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joyfulguy

Saving money while obtaining a vehicle

joyfulguy
17 years ago

I'm not a high-mileage kind of driver - some who do such may disagree, possibly with reason, but I don't like the idea of a lease.

When I'm playing a game of cards, I don't like a game in which the other guy makes all the rules. Or in which he has total control over how the contract is to be interpreted. Or how much I have to pay if I turn the vehicle back with a scratch, etc. on it.

Though I twice bought new vehicles (last year's model at substantial price reduction), that was a number of years ago and I'm not enthused about buying new or nearly-new vehicles. Some like to do that, to obtain major warranty protection against costly repairs.

A car is a costly piece of rather necessary equipment to pursue my chosen lifestyle but I plan to obtain that transportation at as low an investment as practicable. Given that the value deteriorates rather heavily, especially in the first few years, I am unenthused about buying a new one.

When I write a cheque for the price of a new car, whether the money is mine or mostly the bank's, receive the keys and drive it home, it's as though I had 40 or 50 $100. bills stacked on the passenger seat, with the passenger window open, and they flew out the window on the way home: it's worth that much less, should I want/need to sell it right away.

When I buy a car, I prefer to pay for it with my own money: just one transaction - the purchase of a vehicle, not the added requirement that I add a second expense, rent on the money that I borrow to buy it.

And I prefer to buy it privately, as the price is usually somewhat less than one is required to pay at a dealership, the extra cost being overhead and profit that adds nothing to the value of the car.

If I buy two or three privately, then get one that's a lemon (or that the cops repossess as having been stolen) I figure that I've made a good bargain.

Many seniors prefer to have a fairly new, dependable car, that they've drive carefully and not a large number of miles. I like to make a request that, when they next upgrade their car (buy a new one), they me a call with the opportunity to bid on their previous one.

They can get a better deal when buying if they do not have a trade-in, and I get a good car at a low price.

Have some mechanics or others familiar with the prices of cars evaluate a fair price.

Check with a mechanic that you know to have a vehicle that you're considering checked over. Have him/her give you some advice as to things to check on a vehicle you're considering, to weed out some really unattractive ones. When you see one that interests you, take it to your mechanic to check it. S/he may just take a quick look and listen to the engine - then tell you to get out of here- you don't want that. Pay him/her $10.00.

If the mechanic is interested and checks on several items on the car before rejecting it, pay $20.00.

If s/he really likes a car and gives it a fairly thorough inspection - pay $50.00.

If you pay $200. before you find a vehicle that the mechanic judges to be a worthy one ... and you save one trip to the garage for repairs ... you're ahead.

How to find a mechanic that is interested to check cars for you?

How to find possible sources of available vehicles, perhaps from people that you know?

Here's a suggestion that should save you hundreds, more likely thousands, over the years.

Write down the names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses of everyone that you've known since you were a kid: school mates, colleagues at work, social, sport, church, political and other connections that you may have.

Write down their training, the work that they do, their interests, hobbies, skills, vacation destinations, etc.

Keep adding to the information as you go along - it's easier to do it on computer, for ease of editing.

A few months before you feel that you may need a new car, do two things.

Notify all of those folks that you're looking for a vehicle and would like to hear about one that they may know of that's in good shape.

Ask your computer to tell you who are the mechanics of your acquaintance. You may remember one or two - but it'll probably show you five or six ... one or two of whom may be willing to check candidate vehicles for you.

I bought my second last car when it was about 7 years old, Dodge Colt with 1.5 litre engine (which sipped gas - it spoiled me!), standard transmission, over 85,000 mi., which I drove over 120,000 mi. It cost me $2,600. originally and over that amount in repairs over the eight years that I drove it.

It didn't owe me a penny!

Current car, Ford Taurus station wagon (my 1980 Ford Van gave up the ghost last spring), 13 years old, 3.8 litre engine, automatic transmission, cost me $2,000. eight months ago, uses more gas than I've been used to.

I bought a 1980 Ford Van, 6 cyl, automatic, in 1990, for $1,000.00. Former owner, a friend, said that it had been a service vehicle for a TV cable co., had over 200,000 km,. (about 125,000 mi.) on it and it turned over another 100,000 km. while I had it. He later told me that he thought it had gone over 300,000 km. when I bought it. I did only minor repairs on it during the 16 years that I had it. Not sure how much mileage I put on it - quite a few. Used it to deliver corn-fired heaters when I sold them for a while, 15 years ago.

It didn't owe me a penny, either.

Good wishes if you expect to be buying a vehicle in the next while - I hope that you get one that does what you want it to do for a good long time, at minimal cost for repairs.

ole joyful

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