My plan to save A2’s

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A2 Louis

A2 Louis

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Hi all I’ve decided that I’d like to save A2’s preferably FSI’s but will also save 1.4 TDI’s and 1.4 petrols and possibly a 1.2TDI if I ever come across one :)

The plan is to buy A2’s that owners have lost there love for and basically I buy them and save them from the scrappy:)

I probably will make £200 on each car if that and I know this is not a money making forum where people shouldn’t sell on for more than they paid but this £200 profit would cover my time and the hassle of getting the car to me and most importantly finding the right car and getting the mechanic to fix it

I also every month will make a small donation after selling the car to the forum:)

What do you guys think ?

Thanks:)
 
A2 Louis said:
Hi all I’ve decided that I’d like to save A2’s preferably FSI’s but will also save 1.4 TDI’s and 1.4 petrols and possibly a 1.2TDI if I ever come across one :)

The plan is to buy A2’s that owners have lost there love for and basically I buy them and save them from the scrappy:)

I probably will make £200 on each car if that and I know this is not a money making forum where people shouldn’t sell on for more than they paid but this £200 profit would cover my time and the hassle of getting the car to me and most importantly finding the right car and getting the mechanic to fix it

I also every month will make a small donation after selling the car to the forum:)

What do you guys think ?

Thanks:)
Click to expand...
Sounds good to me, and why not make a profit if you're rescuing cars from the melting pot

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Louis, if you can make a success of this, we'll all cheer you on. However, a word of caution... you're not the first person to have this idea. If you've not seen anyone doing it during your time in A2OC, that's because those who've tried haven't stuck at it for long.
Unfortunately, the money that you pay to garages to fix stuff doesn't increase the value of the car by that same amount. As such, the more you spend, the more you tend to lose. Whilst I want to see A2s saved, and I want to see you enjoying yourself doing so, we'd all be upset to see you haemorrhage funds that you can't recuperate. Those who find a way of saving cars and making a profit usually have to do the work themselves.

Best of success,

Tom
 
timmus said:
Louis, if you can make a success of this, we'll all cheer you on. However, a word of caution... you're not the first person to have this idea. If you've not seen anyone doing it during your time in A2OC, that's because those who've tried haven't stuck at it for long.
Unfortunately, the money that you pay to garages to fix stuff doesn't increase the value of the car by that same amount. As such, the more you spend, the more you tend to lose. Whilst I want to see A2s saved, and I want to see you enjoying yourself doing so, we'd all be upset to see you haemorrhage funds that you can't recuperate. Those who find a way of saving cars and making a profit usually have to do the work themselves.

Best of success,

Tom
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Hi Tom yes I have thought of this myself

Luckily for me my mechanic shows me what to do when he is doing the job so I learn from it and also he gives me a low labour cost of £30 a hour:)

Soon I’ll be able to do it all myself just need to put money together for new tools :)
 
Hi @A2 Louis i paid £800 for my TDI have spent around £6-700 on it and it’s now worth around £8-1000 pound, the money spent has made it reliable and safe for me to put many more miles on it, but has made little difference to the value (to others, I think he’ priceless) Its very hard to make money on old used cars, unless they just need a good clean or they have a perceived big issue that is actually easy to fix. Most owners here are already doing jobs that some would consider “un-economic to repair” it’s more for the joy of it. Best of luck and can only commend your efforts but it wouldn’t fly on Dragons Den :)
 
Best of luck Louise. I hope some one is bank rolling you as just breaking even will be near impossible
One thing from past experience of classic cars thought. The fsi is likely to be the A2 to have as it was the most powerful and top of the range of the A2 breed and as such is the ones that the classic car brigade want
It may however be different with modern classics as keeping the fsi is usable running condition will continue to be ever more challenging as time goes on and less and less people understand the engine

Best of luck with the venture
Paul


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depronman said:
Best of luck Louise. I hope some one is bank rolling you as just breaking even will be near impossible
One thing from past experience of classic cars thought. The fsi is likely to be the A2 to have as it was the most powerful and top of the range of the A2 breed and as such is the ones that the classic car brigade want
It may however be different with modern classics as keeping the fsi is usable running condition will continue to be ever more challenging as time goes on and less and less people understand the engine

Best of luck with the venture
Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Not sure that’s entirely true Paul regarding the FSI model as the only one to have long term ...as on auto trader up in Scotland is one for sale for £4000 with only 26,000 miles on the clock still for sale 3 weeks now & open to offers .. all high-priced a2s I’ve seen over the last three years have been TDIs with low miles ..I bought 2 of them ..and if I could find another with oss & leather I would have that .
 
Hi Louis

Can I suggest an alternative business model for you? Better rescue an A2 where the owner has not fallen out of love with it, just reached the point where their expertise/lack of knowledge/time make it uneconomic for commercial repair. You take a handling fee/profit for your expertise/time & contacts to get the car fixed and indeed maybe upgraded to get it back to its owner for further enjoyment. Being in the centre of the country you are well placed. Even better you could have an A2 courtesy car which you rent to the owner for the time their car is with you. I agree with previous comments that there is no money in buying and selling cheap old cars. I am into my second year rebuilding my 1971 MG Midget (family owned since 1974) and cringe when I see adverts reading "spent £35K asking £15K!" My Midget is a keeper and my labour is free but you need some love in a car to justify the spend. Same applies to A2. Good luck in your venture. You'll see I have an FSi so I may become a customer at some stage :)
 
EdinA2 said:
Hi Louis

Can I suggest an alternative business model for you? Better rescue an A2 where the owner has not fallen out of love with it, just reached the point where their expertise/lack of knowledge/time make it uneconomic for commercial repair. You take a handling fee/profit for your expertise/time & contacts to get the car fixed and indeed maybe upgraded to get it back to its owner for further enjoyment. Being in the centre of the country you are well placed. Even better you could have an A2 courtesy car which you rent to the owner for the time their car is with you. I agree with previous comments that there is no money in buying and selling cheap old cars. I am into my second year rebuilding my 1971 MG Midget (family owned since 1974) and cringe when I see adverts reading "spent £35K asking £15K!" My Midget is a keeper and my labour is free but you need some love in a car to justify the spend. Same applies to A2. Good luck in your venture. You'll see I have an FSi so I may become a customer at some stage :)
Click to expand...
Good idea has given me something to think about :)
 
greywolfhound said:
Not sure that’s entirely true Paul regarding the FSI model as the only one to have long term ...as on auto trader up in Scotland is one for sale for £4000 with only 26,000 miles on the clock still for sale 3 weeks now & open to offers .. all high-priced a2s I’ve seen over the last three years have been TDIs with low miles ..I bought 2 of them ..and if I could find another with oss & leather I would have that .
Click to expand...

In the short to medium term I agree that the tdi is likely to be the A2 to have due in the main to reliability a as nd fuel economy, but as A2’s become more garage queens and are taken to car shows on transports then the fsi will become the one to have (if the normal classic car trends prevail)
Me for one always treats a car for what it was meant for and use it on a frequent basis so the tdi ticks all the boxes


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A2 Louis said:
Hi all I’ve decided that I’d like to save A2’s preferably FSI’s but will also save 1.4 TDI’s and 1.4 petrols and possibly a 1.2TDI if I ever come across one :)

The plan is to buy A2’s that owners have lost there love for and basically I buy them and save them from the scrappy:)

I probably will make £200 on each car if that and I know this is not a money making forum where people shouldn’t sell on for more than they paid but this £200 profit would cover my time and the hassle of getting the car to me and most importantly finding the right car and getting the mechanic to fix it

I also every month will make a small donation after selling the car to the forum:)

What do you guys think ?

Thanks:)
Click to expand...
Louis, I’m very happy that you’re doing that and wishing you best of luck with it!

I chickened out and bought a 1.4 in the end, but I’m still very much hoping to own an FSI one day, and when the time comes I’ll know to come to you for an example that won’t let me down ?
 
Mihai said:
Louis, I’m very happy that you’re doing that and wishing you best of luck with it!

I chickened out and bought a 1.4 in the end, but I’m still very much hoping to own an FSI one day, and when the time comes I’ll know to come to you for an example that won’t let me down ?
Click to expand...
Thank you bud :)
 
One other word of caution...…...if a buyer of one of your cars has a major problem that you or your mechanic did not spot you will by law have to refund them or repair at your cost as you will be classed as a motor trader......under the law as a trader you are expected to have knowledge of possible faults and ensure that any car you sell is fit for purpose, this I feel could prove a minefield with your current level of knowledge.
Will you be taking out liability insurance just in case someone is injured directly or indirectly by a car you've sold, remember we live in a blame and claim society and if it can be proven that in any way however small you were possibly to blame it will land at your feet.
Buying a selling cars may appear a fun way to earn a living but it is a hard way...…….far better to keep it a hobby unless you feel that its going to be a career, if so get a job with a dealer to learn the ropes and the tricks of the trade first and save your self a lot of time and frustration.
 
Kernow A2 said:
One other word of caution...…...if a buyer of one of your cars has a major problem that you or your mechanic did not spot you will by law have to refund them or repair at your cost as you will be classed as a motor trader......under the law as a trader you are expected to have knowledge of possible faults and ensure that any car you sell is fit for purpose, this I feel could prove a minefield with your current level of knowledge.
Will you be taking out liability insurance just in case someone is injured directly or indirectly by a car you've sold, remember we live in a blame and claim society and if it can be proven that in any way however small you were possibly to blame it will land at your feet.
Buying a selling cars may appear a fun way to earn a living but it is a hard way...…….far better to keep it a hobby unless you feel that its going to be a career, if so get a job with a dealer to learn the ropes and the tricks of the trade first and save your self a lot of time and frustration.
Click to expand...
This is why the A2 will be road tested for 500 miles before put for sale because if there are any little problems they will show on a 500 mile test drive (I would hope!!!) :)
 
The fuel and your time will have to come from your possible profits...……..and even then a fault which appears after the date of sale will be your responsibility …….your other option is to offer a warranty underwritten by well known company but this will also cost you money, and many only cover mechanical breakdown and not wear and tear/failing parts...... many have get out clauses and small print.....as I've said its a minefield.
 
Yes, a long, LONG time ago on this Forum I suggested that this could be a feasible and worthwhile interest to develop. For instance, there could be one vehicle with body damage and another with a failed engine. So it would have been easy to make a perfect car from the two. That's just the basics, though. The rate of loss of the A2 model on U.K. roads IS frightening! It takes only a relative small amount of body damage for Insurance Companies to write them off! I'm not sure if there ARE any repairers who can repair/re-align aluminium structural work?
Like others, I'm impressed with what you're hoping to achieve!

David
 
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