Need Help Buying A Car

mrd694 · Apr 12, 2007

I need a car for 3months before I go away on a long trip. Just sold my car a few days ago thinking I would be leaving next week but it got postponed. Something in the $2000 range. Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe a mitsubish 3000GT like 93 or something.

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

craigslist

WCBias · Apr 12, 2007

Doug said:
craigslist

Someone should just sticky this to the top as the answer to everything. Need a new bike? Craigslist. Need a plumber? Craigslist. Lonely and you need someone to talk to? Craigslist. Need to fulfill your gay fantasy? Craigslist.

buddyboy · Apr 12, 2007

call the car rental places

even online

for $2000 you can rent a pretty new car for 3 months... and no worries about selling or fixing.

WCBias · Apr 12, 2007

buddyboy said:
call the car rental places

even online

for $2000 you can rent a pretty new car for 3 months... and no worries about selling or fixing.

That is a great idea...could even be cheaper...$500-600/month

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

with any luck you buy the car for 2k, use it 3 months, then sell it quick to a place like Carmax.

There are cars you can buy and just drive to Carmax and sell for a profit.

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

Good luck trying to find a '93 3000GT for $2000..... almost bought a '95 for $5k on ebay.

Try:

http://www.Autotrader.com
http://www.Cars.com
http://www.Pennysaverusa.com
http://www.recycler.com

Look for only Honda, Toyota or Nissan since they are the most reliable. I've bought used FORDs, Dodge and others and they were pure crap. Had to spend thousands fixing blown engines. The best used car I bought was a late 80s Honda Accord with 200k miles.... went a whole year (25k miles) with just maintenance. Paid only $1000.

Or just rent.... shouldn't cost more than $2000 for 3 months.

buddyboy · Apr 12, 2007

another one, even cheaper, but might envolve some risk, is to deal with a small car lot.

cut a deal where you buy a car for $2000 and they buy it back in 3 months for say $1200 or so (as long as the car isn't trashed)

the risk would be if the car lot guy balks on the deal... of course you have the right to sell it to anyone

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

Doug said:
with any luck you buy the car for 2k, use it 3 months, then sell it quick to a place like Carmax.

There are cars you can buy and just drive to Carmax and sell for a profit.

They'll buy it but they won't pay anything close to what it's worth. They offered $1000 for our FORD which ended up getting wrecked in an accident. Got $3000 in an insurance settlement.

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

crunch99 said:
They'll buy it but they won't pay anything close to what it's worth. They offered $1000 for our FORD which ended up getting wrecked in an accident. Got $3000 in an insurance settlement.

had a 2000 accord with 250k on it, dealers wanted to allow about $1,000 as a trade-in, Car-max bought it for $2,000, this was last year.

Car-max sucks to buy from, but is good to sell to. They don't have good sell prices, but work well for those with lower credit.

mrd694 · Apr 12, 2007

crunch99 said:
Good luck trying to find a '93 3000GT for $2000..... almost bought a '95 for $5k on ebay.

Try:

http://www.Autotrader.com
http://www.Cars.com
http://www.Pennysaverusa.com
http://www.recycler.com

Look for only Honda, Toyota or Nissan since they are the most reliable. I've bought used FORDs, Dodge and others and they were pure crap. Had to spend thousands fixing blown engines. The best used car I bought was a late 80s Honda Accord with 200k miles.... went a whole year (25k miles) with just maintenance. Paid only $1000.

Or just rent.... shouldn't cost more than $2000 for 3 months.

I never had a 3000GT but they look ok and heard that they are very good cars what do you think?

CookieNBabe · Apr 12, 2007

For a deal on a cheaper car, like 2 grand....go to Manheim dot com, and find a dealers wholesale auction in your area. There are 71 of them in the USA, should be one near you. Take your CASH with you. Find out what day the sale is, and get there about 5 am and there will be long lines of cars being checked in to the sale. Look at the check-in slips laying on the dashboards of the cars you like. The dealers name will be stamped on the card. Call him from your cell, and tell him you want it. Often times the prices are on the card as well, making negotiating easy. Be aware though, that most dealers will stick a high number on the card, knowing full well that mooches like you and I and other dealers will be clocking them in the line. When they reach the auction block, they can re-set the price and get-er-on-the-money.

Good luck

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

Doug said:
had a 2000 accord with 250k on it, dealers wanted to allow about $1,000 as a trade-in, Car-max bought it for $2,000, this was last year.

Car-max sucks to buy from, but is good to sell to. They don't have good sell prices, but work well for those with lower credit.

You could've got $4000 selling it privately. They screwed you.

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

crunch99 said:
You could've got $4000 selling it privately. They screwed you.

Car had bad tranny problems, high mileage, and was once nearly totalled in an accident, so carfacts wouldn't look good.

$4,000 is way high with 250k miles

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

mrd694 said:
I never had a 3000GT but they look ok and heard that they are very good cars what do you think?

Never had one myself, wanted to buy one though.They seem to have good reviews from owners:http://www.epinions.com/search/mem_...ical_~2522317/no_skip_~1?search_string=3000gt

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

Doug said:
Car had bad tranny problems, high mileage, and was once nearly totalled in an accident, so carfacts wouldn't look good.

$4,000 is way high with 250k miles

Eve this went for $2k... you could have got way more selling privately.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FLORIDA-SELLER-NO-RESERVE-GAS-SAVER-MOONROOF_W0QQitemZ110110961613QQihZ001QQcategoryZ6254QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

Car-max is a great place to look at cars, if you are looking for something a couple of years old with lower mileage.

You go in there, give them your car to evaluate ( maybe an hour), they come back with an offer thats valid for two weeks ( I think it is).

During that hour you can see a wide selection of recent cars from all brands, and test drive them.

Then you get an idea of what you want, and can find it elsewhere, plus have an offer on your old car.

I'd never buy from them, but a good look place.

mrd694 · Apr 12, 2007

CookieNBabe said:
For a deal on a cheaper car, like 2 grand....go to Manheim dot com, and find a dealers wholesale auction in your area. There are 71 of them in the USA, should be one near you. Take your CASH with you. Find out what day the sale is, and get there about 5 am and there will be long lines of cars being checked in to the sale. Look at the check-in slips laying on the dashboards of the cars you like. The dealers name will be stamped on the card. Call him from your cell, and tell him you want it. Often times the prices are on the card as well, making negotiating easy. Be aware though, that most dealers will stick a high number on the card, knowing full well that mooches like you and I and other dealers will be clocking them in the line. When they reach the auction block, they can re-set the price and get-er-on-the-money.

Good luck

Are these dealers selling to dealers or dealers selling to regular folk?

Doug · Apr 12, 2007

crunch99 said:
Eve this went for $2k... you could have got way more selling privately.

[URL]http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FLORIDA-SELLER-NO-RESERVE-GAS-SAVER-MOONROOF_W0QQitemZ110110961613QQihZ001QQcategoryZ6254QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem[/URL]

If I was buying and had 4k, I'd take this one with half the mileage ( but a couple of years older) over the one I sold.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/car/307968192.html

I know that with some looking, I could find a car for 2k, that was better than what I sold Carmax.

crunch99 · Apr 12, 2007

Doug said:
If I was buying and had 4k, I'd take this one with half the mileage ( but a couple of years older) over the one I sold.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/car/307968192.html

I know that with some looking, I could find a car for 2k, that was better than what I sold Carmax.

I recently sold my '99 Altima for $4000 so I definately think your Accord would've sold for more. Especially since the KBB trade-in value (2000 LX I-4 w/ 250k miles)is $4200. But if you're satisfied with what you got for it, that's cool.