Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,694 posts, read 58,004,579 times
Reputation: 46171
I buy at towing auctions, many are $35 minimum bid (when steel prices are low), often they run.
I like to see how many of last week's cars are driven back to the next auction (lots)
Since most of the auctions I use are in Oregon (and they have a 2 yr registration), cars with current tabs can go for as much as $200!!! Motorhomes and buses are popular with the homeless and can fetch $200. (they usually FILLED with trash... that's expensive to dispose of, but the homeless just dump it on the street. )
One of my $35 cars has been my daily driver for over 20 yrs. I eventually had to do a head ($200) and 3 timing belts ($12) water pump every other timing belt ($16), I have got 300k+ @ 50 mpg.
I buy my tires at the wrecking yard for $5 in matched sets, fine for light weight vehicles (not OK for trucks / trailers / liability and WEIGHT (heat)). I got a nice tire machine off CL for $200. Since I have to suit up with studded snows for Icy winters in Mtns, as do my neighbors. The tire machine is plenty useful.
the last time i bought a mechanics special was in the early 80s. i paid $150 for it, got it running, and sold it for $200 to a friend of mine, who then put new head gaskets in it, and sold it for like $500.
Bought a Chevy Caprice wagon for $50, my sister needed a car, so I let her BORROW it as long as it's registered and insured in her name.....her husband did a tune up on it, used it for 6 moths and sold it for $500.....I never saw a dime......and she saw nothing wrong with that
I guess with today's used car prices, you can buy a 10-15 yr old car for $3-4K with possible engine/transmission problems or the mechanics special version of that car with the bad transmission/transmission for $1k. I guess, even if you replace the engine/transmission for $2-3K and end up spending $4k for the car, atleast you have a functional car for $4k vs spending $4k on one and hoping not to spend another $2-3K to fix a major problem like engine or transmission.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,550 posts, read 81,103,317 times
Reputation: 57750
You don't have to resort to a "mechanic's special" to get an old beater that runs. Back in 2010 when I was in a van pool and didn't want to leave my good car at the park & ride all day, I bought a 1997 Ford Escort for $950 with 146,000 miles on it. I drove it for 6 years, with only minor repairs over that time. I sold it in 2016 for $500 with 175,000 miles, still running strong. I went for a manual transmission, though, because an automatic is an expensive rebuild. Buying something that old is always a gamble, and does require a close inspection, if possible by someone with some mechanical experience.
The idea of a "mechanic's special" doesn't really exist anymore, in my opinion. The term used to be for the average layperson who had a knack for working on his own stuff in his garage, swapping alternators, radiators, and the like.
Now? A mechanic's special is usually a car that has already been passed over by real mechanics as not being worth it to fix, and then being dumped on the unsuspecting public who think they can get it running for cheap because "they know a guy." Most people don't know how to work on their own vehicles anymore unless they are a professional, and they don't call them mechanic's specials, they call them lost causes.
The idea of a "mechanic's special" doesn't really exist anymore, in my opinion. The term used to be for the average layperson who had a knack for working on his own stuff in his garage, swapping alternators, radiators, and the like.
Now? A mechanic's special is usually a car that has already been passed over by real mechanics as not being worth it to fix, and then being dumped on the unsuspecting public who think they can get it running for cheap because "they know a guy." Most people don't know how to work on their own vehicles anymore unless they are a professional, and they don't call them mechanic's specials, they call them lost causes.
True, most mechanics specials I run across on Craigslist always have a bad engine or transmission. I rarely see one that just needs a tuneup up and some parts that are hard to get to and most "tune ups" are probably stretched timing chains or neglected engines with a $2-3K repair waiting on them.
If a car was in excellent shape and just needed a transmission, I might go for it, if I can get the car for $1000 and after repairs, its worth atleast $4-5K, but no way im spending $2k to fix a bad transmission on a 15yr old Ford Taurus.
The idea of a "mechanic's special" doesn't really exist anymore, in my opinion. The term used to be for the average layperson who had a knack for working on his own stuff in his garage, swapping alternators, radiators, and the like.
Now? A mechanic's special is usually a car that has already been passed over by real mechanics as not being worth it to fix, and then being dumped on the unsuspecting public who think they can get it running for cheap because "they know a guy." Most people don't know how to work on their own vehicles anymore unless they are a professional, and they don't call them mechanic's specials, they call them lost causes.
I disagree that the term is obsolete. "Mechanics Special" has always been a term for a car that needs a repair that exceeds it's retail value but might be worth fixing to someone who can fix the car at wholesale.
The fact that there are fewer repairs that Joe Average With A Crescent Wrench can make than there used to be doesn't change that; after all, the term is "mechanic's special", not "somewhat mechanically inclined guy without experience or specialty tools special".
To answer the question, I've bought lots of cheap cars over the years, and haven't spent over a grand for a personal vehicle since the '90s. The only one that I got cheap specifically because it needed work was a '92 Bonneville that needed a water pump. I've had pretty good luck with all of them. To be honest, I think I've had more wrecker calls for my "nice" cars than my beaters.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
......and she saw nothing wrong with that
