Anyone buy a used car before?

[Mike@LG]

If so, what should I be looking for? I've been hunting a specific Toyota from the early to mid 90s, and it seems good opportunities have finally come.

Anyone buy a car from ebay as well?

Just curious what to look out for.
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[LaLakers999]

never bought a car from ebay....

my first car is a used car....

its a 03 BMW 525i I bought it in 04 for 27 G's and only 19 thousand miles on it.... that car retailed at 35+ .... If I were you I would buy a car only 1 or 2 years old they depreciate in value so much!!!!

[LaLakers999]

also my car still kept the original warranty

[Bergamotichek]

Never bought a used car online. However, when I was shopping for my Suburban I browsed ebay quite a bit and more than likely would have bought one from there, had I not found exactly what I was looking for (literally down the street from me).

I did a lot of investigating into the ebay auto sales during that period. I got a lot of good feedback and read a lot of good things about texas auto sales. Most of their dealers are very reputable, have insane deals and the cars are in prime condition. Nice thing about texas cars, is most miles are highway miles (not a lot of stop and go) and the body rot is slim to none, on a texas auto.

[Vancouver Fan]

[Vancouver Fan]

[TheRod]

So you're looking to pick up a Supra huh?

If i were you....I wouldn't buy from ebay...especially if it's turbocharged. Go to Private Party.....and Make sure you take the car to a mechanic for a complete check up. I don't know how much it will cost you....my cousin does all this stuff for me for free.

Quick story.....my brother was going to pick up a 3-series about 6 years ago....used...from private party. The car was literally CLEAN...not a scratch on it and it drove smooth. We took it to my cousin.....CRACKED head.

I love used cars....never again will i purchase new....the amount of money lost on a new car vs. used is astronomical.....you're doing good buying used.

There are also some advantages as well when buying used....tax advantages if you know what I mean.

[lakersfreak]

Bought a sweet 240z back in the 80's, GF used it to move a concrete light pole at 50 mph
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[angrypuppy]

Never bought a used car online. A used car is something that you really must take to a trusted mechanic to check-out, and you best visually inspect it before taking delivery.

Watch it Mike... lots of evils in the used car market, whether its from ebay or from the lot. And never buy from a stranger, as there are tons of scam artists who buy cars with major problems, fake odometer readings or fake accident records, and then purport that they owned it always. In other words, the lies work because you think they're not pros.

There are a number of third-party services available that allow you to look into a car's history, in terms of accident reports and such. But don't let these give you a false sense of confidence, as a large number of cars fall through the cracks (intentional and not), and you won't know the car's real history. That means the car you're interested in may have been in a nasty accident, or even a Katrina flood car. These autos will never be the same.

[angrypuppy]

By the way... if I did eBay (and I nearly did once), I'd only use a dealer with huge positive feedback rating, and from a warm weather state. That kind of dealer can be trusted, and has a lot to lose by screwing with you.

As an alternative, consider assuming a lease. Someone else makes the down payment, and perhaps some capital contribution. With that in mind, look for a bargain purchase option at the end of the lease.

[angrypuppy]

[turbulent]

are you kidding? only thing ive bought are used cars...lolool

hey, theyre new to me.


First make sure you see the car in broad day light.
Check under the hood and look for signs of : water or oil spots on th engine(possible ruptured hoses, water pump)
Check for stretch marks on the chasis(possible accidents)
check for rust on body or wiring(possible flooding)
Check that the VIN matches the number under hood and door panel
Look at mileage and make sure that a 90 toyota doesnt read 26, 000 miles.
TEST DRIVE

Look up car history(look for accidents, salvaged)
Look up Blue book value( so as not to get ripped off)
Finally, normally you can bargain witht the owner if you use the "but Ill have to fix the such and such" card..



FINALLY

dont rush into anything. Especially if it doesnt feel right.
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[Tark the Shark]

I know two people that have bought cars on ebay. No problems for either one and they're happy with their rides.

[tortuga]

I don't think buying from eBay is that bad. IMO, it's no worse than buying from a private party or a dealer. You just gotta make sure to get it from a reputable seller with like 95+% positive feedback. Plus, you can check out the cars yourself before the auction ends. Also, I'm gonna sound like a salesman but many of them offer the 30 day money back guarantee (some even with limited time warranty) and no questions asked. So, if you don't like it, just simply return it and get your money back.

If you go the eBay route, Carfax it, then if that clears, I suggest that you take a look at the car yourself first, then if you like it...perhaps you can make an arrangement with the seller so you can bring the car to your mechanic for him to check it out. You can perhaps additionally bring it to a Toyota dealer and have them check it out as well (I think it's about $80 for 24 point inspection). They'll give you a printout as far as how much it will cost to fix the car if there's anything to fix. Not only that, you'll know if the seller is lying about the condition.

I actually bought a car from eBay from a seller named MalibuCars(or something like that). I checked out the car before bidding on it and it looked good. So, I ended up buying it. But, they didn't offer the 30 day money back guarantee so it was kinda risky on my part. So I got lucky.

I'm sure you know this already but just don't rush.

As far as Supra, like TheRod said, I'd be careful about the turbocharged ones. But then, I would think twice about getting ANY used turbo cars in general. As you know, they don't last as long. But if you insist, I'd consider the ones with extra low mileage and make sure the engine is in great condition.

Anyways, hope that helps and good luck.
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[Lakersfield]

Mark Cuban bought an airplane on ebay, so I guess you can buy a car.
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[angrypuppy]

[Money$hot!]

Just bought two trucks in the past two weeks (1 used 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV for my GF and 1 new GMC Sierra 1500 pickup for me). Did about 1.5 months research, and ended up with insane deals on both cars (The Mitsu is a loaded XLS model w/ AWD @ only 20k mi for $16k OTD, the Sierra a 2006 WT w/ power everything for $14k OTD). Here's where you can get the pertinent infos.

Used and New Car True Market Value (TMV) Pricing (this step is critical). This price is MORE important than Kelly Blue Book pricing b/c it represents what cars are actually selling for not just a valuation.
http://www.edmunds.com/tmv/used/index.html

Check for Rebates on a new version of the same car/truck (rebates are very aggressive right now, especially on trucks).
http://www.edmunds.com/incentives/RebateController?step=1&setzip=92886&tid=edmunds.n.incentivesindex.incentives.1.1.*

Now visit car Selling sites. If you see a good price PRINT IT OUT. It's the best negotiating tool available.

Autotrader.com power search (search 100 miles away)
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/index.jsp

Carsdirect.com Used Car Search Tool
link

Ebay Motors
http://www.motors.ebay.com/

Carmax
http://www.carmax.com/dyn/search/quicksearch.aspx?newused=1

Caveats
Used Car sticker prices are on average $4000 over what the dealer paid for the car so negotiate agressively.

Take away dealer price hedges.
NEVER trade your car in. This is the dealers primary source of revenue.
Obtain outside financing (a credit union is usually the best but online you can get loans for any type of credit w/ zero down from www.capitaloneautofinance.com & www.roadloans.com ). This allows you to negotiate like a cash customer.
Don't Buy any dealer add-on's, warranties, or additional insurance. Once again, these are the sucker bet for auto dealers. They win every time.

Negotiation Time
Be calm, be friendly. Understand the sales guy has no juice. The Sales Manager makes the deal. They're doing their job to get the most profit from your deal. So don't get upset. Stay cool, and be ready to walk at any time. Another dealer will do you better.

Shop at the End of the Month
This works damn well for all the reasons you've probably already heard of for both new & used cars.

On new cars, dealer invoice is not dealer cost.
Invoice is what they paid for the car, but dealers get signifigant rebates for selling cars. You may dip into that (called holdback) for your deal. Holdback on new cars is usually 3-4% of the MSRP (window sticker w/o dealer mark-ups). A sales manager is happy to make 5% on your car sale, but will take less if the sale of your car will get them a volume sales bonus (eg. the owner says sell 25 cars this weekend and I'll send you to Cancun).


Flood Damaged Cars
Here is what Consumer Reports Suggests on Flood Cars

Reports are available online at www.carfax.com or from Experian at www.autocheck.com for $19.99. Such vehicle-history reports can alert you to some types of problems, but they are no guarantee that a vehicle has no hidden problems. That's why it is important to get any used car inspected by a trusted independent mechanic before you buy it.

Fortunately, cars damaged by the New Orleans floods should be easier to spot than other flood-damaged cars, says Paul Taylor, a spokesman for the National Automobile Dealers Association. The brackish water from Lake Pontchartrain, which flooded New Orleans, will cause rust very quickly.


How to spot a flood-damaged car

Here are some quick checks that you can perform yourself:

* Look under the carpets to see if they are wet, damp, or muddy.
* Check the seat-mounting screws to see if there is any evidence that they have been removed. To dry the carpets, the seats must be removed--not generally a part of normal maintenance.
* Inspect the lights. Lights are expensive to replace, and a water line may still show on the lens or the reflector.
* Inspect the car in difficult-to-clean places, such as the gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood. Water-borne mud and debris may still cling in these places.
* Look for mud or debris on the bottom edges of brackets or panels where it couldn't naturally settle from the air.
* Look at the heads of any unpainted, exposed screws under the dashboard. Any unpainted metal in cars flooded in New Orleans will probably already show signs of rust.
* Check the rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottoms of doors. If they look as if they have been removed recently, it might have been done to drain floodwater.
* If you need to dig deeper, remove a door panel to see if there is a water mark on the inside of it.

If you are from New Orleans and have a car that was not damaged, be aware that buyers may still suspect that it was. Consider having a mechanic inspect the car before you sell it, so that you can present potential buyers with a clean bill of health.

There's so much more I could write but I have to get back to work. GL Mike.

[Mike@LG]

[angrypuppy]

Why don't you look at assuming a lease, Mike?

The nice thing is that you're not stuck with something you don't like, which is the peril of ownership. If you assume a lease, you can go on an extended test drive in the ensuing months. Most of the cars are under some kind of warranty and service agreement as well. Best of all, you'll note that the payment plans are all quite different, and not necessarily related to the purchase option at the end of the contract (should you decide to own).

[Mike@LG]

^Well I'm spreading myself thin... either trying to get any basketball gig going or head to auto school.

But, I'm just the type who would rather have a car paid off with the car I want. It's a shame that I've been wanting this car for 8 years and finally have an opportunity now (Parents hate the idea of used cars)... so instead of potentially getting a used car with 40,000-60,000 miles back then, I'm dealing with 2x to 3x the mileage.
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https://lakersdraft.substack.com/

I am not an economic advisor nor do I advise economic strategies or plans.

[LakerLegend]

All I have ever purchased were used cars also. Do everything that Money$hot said to do. You mentioned that you didn't know any mechanics...that's fine. Just pick one and tell him/her the situation...that you would like to purchase a used car and would like to have them to inspect it to verify that the car is in good shape, hasn't been in an accident, etc. The mechanic shouldn't charge you more than $100 at the most for this. Also, once you decide on the type of car you want, feel free to ask an owner of the same type of car some questions about the car, such as reliability, how many times have you had to have work performed, etc. I didn't know anyone that owned the car that I wanted, so I started asking co-workers what kind of car they drove, as well as just asking people in parking lots. People in parking lots have no reason to lie to you. Also, purchase a car from an individual, not a dealer. The person is usually desperate to get rid of the car, so you have more bargaining power. When you purchase the car, arrange to meet the person inside of your bank, and give them the money there...that way, you won't get robbed...sounds funny, but you never know about people nowadays.
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[Socks]

I just sold my old '96 corolla. I posted an ad on craig's list and like magic I had 20 people email me in about 10 minutes asking about the car. So to someone's point earlier, individuals selling cars are not necessarily desperate. I was playing people off each other to get a better sales price and felt like I really had the advantage. I ended up selling above the blue book listed price.

What surprised me was the utter lack of knowledge by people in how to examine the car. People made me offers without even opening the hood. In the end I ended up taking an offer that was a bit lower than the highest offer just because the guy I sold it to had done a thorough exam. I figured if there were any problems with the car later someone who didn't do a thorough exam would come back to me wheras this guy would know that it wasn't me trying to rip him off.

Anyway, I think Turbulent and MoneyShot's lists of things to look for are spot on.

[Mike@LG]

link

That is more of what I had in mind.

Yes that is the car I've loved for nearly a decade.

Believe me, I don't want turbo. I want N/A, T-Top, and a mid engine rear drive setup, stick.

That car is the best way for me to get there. There are so many things I could do later on to that car (I plan to keep it for a very long time).

I'd appreciate feedback on that listing.
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I am not an economic advisor nor do I advise economic strategies or plans.

[Money$hot!]

MR2, nice choice. A real sports car and not just a "sporty" car. A critical factor in choosing an MR2. You must get model year 1993-1995. Skip the 1991-1992 models completely. Reason being the first two model years had the original rear-suspension geometry that every car magazine referred to as "scary" in some way. Simply put the back-end would break away in hard cornering at the most unpredictable moments. We're talking about seasoned auto journalists driving too, not just Joe "no heel-toe" Schmoes. This is the kind of unpredictable handling that could kill a person. After 1993 Toyota completely revised the rear suspension geometry to allievate that problem and added passenger side airbags. From '93-'95 the MR2 only got better & better with upgraded airconditioning, better aerodynamics, and in '95 the N/A model got standard power everything. It's a nice car.

Edmunds prices a 2005 MR2 Base in O.C. for less than $4k if bought at a dealer w/ 150k miles on it (semi-high mileage). So you'll have to bargain a little.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1995/toyota/mr2/4314/options.html?tmvaction=vdpresult

If you pull a Carfax report, you'll get unlimited free Carfax reports for 30 days, so you can check several cars. Get one, it's worth the $25 bux.

Here are a couple of listings, not exact, but close...
link

link

[lakersfreak]

Brother had a Fiat X 1/9, I was driving it back from one of its numerous trips to the repair shop on Newport Blvd. when I looked in the mirror and saw flames coming out of the engine compartment.

That was a fun ride.
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