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Regulation and Government Programs to get old cars off the road.
Cash for Clunkers took a lot of cheap cars...
Some States like mine also pay $1000 to retire older vehicles.
California Smog checks all the way back to year model 1976...
Know quite a few decent cars that have smog issues...
If a car passes smog and usable it will not be cheap in the sense of what the OP means.
But here in Eastern WA, no smog checks, you can find all sorts of cheap, cash cars, cars (and trucks) that are good enough to not be "throwaway" cars in the sense some have posted here.
Buddy of mine bought a 95 Cougar for $400, sunburned paint, tattered interior, and quite dirty - but working A/C, runs and drives, after a tuneup and recharge of the A/C, 4 good tires, it's a perfectly usable, if not presentable, car. Also bought a 4X4 F250, 1986, 460, C6, with 4 near-new Firestone Transforce (Load range E) tires, for I think like $800. (Those 4 tires would have been more than that new) Fairly presentable truck, air does not work, but you don't generally get air that works at this price point. Of course there is my old Scirocco, bought for $1000, running and driving, but not nearly running right, but with a new clutch, new brake pads/shoes all round, and 4 new but crap tires. The rear "wishbone" of the suspension was bent. Had one roaring front wheel bearing. But, ran and drove, and I was able to take care of what else it needed on a weekend basis, drove it to work most days, 35 to 40 MPG.
The cheap cash car carries on in non-rusting areas without SMOG.
Some States like mine also pay $1000 to retire older vehicles.
If a car passes smog and usable it will not be cheap in the sense of what the OP means.
$1k is a decent incentive versus the hassle trying to sell an old clunker on Craigslist or the insultingly low trade-in or instant cash offers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch
The cheap cash car carries on in non-rusting areas without SMOG.
My cheap car search was in the salt belt and I wouldn't want to get into an accident in some of the rust buckets people were trying to sell. They would disintegrate in a 20 MPH crash.
The cheap cash cars are through auctions and private party sales (craigslist) and there are still plenty of cars available.
But you won't find them on used car lots. It's just not worth the hassle for dealers to sell cars that cheap. The customers that buy super cheap used cars would just be a constant headache for those dealers with all of their complaints about nonsense and threatening the lemons laws on them.
Some cheap cash cars are ones that need some sort of mechanical work done on them, like brake pads. And most of the car buying public isn't savvy enough to make those repairs themselves (and keeping the cost of that cheap car down). A cheap car isn't cheap if one has to take it to a professional mechanic in order to get everything sorted out and passing state safety inspections.
My husband and I buy cheap cash cars, but that is only because he is very mechanically inclined and we bought a used auto lift for our garage.
Back in the mid 90's I used to work at a "tote the note" the owner said that about 40% of his regulars bought a cash car from the back lot. you see most of the better paying jobs that were popping up were just outside of the city, past where the buses would go, it was common that people would get dirt cheap cash cars to drive back and forth to work until they made it past their probation periods, and then would come back wanting something nicer(which was financed). but my boss always made sure even the cash cars ran good he used to say"a happy customer will tell 3 people and unhappy customer will tell 30" so he got repeat business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by selhars
Uh, 30 years if a fairly long time....what do you want for less than $1,000?
How cheap do you want (beater) cars to be in 2018??
And if used car prices went up gradually I may not have noticed but it seems that prices for beaters stayed the same for years, then jumped up in 2005ish - 2010ish.
What I'm listing below, (and the slang terms associated with) was basically rule of thumb for decades (ad $100 if it's a used car lot and car lots started jacking up their prices in 1998ish about 4- 10 years before people selling cars in the classifieds did)
"parts car"= $150
"good work car"(runs good looks like crap) $350 - $400
"project car" (sports car /muscle car that doesn't run or barely runs) $400- $600
"okay condition"(normal wear and tear) $500 - $700(family sedan/ van etc) $700 - $1,000 (sports car/ muscle cars/ 4X4's)
"Like new" 3K and up.
Yes there were always exceptions like in the case of rare cars and such, but thats the pricing I saw from age 16 - mid 30's with very little change and from age 36ish - 43 those prices jumped dramatically every year. (I'm 47 now)
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheapdad00
Exactly. $400 in 1976 dollars is worth $1800 in 2018 dollars. There should be a few running private party offerings for that. But as has been mentioned before, there's not enough profit at that price point to make it profitable for most dealers. Plus depending upon condition and mileage, those may not be easily financeable and they make most of their profit on the financing side.
And yet the prices above stayed the same until the early 2000's.
Quote:
Originally Posted by don1945
Not in mine either. Even the auction prices are ridiculous because the buy here, pay here, guys run the bidding up because they know they will repo and resell the same car over and over, plus they make their money on the high interest they charge.
It is very hard here to find a good, cheap car.
Tell me about it. I wish there was a law passed to exclude dealers from actions, like the police actions. before the dealers took over I new people that got great deals at the police auctions got brand new cars for a few hundred, in 1990 a friend got an 89 mustang for $600 he only had to replace the windshield and buy a seat cover(bullet holes in the drivers seat) .
Quote:
Originally Posted by lkmax
Yes. Before, it was normal for your average guy to know how to do a lot of repairs on their own cars. That's not the case now. Cars are much more complicated to repair now than they ever were.
Additionally, most states have emissions laws now and stuff like that. Like in NC, you can't register a car if it doesn't pass the state inspection with the emissions test. The state inspection has been around for a long time, but before, if you knew a guy, he'd just give you a sticker if you paid for the cost of the inspection. Even if you didn't, all they'd really do is check your windshield wipers, head and tail lights, tires, etc.
Now, they have to hook your car up to a computer, and it has to pass the emissions test. If your "check engine" light is on, it's not going to pass. These repairs can be quite expensive. Without it, you can't get a license plate.
With all of these things, and the fact that people can just sell their junk cars to a junkyard and get cash money the same day without having to find a buyer who isn't way more picky than they should be for their budget, it's all just going away.
Makes you wonder if the big 3 are lobbying state legislators to pass are these laws and intact all these programs that seem purpose made to get all the older cars(that the average Joe/Jane can work on his/herself).
You are right. I dont know about 80's, even in 2009 a new Prius was listed at ~9000 if I remember correctly.
I used craiglist for cars but even a salvage 2004 corolla owner wants 5000 lol. Or you have the last line disclaimer " just needs an engine"
I think everyone wants to make a quick buck and that is what drives prices higher. The car dealers start the overpricing and gradually everyone follows that.
Cars today are so complex and cost so much to fix when something major breaks. Back in the old days, if you drove a beater and the transmission failed, it wasn’t that big of a deal to swap out another one. These days, if a CVT fails on a 200k mile car, you might as well consider it totaled.
Repair costs are too expensive now for the lower income person to afford.
This is true, when those cars break down poor people just abandon them on the side of the highway. They either didn't take care of the car or they can't afford to fix the car.
This is true, when those cars break down poor people just abandon them on the side of the highway. They either didn't take care of the car or they can't afford to fix the car.
I saw a lot of this with early 2000s GM vehicles with the faulty intake manifold gaskets. People would buy them used (and already leaking), and they’d drive them until they overheated so much it ruined the engine. It was common for awhile to see Impalas and Malibu’s on the side of the highway for weeks until they got towed away.
I know in Texas a lot of them head south of the border where the market is bigger for them. I didn't realize it before my last visit but Costa Rica is a big destination for used US cars due to their extremely high taxes on new cars.
The port at Jacksonville, Florida is one of the biggest ports in the country for vehicles entering and leaving the USA. Drive any length of I-10 in Florida and you see the trailered new cars fresh off the boat heading westward along that road, and possible even more trailers full of vehicles bought at auction headed eastward to the port with an ultimate destination of some place overseas where they can be sold for good profit.
Makes you wonder if the big 3 are lobbying state legislators to pass are these laws and intact all these programs that seem purpose made to get all the older cars(that the average Joe/Jane can work on his/herself).
The Texas situation is getting national coverage in the car hobby... and Texas of all places... maybe the influx of Californians and I live in California.
In Europe there is a requirement that ALL vehicles, even vehicles than NEVER leave private property must have insurance... it is rocking Motor Sport to the core.
Let's face it folks... there is a concerted effort to control/ban/vehicles... especially older ones...
My "New" car is year model 2002... my old car is year Model 1905 making it 113 years old...
California requires a fee be paid NOT TO OPERATE your vehicle... so the State is building a Data Base on all cars...
My first car was a used Pinto, but it's been so long I don't remember the price. However, the Pinto was known for exploding gas tanks if hit, even at lower speeds, in the rear. This was unfortunately proven when I lived in Trenton. A young woman was killed when someone did rear end her (at about 35 mph) and the tank burst into flames. Mine developed a "gremlin" problem when crazy stuff would happen, like the windshield wipers suddenly stopping in the midst of a downpour, then suddenly starting up again as I pulled up to the curb. Nobody could figure out what the problem was, so I traded it in for a Maverick (!). Anyone remember them?
Remember the Maverick? I've owned 27, currently own 7, have a building full of parts for them and still drive several as my daily's. So yeah, I remember the Maverick. They're my first car love by far.
I had a very nice Grabber with 302 V8... liked it.
Also had a Maverick with 3 on the tree and didn't like it all... it was a zero option vehicle...
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