Gimmie used car buying tips

[Alzar]

Hay,

I don't know crap about cars. My old car's transmission blew up, got fixed for 2000, then blew up again in 5 months, and the car is only worth about 2000-3000, so screw that.

I have about 2500 bucks to spend and I want a car that would run for about 2 years before crapping out.

Anyone used craigslist to buy a car? Or bought some crap off a used car lot? Experiences? Advice?

[IRC]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

Kick the tires.

[Hyper Dingo]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

Make sure it has a engine.

Make sure it isnt cardboard.

Make sure there are no dead hookers in the trunk.

Make sure it is in fact a car and not a delorean that will send you back in time so that you can be hit on by you mom.


That should cover all your bases.

*Hits a homerun*

[Nixon]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

Standards are cheaper and more fuel efficient. If you know someone that has any knowledge of cars, bring them with you.

That's all I got.

[highwind]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

Maybe terr would know something?

I don't.

[Shard]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

It's like buying anything else used. Shop around. If you don't know anything about what type of car you want for your money, then anything will do, won't it? Make yourself a discerning buyer. Regarding craigslist: Easy to narrow your search to $2500 max and then check to see what's available in your area. Then you can start searching car forums for info. Car club web sites are a bounty of information in terms of value, known defects, maintenance, resale or trade-in value, etc.

Or, if you know someone who REALLY knows cars, take them along and trust them to make the whole deal for you, but you don't get to be ****** at them later if something goes wrong.

If you don't have a mechanic in your pocket, before you buy, take the car to a shop and have it checked out by an impartial third party. It'll cost you a few extra bucks, but well worth it in the long run.

Things to look for: Does the current owner have a history of the work done on the vehicle? Ask to see receipts. Does the current owner own it outright? Pinkslip or no? Depending on the age of the vehicle does it need to be smogged? If so, the owner should take care of smogging it and making any repairs that might be needed to get it to pass smog. That can be quite a bill in itself. Is it currently licensed? If it isn't, you've got to take care of all the back fees for licensing it.

Don't be afraid to walk away. There are always more deals out there. Rushing into one that you're not sure about is just begging for someone to grease you up and stick it to you. Also, there are plenty of Car Buyers Tip sites to help you out.

Edit: Here's a couple to get you started.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/cons...tos/aut03.shtm

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/used.htm

I used craigslist to buy my car last winter. Being used, it had a few faults that I was aware of before purchasing, but I haven't had anything unexpected come up and it's served me well.

[Funk]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

Standards are cheaper and more fuel efficient. If you know someone that has any knowledge of cars, bring them with you.

That's all I got.

This one.

[IRC]

Re: Gimmie used car buying tips

If you go with a diesel car you can use used cooking oil for gas. They did it on Mythbusters.