How do people find cheap cars? There is several ways to find a nice, reliable vehicle multiple times cheaper than buying from a used car lot. The fact is that used car lots mark up prices to generate profits. Why give them money? If you want to hang on to your money, there is an easy way to find cheap cars.
Surprisingly, cheap cars are easily found if you look in the right place. Abused and used sports cars are very cheap, you can find older model Trans Am, Z-28, Corvette, Mustang, 3000GT, and other sports cars for under $8,000 today. If sports cars aren't your thing, big trucks and SUV's like Excursion, Expedition, F series, Silverado, Escalade and more are all very cheap if you know where to look. If compact economical cars are your interest, these cars can also be found for pennies on the dollar as well.
Where do people find cheap cars? Typically from private sellers. The internet is the best source for finding cheap used cars. Several websites are dedicated to this service alone. The trick to finding a quality, cheap used car is persistence. Don't just look at the internet sites below once, and then pick a car to buy. Look through them and find the specific vehicle that interests you. Once you've found your goal, visit the sites everyday until one with the right mileage and price comes along. It may take one week, or it may take a couple of months. Depending on your situation, this isn't always possible. Try to make accommodations so that you can spend adequate time looking for your next used car.
Great places to find cheap cars online :
Craigslist.org
Autotrader.com
Cars.com
Ebay.com
Once you have found your car, you'll need to thoroughly inspect it. Most cars are sold for a reason, and when they're cheap it's probably due to mechanical failures the current owner doesn't want to fix. Typically, these are easy repairs but costly to have done. If you can turn a wrench yourself, you can buy cars marginally cheaper. Repair on used vehicles is typically gaskets, electronic components, or paint issues like scratches, dents, etc. With the proper knowledge and research, all of these repairs can be done very cheap as well.
Ask the owner why they are selling the car. Most of them will be honest and tell you what is wrong with it. Some owners will not, and this is where a third party mechanic estimate comes hand. Using CarFax reports gives you a very limited perception of the history of the vehicle. Every creature leaves a trail, and so does every driver.
Further more to identify vehicle history look for signs of neglect such as unusual wear and tear, paint surface missing wax, scratches where keys are used, spilt engine fluids around filling oriphaces, rubber wearing off on brake and gas pedal, clutch shudder or smells, and how clean the vehicle is. If an owner won't take the time to properly insert keys, fluids, or wash their car; it's a good chance they don't have a good vehicle care ethic.
Just because the car hasn't been taken care of, doesn't mean it's a complete waste. In some situations, these are the types of vehicles you'll find cheap because the owner doesn't have "pride" to ask for a higher price. You can take advantage of this on certain makes and models that are renown for reliability and durability of parts like Honda, Subaru, Toyota, and General Motors.
The most important decision when buying a used vehicle should be based on ease of repair when things start to break. Front wheel drive vehicles are the hardest to work on due to the engine being in the car sideways. The important factor to look for on FWD is how much room exists between the drive belt area and the inner fender. Make sure you can fit the tools needed to do repairs in this area, otherwise lowering or raising of the entire engine / drive train assembly may be required for something as routine as belt, water pump, alternator, or AC replacement.
If you want to turn your own wrench, stay away from crossovers like the PT Cruiser and others. They are the worse vehicles to work on yourself. The pinched nose and compact design makes it very hard to work on, resulting in astronomical repair bills when things go wrong. When you buy a used car, make sure it's what you want, the right price, and you can work on it.
Surprisingly, cheap cars are easily found if you look in the right place. Abused and used sports cars are very cheap, you can find older model Trans Am, Z-28, Corvette, Mustang, 3000GT, and other sports cars for under $8,000 today. If sports cars aren't your thing, big trucks and SUV's like Excursion, Expedition, F series, Silverado, Escalade and more are all very cheap if you know where to look. If compact economical cars are your interest, these cars can also be found for pennies on the dollar as well.
Where do people find cheap cars? Typically from private sellers. The internet is the best source for finding cheap used cars. Several websites are dedicated to this service alone. The trick to finding a quality, cheap used car is persistence. Don't just look at the internet sites below once, and then pick a car to buy. Look through them and find the specific vehicle that interests you. Once you've found your goal, visit the sites everyday until one with the right mileage and price comes along. It may take one week, or it may take a couple of months. Depending on your situation, this isn't always possible. Try to make accommodations so that you can spend adequate time looking for your next used car.
Great places to find cheap cars online :
Craigslist.org
Autotrader.com
Cars.com
Ebay.com
Once you have found your car, you'll need to thoroughly inspect it. Most cars are sold for a reason, and when they're cheap it's probably due to mechanical failures the current owner doesn't want to fix. Typically, these are easy repairs but costly to have done. If you can turn a wrench yourself, you can buy cars marginally cheaper. Repair on used vehicles is typically gaskets, electronic components, or paint issues like scratches, dents, etc. With the proper knowledge and research, all of these repairs can be done very cheap as well.
Ask the owner why they are selling the car. Most of them will be honest and tell you what is wrong with it. Some owners will not, and this is where a third party mechanic estimate comes hand. Using CarFax reports gives you a very limited perception of the history of the vehicle. Every creature leaves a trail, and so does every driver.
Further more to identify vehicle history look for signs of neglect such as unusual wear and tear, paint surface missing wax, scratches where keys are used, spilt engine fluids around filling oriphaces, rubber wearing off on brake and gas pedal, clutch shudder or smells, and how clean the vehicle is. If an owner won't take the time to properly insert keys, fluids, or wash their car; it's a good chance they don't have a good vehicle care ethic.
Just because the car hasn't been taken care of, doesn't mean it's a complete waste. In some situations, these are the types of vehicles you'll find cheap because the owner doesn't have "pride" to ask for a higher price. You can take advantage of this on certain makes and models that are renown for reliability and durability of parts like Honda, Subaru, Toyota, and General Motors.
The most important decision when buying a used vehicle should be based on ease of repair when things start to break. Front wheel drive vehicles are the hardest to work on due to the engine being in the car sideways. The important factor to look for on FWD is how much room exists between the drive belt area and the inner fender. Make sure you can fit the tools needed to do repairs in this area, otherwise lowering or raising of the entire engine / drive train assembly may be required for something as routine as belt, water pump, alternator, or AC replacement.
If you want to turn your own wrench, stay away from crossovers like the PT Cruiser and others. They are the worse vehicles to work on yourself. The pinched nose and compact design makes it very hard to work on, resulting in astronomical repair bills when things go wrong. When you buy a used car, make sure it's what you want, the right price, and you can work on it.
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