What this is
Beater for Sale is a marketplace for private sellers of older, inexpensive enthusiast cars. It is not a junk, scrap or salvage-yard site. Every car listed must be running, driving and titled.
Who can list
- Private sellers only. Dealers may not list. By posting you confirm you are a private seller.
- Model years 1980 to 2012, plus an admin-managed whitelist of select 2013 to 2015 models.
- Asking price may not exceed the current price cap, $20,000 by default.
- No electric vehicles or hybrids.
- You must have the title.
Honesty
The story and known issues fields are required. Misleading or false listings can be removed without notice. Any listing can be reported.
Messaging and contact
Buyer messages are delivered to your dashboard inbox. Your email address is not shown to buyers. Email relay is not active until an email provider is connected.
Listings and promotion
Browsing is public. An account is required to list, message, save cars or searches, and pay. Listing is free. Sellers prepare their own listings, and every submission requires manual approval before publication. Approval starts a 60-day listing period. Seller edits and renewals require another review; unreviewed content remains private. Optional Featured placement is offered on approved live listings at $30 for 30 days, or $2 for a bump to the top. These are one-time payments, not subscriptions. Payment is handled by Stripe and never bypasses review. Promotions activate only after confirmed payment on a live listing. Existing purchases retain the placement duration originally purchased. A full refund removes unused featured time or reverses the bump; partial refunds do not change placement. If unused paid promotion time remains, contact the administrator to agree on its handling before editing, withdrawing, renewing, or deleting the listing.
Demo listings
Sample inventory is labeled Demo. Demo cars are not for sale.
Your responsibility
Buyers and sellers deal with each other directly. Inspect the car, verify the VIN and title, and use safe payment practices. Beater for Sale does not hold funds or inspect vehicles.