Buyers guide for a cheap car in Calgary? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

RW99 · 03-26-2009, 12:29 PM

So I've decided to grow up and buy my first car. Only problems are that I know very little about cars and my budget is $1000.

Should I be going through the auto trader or some sort of auction? And because I know little about cars, do I need to hire a mechanic to take with me?

Thanks for the help and sorry for the noob car questions

Bobblehead · 03-26-2009, 12:31 PM

$1000? How much do you have ready for repairs/maintenance?

Locke · 03-26-2009, 12:39 PM

In my experience, buying a car for that price, your best bet would probably be a private sale. I bought a truck for $500 from a co-worker once, they're typically honest with you and you tend to know what you're getting.

The auction isnt a bad place to look, but you cant get detailed mechanical info on those cars so you're really rolling the dice.

Auto trader is also a good place to look and dont be afraid to look at cars outside of your budget. You might see a car you like for $1500 and be able to get it for a grand.

DESS · 03-26-2009, 12:39 PM

I have a search queued up for you on kijiji here. Searching within Calgary between $0 & $1,200 (if it's $1,200 you can easily pick it up for $1,000 or less). Concentrate on FWD (better in winter) and Japanese. You should be good to go and good luck.

Yeah_Baby · 03-26-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DESS

I have a search queued up for you on kijiji here. Searching within Calgary between $0 & $1,200 (if it's $1,200 you can easily pick it up for $1,000 or less). Concentrate on FWD (better in winter) and Japanese. You should be good to go and good luck.

DESS I assumed you'd drive domestic!

Locke · 03-26-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DESS

I have a search queued up for you on kijiji here. Searching within Calgary between $0 & $1,200 (if it's $1,200 you can easily pick it up for $1,000 or less). Concentrate on FWD (better in winter) and Japanese. You should be good to go and good luck.

Screw that man, somebody had better snap up that '84 Citation II before its gone!!

$400 for a mint condition Citation? That there is robbery people, robbery. I'd buy that. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to buy it right now. I have $400.

Man, could you imagine buying that thing with Ralph Bucks? I wish we got those again.

DESS · 03-26-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

DESS I assumed you'd drive domestic!

LOL one of each, my friend. DESS is a complicated individual.

RW99 · 03-26-2009, 12:54 PM

Thanks for the info everyone. Do I need to bring a mechanic with me to some of these private sales? I could care less what it looks like, but I do want it to run well.

Locke · 03-26-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RW99

Thanks for the info everyone. Do I need to bring a mechanic with me to some of these private sales? I could care less what it looks like, but I do want it to run well.

Yes and no. Bringing a mechanic with you, unless hes a friend of yours can be a mistake in the overall bargaining process.

Showing up and saying BTW heres a mechanic who will inform me of all the BS you've been feeding me for the last half hour breeds a bit of mistrust in the bargaining process.

It wouldnt kill you to have a guy look over the basics, but a mechanic really cant tell you a lot about whats wrong with a car thats just sitting there. Sure if it has trouble starting or its missing wheels or things of that nature he can point those out and maybe give you a cost estimate for repair, but if it starts fine and generally runs okay and isnt light a few windows here and there a mechanic cant really tell you much.

Seriously though, that Citation II looks like an amazing car for $400.

Glenflame · 03-26-2009, 01:02 PM

To buy a used car:

Rule 1: Don't buy a car from a dealer at that price.
Rule 2: Don't buy a car from auctions and most of them are junks. The car can not be sold from the market due to all kinds of problems so they are there.

Check kijiji or bargainfinder regularly.

Dion · 03-26-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Yes and no. Bringing a mechanic with you, unless hes a friend of yours can be a mistake in the overall bargaining process.

Showing up and saying BTW heres a mechanic who will inform me of all the BS you've been feeding me for the last half hour breeds a bit of mistrust in the bargaining process.

It wouldnt kill you to have a guy look over the basics, but a mechanic really cant tell you a lot about whats wrong with a car thats just sitting there. Sure if it has trouble starting or its missing wheels or things of that nature he can point those out and maybe give you a cost estimate for repair, but if it starts fine and generally runs okay and isnt light a few windows here and there a mechanic cant really tell you much.

Seriously though, that Citation II looks like an amazing car for $400.

How about this Pinto for $1,400?

http://www.icyclebc.com/pinto.htm

Shazam · 03-26-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenflame

Rule 2: Don't buy a car from auctions and most of them are junks. The car can not be sold from the market due to all kinds of problems so they are there.

Maybe in the past, but there's a HUGE glut of used cars in NA, so they're being moved around to areas where they can be sold.

Locke · 03-26-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dion

How about this Pinto for $1,400?

http://www.icyclebc.com/pinto.htm

Ordinarily my personal policy would be not to spend $1400 on a Pinto but that one looks damned near immaculate.

That is a pretty clean looking car, and if has less than a 100K KMs on it? Yeah...that'd be worth $1400.

Bertuzzied · 03-26-2009, 02:26 PM

Would you guys buy from the RepoDepo here in Calgary? sounds so hick.

The last time i was on CP looking at car stuff i found a great deal through leasebusters.

CaptainCrunch · 03-26-2009, 02:34 PM

some really good deals in there. Amazing how many people are trying to get out of their leases as well.

Sample00 · 03-26-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenflame

To buy a used car:

Rule 1: Don't buy a car from a dealer at that price.

Just as a side note on RULE 1. If you purchase a car from a dealer at that price...under AMVIC (Alberta Motor Vehicles Industry Council)rules, the dealer MUST disclose to you the mechanical issues with the vehicle in question. They MUST provide you with a Mechanical fitness inspection and that report MUST signed off on by a licensed mechanic.
The dealer is not inclined to fix all the mechanical issues with the car but he MUST advise you of any problems with that vehicle.

Sample00 · 03-26-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Would you guys buy from the RepoDepo here in Calgary? sounds so hick.

The last time i was on CP looking at car stuff i found a great deal through leasebusters.

some of the deals at REPO DEPO are pretty good and I get emails every day from them for stuff that they have available....some of the pricing they have is not different than retail though. One would think that from an agency that deals in financial institutions repossessions, some of those deals would be a bit better than advertised.

octothorp · 03-26-2009, 02:54 PM

I got my last one from Repo.com (similar to Repo Depo, I think), and so far it seems to be a great deal: probably about $6000 less than what similar models were going for, minus about $1500 in maintenance that we put in off the bat. Obviously you should be vigilant and get a mechanic that you trust to do an inspection and do a full records search, but there are definitely deals to be had.

Tron_fdc · 03-26-2009, 02:57 PM

A few things I've done when buying a used car:

- check the oil pan underneath the car for leaks (you can find leaks on the driveway that it's parked on as well)
- check for leaks on the valve covers (oil leaks). This is generally easy to fix, but it's a pain in the ass
- check for leaks where the cylinder heads mate to the engine block. If you see bright green fluid (antifreeze) the head gasket is blown. Car is toast in that case
- ask him to have the car cold when you get there, and see how it starts. Whenever I sold used cars I'd run them for a bit before the buyer showed up, so when you turned the key it fired right up. Gave the impression it was easy to start
- while the car is running and warmed up, put your hand on the exhaust and feel for "misses" in the exhaust pressure. This typically indicates a miss on the timing, but it could be more serious. If the engine is old you may be losing compression in the cylinders but I've bought lots of used cars that had a small miss on the engine without problems. You can always take it in for a compression test to find out if you're unsure.
- check for smoke when the thing starts. Large amounts of white, sweet smelling smoke=blown head gasket, and coolant leaking into the cylinders. This is BAD. White, oil burning smoke is a problem with the valves leaking oil into the cylineders. While this isn't AS bad as a blown head gasket, it can still be a problem. Old cars have this problem, so you might have to put up with a bit of an oil burner for your price range
- When you drive it turn the wheel all the way one direction, and listen for grinding or creaking. Do it in the opposite direction as well. This will tell you if there is a problem with steering or ball joints
- compress all 4 shocks individually. The car should spring back to its original position. If not, shocks are blown
-check the tires for uneven tire wear. This is usually an alignment problem. They should all be the same brand of tire as well, but for your price range I'd be happy with 4 good ones

After you do all that, kick the tires. Guys LOVE IT when you do that test.

Keep in mind, a lot of what I just said is the minimum you will need to get the thing on the road. if it's over 10 years old you have to get a safety inspection by a licensed mechanic or you won't be able to register it. If in doubt, spend 50 bucks and take it to lemon busters and they'll check it for you.