Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 5k could buy you alot of car. and does anyone pay cash anymore? Went car shopping with the ol' lady and her son today for his first car. Would you believe the nicest car we found(private seller) was a 1984 Lincoln Town Car. 44k miles for 3800 obo.Under no circumstances does she want him to have that car. "It's too big""It doesn't have airbags""It won't fit in parking spots". My concerns are availability of parts if he wrecks it and gas mileage. Every car lot we went to either didn't have cars under 5k or if they did the selection was p!$ poor.If the body was nice the car had 150k+. If it had under 100k the cars looked like they had been sitting in the bottom of a lake or went thru a tornado. Rant over. Quote
MyKeyBe Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Who cares if it has airbags? It's an 84 Town Car. It will plow through darn near anything on the road today. Smart cars and Mini's have airbags and all of today's safety features. I'll take the Lincoln everytime. Remind the ol' lady that she grew up in these cars and she is still around to be an ol' lady. If that Lincoln has a 302 parts are dirt cheap and easy to get. Gas mileage may not be great but I had an 88 cougar with a 302 and it wasn't that bad. Average around 20 mpg. Keep your eyes out you'll find something you all can be happy with. I just bought a 97 Cadillac Catera with 84,000 miles for $2,200. Yeah, it's starting to rust a little on the driver side rear quarter but nothing major and an easy fix. Not the greatest car in the world but it gets my wife back and forth to work. If nothing else you could always buy him a Dodge like Al drove! Quote
Super User Raider Nation Fisher Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 Cash for Clunkers happened. My buddies at the car lot were telling me about it a few months ago. They were saying that after that whole thing went down decent used cars for cheap went bye bye. On a side note a guy at the apartments a few miles away from me he has a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria in lime green with 28s on it for 4500. Your kid would be the talk of the school. Quote
preach4bass Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 It's funny that you mention $5000 and CASH, because my wife and I only pay cash for our vehicles, and the limit we will spend of a car/truck is $5000. We have been able to find nice, dependable vehicles for that price. My wife drives a 2005 Chrystler Town and Country with all the bells and whistles, and I drive a 2004 4-door 4x4 Tacoma. We found both of those on Craig's list. They both have high mileage (150k & 250k respectively), but we haven't had any major problems with them in the 2 years we've owned them. And, even if we do have to spend a few hundred dollars on them (or even a couple of thousand) in the near future, that's still just a few payments on a new one. Good luck in your search. If you don't give up too quickly, you'll probably find a great car/truck for the right price! 2 Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 22, 2012 Cash for Clunkers happened. My buddies at the car lot were telling me about it a few months ago. They were saying that after that whole thing went down decent used cars for cheap went bye bye. On a side note a guy at the apartments a few miles away from me he has a 1989 Ford Crown Victoria in lime green with 28s on it for 4500. Your kid would be the talk of the school. Every car he was drawn to was a Caddy, Impala, or the like. He'd buy that Crown Vic in a heartbeat. I kept messing with him. "You're looking for a pimpmobile" then I dropped the word Hoopdee (sp) "How do you know what hoopdee means?" "You'd be suprised at what I know" The Lincoln has a 302. Minimal oil leaks. Needs an exhaust at least from the cat back. The guy is the 2nd owner and has all the maintenance records from the first owner. He says he bought it to restore it but lost his job and had a kid blah blah blah. Body and frame were solid except for the trunk. Holes rusting thru above the wheel wells. I think it may be a decent buy but he's going to lose anything he puts into it. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 22, 2012 It's funny that you mention $5000 and CASH, because my wife and I only pay cash for our vehicles, and the limit we will spend of a car/truck is $5000. We have been able to find nice, dependable vehicles for that price. My wife drives a 2005 Chrystler Town and Country with all the bells and whistles, and I drive a 2004 4-door 4x4 Tacoma. We found both of those on Craig's list. They both have high mileage (150k & 250k respectively), but we haven't had any major problems with them in the 2 years we've owned them. And, even if we do have to spend a few hundred dollars on them (or even a couple of thousand) in the near future, that's still just a few payments on a new one. Good luck in your search. If you don't give up too quickly, you'll probably find a great car/truck for the right price! He found the lincoln on CL Problem is recently in our area is there have been a # of people getting jacked trying to buy cars thru CL. The older I get the more skeptical I am. Quote
preach4bass Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 How can you get scammed on CL if you don't exchange cash for product until you meet in person? This is how I've always done business on CL, and have had good luck. There might be a way to get scammed, but I'm not aware of it. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 22, 2012 You can get a decent Civic for that price. He doesn't want a Civic On a side note, my son is also car shopping. He's eyeng out a Nissan Altima. I told him to look at Honda Accords also. He doesn't like Accords. What comes around goes around. I sound like my father. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 22, 2012 How can you get scammed on CL if you don't exchange cash for product until you meet in person? This is how I've always done business on CL, and have had good luck. There might be a way to get scammed, but I'm not aware of it. Let me rephrase myself. Get jumped. Show up to look at the car with cash on hand. Get jumped. Now cash is in his hand and there is no car. Edit. Only the criminals are allowed to carry guns in IL Quote
preach4bass Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Oh! I hadn't thought of getting jumped. Maybe ya'll should be looking at mini-vans and pick-up trucks instead of "HOOPDEE" rides! The clientele will be much safer! Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 22, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 22, 2012 Oh! I hadn't thought of getting jumped. Maybe ya'll should be looking at mini-vans and pick-up trucks instead of "HOOPDEE" rides! The clientele will be much safer! LOL Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 5k could buy you alot of car. and does anyone pay cash anymore? Went car shopping with the ol' lady and her son today for his first car. Would you believe the nicest car we found(private seller) was a 1984 Lincoln Town Car. 44k miles for 3800 obo.Under no circumstances does she want him to have that car. "It's too big""It doesn't have airbags""It won't fit in parking spots". My concerns are availability of parts if he wrecks it and gas mileage. Every car lot we went to either didn't have cars under 5k or if they did the selection was p!$ poor.If the body was nice the car had 150k+. If it had under 100k the cars looked like they had been sitting in the bottom of a lake or went thru a tornado. Rant over. 1966. A brand new Pontiac GTO convertible with tri-power, four on the floor, positraction rear end, am/fm radio and a few other options stickered out at 3300 dollars. A new Cadillac or Lincoln could be had for around five grand. 1949. My parents took delivery of a new Mercury for 1200 dollars. So yeah, I can remember. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 Like Rhino I've been buying cars a long time, in my case since 1962. Had a few used ones until I bought my first new one in 1967. My parents owned that lincoln, 8 mpg, car was enormous, made before cars were downsized in the 70's. The lincoln was a great car for it's day, but doesn't not compare to modern cars in safety and mileage, cars rust less today because of improved galvanizing. Can't expect to get much for 5k, the lincoln would be my last choice for a young person. 20 gal tank, 8 per =160 mile range for 80 bucks. bury that dinosaur, it's no bargain. Quote
Super User ww2farmer Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 It's funny that you mention $5000 and CASH, because my wife and I only pay cash for our vehicles, and the limit we will spend of a car/truck is $5000. We have been able to find nice, dependable vehicles for that price. My wife drives a 2005 Chrystler Town and Country with all the bells and whistles, and I drive a 2004 4-door 4x4 Tacoma. We found both of those on Craig's list. They both have high mileage (150k & 250k respectively), but we haven't had any major problems with them in the 2 years we've owned them. And, even if we do have to spend a few hundred dollars on them (or even a couple of thousand) in the near future, that's still just a few payments on a new one. Good luck in your search. If you don't give up too quickly, you'll probably find a great car/truck for the right price! Thats the way we do it too. Did the whole buy new cars/trucks every couple years for 10-12 years, I got more money in my pocket now, and actually have $$ in the bank since we stopped byuing new. Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted March 22, 2012 Super User Posted March 22, 2012 It's a mistake to equate size/weight with safety. Granted the old dinosaurs give that impression. The problem is, they were not designed with crush zones/panels which absorbed energy. You run an old dinosaur into a wall at thirty mph and the car will be distorted from one end to the other. In newer vehicles, the passenger compartments will remain intact. Older, heavier cars fare even worse in side impacts. Construction plays a major role in protecting passengers. The bodies of the old cars based on frames are actually quite feeble. Unibody vehicles, by their nature provide better protection against "intrusion" in accidents. Every component, including seats are anchored better in new vehicles. Restraint systems are better. Toss in airbags, and it's a no brainer. 1 Quote
preach4bass Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Great post Rhino! And, while we're on the topic of safety: WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!! I know, I know, your best friend's grandmother's, boyfriend's, cousin's, dog walker was killed 25 years ago while wearing a seatbelt, and you've got a tingly little feeling in your tummy that tells you she would have survived if she hadn't been wearing it. But, I've helped cut people out of cars that were totally destroyed, but the people survived with only minor injuries because of the seatbelt and airbags. On the other hand, we've had DOAs at wrecks that "wern't that bad" because they didn't buckle up. WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!! The chances are much greater of you surviving a bad crash with your seatbelt on. Quote
ROCbass Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 It's a mistake to equate size/weight with safety. Granted the old dinosaurs give that impression. The problem is, they were not designed with crush zones/panels which absorbed energy. You run an old dinosaur into a wall at thirty mph and the car will be distorted from one end to the other. In newer vehicles, the passenger compartments will remain intact. Older, heavier cars fare even worse in side impacts. Construction plays a major role in protecting passengers. The bodies of the old cars based on frames are actually quite feeble. Unibody vehicles, by their nature provide better protection against "intrusion" in accidents. Every component, including seats are anchored better in new vehicles. Restraint systems are better. Toss in airbags, and it's a no brainer. It's sad that they had to ruin a perfectly good classic car just to prove that engineering is working how it's supposed to to the "They don't make 'em like they used to, them old cars were tanks!" crowd. Quote
tipptruck1 Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Wow 5000 dollars and you cant buy a decent car. Up here in the sticks 5000 will get you decent car. It might not be a brand new car. But it will be made in the last 10-15 years. Most of them have just hit the 100k mile mark. You can even find some cars under the 100k mark. You can even by a full sized truck about the same age for about 5k also. Quote
scrutch Posted March 23, 2012 Posted March 23, 2012 First car? Backseat's too big in a Lincoln. Skip it. He doesn't need a shaggin wagon. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 23, 2012 Author Super User Posted March 23, 2012 First car? Backseat's too big in a Lincoln. Skip it. He doesn't need a shaggin wagon. I used to enjoy the backseat a '72 LTD He didn't mention the Lincoln today. I asked him a bunch of questions, when we were looking, to make him think it's his decision not to buy the Lincoln. Thing is, it's his money. I want to make sure he doesn't get screwed, but I can sympathize. The first car I paid for was a Firebird. Had to impress the ladies. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 23, 2012 Super User Posted March 23, 2012 My first car was a 1957 ford 4 door sedan, that looked it was painted with a broom. Stick 6 on the column with rusted out floorboards, had to rope the drivers door shut so it wouldn't fly open while I was turning. Paid $45, I overpaid, lol..........after about 2 months the car died on the xway, pulled the plates and just left it there, hitchhiked home. Quote
Super User Root beer Posted March 23, 2012 Super User Posted March 23, 2012 My first car was a 1988 F-150 pickup that my dad gave me. It was older than me. We got rid of it after I drove it for a year and barely got 1,000 bucks out of it because we put gas in it. I had to replace the starter twice, and had to replace the radiator during the full year I drove it. I had plans to make that truck look good, but kept dumping money on starters and radiator.I put both parts in myself, because frankly it wasn't worth paying a mechanic to do it. lol. After we sold it I got a '97 Ford Explorer that had 100k miles exact for about $4,800. These transactions took place during summer of 2007 I believe. Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted March 23, 2012 Super User Posted March 23, 2012 I remember when... If you wanted a street rod you had to build one yourself. The kids nowadays buy them right off of the lot. Quote
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