Part Out vs. Sell Cheap

[ROCKET62]

After thinking about selling my '93 and seeing the low prices, and reading GTS Bruces' post; "More money than brains/Viper prices - it almost seems to make more sense to part out - than sell cheap - especially since many parts for Gen 1 are becoming more scarce. Sacrilege, I know, to consider this on a pristine Gen 1, but from a purely business perspective...

Approx Parts Prices

Hood -----------5000
Frame ----------5000
Engine ---------5000
Doors ----------3000
Qtr Panels -----2500
Trunk Lid ------1000
Sport Cap ------2000
Side Sills -----2000
Front Fascia ---1000
Trans ----------1000
Wheels/Tires ---2000
Suspen Corn ----2000
Seats ----------1000
AC -------------1000
Winshield/Frame 1500
Vmania Windows -750
Differential ---750
Soft Top -------500
Electrical -----500
Misc Interior --500
Steering Rack --500

Total ------- 38500

Some prices high - some may be low. Add in shipping/handling profits.

Just an observation - I'm 99% sure that I'm going to keep my Dream Viper - and still take advantage of an interesting business opportunity.

 

[Shelby3]

Bad idea

 

[joe117]

Seem's reasonable.
I guess there would be professionals buying cars like mine and doing that if it were possible to make money.
Anyone know?

 

[98viperGTS]

I could use the side curtains and the soft top!
e-mail me if you are going to sell them.

Thanks

 

[Wayne Finch]

reasonable idea. I have also done the math on Prowlers, which a own a few, and this idea works extremely well since car is out of production. My guess is I could get 20-25% more parting out the car - obviously this premium would disappear if pro's starting doing this. (Only 11,000 Prowlers ever made)

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Do those prices include shipping?

I think it's a bad idea and rather optimist to think all those parts could sell and for a profitable price rather than the car as a whole.

 

[99 R/T 10]

You MUST consider the time you will take to remove, box and ship these parts. I think most of your prices are a bit on the high side and would probably take a full 6 months to maybe a year to complete the process. You still have to find the right buyer for each part!

 

[DR VIPER]

Math makes sense only if you can sell all the parts for the asking price.What if you part the car and then get stuck with parts you can't sell?

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

But when it comes down to it could you realy take a good viper apart with no tears.......

 

[snowmann]

I read an article a while back about a guy that made a fortune buying up junk Jaguar XKE's in the 60's and 70's and keeping them all stuffed in a wearhouse. Now he sells the parts which are no longer in production and made millions. Obviously you need to wait a bit for the part prices to go up, but it is interesting to see the value of the car in parts. Parts usually don't get cheaper.

 

[Viper Specialty]

Good Idea or Bad...? Well, if you can honestly say you wouldnt mind chopping up such a car into peices... it is one of the best things you can do with a car to make money.

Why do I drive a Viper? Because I took it upon myself to do the EXACT same thing with Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4's. Oooh yeah, it works. I made one big mistake though- I let way too many people in on the secret of how I made my money. Needless to say, every idiot and country bumpkin from miles around started doing the same thing. They KILLED the parts market. Now, no one makes **** on the parts. Luckily, I had already made the majority of the money I needed, so it really didnt matter to me...I got what I needed out of the market before it collapsed. I have resorted to Viper-Related things now...installs, service, retail...etc. I still dabble occasionally with 3000GT's, but I stay in the background- waiting for the market to COMPLETELY collapse at some point, then I'll start 'er up again. Until then, its not worth doing anything aggressively with.

In summary, if you want to do it- go for it. You'll make money. It may take time, but you will. Just remember, if you start, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT... it will come back to haunt you if you dont. Supply and demand, if everyone does it, no one makes anything.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Before I ever made a decision like that I would consult JonB at Parts Rack....he does this for a living. I'm sure he would give you a thumbs up or down on the idea.

 

[Viper Specialty]

he does this for a living.

Umm... need I say more?

There is a conflict of interest asking JonB though... if he does this for a living, do you REALLY think he would want more parts to be available in the market...? NO.

 

[joe117]

My high miles 94 would be a good candidate for parting out. I'd sell it for $29k all in one piece. It would surely bring more than that in pieces.