2007 Roomster 3 - very low mileage.

[GlenAnderson]

Evening all.

I have to find a new owner for my late Uncle Alfie's car. I picked it up from my auntie's yesterday and drove it home to Anderson Towers as step one in the process.

Now, it's a bit unusual, and I'd like it to find a good home rather than simply punting it through "we buy any car", so I'm going to take the unusual step of writing up a "for sale" blog.

So, where to start? At the beginning, I suppose...

Alfie had a stroke back in, I think, 2005. Whilst it didn't kill him, it did leave him without the use of his left arm and with restricted mobility. The DVLA took his license off him for a while, but he kept and maintained his Mercedes, which I used to ferry him around in. In 2008 he got his license back but found the Mercedes too low to get in and out of without a real struggle. I took him around various dealerships, trying all sorts of different vehicles, and he ended up with this Skoda Roomster 3, on the basis that it was the easiest one to get in and out of, as well as having a generous boot and low rear sill to facilitate lifting a scooter in and out. He bought it a year old, in June 2008, for the sum of £12,000. The one previous recorded keeper was Skoda UK, so I imagine it must have been a lease/fleet/demonstrator/whatever.

It is a 1.6 petrol, DSG 6-speed auto; a "3" model, so top spec., in cappuccino beige metallic. In addition to all the normal stuff like central locking, alarm, airbags etc. it has cruise control, air-con, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure warning, ESP, and a panoramic glass roof. It also has factory fit optional roof rails and a set of roof bars (never used), and he also had the dealer fit a genuine towbar (detachable I think), which has also never been used. Like our Yeti, it has Skoda's "varioflex" rear seating, where the three rear seats individually fold, roll or come out completely.

To help him manage it one-handed he had a Lodgesons steering wheel knob fitted that incorporates a finger pad that allowed him to operate the indicators, hazards, main/dip beam, and the horn without letting go of the wheel. This cost £725. It works in conjunction with a plug-in can-bus module behind the dash, so there was no butchering of the loom. He also had a small hoist fitted at the rear hatch to allow him to lift a small mobility scooter in and out unaided, which cost in excess of £1000 to be supplied and fitted.

Despite being desperate to get his license back, and to be able to drive again, he used the car very little. To be honest, I think it was more a form of recuperation/therapy and a target to work towards than anything else; he never planned vast trips with it.

In 2008 it had 5500 miles on the clock and today, as it sits on my drive, it has 10,198.

Its first MoT, in July 2010 shows 7276 miles, the next in June 2011 shows 7878. June 2012's MoT is 8551 and in June 2013 it was 9038. In 2014 that had risen to 9775, and last year it was 10006.

It hadn't been driven at all since late October last year until yesterday, however it started straight away and drove here without any issues at all. The six-speed DSG worked smoothly, and there are no warning lights up on the dash. I have always been surprised at how nicely it drives in comparison to other "mini MPVs" I've tried. It's way smoother, quicker and better planted than my sister's Berlingo for instance. It really does drive like new.

So. I'm faced with the dilemma of how best to sell it on. It has a small ding on the passenger door, near the mirror, but the paint is unbroken and the rest of the bodywork appears, at first glance, to be pretty much A1. It needs a damn good clean, both inside and out. The passenger side rear tyre needs replacing, as it has obviously been kerbed, and that alloy rim has a small ding. The MoT runs to 22nd June. I've got it booked in for a fresh test on the 2nd and, other than the tyre which I'll sort, I don't anticipate any issues.

I'm loath to spend time removing the steering wheel controls and rear hoist if the new owner would need them, as they cost a fortune to get fitted, but I also realise that they add nothing to the value of the vehicle if they're not wanted.

My plan, as it stands at the moment, is to advertise it for sale here, and on another couple of forums I frequent. Anyone with an interest in the car as it stands can contact me to discuss it. I have transferred Alfie's private plate off the car and am waiting for the new V5 to arrive. Whilst I'm waiting, the car will get a check-over from me, a damn good clean out, I'll sort the tyre and anything else that needs attention prior to the MoT.

If nobody has expressed an interest in retaining the hoist and steering wheel controls I'll take them off. If, by the time I've got it MoT'd, it's not found a new home, then I'll stick it on Autotrader and ebay.

My last resort will be "webuyanycar".

So, having hopefully whetted your appetites, have some pics. Please bear in mind though, this is exactly as I collected it, warts and all. I've made no attempt to clean or tidy it whatsoever yet.

Here you go:

This, as best I could get it, is the ding on the passenger door:

Steering wheel control:

With the clamp removed, the wheel has compressed a bit, but it would hopefully relax back into shape over time:

The rear panel has had a small cutout made to allow the top hinge of the hoist to bolt up:

And, being as Alfie had to load the scooter with his one good hand operating the hoist, there are some fairly hefty scuff marks on the rear trim panel where the scooter has scraped past:

So. There we go.

And, the $10,000 question... How much?

Well, having looked at what's on offer elsewhere, and based on webuyanycar's online offer for it, I think with a Year's MoT, a new tyre, a full valet and wax, and the disability aids removed I'm looking at serious offers around the £3,750 mark.

If anyone is interested in taking it with the disability aids then MoT'd etc. etc. £4,000.

Any comments welcome. If anybody wants to make an offer for it "as-is" before I start, feel free.

Edited 23 May, 2016 by GlenAnderson

[joncc]

I wonder if there's a forum for people with disabilities or a support group or something - there's might be some interest there - be a shame to remove those additions if they could help someone gain some independence.

[joncc]

Also might be worth the outlay to replace that rear internal panel as it might put some off?

[GlenAnderson]

Spent the day on it today. Decided it'd be a shame to split it all up. Going to try and find a buyer that wants it as it is. Another forum contact has alerted me to the fact that eBay have a dedicated "disabled vehicle" section. I'm going to list it up there, complete with the little scooter that is paired with it, and see if I can sell it on as a complete package.

I ordered a new tyre for it today (premium to match the existing, not budget, £80) and a new key fob shell as one of them has lost it's metal loop thingy. Trying to do all the "just" jobs that sellers describe as "easy/cheap" but are too bone idle to do.

Spent the day cleaning and sorting it, and took some more pictures. Will post them up in a bit.

[GlenAnderson]

Now sold.

An ad on eBay, in their specialised "disabled vehicles" section, put me in touch with a lady in Wales with near identical mobility challenges as my Uncle. She bought the car, scooter and all the adaptations as a complete package, I drove it down to her yesterday. Hopefully it will give her good service and the independence it gave Alfie.

Thanks for looking. Maybe the moderators can lock the thread now.

[malcster]

I think you can lock your own thread mate

Glad it sold

[welder1]

Too late , would have bought this ,and I am local to you . Never mind Peter

[GlenAnderson]

I think you can lock your own thread mate

Glad it sold

So you can. Cheers. :-)