Free Car!!!! And the state of the UK used car market

[paul c]

OK, I know this is sort of sublime to the ridiculous, in that the last thread I started was about Aliens, but, is there anyone out there who wants a free car? It's nothing special, but with the UK used car market in free fall, there's no point in trying to sell our Ford Granada with 152,000 miles on the clock and a weeks worth of MOT. But if anyone's willing to come to Cambridge (UK) and pick it up by the end of the week, it's yours.

It's a 2 litre fuel injected manual Mk3 Ford Granada built in 1986. It's a bit scruffy and needs a new thermostat to get the heating running again (easy DIY job) cos the engine's running a bit cold at the mo. I have no idea whether it'll pass the MOT first time, but mechanically it seems pretty good to me, although the engine can be a little smoky if you rev hard. (Still runs very smoothly though). I expect that if anything it may need a bit of welding. Anyhow, I'd really rather not just scrap it cos it seems to good for that (having had things like radiator, clutch, brakes, recon power steering rack since we've had it), so it's free to a good home, if you know anyone who's interested, but it has to go by Saturday 28th when the MOT runs out. Send me a message if you're interested.

And seeing how I've started a thread on a used car. Does anyone think this free fall in British used car prices is going to carry on for much longer? Is it the same elsewhere in the world? For example, we've just bought a very tidy 1986 Volvo 740 Estate for just £400!!

[riusnow]

Here in New England car prices are the same: ridiculously high! Whether it's new or used.
But I'm wondering what the reason for the problem in the UK is? Any ideas?
Not interested in the Granada but I do have some stuff I'd like to sell...

[paul c]

I suppose that it's because UK prices were much higher than the rest of Europe for the same models, and now the free market has driven new prices down. Consequently used prices fell too, making older cars almost worthless. I've heard that scrap metal prices have fallen now as well so it actually costs us to get a scrappy to come out and pick up a dead car. So we've also got a problem of illegally dumped cars as well.

[Wrex]

Paul c - thats bizarre - i wish that was the case here in Australia.

I'll take it if your willing to deliver it