Another Copart Find

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Shared my experiences awhile back on buying a former AT&T fleet vehicle @ Copart - won the auction ('01 SW2) for $150. Here it is coming home behind my 2500 Suburban:
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After a few years of owning the Suburban though, and accruing a list of annoyances, starting keeping an eye again on Copart for something that'd better match our needs. Took awhile, but then this popped up:
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It's also from AT&T down south (no rust; maintenance kept up), and has all the good options:
5.7L Hemi, 3.92 gears
8700LB Towing (which matches the 2500 Suburban)
Permanent AWD (49/52 split) with traction control; can switch over to 4HI (center diff lock), or 4LO (cdl/gear reduction)
Factory towing package, auxiliary coolers, skid-plates, tow hooks
Rear heating/AC

Never cared for them (styling-wise) when new, but it's slowly growing on me a bit. Reading reviews also greatly helped: https://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons...omparison-tests

Needs a few minor things (realign front bumper, polish headlights, etc.), but fundamentally solid and runs great. Ended up going for $1,600. Looking forward to seeing how it does compared to the Burb!
 
Thanks guys. One thing I saw when waiting for a vehicle was several 2500 Ram 4x4's from AT&T (with the same 5.7L Hemi & 545RFE) with anywhere from 325,000 to 450,000 miles on them. If they can go that long (and still be running/driving), I have at least some faith that it'll be fine in a Durango. Of course, now that I said that, it'll probably blow up tomorrow.
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This one is a 2004 with 160k.
 
Great find!

Was perusing through the local Copart lot online the other day and found a 2011 Jetta that the rear had been hit, but seems the bumper was all that was needed. Could have got it for a little of nothing, but passed. Also found a higher mileage Nitro with a rare 5 speed and 4wd (almost the same platform as our 2nd gen Liberty). Alas my house is already starting to look like a used car lot.
 
For $1600 it's not a bad buy, but I hope you're not replacing a HD truck with a Durango for primary use of towing. The engine and transmission are competent enough, but I'd rather have a HD truck
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
For $1600 it's not a bad buy, but I hope you're not replacing a HD truck with a Durango for primary use of towing. The engine and transmission are competent enough, but I'd rather have a HD truck

Never considered the Suburban a "HD truck", but I'm unsure as to why it can't replace it?
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It's a ladder-frame, truck chassis underneath with the same tow rating; difference is payload capacity (one big difference is Durango running a watts-linkage, coil-spring solid rear axle), but fortunately Air Lift (https://www.airliftcompany.com/) makes some inexpensive bags for it that'll keep excessive sag from occuring.
 
"" For $1600 it's not a bad buy,""

$1600 at Copart = about $2400 after Copart fees. The you have to pick it up, haul it home. I buy cars from Copart 3 to 4 times per year, but rarely are they great deals.....
 
Originally Posted By: GON
$1600 at Copart = about $2400 after Copart fees.

Why are you paying so much in fees? I'm a consumer member (not a business, who pays significantly less) and don't pay nearly that.
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: GON
$1600 at Copart = about $2400 after Copart fees.

Why are you paying so much in fees? I'm a consumer member (not a business, who pays significantly less) and don't pay nearly that.
$1,600 purchase has a fee of $410, plus a $59 internet fee and a $59 lot fee. Plus taxes.

I bought a car at Copart about a year ago.
 
I paid $0 in taxes to Copart. Taxes were paid in Kentucky when registering it.

Guess I should additionally make it clear that this isn't an advertisement for Copart, or a blanket recommendation you go buy something there; it's easy to get in trouble quick, and not the right path for most. Just sharing my good experience(s)...
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex

How on earth can you sort through nearly 160,000 vehicles, though?


Click Find Vehicles, then put in your zip code and choose how far you are willing to travel
 
For a retail buyer:
1600 price
495 Consumer Members using non-secure payment
59 Internet bid fee: sale prices of $1,500 - $1,999.99
30 Gate fee (fee for copart to bring the car to you in their parking lot
2184 Subtotal
xxx Broker fee (most states require a consumer to pay through a broker usually a minimum of $250)
xxx sales tax as applicable
xxx if a salvage title must be towed/ trailed away from Copart
xxx $20 a day storage fees beginning five days after the auction ends

Best case is a consumer gets out at $2184 on a $1600 vehicle plus tow/ trailer cots. Most likely case is the consumer is going to be on the $2500 range.
 
Originally Posted By: GON

Best case is a consumer gets out at $2184 on a $1600 vehicle plus tow/ trailer cots. Most likely case is the consumer is going to be on the $2500 range.


At $2500 that vehicle is still a deal.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: GON

Best case is a consumer gets out at $2184 on a $1600 vehicle plus tow/ trailer cots. Most likely case is the consumer is going to be on the $2500 range.


At $2500 that vehicle is still a deal.


Very may be. But the Buyer is unable to test drive, unable to start and run as part of a inspection if he has the opportunity to self or pay for one. High risk with often limited reward. I regularly purchase vehicles from Copart and it is a lot of time/work and a huge gamble, and I speculate most consumer buyers end up paying more than the vehicle is worth.
 
GON,

You've thrown out at least three different numbers now, and even the "best case" is higher than what's on my invoice.
The Durango has a clean title, starts/runs/drives, and was purchased in a no licensed required state (sells to consumers directly).

Seems that you're just making vague speculations/generalizations, and not discussing specifically what, or how I'm buying? That was the purpose of this thread.

As aforementioned, it's not the path for most, but I've done well there. I do find the dichotomy interesting though in how you've stated that it's "high risk with often limited reward", a "lot of time/work and a huge gamble", but yet "regularly purchase vehicles from Copart." If it's so terrible, why aren't you taking your business elsewhere? Lots of other auction yards out there.
 
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