at present

 

[BRAD]

I'm with Geordie, an honest sale so you can see what you've got.

But 10k is crazy, 5 or 6 maybe, for 10k you can get a decent one.

 

[geordie]

It don't look that bad, old uk bus I'm guessing with the usual tin worm issues.
Sell it as is, and price according if you want to get rid.

geordie.

 

[user 22223]

Hmmm. Ok! Well the van is my mother in law's and she has a minimum price in mind. I really don't know what to do! It was bought in a worse state in 2007 for £7500, perhaps she was conned. The bubbles wierdly don't have rust behind on the arches, the other side rear arch is similar. I'll get Fox and Sons to quote on the work and see where we go. It has it's plus points (new engine, original fairly unmolested interior) so perhaps with a little work it'll be a better prospect for someone.

No offence taken, you guys know more than me!

Sent from my Windows Phone

 

[dustrat]

With all due respect Robin you are not going to get £10500. A friend of mine has just bought a 71 Westy with all welding done but no engine or interior or pop up roof for just under £3000. All panels are straight and rust free. He also bought another 74 import Westy complete with interior, type 4 engine, six rib gearbox and pop up roof for £2345. He intends to take off parts he needs for 71 Westy and then sell the 74 body shell which is solid except for floor panels. His idea is to spend £2000 to finish it off. So for about £8500 he is going have a very good camper. One of the problems at the moment is that people want silly money for type 2's.Another friend of mine imports type 2's from California which he sells for £4500 upwards. Would I buy yours it as it is ---no !! Depending how much you paid for it, is it worth spending £4500 to get it fixed, that's what you have to think about.
Robert

 

[Graham L]

Agree with comments above I'm afraid, we specialise in Earlybays and I commented on your ad when you first put it up but as Chit Chat is not allowed on the sales ads it was removed.

If your Mother in Law is expecting to see at least £7500 for it then she is going to be waiting a long time, the lower half of the bodywork needs stripping back to see what is really there and without doing that you cant tell what its going to cost to fix, its unusual for paint to flake off around previously repaired work so something was not done right. Until all the filler is removed you cannot tell whether rust or is there or accident damage.

I would not invest the money in it yourself as you will never see the return on it, it could easily cost £4K upwards to carry out the work and repaint the lower half which is a non original Early Bay colour anyway. You would be better offering it at a sensible price (less than £7.5K) and at least moving it on and let the new owner decide how and when to tackle the work.