RCCrawler Forums

the_ocho · 08-17-2011, 10:28 AM

Ok so im planning on trading in my truck and was just wondering a few things. first of all being how does a dealer view Mods done to the Vehicle.
My truck has some basic stuff Cold air intake, Port/Polished throttle body, Cams, Full exhaust, Custom Tuned, 6" lift on 35" tires with aftermarket 17" wheels and a really nice stereo tho they wont get my subs they will just get deck and door speakers. I understand that in the private party world mods can be a deal maker or breaker depending on whos looking at the truck and if it suits their taste. what does the dealer make of them? My truck is in good condition and always properly maintained following proper intervals( i maintain F-16s and the attention to detail comes home with me) I understand that i can use the maintenance along with say the new clutch and ball joints and clean interior and overall well maintained cleanness of the truck as selling points but what about the mods. do they gain me any leverage?

Just to let people know in case they are gonna say it, Yes i am going to fully negotiate the price on the new car before i even bring my trade into the picture so they dont try to pull the trade in allowence and what not, and no i am not upside down on the truck.

Thanks
Alex

jetboat · 08-17-2011, 10:33 AM

my past experience is that mods can hurt. They usually value the vehicle according to the book and then go down from there. Of course when they turn around and sell it, they use the mods as a selling point.

the_ocho · 08-17-2011, 10:38 AM

Thats pretty much what i was thinking. I know I'm not going to get over wholesale for the truck that would be crazy to expect tho I'm sure most people do. So its all just a matter of trying to keep the price from dropping as much as i can

HndsWthtShdws · 08-17-2011, 10:45 AM

Cold air, throttle body, exhaust, wheels, and stereo may provide some or no //leverage.

Cams and lift kit will hurt you.

eric113 · 08-17-2011, 10:48 AM

Also depends on how much you owe you on it.

Make sure you know your trade in value.. Look at all KBB,edmunds that give you idea how much you get.

I traded in my truck few months ago and was surprised what they gave me for my trade in.

Before that I took it to few stealerships and they didn't want give me nothing for it.. Told them thanks and kept on looking.

toyofast · 08-17-2011, 11:04 AM

At my work(Toyota dealership), any car/truck that has been traded in, with mods beyond what we the dealership would install... we wholesale the auto. We don't like to deal with modified rigs. Too many issues that could come up.

So, if you try to trade it in, look at the lowest dollar figure on KBB, and expect that. A stock, clean car/truck is much more appealing to a dealership than one that has modifications done to it.

the_ocho · 08-17-2011, 11:33 AM

as a dealer what do you look for when trading in a vehicle ?

toyofast · 08-17-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_ocho

as a dealer what do you look for when trading in a vehicle ?

- Low mileage, lower the better. I don't think we have a single used car with more than 90K on the lot.

- Quality automobile, no Jags, No Rovers, No oddball European rigs...

- No mechanical issues.

- Clean, non-smoker. Cleaner the better. If it's dirty or stinks, means more time to get through the detail dept. More time = money.

- No dents, or damage. Damage = more money needing to go into the rig.

- Clean title. If it's not, don't plan on trading it in.

- Little to no modifications.

If the dealership has to fix it, plan on taking that amount out of the trade-in value. As a dealership we don't what to spend money on it to put it on the lot.

Best thing you can do is hit a few dealerships that sell the car you like, see what they'd give you for your rig. Plan on getting much less than what you think, unless it's a Toyota or Honda.

Tommy R · 08-17-2011, 12:29 PM

I would return the truck to as close to stock as you can. Find someone to work out a trade for the easy bolt-on goodies and install their stock stuff. Leave the lift/wheels/tires 'cause it would be too much cost/hassle to swap (I assume). I wouldn't even mention the aftermarket cams. If it's too radical they may hear it and ask about it or assume it's a misfire. I'd bring it up only if they ask about it or if they think something is wrong with it.

Harley · 08-17-2011, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy R

I would return the truck to as close to stock as you can. Find someone to work out a trade for the easy bolt-on goodies and install their stock stuff. Leave the lift/wheels/tires 'cause it would be too much cost/hassle to swap (I assume). I wouldn't even mention the aftermarket cams. If it's too radical they may hear it and ask about it or assume it's a misfire. I'd bring it up only if they ask about it or if they think something is wrong with it.

Definitely agree!

jetboat · 08-17-2011, 12:47 PM

get a trade in estimate from a dealership... then put it on Cl for $1000 more. That what I did and sold my truck in 1 day. I only trade in if I cant sell after a reasonable time period.

SNCrawler · 08-17-2011, 01:06 PM

mods will devalue the vehicle, way to get the most money is to make it back to stock, trade in the vehicle and sell the mods on the side to get the most bang for your buck

4u2nv · 08-17-2011, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetboat

get a trade in estimate from a dealership... then put it on Cl for $1000 more. That what I did and sold my truck in 1 day. I only trade in if I cant sell after a reasonable time period.

To each his own but a $1000 is not enough for me to deal with people on Craigslist... I'd rather drive it to the dealer get what I can and walk away with my new ride... I'm all set with "selling" a used car to someone, it can always come back to haunt you. Never mind all the no-shows, tire kickers and low ballers out there.

To the OP don't expect any more than book... Are you buying new or used because that can make a big difference. You will get way more for your trade towards new than used.

KBrog · 08-17-2011, 04:21 PM

Some dealers have to remove mods and put it back to stock before they can sell it.

Best advice would be sell it your self and take the cash to the dealer. Or even better, Keep it, and save yourself from a new car payment.

08-17-2011, 10:28 AM	#1
the_ocho Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Salt lake city Posts: 206	trading in my truck Ok so im planning on trading in my truck and was just wondering a few things. first of all being how does a dealer view Mods done to the Vehicle. My truck has some basic stuff Cold air intake, Port/Polished throttle body, Cams, Full exhaust, Custom Tuned, 6" lift on 35" tires with aftermarket 17" wheels and a really nice stereo tho they wont get my subs they will just get deck and door speakers. I understand that in the private party world mods can be a deal maker or breaker depending on whos looking at the truck and if it suits their taste. what does the dealer make of them? My truck is in good condition and always properly maintained following proper intervals( i maintain F-16s and the attention to detail comes home with me) I understand that i can use the maintenance along with say the new clutch and ball joints and clean interior and overall well maintained cleanness of the truck as selling points but what about the mods. do they gain me any leverage? Just to let people know in case they are gonna say it, Yes i am going to fully negotiate the price on the new car before i even bring my trade into the picture so they dont try to pull the trade in allowence and what not, and no i am not upside down on the truck. Thanks Alex

08-17-2011, 10:33 AM	#2
jetboat I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tax Nation Posts: 2,289	my past experience is that mods can hurt. They usually value the vehicle according to the book and then go down from there. Of course when they turn around and sell it, they use the mods as a selling point.

08-17-2011, 10:38 AM	#3
the_ocho Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Salt lake city Posts: 206	Thats pretty much what i was thinking. I know I'm not going to get over wholesale for the truck that would be crazy to expect tho I'm sure most people do. So its all just a matter of trying to keep the price from dropping as much as i can

08-17-2011, 10:45 AM	#4
HndsWthtShdws Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 341	Cold air, throttle body, exhaust, wheels, and stereo may provide some or no //leverage. Cams and lift kit will hurt you.

08-17-2011, 10:48 AM	#5
eric113 Moderator Rule Breaker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 5,970	Also depends on how much you owe you on it. Make sure you know your trade in value.. Look at all KBB,edmunds that give you idea how much you get. I traded in my truck few months ago and was surprised what they gave me for my trade in. Before that I took it to few stealerships and they didn't want give me nothing for it.. Told them thanks and kept on looking.

08-17-2011, 11:04 AM	#6
toyofast I wanna be Dave Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Columbia Gorge Posts: 5,512	At my work(Toyota dealership), any car/truck that has been traded in, with mods beyond what we the dealership would install... we wholesale the auto. We don't like to deal with modified rigs. Too many issues that could come up. So, if you try to trade it in, look at the lowest dollar figure on KBB, and expect that. A stock, clean car/truck is much more appealing to a dealership than one that has modifications done to it.

08-17-2011, 11:33 AM	#7
the_ocho Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Salt lake city Posts: 206	as a dealer what do you look for when trading in a vehicle ?

08-17-2011, 12:29 PM	#9
Tommy R I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 4,273	I would return the truck to as close to stock as you can. Find someone to work out a trade for the easy bolt-on goodies and install their stock stuff. Leave the lift/wheels/tires 'cause it would be too much cost/hassle to swap (I assume). I wouldn't even mention the aftermarket cams. If it's too radical they may hear it and ask about it or assume it's a misfire. I'd bring it up only if they ask about it or if they think something is wrong with it.

08-17-2011, 12:47 PM	#11
jetboat I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tax Nation Posts: 2,289	get a trade in estimate from a dealership... then put it on Cl for $1000 more. That what I did and sold my truck in 1 day. I only trade in if I cant sell after a reasonable time period.

08-17-2011, 01:06 PM	#12
SNCrawler Pebble Pounder Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cerritos Posts: 99	mods will devalue the vehicle, way to get the most money is to make it back to stock, trade in the vehicle and sell the mods on the side to get the most bang for your buck

08-17-2011, 04:21 PM	#14
KBrog RCC Addict Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Earth? Posts: 1,698	Some dealers have to remove mods and put it back to stock before they can sell it. Best advice would be sell it your self and take the cash to the dealer. Or even better, Keep it, and save yourself from a new car payment.

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