I Love Working On Things That Go Fast!

I need a project car to fiddle around with …

Why? Well, old beat-up cars for starters are super fun to drive (you don’t have to worry if they get scratched up) and they also help get me away from the stupid television (the same one in which I am forced to watch reality shows on, because I lose the remote battle with my wife most of the times). I really only want to blow $500 or less if possible, and was wondering out loud if this is a reasonable goal or not … Well, here goes my journey (shortened due to my own article length limitations. I hate to drone on and on about things) …

So last week I called up some local tow companies to see if they had any cars that weren’t claimed, and if they would sell them to me to recoup some of their costs. This wasn’t my first rodeo with these kind of people … I once bought a nice ’89 Silverado off a tow yard for $800 cash (that baby ran pretty strong, until I did what I do, and blew out the tranny on some ice trail patches). Prior to my accident, it got me to and from work just fine (afterwards, not so much). Well, none of these places had anything worth looking at (I found out over the phone) so I moved on to the next step …

Word of mouth advertising! I literally told everyone I knew that I was looking for a fun project car (especially the guys I knew in the 18-25 year range. You would not believe what these “younguns” get rid of!). This is how I got my third car: a friend of mine (Jon, from Jon & Kate Plus Eight) knew a guy who needed some quick cash to bail his brother out of the pokey. This is how I wound up with a very fast, very cherry three-year-old Saab 900T (with only 76,000 miles on her) for only a few grand! This baby (Bambi, I called “her”) was loaded with power everything! What I got for my money was a great dependable car that definitely turned some heads … so kick this fantastic idea around the next time you’re looking! Again, nothing (this search came up empty this time).

Next, I went to a public auto auction in West Palm Beach — they say that this is the best avenue to take when you want a car well below its trade-in value. Bonus: anyone can go … no license is required. What they sell at these places are bank repos, government and police seized vehicles, and while many cars at these auctions are high-mileage junkers, I’d estimate that 20% are of the low-mileage, late-model variety that were brand new just a few short months ago. Bonus: our current financial crisis is causing this business to boom. However, I didn’t find anything cheap when I went (I have never bought a car from these places anyways, to be honest).

So finally, I went old school and hit up the newspaper and Craigslist want ads for some private dealer finds. Why did I do this, you ask? Well, most people know they can’t sell their cars for the same price as dealers charge, because there are no services provided and also there is very little recourse available for buyers (sorry people who don’t know this, but it’s absolutely true). On the flip side of the coin, though, individuals don’t have any dealership costs to markup and worry about. This is where I struck gold (right on the side of the road, when I pulled up to where the guy wanted to meet me) …

I found it, and it’s sick (in a good, no great, way) … I now have in my possession an orange, 1973 BMW 2002 Turbo that I’m pretty sure I can bring back to near showroom quality for almost next to nothing (mechanically it’s perfect. Cosmetically, it’s pretty fair. NO rust anywhere, which was the clincher for me). Total cost: $530 (the owner wouldn’t budge on his final price. Don’t worry about me though … I was willing to go up to $750 (but he didn’t know that). Pretty sweet huh?

The bottom line of this story: getting a fresh ride with a tight-fist is definitely within your control if your own personal circumstances (read: time, energy and resources) allows it. Sure, you may get lucky by going through the usual car buying routine (going to the used car dealers and begging for a fair price, then settling for something that you eventually don’t really want) but if you have the time and put in some extra effort, there are definitely some outstanding savings out there (this is how I live my life, to say the least).

No matter what source you use though, before you buy any car have it inspected by a trusted (read: friend of the family kind of guy) mechanic. The inspection may cost you a little bit (about $50 most of the times) but it’s kind of essential if you don’t want to get stuck with an expensive lawn ornament a couple days after you’ve signed all the paperwork. If the seller/dealer will not allow you to have it inspected, walk away (this is a huge indicator of sleaziness).

Also, make sure the car has a current registration and that the owner has the pink slip in hand. If you have any doubts about either the registration or the title, check with your DMV before handing over any cash (don’t even put down a good faith deposit). Last thing: always play it safe by getting a CarFax History Report of the vehicle. This will save you a lot of grief – guaranteed!

Well, I have to run … gotta take my awesome ride out for some hills climbs (Ok, Florida’s not known for its hills … make that some spins around manicured neighborhoods and a freeway race or two). Catch you later!