You are here: Forums Smart Shopper Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

345 messages,  Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 9:00 AM

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#11 of 345 Can you say D-A-E-W-O-O ?? by hudrahead Jul 18, 2002 (4:28 pm)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) trot on down to your local Daewoo dealer (if you can find one open)they have a large selection of instant beaters. You will really be in the "cat bird" seat if you are a cash buyer. Locally A new Lanos can be had for about 5K !!   hud
#12 of 345 for a 'real' beater by ghulet Jul 19, 2002 (12:45 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) Drive around a marginal neighborhood, there should be some cars with 'for sale' signs in the window. Read ads in the local 'freebie' papers (usually found on the way out of the grocery stores), check the classifieds in a local newspaper (the one with the worst demographics, LOL). Check autotrader.com, cars.com, etc. Also, quite often there are cars for sale at local gas stations and repair shops. These cars are usually those with owners who can't afford to fix them, or pay for the repairs after they've been fixed.   I was shocked at how relatively easy it was to find beaters (a true 'beater' costs under $1000, IMO). I wanted a Honda, Toyota or Mazda for under $1000 recently, I found probably two dozen that technically fit the bill.   Some advice from one who has owned many beaters, good and bad:   1. Know what cars are desirable and/or acceptable to you. Don't buy a beater car just because it's cheap or looks good. Even at an advanced age, a car that was a good, reliable car when new will likely be a better, more reliable car when old. Pick a car that meets your needs: reliability, gas mileage, space? Keep it simple, don't buy a 'complex' car when something basic will do the job better. From there, narrow down what kinds of cars you want to look for.   2. If you absolutely have only $1200 to spend, do not look at $1200 cars. Remember, it generally costs about $200 in taxes and registration to 'put the car on the road', etc. Also, it is fairly likely you will have to put *some* money into the car soon after you purchase it. Leave a couple hundred dollars, at least, in your coffers for emergencies.   3. Swallow your pride a bit and accept a car with some cosmetic problems. Last year, I bought a really nice looking Saab (avoid) for $1500 that turned out to be one headache after another. It currently needs about $1500 in repairs just to make it safe to drive. I bought the car for looks instead of for its real purpose, basic transportation. Big mistake.   4. If you find a car you like, don't be afraid to make a 'low-ball' offer. If the seller is asking $1000, it's fairly likely they'll take $750-800, so offer $600. The worst they can say is 'no', and you can either walk away or haggle/counteroffer. It's not that painful or lengthy a process on a cheap car. If the car is too expensive or has issues you can't accept, it's OK to say 'no thanks.' Kinda like with dating, 'there will be others out there.'   4. Have the car looked at by a mechanic, or at least bring a friend who knows something about cars, to look at it with you. Having someone along to offer a 'second opinion' isn't a bad idea, especially if you're an impulsive person or one who tends to make emotion-based buying decisions.
#13 of 345 more by ghulet Jul 19, 2002 (1:39 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) Books and repair records are always nice to have. If it has them, great, but don't necessarily 'expect' them on a beater. Don't necessarily 'trust as law' what the owner tells you has been replaced, fixed, etc, but ask anyway. Often it's easy to see what's new on a car, and ask the owner to show you if he/she claims something has been fixed or replaced.   Above, I said 'don't be afraid to walk away', which is fine on a so-so car. If you see a car you like, even if it's the first one you've looked at, that is remarkably good running or nice and checks out OK, snap it up. In other words, don't be afraid to buy a car that you like. You may look at six other cars that day only to end up wanting the first one you looked at, which has already been sold when you get back to it.   Oh yeah, about the cosmetics. I just bought one beater car over another because one was factory-looking and the one I didn't buy had dark tinted windows, non-standard rims and metallic-flecked paint. Classic 'polishing a turd' stuff. Don't buy a car that doesn't fit your personality or one that you'll be totally embarrassed driving. Nobody is in love with driving a beater, but the car need not be 'all wrong' either.
#14 of 345 Ghulet .. by rroyce10 Jul 19, 2002 (2:59 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) .... $5,0 for a beater ..?       I remember when my 1st car was $100 .. well, we won't go there .. l.o.l..        Terry.
#15 of 345 The "beater "as company car------ by hudrahead Jul 19, 2002 (5:17 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) once had a service tech that worked for me. As such they had the option of a company car or reimbursment on the "Rhumhizer Plan" for their privately owned car. This guy always went with the private plan. He favored early 60's Ford Falcons. He lived on a small farm and had plenty of room to stockpile his fleet of beater/parts cars. He could keep one going for about a year at a time all the while building up a replacement at the farm. When the current one finally destructed he'd simply pull the tags off it, jump on the bus to get back to the office and the next day show up with a "new" one. I bet the city wondered who the heck always dumped those Falcons off in the middle of town. Heck, he didn't even have to pay to get the thing towed off. LOL !!   hud:)
#16 of 345 My beater cost $500 - by zueslewis Jul 19, 2002 (7:19 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) I don't classify a car that is actually worth $5K to be a beater - that's insulting.
#17 of 345 zaclty by ghulet Jul 19, 2002 (7:27 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) I just paid $495.59 for my 87 Accord ($500 cash, minus the $4.41 collected from the ashtray, coin tray and under the seats (-;   $5k for a car to get banged up on the streets of Chicago seems extravagant. If it's as used up as the $1800 Saab I bought less than a year ago, why bother?
#18 of 345 True beaters by im_brentwood Jul 19, 2002 (7:32 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) I got friends in the UK.. Land of the cheap car!   Here's 3 that have blown me away:   1) 1978 Vauxhall VX 2300 GLS Very clean, 60Kish genuine miles, 300pounds, only needed some minor repairs to the rear wheelarches.   2) 1989 Vauxhall Senator 2.5i 5-speed 151K miles. Dark Blue/Blue velour. A bit bigger than a Cadillac Catera. Runs and drives well, needs hubcaps, a few little bubbles on the rear wheelarches..etc.. Get this, FIFTY POUNDS! That's $75-80!   3) 1993 Vauxhall Carlton (think Catera-Sized) 2.0i Automatic. 132K, very clean car. 500 Pounds ($800)   THose were bargains..   Bill
#19 of 345 rroyce.. by cutehumor Jul 19, 2002 (8:50 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) Sorry guys   I came up with 5k figure based on the new cost of cars now a days are almost 20k. My parents used to tell me they could buy a new car for 3500 bucks in the early 70's. Anyway, how long do these 500-1000 dollar beaters normally last if you found the right one? Any out there last more than three years? How about the repair costs? How much is normally spent on repairs for a beater car in a year before you decide to get rid of it? I also think a second car like a beater car is perfect for emergency situations. How lenient are you guys with cars that have been salvage titles in considering a beater car? The only cars I found locally listed for less than a 1000 dollars were those that had something mechanically wrong like it need a new engine or transmission. Thanks for the advice so far, it's been helpful.
#20 of 345 I've had very good luck with by zueslewis Jul 19, 2002 (9:03 am)
Replying to: raybear (Mar 29, 2001 2:14 pm) Japanese beaters - several 150K plus miles Hondas and Toyotas.   I write reports, go to court and inspect cars for a living - I can easily put 50,000 miles a year on a car. I'll be danged if I'll grenade the value of a newer car by miling it up like that. My 1990 Grand Prix has 98,000 miles, I got it for $500 and all it needs is a paint job to look sweet. It's probably the exception, not the rule, but I have no warning signs of pending failures in any major area.

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