How to sell a modified car

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK automotive aftermarket has a turnover of more than £21 billion and supports more than a third of a million jobs. It illustrates just how vast the automotive world is once a car has left the dealership forecourt – and aftermarket modifications make up a huge part of that. 

Many car enthusiasts will have modified their cars at some point, but unless you’re the kind of person who keeps their motor forever, you’ll probably also need to sell it with those modifications in place – and that isn’t always as straightforward as getting rid of a regular, unmodified vehicle.

Our guide below should help you navigate the process, from detailing what a car modification is, to explaining how much money you can expect to get and revealing the best way to sell a car that might have non-standard parts.

What is a modified car?

A modified car is any vehicle where original equipment components have been replaced by aftermarket or upgraded ones.

Taking your car in for a service and getting a new oil filter, or even having a kerbed alloy wheel replaced, doesn’t count as a modification, as that’s simply replacing like for like, even if the components are new. 

But getting a whole new set of shiny alloys, an aftermarket exhaust system or an upgraded stereo does count as a modification, whether that’s in the eyes of your insurers, your Instagram following or a subsequent buyer of your car.

Modifications can, of course, be fairly minor – you don’t need a full Fast and Furious bodykit and graphics package before a car is considered modified. Any new component designed to improve the performance, aesthetics, or even factors like reliability and longevity, might be considered a modification if it deviates significantly from a car’s original specification.

Does modifying a car affect its value?

There’s an old adage among car enthusiasts that if your car is worth £10,000 and you spend another £10,000 on modifications, it will still be worth £10,000. The reason for this is that modifications can be a very personal thing, and just because you’ve sunk an enormous amount of money into them, it doesn’t mean the next person who comes along will see the same value in your changes.

In reality, modifications can decrease the value of a car, increase its value or make no difference at all. It really depends on what has been modified, who it’s been modified by, the quality and quantity of the modifications and what buyers are interested in (or not interested, as may be the case).

As an extreme example of modifications that can significantly increase a car’s value, you can look at the current trend for ‘restomods’ – classic cars brought up to date with modern performance and significant styling and engineering alterations. Some can cost an absolute fortune to build, but it’s not unusual for sellers to make even more money when they move the car on, as buyers will pay extra for the exclusivity, as well as the benefits of the modifications.

At the other end of the scale, buyers interested in originality are likely to pay a lot more for something that’s completely untouched than they are a car that’s been ‘personalised’. Eighties and Nineties hot hatchbacks are currently appreciating in value as highly coveted modern classics, but a car covered in late-Nineties Max Power mods won’t attract nearly the same money as a pristine original, however much the candy paint and big stereo might have cost.

And then there’s the middle ground between these two extremes. If a car’s modifications are fairly subtle, you might not get back what you paid to alter it in the first place when you come to sell. However, buyers probably won’t avoid it either, and may pay similar money, or even a touch more, compared with an unmodified car. 

Think, for example, a nice set of wheels or fruity exhaust backbox on something like a Mazda MX-5, or upgraded brakes and a more efficient radiator on a classic.

What to consider when selling a modified car?

Selling a modified car may require a little extra thought compared with selling a standard one, because you’re likely aiming it at a slightly different audience, and have different expectations of a fair price. You may even question whether you want to sell the car in its modified state – something we cover in more detail below.

Where am I selling the car?

Knowing your audience will make a difference in terms of how much money to expect. What might attract attention from like-minded enthusiasts on an owner’s forum for its carefully-chosen modifications may be entirely lost if you choose to sell on one of the mainstream websites, or even turn people off who might prefer a standard car.

Am I asking realistic money for the car?

As previously mentioned, just because you’ve spent a chunk of money on modifications, it doesn’t mean you can immediately whack a few grand on the price. Rightly or wrongly, a lot of buyers will see modifications as a reason to avoid a car, and that risk will be heightened if it is priced over the odds. If you really have something special, then by all means ask a little more, and wait for the right buyer – but don’t overestimate your car’s appeal.

Have I listed all the modifications?

Whatever your asking price, be completely transparent about what has actually been done to the car. It’ll attract buyers who appreciate the honesty or are interested in a vehicle with particular modifications, and it’ll save both you and others a potential waste of time when someone turns up and discovers the car isn’t exactly as described. It’ll also allow potential buyers to run an accurate insurance quote beforehand.

Should I return the car to standard?

This is easier said than done in some cases, but if you accept the idea that not everyone will be as fond of the modifications as you are, returning a car to standard might make for an easier and quicker sale. There’s another benefit, too: you can keep all the extra parts to do with as you wish, perhaps retaining them for your next car, or selling them on – potentially for more money than if you’d left them on the car.

How to sell a modified car

Selling to a dealer

If you’re thinking of buying a new car, then one of the easiest ways to sell on your old one is to offer it in part exchange. Typically, this means getting a little less for the car than you might if you sold it privately, and a dealership is likely to be even less interested in your car’s modifications, as they may affect its profit margin on the deal. However, this is probably the easiest way of selling your modified car if you’re replacing it with something else.

Selling it privately

This is potentially the best way of getting the most money for your modified car, particularly if you sell it in the right place. You’ll need to take plenty of detailed photos of the car to show its condition, with all the modifications fully pictured too, and then write an advert for it covering all the major details, from its condition to its MOT history. If all is well you should get a few bites from serious buyers, and arrange viewings, test drives and negotiate a price from there.

Selling it with Carwow

If you aren’t keen on the hassle of selling a car privately, then selling via Carwow takes a lot of time and stress out of the process. Whether or not your car has modifications, you plug in your registration number and then a few details about it (noting those mods in the appropriate place), take some photos as you would with a private ad and then dealerships around the company compete to buy it. Once the auction is over, the dealer gets in touch and will then come to collect the car and the V5C logbook, and you’ll get the money in your account that day.

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