By car to Senegal : young car or bribe?
 

I've been reading through posts here for the last three hours. Some really useful info here, more to the point than LP's Thorn Tree in many ways (the subdivision on Africa helps).
So after reading all this, I decided to register and post the foloowing:

I want to go by car to Senegal to sell it later on (in Gambia or wherever) which obviously is easier if the car is less than 5 yrs old. But what cars to buy then? Which types are most desired and how much can I expect to buy it for in Europe and sell it for in West-Africa?

I was originally planning to buy an early 90s Peugeot 405 for around 600€, drive to Mauretania, bribe the douanier and drive around in Sengal a bit beofre selling it in Mali or the Gambia. However, the car having 300,000 kms on the ticker and myself not having any mechanical aptitutes whatsoever, I should perhaps reconsider.

This topic seems popular and I may have overlooked relevant posts but any replies would be greatly appreciated.

HI !!!

Id say that the older the car , the easier to sell . Finding a buyer to pay 1000 euros for a old Sierra is much easier than finding someone with 10000 for a 4 year old Focus.

And while a old car seems to be more likely to break down (which is not that much ) , is definitely much more fixeable. you can fix anything peugeot or renault as long as is 10 -15 years old . A new renault with modern electronics , is practically unfixable (sp?),

Also , consider not only the risk of mechanical breakdown , but the risks of losing the car for another reasons , for example an accident (much more frecuent than back home ) , that would destroy your car .OBviouly the cheaper the better .Or some issue at the border -losing the papers is a classic which will leave your car in the limbo beetween borders for the next 5 decades -, or , getting malaria and being flown home , or a hundred things that can go wrong and you are forced to abandon your vehicle . I think the cheaper the car , the better peace of mind . And probbably the -relative- more profit you get.

Then there is the issue of cars older than 5 years old not being allowed in Senegal . This is getting better by the day , and now you seldom have to bribe more than 20- 30 euros to get throuoght DIEMA ! . This give you a 5 days passavant to Gambia , where you can enter your car , drive , sell , and fly home . PLS see my previous post about UK (RHD) cars in Gambia !!.

You won't get in Senegal via Rosso unless you can produce a Carnet de Passage (pointless piece of paper in West Africa nowdays , even more if you plan to sell the car) , or you pay 250 Euros to have some policemen in your car escorting you to Gambia .

So DIAMA is the only good way to get in to Senegal if you don;t have a Carnet.

Have fun
Javier

bedside stories
 

Hello kuhander, I noticed you are from Belgium, if you are flemisch [*?] or otherwise can read/speak dutch there is a recently published book:

Mijn Mercedes is niet te koop written by Jeroen van Bergeijk
Tales of a journalist driving to/through North-West Africa with an old mercedes. Very nice written, fun to read and lots of the info you are looking for (some between the lines).
People who did this kind of trip/travel will recognise and 'relive' their own experiences, 'newbies' can hardly imagine what they are upto.
We travelled/visited some of the same places at almost the same time (never met him, tho), fun to read about places and people you recently met yourself or in your case going to meet ...
In the book and on his website you can find lots of background info and food for tought. Like: is it ethical to transport our junk (cars) to africa, who are you selling to and who will profit (the traders, the taxidriver, ....).

regards and lots of fun.

i did such a thing 5 years ago with some friends. not sure about the gambia (never been there) but we got the most monney for a really old and shitty looking peugot 305, we actualy made a profit one that one, much less for a peugot 505 automatic and just made even on a mercedes 300 (i believe the type is called break, one of the stationcar versions). the peugot 305 was so wanted in africa (simple mecanics no dificult electronics) that we actuely already sold it in muaritania. because the lokal police chief (or something like that) made use to good a offer to refuse. so i'd say the older the better. just make sure the suspesion is ok, whe had one snap in the deserd between the border and naoudibou, not nice but the can repare such things easy lokaly. olso check out a recent coppie of chris scott, sahara overland. sort of the lonly planed for overlanders. good luck