How much and were to get it... I need a Clunker.

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SuperDave456

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I have a good friend who is out of work, his wife is out of work, and their car was just totaled.

Long story short they need a clunker.

Where would you start looking?
What would you look for?
How much would you pay for it?

Air conditioning and power windows are not necessary. We are looking for a g-ride that is reliable.
 
it depends on how much money they have for a car. get a used cobalt. they are plentiful and cheap. check craigslist/autotrader.
 
Police auction. Or even fleet sales, used Police Crown Vics can usually be had for cheap.

They might have a zillion miles and be worn down, but they should keep running with minimal service for a good while.
 
Tauruses are so undervalued since everyone fears their transmissions they actually make decent buys. Remember TX doesn't suffer rust. Saturns are good too but visiting my sister in DFW I didn't see many around.

I would look on craigslist and arm yourself with a mobile data phone/ netbook, a wad of cash, and willingness to jump on a deal.

Saturn AC systems are pretty reliable but they take gobs of power from propulsion. Neons are often cheap and unwanted but, despite having had lots of beaters, I've never wound up with one.

Gas prices are really punching reasonable cars. If they don't drive much they might be able to pull off a cheap explorer or trailblazer.

GM A-bodies, ciera, century, 1996 and prior, get no love and are usually reasonably driven by old geezers. The problem IM gaskets appear in the final year 1996, the previous "3.1" not "3100" is an okay engine except for a minor oil leak on the distributor stub shaft. And if you find an iron duke 2.5 the cars get low 30s for MPG-- they don't weigh anything!
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
Where would you start looking?
What would you look for?
How much would you pay for it?

Air conditioning and power windows are not necessary.

I'd first check with friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers to see if any of them have an "extra" vehicle they are not really using and might be willing to sell.

If that fails then the next place I'd look is CraigsList.com, Cars.com, and AutoTrader.com. And I'd focus on a vehicle very similar to the one that was totalled so it would be a near seamless transition between the two vehicles.

I'd base my offer on the kbb.com or edmunds.com value for private party sales factoring in all the specifics - whichever of the two is lower. Or, if there is a CarMax reasonably close then I'd propose to get an offer from CarMax and offer the seller x dollars above the appraised value before making the visit to CarMax.

And I'd definitely look for a working AC system!
 
In your situation, or more your friends, I would watch for Estate auctions. Ussually the cars there are pretty good cars, nothing ussually wrong with them, they were ussually operated by older people and pretty much putted around and the family ussually just wants to dump the car, especially if they are older too, they dont want to deal with plates and transfer, they just want to dump the car and house and divide the money. I have seen some killer deals at estate sales, I dont need another car, but wow, they were tempting. Its the place I would look for a good cheap reliable car.
 
In this area? If you can afford to feed the beast, there are plenty of Explorers.

Decent Tauruses (Tauri?) are out there.

Neons are cheap here too. Change the timing belt.

If you can get past the Hannibal Lecter grill and the absolute worst imitation woodgrain interior ever made, the 2000-05 Kia Optima is mechanically the same car as a Hyundai Sonata.

You might be able to find a serviceable Cavalier or Saturn S. Probably a Sedan. The coupes and SC1/SC2s have been scooped up by the sticker tuned "tuner-boiz".

Unfortunately retired police cars and other Panthers and Caprices are bought by the "Dub" crowd to put giant wheels on for that Conestoga Wagon look. They execute the suspension and transmissions and then take the rent to own chrome wheels off to put on another Panther or Caprice and destroy it too.
 
90-97 corolla would be my FIRST choice for a small car for reliability and cheap-to-drive-ish-ness.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
I have a good friend who is out of work, his wife is out of work, and their car was just totaled.

Long story short they need a clunker.

Where would you start looking?
What would you look for?
How much would you pay for it?

Air conditioning and power windows are not necessary. We are looking for a g-ride that is reliable.


In Texas with kids, Air-Conditioning is not optional, you would be up for child neglecct without it.
 
I just bought a 2004 Saturn Ion with 100k for $4200. Just finding something under 5k that ran perfectly and got over 30mpg was tough. I think cavaliers are also a good choice.
 
I agree with with the older Cavalier/Sunbird. Excellent mpg, cheap to fix, and a lot of them around. Steer clear of the Explorer, Trailblazer, or any other suv. There aint NUTHIN' cheap about them toads. An older Corolla or Civic would be a good choice too, if you can find one. A 5 speed Ford Escort would also be a good choice.
 
Having owned a few "clunkers," I've always had the best luck with big luxury cars. After about ten years, depreciation brings their price down to the same level as cheaper cars. They're usually owned by older, more well-heeled people who don't drive them hard and can afford to keep them maintained. And with the price of fuel going up, the demand and price for something like a Lincoln Town Car or a Chevy Caprice should be down.
 
Ford Explorer.

I picked up a rusty one for $950 and it ran/drove great. I put 10,000 miles on it, and drove it 100 miles the day I sold it without an issue.

You're pretty much guaranteed to get A/C, and Ford A/C is pretty reliable.

The big potential downside is fuel economy, but that depends on the commute, the size of the tires, and the gears. With 3.27 gears and 31" tires, I got horrible mileage around town, but great mileage (for a truckish 4WD SUV) on the highway. It was about 14 MPG around town, but 22 MPG if I just did highway driving.
 
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