What is the cheapest car you've ever bought?

[javacontour]

I bought a 1979 Ford Fairmont in 1995 for $100. I drove it for three years, mostly parking it at the airport when I traveled. It was rusty, but everything worked. It only left me stranded once when the ignition module went out. It failed three blocks from home and since I lived a block away from an auto parts store, I bought the module, walked back to the car, replaced it and drove home.

Sold it in 1998 for $500, so it cost me about $700 in gas, maintenance and repairs over that three years.

Probably cost my employer even more than that to park it during that same period of ownership.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by littlehulkster
I both hated and loved that car. It was awful in just about every way, but there's a real liberation about having a free car. You don't care if someone bumps you in a parking lot, or doors you, or if you back into a pole. The car will never be worth any less than you paid for it, so you never have to worry.


This. I love the mental freedom cheap stuffs provide.

 

[Revving2Redline]

My first car 1985 Pontiac Sunbird 2dr 1.8L 5 spd with 280k. 800.00
I drove it two years and added 20k.All oil was 10w30 Gtx

 

[BretK]

!973 Dodge Polara. It was a used police car that I bought at a police auction for $150.00
I was the only one to bid on it, but I drove it for years.

 

[Black_Thunder]

2 years ago I bought a 96 contour that I'm currently driving, low miles for the year 111k, got it for 600 bucks but i had to stick about a grand or so into it to get it up to my standards for every day driving.

not terrible, but it needed brakes and lines, struts and other suspension etc, adds up pretty fast, but its a pretty reliable car right now and with the 2.5 V6 its not a slouch and is an alright vehicle to drive to and from work and even road trips.




actually now that I think of it I got a 1988 F150 for technically 300 bucks. My brother bought a beater pickup quite awhile back and drove it for bit, had some issues etc, and he owed me 300 or so dollars and he was getting a different vehicle so I told him to just give me the pickup and it became a dedicated wood hauler for quite a while, now it needs a clutch and hasn't been used in over a year. a project that got put on the back burner.

 

[FT92]

93 ford Taurus 200 dollars drove it for a few years and then the head gaskets went south...car wasn't worth repairing due to all the rust and I think the car was haunted,,,power windows would open /close by themselves and the radio would do the same , what was funny with the radio was it would say on the screen "insert cd" but there wasnt a cd player ..then my current ride a 99 honda accord...2000 dollars and so far so good with just oil changes and a temp gauge sensor change

 

[BobGoblin]

YUGO 55

I bought it for 700 eur, bought it in year 2000, and drove it for 8 years.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted by Blkstanger
Years ago I bought a very nice 1965 El Camino. It had an LT1 350 and Muncie 4spd. Seller said that it would die after driving a short while. He said they couldn't figure it out. I paid him $900 for it. After some head scratching I found the coil leads had been swapped. i swapped the wires and it drove like a dream.



I bought a 55 desoto firedome V8 with a two speed automatic for 50 bucks with this same problem. Needed tires and brakes to pass inspection. Great old car, was the king of the drive in!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Not counting a couple f free parts cars, I paid $100 for a Ford Escort. A 1984 Escort L...diesel. 50MPG, about 50HP.

 

[Bud]

Bought a well used 66 MGB for 300.00. In 1969 I bought a new VW Beetle for 1800.00.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I had a free 58 Oldsmobile from my grandpa that ran real good but was getting rusty, faded and worn out. Everything worked pretty good but the radiator sprung a leak so I sold it for $40.00 to a neighbor. I also bought an old Rambler and I cannot even remember the year for about $50.00 and it ran pretty good. Then I had an old Dodge Aspen that was not very nice looking and had a slant six that literally was in perfect mechanical condition and ran like a top. It seems like years ago it was easy to trade vehicles all the time and in todays world it's more of a hassle and they are more difficult to sell or trade without huge losses.

 

[dippschtick]

My first car. 1972 Challenger for $600 back in 1985.

 

[RTexasF]

1958 Ford two door station wagon.........$100. Fred Flintstone floorboards, 352 ci Police Interceptor V-8, 3 on the tree with pull out overdrive which made it a 5 speed. Never could get a title, sold it for $100.

 

[wander2039]

Both the Focus and Festiva was free. I've had to put at least $2500 in the Focus but have drove it for 8 years. The Festiva probably around $60 and drive it for 2-3 years.

Paid wise was a 88 Festiva for 250 or 300. Straighten up the front end and drove it for a year. The clutch was getting weak so had to decide on selling it and fixing the 88 S15. What a mistake, that GMC was always junk!

 

[walterjay]

79 Mazda GLC. $400.00 Drove it for about three years and sold it for $400.00

 

[Donald]

Free, I was given a few cars when my Dad got too old to drive.

 

[Leo99]

Long story but when I was down on my luck and first wife was doing drugs, I bought a Ford LTD station wagon with the faux wood sides for $400. Put over 10,000 miles on it. Dipstick said full. Only 2 quarts came out when I pulled the oil drain plug.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

1972 Chevrolet Impala with the 350. Bought it for 400 bucks. It was a 1 owner with 100K miles and very well maintained. It was fully loaded in excellent condition. Even the a/c was ice cold. Went cross country in it with zero issues. Never ever should have sold it.

 

[Jim K]

Probably a Hotwheel for $1.97 .

 

[FocusZTW]

Junior in high school, 1964, $12.50 for half interest in a 52 Packard, with my best buddy. No more riding the school bus. Only thing broken was the radio and power antenna!!