Coworker Needs to Dispose of a Car: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Nov. 19, 2008 6:14 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

A coworker of mine had her car fail while driving down I-5, in the middle of BFE (about 20 minutes north of Harris Ranch). Late 90's Nissan Sedan. It had an axle fall out, or something along those lines. Car is not driving, and not worth it to her to fix. It's also stuck out in BFE and she just wants to get rid of it. She's getting another car.

She is apparently having problems just handing over the title to the mechanic that looked at it. Something about needing to smog the car before selling? That doesn't make sense to me. I told her she should just have a wrecker come and two it for scrap. Apparently the problem is getting rid of the title.

This doesn't make sense to me. Does anyone have advice or experience just getting rid of something like this?
Nov. 19, 2008 6:19 p.m. iceracer Reader

Give the title to the junk yard along with the car. I think it is required anyway.
Nov. 19, 2008 7:16 p.m. Type Q HalfDork

It only needs to be smogged when the registration changes. Techincally it is the sellers responsibility to pay for it, however plenty of "as is/where is" sales happen without one. He being a really cheap bastard. If the mechanic doesn't plan to fix it and drive it immediately then he can pay the $16 planned non- operation fee and register it later.
Nov. 19, 2008 10:59 p.m. kcbhiw Reader

Tow it to your house and offer it up for $200 (or free). It'll go away. It might even make a nice Challenger or LeMons racer for someone.
Nov. 19, 2008 11:31 p.m. skruffy Dork

Leave it where it lies. It'll eventually get towed and auctioned off or destroyed.

Friend of mine has done this a few times with old junkers.
Nov. 20, 2008 6:37 a.m. 914Driver Dork

skruffy wrote:

Leave it where it lies. It'll eventually get towed and auctioned off or destroyed.

Friend of mine has done this a few times with old junkers.

A coworker did that, they traced him by the VIN number and sent him a bill for towing.

Salinas, if the car is worthy of fixing, help the woman out and take it off her hands; If not just be supportive.

Dan
Nov. 20, 2008 10:55 a.m. Salanis SuperDork

Sorry, but I didn't make something clear. The car is nowhere near here anymore. She was traveling to visit family down the valley.

The car is about 4-5 hours South of here.

She doesn't want to fix it. The transmission had been going south for a while, and now this. I believe it got towed to a shop at Harris Ranch or Bakersfield.
Nov. 20, 2008 11:06 a.m. therex SuperDork

Normally I'd say

+

But in this case, I'd call the local junkyard and say "Come get my POS, I have the title."
Nov. 20, 2008 11:23 a.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

My SIL was traveling one time when she had some sort of catastrophic failure in her old sentra that, from her description of the noises and mess, I surmised to be a thrown rod.

She walked in to the nearest gas station/repair shop (It's amazing that these still exist) with title in hand (who rides around with the title to the car they're driving?) and signed it over.

She ended up getting a ride home with a truck driver and at some point later received a check in the mail from a junkyard (who presumably ended up with the car). That was simply amazing (she certainly didn't expect anything like that).

I guess the moral of the story is that if you're driving a vehicle that could strand you at any moment, have the title and an ink pen with you, at the very least.

Clem