I've flipped a few Rover accessories and parts through finds on Craigslist, and am starting to think more seriously about upping the ante and testing it out on a full truck. $1000-$1500 'I've given up' Disco's have popped up on Craigslist in my area and every time I see one I get $$$ in my head.

It seems there are a few brave souls out there that have flipped a Disco or 2 in their time, and I was curious to see what your criteria is, what you've done to increase the value for resale. I've been tempted more than once to pick up the $1000 Disco, give it a good deep clean, a quick tune up and flip it.

What say you? What price point and condition do you guys look for?

....maybe I've been watching too many episodes of "Wheeler Dealers" (Wheelah-Dealah's)

FOR EXAMPLE : 94 Landrover Discovery

 

technicians can flip them, regular guys its not worth it because the cost of parts and time is too much. Plus gas prices are going up, with that is the incentive to sell a rover. buying and flipping one means waiting a while to get it sold. Plus without actually getting things fixed like head gaskets and cel and other stuff most souls won't look at it. plus brakes and tires are still a big thing even to the uneducated. its a big risk unless you fix the entire vehicle up completely and its completely detailed then you have a good chance at money. most 1000 dollar discos need 1500 dollars to get them road worthy.

 

I guess what sparked this is a couple I've seen lately that have decently low mileage, but the owners have given up on them over a seemingly minuscule issue....like a CPS.

Good point about gas prices going up over the next few months....$5 yay! Too bad there isn't a bunch of oil in Canada ready to be shipped down to Texas via a pipeline of some sort......

But with those gas prices going up, the motivation to sell also rises, and that $1000 Disco becomes a $700 Disco....

It seems so simple, I have to keep telling myself it isn't necessarily so

 

This would be a case in which you'd have to evaluate the opportunity cost of your money - in other words, how would this "investment" stack up against others? I suspect not too well. You could have a lot of money (and your time) wrapped up for a long time.

On the other hand, if you looked at it as a hobby with the potential to make some money, maybe you should go for it. From my perspective, the bigger opportunity is to buy these older Rovers on the cheap and part them out. But that would be a hassle, IMO.

Good luck if you decide to do it!

DRW

 

Yeah, parting out seems to be relatively profitable, but then you're looking at storage, extra time pulling things apart, then having to dump the chassy when it's all said and done. No space for that long term.

I have feeling this would get a solid VETO from the wife, but was more or less trying to get an idea....I guess if it was easy and profitable, more people would be doing it...or maybe they are and are getting rich selling Disco's to all us suckers!

Thanks guys.

 

Legally, you can flip them to make money...as long as it is not declared as a business, but as a hobby. I know someone whom was audited and had to defend himself in court.

I've flip'd many cars from the past 20 years. Before there was Craigslist, there was the Auto Trader. Craigslist just made it that much easier to advertise. And the last Disco wasn't any different. There is profit to be made, but the trick is to find "the one" at the bottom price.

In regards to being a breaker, the essential piece of the pie is warehouse space. I did that for a few years with the RX7's. It is a messy job and the wife didn't like mess.... If I had a small building/warehouse with organization, it would have worked out. But on the bright side, so did the RX7's...lol

 

There might be another way of flipping. Buy a used car that goods gas mileage and has decent space like a wagon and fix it up. put new tires and brakes all around and make sure the timing belts are changed and the interior is clean. Then just trade it for the more expensive disco. This way you can by a car for over a grand put six hundred bucks in parts in it and trade it for a discovery that is worth 4 grand at least. The owner will more likely be willing to trade a decent vehicle over the cost of gas. Then fix up the rover at four grand and sell it for 8 to ten grand in the meantime.

 

Here is my story. I bought a 2004 for $2250 on eBay. Drove from Atlanta back to Indy to pick it up. Towed it home with my own 2003. No engine was advertised, but when i got there the entire engine was dissembled in the back gate. I sold the entire vehicle for $1950 less than two weeks later. The body was in perfect condition. Whole engine was in my garage to be parted. I sold the block for $900 alone, front cover for $475, heads $250 each. Probably scored another easy $1500 plus on the other parts on eBay. So there is money in it. It just depends if you can store a Rover in your driveway and its OK. No one in my parent's very nice neighborhood knew that discovery had no engine. Additionally I never got the transmission, ABS modulator or SAI or transfer case... those items that were worth money I never had. Turns out it had a bent rod probably from hydro-lock.
It just depends on how much time you have and how much of a hurry you are in to recoup your investment till you can get to making a profit.

Repairing a Rover seems risky to me as we all know parts are expensive for these rigs. Unless you can be sure of a easy fix. I feel more comfortable with the parting gig. It will always make money. I got a kick seeing all the various parts sell to Hungry, UK, Singapore, it felt like I was spreading the Rover love. I am an eBay Guru so parting out is right up my alley. We all know about these guys Mary(Drillbit), Will Tillery, Paul Grant....they are making some money and are helping us keep our rigs rolling.

 

Very few used ones are going to sell anywhere near that in the real world.

Each one is going to vary. You may do well on one and lose your butt on the next one. If you can find one that somebody is ready to throw in the towel on and it is really a simple fix.............you can may bundle as a whatever you want to call it. But I would not count on this being the norm.

Lots of people on here seem to think that even screwed up, theirs is worth a fortune. And even more if they have been meticulous or however they care to describe themselves.

The practical know that as the cost of gas rises, the desirability and the pool of potential buyers diminishes as does the price of any rig. Especially an older Disco.

I have seen some real bargains on individual used parts from scrapyards. I have also seen some ridiculous asking prices on the same parts from people who are "flipping" or "Stripping" Disco's.

If you got the money and the opportunity and the rest of what it takes, jump in! If it's just a pipe dream, wake up.

 

I guess "flipping" might be a 'derogatory' context, I would say 'reviving.'

I understand it's a risk, and I'm not trying to supplement my income or anything crazy like that, just looking for creative ways to make a couple extra bucks to put back into my Disco.

I know it's apples-oranges, but I've made over $1000 just casually buying and selling Rover stuff on Craigslist and local forums, so I'm getting the bug to step my game up.

My thoughts are to buy a $1000 Disco that is driveable, put $500 into it, then turn around and selling it for $2000 or so. Gas prices affect some people's behavior, but others....like those on this board, keep their Rovers, or are looking for another one, so there will always be a market, unless things get really bad. And in that case, I'll have an extra Disco to play around with, or part out.