OT: Looking for a car.

[RemyCanad]

Long story short.

Car get hit while parked.
Guy drive away.
I walk to work/school. (I live on campus luckly!)
Get home for summer.
Get a call from the police.
Police tracked down the guy from Canada.
Guy only speaks french.
Guy tries to settle out of court.
Settling out of court fails.
I call insurance agency.
I am getting about 2400 for my car.

Now I have about 2600 sitting around and I need a car. Where should I look/what should I look for?

 

[MDE]

Try any family or friends that has a decent car they want to get rid of.

 

[ProviaFan]

Around here, $2.6K doesn't fetch a very decent vehicle.

As far as buying from a used dealer vs. private party, and all that other stuff, I have no idea as I've not had to walk that road yet (am still in HS and can drive one of the parents' cars when necessary, or ride the bicycle if the weather and distance permit).

Good luck, though, on your car search... maybe someone should make a Search for IntraTerrestrial Transportation @ Home.

 

[SinfulWeeper]

I used fleabay...... :disgust:
But it landed me a really great truck for the price

 

[RemyCanad]

I actually will have about 5k. The 2400 from the insurance and the 2600 I have.

I have friends looking around too.

I am lucky that I don't have actual work hours. I just do work as people need it done so I can schedule around any transportation problems right now...

 

[Twioz]

If you can find an old 87-92 Honda CRX, they make great college cars, the HF gets 40+mpg and they are sporty looking. However they are kinda becoming collectors Items so they may be hard to find. If you do find one they usually go for about 3k and honda's last forever.

 

[CyGoR]

a CRX a collectors item?? In the Netherlands you can't blink without seeing one..
You could get 40mpg, but since it's a very lightweight car and has a reasonable strong engine, it does invite you do drive it not that economically..
And have you ever seen the back seat?
But, they do last a very long time, if that engine hasn't been misused..

Good luck on searching!

 

[DanC]

As an independent auto dealer - I may be able to assist. We presently have 50 pre-owned vehicles in stock, and thousands available within a day or so.

You might consider having your vehicle shipped to you if it can be located in a part of the country where prices are a bit lower than in your area.

PM me if you'd like to explore your options further. I can provide financing if necessary - warranties, etc.

 

[RemyCanad]

YGPM.

 

[trevinom]

Originally posted by: DanC
As an independent auto dealer - I may be able to assist. We presently have 50 pre-owned vehicles in stock, and thousands available within a day or so.

You might consider having your vehicle shipped to you if it can be located in a part of the country where prices are a bit lower than in your area.

PM me if you'd like to explore your options further. I can provide financing if necessary - warranties, etc.

What kind of mark-ups do you guys have on the vehicles you have? Is it dependent on type or is it based the individual?

I got nailed by a dealer who sold me an acura, then when I went to trade it in for another one, they told me they couldn't buy it back because it had an accident in it's history that had done damage to it's structural integrity(hhmm...it was an Acura Integra, shouldn't it have integrity?). But they refused to buy it from me, even though they had sold it to me.

I only deal with private individuals now because of that incident and I now use the service that let's you see the car's history through the VIN.

Good luck

 

[scoser]

Heh...From discounts on computer parts for TeAm members to exclusive deals on cars! We need to put this kind of stuff in our recruiting messages!

 

[DanC]

What kind of mark-ups do you guys have on the vehicles you have? Is it dependent on type or is it based the individual?

We attempt to balance the fine line between wholesale and retail - which is what we pay our rent with.

Typically - dealer margins are ALOT slimmer than most people think. We make between $500 and maybe $2000 on a car, truck, or SUV (depending on what it is - how skillfully it was purchased, and how popular the car is.)

I'd be happy to work with any of the forum members to see if we can assist you in getting the car you want. Shipping really isn't that terribly expensive either.

 

[Baldy18]

Originally posted by: jliechty
Around here, $2.6K doesn't fetch a very decent vehicle.

As far as buying from a used dealer vs. private party, and all that other stuff, I have no idea as I've not had to walk that road yet (am still in HS and can drive one of the parents' cars when necessary, or ride the bicycle if the weather and distance permit).

Good luck, though, on your car search... maybe someone should make a Search for IntraTerrestrial Transportation @ Home.

I dissagree. Ig ot my 94 Pontiac Grand AM 3 years ago for $2500. I advise looking in the paper for a car with hail damage. My car doesn't look the greatest but it has run like a champ and was significantly less expensive than it would have been with no damage.

 

[wischeez]

I would stick with a decently cared for Honda...... A friend of mine has one, still looks like new and has 300,000 miles on it. It still runs great. With routine maintenance, you can make them last a long time.

Just my .02

Been a mechanic for 32 years, and never saw a car last like that one....

 

[RemyCanad]

Thanks for all the tips and such. Keep them coming.