Just glanced at its CarFax... Definitely inspect for rust... If miraculously it has none, or very little, then may still be a good buy.
How far would you drive on a gamble for a used car?
- Thread starter Elkins45
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It’s a five hour drive for me. I’ll need to see a photo of the underside with it on a rack before I decide to go. Rocker rust doesn’t bother me but structural rot is (obviously) a deal breaker.
I'd walk a mile for a camel. I bet @Jdeere562 thought I was not old enough to be familiar with that line. To see a car I'm really interested in I'd be willing to drive a few hundred miles.
JHZR2
Staff member
I’ve gone cross country to get classic, pristine old Mercedes diesels…
A dealership’s “inspection” would mean absolutely nothing to me. They could have a chimpanzee screaming in the back while banging on the valve cover with a pipe wrench and that would be what they call an inspection.
Depends on how bad you want the car. Is it an extra car or a dd? I would have no issue making a day trip out of it at the minimum. I’ve said here before I wouldn’t mind going down south for a $2000-4000 vehicle for a dd so I might be the wrong one to ask.
How easy is it to find a replacement transmission?
Depends on how bad you want the car. Is it an extra car or a dd? I would have no issue making a day trip out of it at the minimum. I’ve said here before I wouldn’t mind going down south for a $2000-4000 vehicle for a dd so I might be the wrong one to ask.
How easy is it to find a replacement transmission?
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what are the odds a 16 year old car that spent is life in Michigan and Ohio is not rusted?
If your in Northern KY, I would be looking for one that spent its life in TN. Yes, they salt there, but not anywhere close to as often.
If your in Northern KY, I would be looking for one that spent its life in TN. Yes, they salt there, but not anywhere close to as often.
Not very far. I'd stay in my metro area(s). Too likely to be disappointed.
Yunno, after looking at all of the ones for sale nationwide - that price doesn't look that bad... Maybe fly there and drive back? Could even camp inside it, to save on hotels
I know I would...BONUS: here is a cute one from Hawaii.
Hawaii is the only state I haven’t visited. Maybe I could rent a ferry from UHaul to bring it home?Yunno, after looking at all of the ones for sale nationwide - that price doesn't look that bad... Maybe fly there and drive back? Could even camp inside it, to save on hotels
BONUS: here is a cute one from Hawaii.
Don’t you have a lot of road salt in MD?
No. Possibly in a couple of counties in the westernmost parts of MD, but the rest of the state no. Not enough to cause rust issues even if you keep a car for 25 years and never do anything rust preventative, or even wash it in the winter.
I would go up to about 4 hours, because I can make it there and back in one full day without taxing myself.
Yes, but LSMFT!
I'd do about an hour and a half, though I've done more.
I shop a different kind of seller-- I don't like dealers that offer "as-is" because it means a professional already looked the car over and decided it was a hopeless case. Plus they want to get more money from the public than they could from auction, so they won't offer a reasonable deal. That said I did buy an as-is Saturn from a dealer for $350 and it was exactly as advertised-- they gave a list of what it needed for state inspection, I did exactly that list and passed and had a good car.
That said, I'm also concerned about OPs secrecy that he eventually broke on page two-- he found a car some distance away that appeared to be that magical unicorn, underpriced, and he wanted to grab it before anyone else in the world knew about it. He's got a combo of "paralysis of analysis", trying to decide if he wants the car before looking at the car, and of trying to "research" using only web tools like carfax to do what he should be doing on-site, on his hands and knees, with the actual car in question. He wants the world to freeze while he hems and haws.
So this goes back to his stated thesis, how far is too far to drive to look at something in person? I keep a little car buying cash liquid so I'm not delayed when something in my budget crosses my radar. I try to be "always looking" and "a car ahead" so I have the next one in hand before the one I'm thinking of leaving behind dies or otherwise finds its way out of my fleet. And I need to be ready to wing it, call out of a day of work, grab the cash, scan tool, jack, flashlight etc and have a fun road trip day when "the one" catches my interest. But when that happens I don't need permission from BITOG or anywhere else-- I'm gone.
For OP then there seems to be some hesistation, a sixth sense saying don't get this one. Some people (not necessarily OP) get into a sunken cost fallacy where they drive many hours to look at something and either buy it because they're emotionally invested or get incredibly mad at the seller for "false advertising" when it's not as dreamed. If this is you, be honest with yourself and know this fault before going in... it's your money.
I shop a different kind of seller-- I don't like dealers that offer "as-is" because it means a professional already looked the car over and decided it was a hopeless case. Plus they want to get more money from the public than they could from auction, so they won't offer a reasonable deal. That said I did buy an as-is Saturn from a dealer for $350 and it was exactly as advertised-- they gave a list of what it needed for state inspection, I did exactly that list and passed and had a good car.
That said, I'm also concerned about OPs secrecy that he eventually broke on page two-- he found a car some distance away that appeared to be that magical unicorn, underpriced, and he wanted to grab it before anyone else in the world knew about it. He's got a combo of "paralysis of analysis", trying to decide if he wants the car before looking at the car, and of trying to "research" using only web tools like carfax to do what he should be doing on-site, on his hands and knees, with the actual car in question. He wants the world to freeze while he hems and haws.
So this goes back to his stated thesis, how far is too far to drive to look at something in person? I keep a little car buying cash liquid so I'm not delayed when something in my budget crosses my radar. I try to be "always looking" and "a car ahead" so I have the next one in hand before the one I'm thinking of leaving behind dies or otherwise finds its way out of my fleet. And I need to be ready to wing it, call out of a day of work, grab the cash, scan tool, jack, flashlight etc and have a fun road trip day when "the one" catches my interest. But when that happens I don't need permission from BITOG or anywhere else-- I'm gone.
For OP then there seems to be some hesistation, a sixth sense saying don't get this one. Some people (not necessarily OP) get into a sunken cost fallacy where they drive many hours to look at something and either buy it because they're emotionally invested or get incredibly mad at the seller for "false advertising" when it's not as dreamed. If this is you, be honest with yourself and know this fault before going in... it's your money.
I’d be willing to drive 5+ hours for a mundane daily driver and 12+ hours for something cool, like a forward look Mopar. My issue is that if I choose to buy it, my wife would complain about having to drive even an hour back on the way home.
I looked at the listing pictures for the 2008 Mazda and I would pass. I live in central Texas, but I’m from Southeastern Wisconsin and know rust quite well. That Mazda looks worse (rust-wise) than the 195K ‘91 Tracer wagon (sort of a Mazda) that I sold back in ‘07 to a friend for $400 to give to his MIL. It looks like the outer skin before the wheel well is completely rusted away and the rusty metal under it has been spray-canned over. It looks like the door-bottom rust bubbles go up at least 2 inches. The pictures aren’t the highest quality, but I see discoloration/dark spots on the rockers that look like rust as well. That’s just the rust you can see. Then you have the undercarriage/structure and any parts that have seen salt. Expect brake lines and fuel lines (if metal) will need replacing and even simple tasks like brake jobs and struts will be a bigger pain for you and/or your wallet when the mechanic has to charge for extra labor.
For a new car dealership to only want $5K for a used car in this market also tells me they know the car has obvious faults. It’s likely they gave no more than $1200 for it on trade. I don’t mean to sound like a Debbie Downer, but I’d run.
I looked at the listing pictures for the 2008 Mazda and I would pass. I live in central Texas, but I’m from Southeastern Wisconsin and know rust quite well. That Mazda looks worse (rust-wise) than the 195K ‘91 Tracer wagon (sort of a Mazda) that I sold back in ‘07 to a friend for $400 to give to his MIL. It looks like the outer skin before the wheel well is completely rusted away and the rusty metal under it has been spray-canned over. It looks like the door-bottom rust bubbles go up at least 2 inches. The pictures aren’t the highest quality, but I see discoloration/dark spots on the rockers that look like rust as well. That’s just the rust you can see. Then you have the undercarriage/structure and any parts that have seen salt. Expect brake lines and fuel lines (if metal) will need replacing and even simple tasks like brake jobs and struts will be a bigger pain for you and/or your wallet when the mechanic has to charge for extra labor.
For a new car dealership to only want $5K for a used car in this market also tells me they know the car has obvious faults. It’s likely they gave no more than $1200 for it on trade. I don’t mean to sound like a Debbie Downer, but I’d run.
Wow, that’s a lot of psychoanalysis there, Dr. Freud!
I just wanted to know how far people were willing to go for a mundane car. That’s why I took the vehicle out of the equation.
Sometimes a banana is just a banana.
My father years ago needed a car that didn't cost a lot. He and I both seen one add in the classifieds (yes, I am dating myself) which seemed to be a good candidate. Drove maybe 50 or 60 miles, found the house and observed the car in the driveway. The poor condition was so bad that we only pulled over on the side of the road for a few seconds before we realized it was a wasted trip.
So my answer is: not far.
I’ve done two hours one way only to find someone else being handed the keys when I walked in the door. Wife was angrier than I was but I told her she had my undivided attention for four hours.
I'm more curious on how you seem to be perpetually buying used cars.
I took a trip for fun and business from central wi to southern Ohio to get a Subaru 360
Its very rare a vehicle I actually want is locally to be honest
Its very rare a vehicle I actually want is locally to be honest
