CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | Contact
When it comes to motor vehicles, the average Australian likes to think they know value.
From full blown petrol heads selling their pride and joy, to new parents looking to upgrade for a bit more space – everyone spends a lot of time thinking about how much they will pay, or should be paid, for their car.
That is, until a car is no longer a car.
When drivability can no longer be salvaged by even the most creative bush mechanics, it’s not even a sale at this point. It’s a clearance.
When a car is so truly fucked that it cannot even be flogged on Facebook market place, and must instead be sold for parts at a wrecker yard in the rural outer-metropolitan suburbs, there is very little room negotiations.
No matter what this car once meant to its owner, or how much it once cost. When the decision has been made to splutter this thing onto the dirt paddock, it’s all over.
Especially when confronted with a bloke named Des who has an extremely well maintained goatee.
This was the exact scenario that played out at The Betoota Downs Wreckers this afternoon, as local finance broker Mark (38) arrived in the environmental disaster zone with ambitions of getting a good deal on his 2002 Pajero.
‘The beast’ he used to call it. The family car. Many a pay checks saved up to buy this thing second hand, and many a weekend spent camping with it.
It’s so old that it still has ashtrays. And it’s been lucky to get as far as it has, given the lifetime of E10 and severe wear and tear.
The mechanic just laughed the last time Mark brought it in, and there’s no teenagers in his neighbourhood stupid enough to buy this thing. Des the wrecker knows this.
He also knows that Mark’s wife is waiting outside with her car, and neither of them intend on leaving in two vehicles.
“Mate she sounds fucked” says Des.
“I don’t know what it is, but something is fucked. I’ll give you 200 bucks”
Des remains emotionless as he puffs his chest and finishes his offer with the most concrete “take it or leave it” that Mark has ever heard.
Des knows the bargaining power is completely in his hands. He doubles down.
“But I don’t think you’ll get much better than that”
