I BOUGHT A CHEAP ZAFIRA AT AUCTION, AND FORGOT ABOUT IT

Summary

In this engaging video, the speaker recounts a day of recovering a neglected Saira car left at Aston Barkley before Christmas. The car, adorned with an 'abandoned vehicle' sticker by the gate man, presented a challenge with its rough steering due to a power steering fault. Despite its issues, the speaker sees potential in the car, detailing its condition, necessary repairs, and envisioning its restoration to a sellable state. The narrative unfolds with a mix of determination and automotive know-how, as the speaker plans to revitalize the car, highlighting the balance between cost, effort, and the anticipated profit from resale.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video is about a car dealer picking up an old car that was left at a car park before Christmas
• 🚗 The car is a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira that was bought cheaply but needs some mechanical and bodywork repairs
• 🚦 The car park owner was threatening to remove the car if it wasn't collected soon
• 🔧 The main issue is the power steering needs replacing which will be fixed before sale
• 🎨 The car needs some paintwork done on panels like bumpers and arches
• 🚘 The dealer believes the car can be sold for around £2500 after repairs, leaving profit of around £1000
• 🔧 Other issues like engine warning light, interior valet and suspension knocks will also be fixed
• 🚗 The dealer thinks these cheap 7-seater cars sell very well so is confident of making a good profit
• 📝 The repairs and sale of the car will be documented in future update videos
• 👍 The dealer is pleased to have finally collected the car before the car park owner took action

Q & A

What kind of vehicle is the man picking up?

The man is picking up a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira, a 7-seater vehicle.

Why did the car get left at the yard before Christmas?

The car was left at the yard because it had issues with the power steering and the steering was very stiff, so the man couldn't drive it home as originally planned.

What repairs does the Zafira need?

It needs a new steering rack, the engine light checked, bodywork repairs and paint, some interior repairs, potentially a new clutch.

Why was the man being pressured to move the car?

The yard manager had put stickers on the car threatening to have it forcibly removed for being abandoned too long.

What is the man's estimated cost to repair the car?

He estimates spending between £750-£3,500 on repairs and paint work.

What is the expected resale value of the repaired car?

He expects it will retail for around £2,950 after repairs.

Even with repairs, does the man expect to make a profit?

Yes, even spending up to £2,000 on repairs, he still expects around £1,000 profit at resale.

Why does the man think the car will sell easily?

He says 7-seater vehicles, especially cheaper petrol ones, tend to sell very easily.

How does the man plan to keep viewers updated on the car?

He says he'll give updates on the repairs and eventual sale in future videos.

What documentation does the yard manager want for abandoned vehicles?

The yard manager wants the man to start signing some kind of paperwork related to vehicles left too long.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Buying an abandoned Vauxhall from auction and moving it off site

Paragraph 1 describes purchasing a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira at auction before Christmas for around £1000. It was left on site due to steering issues. The yard manager has been pressing to get it moved, so the narrator has returned with a truck to load it up and move it. The steering is very stiff due to issues with the power steering rack, so a replacement rack has been ordered.

05:01

🪛 Assessing the work needed on the Vauxhall before selling it on

Paragraph 2 provides an overview of the work needed on the Vauxhall before it can be sold. It needs paint work on several panels and the bumper. The interior needs a valet and some repairs like seat belts and lights. With this work it should sell well as a 7 seater for around £2995, leaving a good profit margin even after spending up to £2000 on repairs and paint.

🚛 Loading up the Vauxhall and moving it off site

Paragraph 3 covers loading the Vauxhall onto the truck and getting approval from the yard manager to remove it. The narrator will get the new steering rack fitted as the first priority. Other work like bodywork, paint and mechanical inspection will follow. The videos will document the progress on the car through the workshop until it is ready for sale.

Keywords

💡steering vault

The steering vault refers to a problem with the power steering system in the Vauxhall Zafira car that the narrator is picking up. It means there is an issue causing the steering to be very stiff and difficult to turn. This is a common problem in these cars and the narrator explains he has already gotten a replacement steering rack that should fix the issue. The steering vault prevents him from driving the car home initially.

💡abandoned vehicle

The narrator mentions there is a sticker on the Zafira saying it is an abandoned vehicle that may be forcibly removed. This is because the car has been left sitting in the car park for several weeks after the steering fault prevented it from being driven home. The gateman has been pressuring the narrator to move the abandoned car.

💡steering rack

The steering rack is a key component of the steering system that has failed on the Zafira. The narrator has sourced a used replacement steering rack for about £50 that he plans to get installed to fix the steering vault issue. Replacing the steering rack should resolve the stiffness and allow the car to be driven properly.

💡valuet

Valuet refers to thoroughly cleaning and detailing the interior of the Zafira car. The narrator notes the interior needs a good valet to clean up things like the dirty seats and broken seat belts in the back. Valeting will help improve the overall condition and presentation of the car before selling it.

💡paint work

The Zafira needs some paint work done to fix scratches, dents, and worn areas noted by the narrator. This includes repainting the bumpers, bottom of the wheel arches, and some quarter panels. The paint work will help make the exterior look much better and hide existing flaws.

💡selling price

The narrator predicts the Zafira can sell for around £2,950 after reconditioning, despite only costing £1,000 initially. The repairs, paint work, valet, etc. will cost ~£1,500-2,000 but still leave a good profit margin at the expected selling price point.

💡auction purchase

The Zafira was purchased cheaply for about £1,000 from a car auction, before fees. Buying older, higher mileage cars at auction for low prices is a key part of the narrator's business model. It allows room for profit after reconditioning.

💡reconditioning

Reconditioning refers to the overall process of repairing issues, fixing cosmetic damage, and improving a car's condition before selling it. This includes things like replacing the steering rack, paint work, buffing scratches, valeting, etc. Proper reconditioning maximizes resale value.

💡job card

The narrator mentions creating a job card to assess the car and list out all the repairs and improvements needed, like creating an itemized service order. The job card helps organize the reconditioning process systematically.

💡profit margin

The narrator analyzes expected costs of repairs and improvements versus the projected selling price to estimate the profit margin on the Zafira. Even with higher reconditioning costs, he predicts there is still a decent profit margin of over £1,000 on this auction car.

Highlights

Picking up a car that's been at the yard for weeks before Christmas

The yard manager has been putting stickers on the car to get it moved

The car was left because it had steering issues and needed a new rack

The car starts up despite sitting for weeks

The steering is very stiff and knocking even though it still works

Ordered a used steering rack for £50 to replace the faulty one

The engine light is on but it's likely just a simple oxygen sensor issue

Overviews repairs needed - steering rack, paint work, interior valet

Estimates spending £3,500-4,500 on repairs and paint work

Thinks it can retail for £2,950 after repairs despite high mileage

Even with £2,000 in repairs there's still £1,000 profit potential

Will get the mechanical work done first before painting

May need to replace the clutch which would be another expense

Will document progress in future update videos

Thanks viewers and asks them to check next video

Transcripts

we going to get that

Severa on that truck you say uh it's

been here there you go 23rd 11 when it

was put here the old uh gate man has put

a sticker on it abandoned vehicles may

be forcibly removed well no no fear

we're going to move it bit late but you

know better late than

never morning guys I'm back at Aston

Barkley picking up some more stock today

picking up a card that's been here a

little bit too late it's been here a few

weeks before Christmas and the Gat man

has been on me case he told me to get it

moved so that's to come down cuz he's uh

he's been uh putting stickers on the

car so I bought this I'll show you

actually let me show you this one it's

over here so we're in the truck got

ourselves down here got us got the saira

which has been here for well I think we

bought it a couple weeks before

Christmas we actually saw this on the

channel it got left here because um I

was meant to drive it home that day it's

got steering Vault it's got a basically

the power steering on it the the got a

bottle up space onto the the rack itself

for the motor it's it's basically going

rough the steering still works but it's

really rough and horrible so we had to

uh abandon it and now organized a rack

for it and motor which is at the garage

so I'm here now I'm going to get that

Severa on that truck you say it's uh

it's been here there you go 23rd 11 when

it was put here the old uh Gat man has

put a sticker on it abandoned vehicles

may be forcibly removed well no no fear

we're going to move it bit late but you

know bit late than never I don't like

leaving cars on the car park it's not

something I like doing obviously want

them backing on sale but unfortunately

when you get them out the good door with

anticipation of driving them home cuz

you haven't brought your truck and they

turn out to be bit worse than your first

four you have to uh change plans but

this one got left on the back burner

anyway let's see if it starts up and

I'll pull it out and give you a quick

tour of it again give you a reminder cuz

it wasn't a deer car this actually and

even though it does need a bit of work

oh look at that started up never in

doubt which is Handy cuz I haven't got

me top machine with me

right little ladyb bird there you

alive he's dead right um never mind just

trying to help him out the um engine

lights on which I knew about when we

bought it it's a 1 18 petrol to honest

I'm not too fussed about that the engine

light that be something straightforward

usually on these lamber sensors is

really common but as you can see here I

am absolutely fighting with the steid it

is knocking it's trying to work but it's

really stiff and horrible very common on

toer basically just change them you can

change the motor but they all come as

one on the rack itself so I just order

well I've ordered a secondhand unit off

a friend of mine who breaks hols about

50 Quid and we'll probably have get my

mechanic or next door to whack that on

for us it's just pretty straightforward

fix and then we'll have a half decent

car that we can actually start

progressing in the workshop J God this

is

heavy got a few little rattles and bangs

as well on the suspension

but we can soon sort them

[Music]

out let me show you this car and give

you a reminder of it here it is it's a

2012 plate Vox hor AA 18 petrol he done

90,000 Mi not too bad on a 12 plate it's

a little bit shabby but it's not

horrendous and it will make a car so I

say it's um I think we gave about just

over a grand for this with the fees it

was so cheap I think it was about 800

and something pound plus the fees I

probably exactly what exactly what it

was it was around the grand it was a

cheap car uh let's see it wants a few

little bits on it wants a little bit of

paint obviously we need to deal with

that rack but on a 12 plate it's I think

it's still going to be a cheap vehicle

even the numbers are going to work on

this need to put a number plate on it

obviously um it wants some paint like I

mentioned we've got a splitter missing

as well the bottom there we need to do

something about that the Grill's been

knocked in there with that nor plates

damage so we might just address that get

that bumper off maybe fix it up get a

new splitter for the bottom of

it so inside it's what's a valid really

it's just typical 7 seater key want

sorting out it's all fell to pieces to

sort that out usually on these the back

seat belts whose F pieces there you go

there's a broken one there's one there

see so need to get a belt organized for

that that's there it there again just a

big

valet sure this back door

opens so um nice set of uh glittery mats

in

there 7 seaters as also here as are it's

not that bad actually it's got a few

light marks on it the B bumper wants

painting that's definite that's a bit

shabby we've got a bottom of arch one

side here that wants painting which is

down here want something doing with that

smart repair there maybe it's got loads

of little scratches on it but they're

all dull and you can really quite see

them but they're all dull they'll come

out just once a bloody good buff again

on here look but they'll come out

they're fading they will come out

they're not deep they're not past the

primer the bumper wants painting the

bottom of that Arch wants painting and

this quarter wants painting again with

this Arch here so we've got that's too

deep tried touching it in that need

sorting paint the quarter buff this door

up again down there so we're probably

looking at you know paint man's got a

bit of work there a bit on that Arch as

well maybe might do buff the whole car

up I I don't care we spend 3 4500 on

paint if the if me paint man's watching

don't be using that top figure as a

guide but we're going to be somewhere in

that um that ballpark again on the front

bumper probably touch them bits in them

get to get that bumper straightened up

tires flat it I know it looks bad and

you think it looks a bit shabby but it

will make a car light again they always

leave water in that one need new lights

and get old of them but once you've got

it if you get this right cleaned up

paint on it buffed up it'll look a

different car on a 12 plate it's easily

going to be retailing at around 295 easy

so at a grand he never have to

spend

6750 750 on it and painting it and

getting the bits of trim done and stuff

like that getting it all suspension we

on it and tires it's still a nice chunk

of money in a car that will fly out the

door because s is sell 7 seat is sell

Auto sell cheap 7 seat was sell I prefer

to buy a petrol one and a diesel and

saira personally so you know so far we

got Grand we spent got a rack we put on

it as well so we'll do probably do the

rack of cells maybe get next door to do

it again it's not going to cost much

spens and stuff for these are really

cheap to buy sorry about the noise but

um so yeah we'll see how it goes we even

spend 8900 even comes in at 2 Grand

there's still £1,000 of profit in that

car once you've retailed it which you

know it's not to be sniffed at really in

this day and age and I don't think that

will struggle to

[Applause]

[Music]

sell right we're on going back this uh

tire inflator to man on the gate make

sure he's

happy then we'll uh head

off tiing FL back blooded give it like

this look at it that's how I found it

old are you sure it wasn't it a bit of a

scruffy mess but nonetheless I've got

the sea loaded up as you can see so she

loaded up so we'll uh she'll be out your

way now so just going to go toight yeah

yeah they are yeah i' got that gone yeah

you got to start signing this now

signing what sa

the oh no no I'm doing that weet for the

next one or yeah yeah we'll make a bit

of progress next week don't you worry

that's the main thing we've got that one

shifted

oh there you go so he's happy

now get rid of the car now he's happy

stop been putting stickers on

them

right so

um let loaded up we'll get ourselves off

now uh get this back get the rack done

first once the rack is done just assess

really under body do a job card on it

usual stuff we do go for driving it I

can't work out if the clutch is slipping

or not it doesn't seem that high but it

did struggle get on there so I'm I'm um

think we might have to put a clutch in

it which would be another expense but

even so I still think there's a chunk of

money in that so we'll see how we go

with it we'll get it painted as well

that the last thing we do we get all the

mechanical sorted and we'll uh keep a

progress of it in the update videos you

want to keep an eye on this vehicle what

we sort of spending on it and as it goes

on sale and hopefully sell obviously

I'll give you all that information as

cars sell uh and we progress them

through the pitch and hopefully look to

sell them so thanks for watching this

short video guys make sure check out the

next one see you all soon