If you have an older car but have decided it is time to trade it in for a new ride, there are a few things you need to do to ensure you get the best value for your trade. No car dealership is going to offer top dollar for a dirty car with things wrong with it. Though the dealership won’t expect perfection on an older car, they will assume that you have taken some time to make it look and run its best.
The trick is to make sure that you don’t put more into fixing up the car than it will be worth in the trade-in process. Leave the big repair jobs to the professionals. Instead, focus on those easy to solve items that won’t break the bank.
Get your car’s exterior washed
This should be a no brainer. Take your car in for a car wash before you arrive at the car dealership for them to assess the value of your vehicle. Spring for the better car wash too – that will get in deep from the bottom to blast away dirt that you have picked up on the road.
A good wash will include an exterior wax as well. Look for a car wash that uses actual car wash products, and opt for the wash with brushes instead of brush-free. Though brush-free washes are adequate and serve a purpose, they don’t always get the surface dust off the vehicle as the car makes its way through the wash.
Splurge on an interior detail for your car
Many car wash companies also offer detailed services. And if your favorite car wash location doesn’t, it won’t be too hard to find a place that will. Detailing services are helpful for many reasons. Not only do they get in deep into the nooks and crannies of your car interior to remove dust, dirt, and debris, but sometimes they find long lost items that have been lost during the time you had the vehicle.
A good detail job will make your car look almost new inside (depending on any interior damage your vehicle has sustained over the years). The cleaners will also shampoo the interior carpets, clean the interior windshield and windows, remove odors, and remove those stubborn crumbs and food particles.
Be sure to organize any of your car’s paperwork in the glove compartment before going in for the detail job. This will help ensure that the cleaners can get into as many spaces as possible. This is a good time to ensure that you have all of the essential accessories for your car as well. The owner’s manual, extra keys, and any other smaller items should be readily accessible in the glove compartment when you arrive at the dealership.
Fix headlights, taillights, and headlamps
If you have a broken headlight or taillight, take time to fix this now. Not only will you be subject to a fine if you are pulled over with a broken light, but failure to make such an easy (and required) repair will raise flags with the car dealership who may then decide to look even closer at your car for other issues that you might have hidden.
Bulbs are not expensive and can be purchased at almost any auto parts store or car dealership.
Top off all fluids
This should be a no-brainer too. Make sure that all of the fluids in your car are topped off prior to showing up at the dealership. This is a sign that your vehicle is well cared for (and is ultimately better for the car).
Be sure to check the oil, radiator fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid. Don’t forget to refill your windshield washer reservoir too.
Fix or replace broken or old windshield wipers and windshields
If your windshield wipers are not in good working condition or have dried out or cracked, they can be replaced without a big investment. If you can’t install them yourself, many auto stores will help you replace them at no extra charge.
Also, if you have a cracked windshield, be sure to get this fixed too. Check with your insurance company to see if you have windshield coverage. If you do, you’ll be pleased to know that you will be able to get your windshield fixed quite quickly. If you don’t have windshield coverage, a windshield replacement doesn’t need to be all that expensive, especially on an older car.
Having properly functioning windshield wipers and an intact windshield are other good signs to the car dealership that your car is in good overall condition and working order.
Touch up those scratches and dings
It is easy to find touch-up paint to match your car. In most cases, all you need is the year, make, and model of your car and the name of the paint color to find touch-up paint. Many cars list the paint color’s name via a color code indicated on a sticker within the car, in one of the following locations:
• Toward the bottom of the driver’s side door jam
• Next to your VIN number on the right bottom of the windshield (if you are outside of your car looking at the windshield)
• In the glove compartment
This color code is not the same as the color name, however, as manufacturers tend to change colors frequently. The color code will be the most helpful to you when trying to locate a touch-up paint as it will provide the exact color specifications.
Know that when you are applying touch-up paint, it is possible that the touch-ups will look a bit different. This is normal as the older the car is, the more faded the color will be, especially if the car had a lot of sun exposure over the years.
If your car needs excessive paint repairs, then touch-up paint is probably not the best solution due to the potential for color variation. In these cases, it might be best to ask a car dealership or repair shop for their suggestions before you determine the right approach for you, your car, and the car’s potential worth vs. the expense for the repair.
Maximize your Trade-In while Minimizing your Investment
The ultimate goal when trading in your car should be to maximize how much you can get, while minimizing how much you put into the car to prep it for the dealer to take a look. Keep in mind that with every dollar you spend on prepping your car, that the car dealer is in the business of repairing cars. This isn’t that big of a lift for them, and they won’t have to pay the same costs that you do for the repairs.
While you should be sure to make the repairs cited in this article, and you need to ensure your car is clean and presentable, don’t fret about things like a broken air conditioner or tires that are on their last leg. The car dealer can manage those items for you. If your car engine is blown, this doesn’t mean either that you can’t still trade in your car. In fact, JunkCarMasters.com provides an excellent resource for those who wish to trade in their cars even with a blown engine.
In the least, the process of prepping your car to maximize your trade-in will also provide you with great insight into how to prolong the longevity of your car’s life. Keeping the fluids properly maintained, keeping the inside and outside of the car clean, and touching up nicks shortly after they happen, can help extend the life of your vehicle and keep it looking as good as possible.
