Buy a Cheap, Yet Broken, Car

I bought a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta a few days ago. It was less than half of Kelly Blue Book Value, which is a really good deal. The trouble is that it wasn’t running when I bought it. Long story short, it has a broken grill, the bumper is is held on by three screws, the paint is chipping off of the roof, the radio is missing, the cupholders don’t work, it needs a brake light bulb, the badges are missing on the front and the rear…

I think you get the idea. However, it is rust-free, the body is in good condition, the interior is pretty good, it has low miles, and I did get it running with less than $200. So, although not mint, it is actually a pretty solid car that I got for less than half of what a decent example is worth. That’s value!

So, my dear friends, consider doing the same. Although not everyone has great mechanical knowledge, you can still buy vehicles that are outcasts. Bad paint? Who cares, your getting it for cheap!  Missing a radio? That engine sounds great! Bumper held on by three wood screws? Adds a bit of fung shui! And after purchase, you can take your time to fix it up yourself. Throw some paint on there, slap a radio in, and add some more screws to the bumper. What, I was serious about it looking fung shui!

Of course, you don’t want to have the trashiest car on the block, either. It is easy to get around this by fixing up the car yourself, but if you don’t want to have a terrible looking car while you are fixing it up, always arrive at home when it is dark outside and put a car cover on it. This may make it difficult to work on your car, but what’s more important? Your comfort or your reputation?

 After your done, you’ll have a flashy car for cheap that you’ll have just a little bit of blood, sweat, and tears in. Mostly tears. Here’s some tips on how to pick a slightly defective winner:

1. Get something that has low miles. A car with 250,000 miles is not “just broken in” no matter how many Honda ads swear its true.

2. If the problem is cosmetic, know before you buy what you will have to replace and how much each part will cost (including paint). If you can do the “surgery” yourself, you will save a bundle.

3. Getting a vehicle that doesn’t run can pay off if you are pretty good with mechanical work. Search “Mechanic special” on Craigslist and you’ll get a big list of potential winners.

4. A 1993 Toyota Corolla in good condition and a 1996 Lincoln Towncar in bad condition cost about the same. Go for broke, and pick the car that will make you look good.

If you put these ideas to good use, go ahead and leave a comment, maybe put a link in there to a pic of your newfound awesome crappy vehicle!