Idiot Craigslist Sellers

My bride and I always have a Sunday car, which is a car we take to church and a Sunday drive from time to time. We always look for a Sunday car among the older folks in our community and usually find it from a recent widow who doesn't need two cars anymore and is selling the older one.

Haven't gotten hammered in 30 years and counting. I would never buy a car off any list. I would just KNOW I was getting a pig.
 
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RJM62 said:
I could, of course, just buy a new car.
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I like buying new, I buy what I like with the options I want, then I run it until it is no longer reliable. I try to do as much MX myself as I can, IMHO keeping vehicles away from shops keeps them form being screwed up. We have three cars, a new one, one 7yrs old, one 12yrs old. The 12yr truck still looks and drives fine, I'll keep it for a long time to come, as I will the others.
 
That's what we use, there are a few different companies that use similar approaches. It decodes the VIN, gives you car fax, Black Book, NADA, auction sales via Manheim as well as listed prices for similar cars for sale. It will also tell you how fast you have sold a particular model as well as how fast they are selling in your market! Pretty comprehensive look at what a car is worth. It's software like this that has enabled Car Max to have buyers with no car experience buying their cars. :D

wabower said:
Most of the dealers I've talked to are using an on-line tracking program that shows actual sales in whatever-size region they choose. A friend's son who is the used car sales manager at a big store in Dallas showed me some of the capabilities. I was impressed that it eliminated much of the smoke screen on both sides of the trade.
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Bill Jennings said:
Way back when, a new woman engineer MITgrad started, fantastic grades. She was driving an old Ford Granada, she walks into work one morning: "The oil light was on the whole way in to work, but I think it is ok now because when I turned the car off the light went out." All the guys in the office :rolleyes2:. She put more oil in but the engine blew a few days later.

Lots of book smarts, not much street smarts in that one.
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I work with a bunch of PhD's and engineering types... I can say with certainty that engineering degrees and physics degrees do not translate into any basic understanding of automobile systems. Its amazing that some of these very smart people have never bothered to learn anything about the machine they drive every day.
 
Henning said:
Very likely run by the Black Book guys or possibly by Manheim. Black Book guys used to be at every auction recording all the deals. Hard to buy a deal at the auctions anymore. All the "Buy here pay here" guys are paying top dollar for stuff knowing they'll sell and repo it 3 times keeping the down payment before it's sold for good.
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This sentiment applies to the salvage auctions too... average price per vehicle has risen considerably over the years.
 
Florida Cracker said:
My bride and I always have a Sunday car, which is a car we take to church and a Sunday drive from time to time. We always look for a Sunday car among the older folks in our community and usually find it from a recent widow who doesn't need two cars anymore and is selling the older one.

Haven't gotten hammered in 30 years and counting. I would never buy a car off any list. I would just KNOW I was getting a pig.
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This is true, it's a high probability you're gonna get a pig. But, if you pay pig prices, and know you're gonna fix it anyway, nothing wrong with that. When things go bad is if the seller is asking silk purse money for a pig, and the buyer gets sucked in.

I bought a pig 02 Focus ZX3 on CL last year. 112k miles, and the windshield was cracked and the timing belt was orig. I knew other stuff needed doing, but I only paid $1200 for it cause it was a 5sp(which I wanted). A few hundred bucks, and a few weekends, and I'm getting 32MPG for my investment. Similar great condition cars of the same year were selling for $3400-4000 on a dealer lot.

There's a market for everything. I do wish sellers would do a better job of describing their car.
 
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NineThreeKilo said:
Yeah, but the seinor or woman owned cars tend to have those tiny dents from hitting stuff while "trying" to park, more likely have been driven past most oil changes by a few miles and probably have the cheapest tires available.
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Henning said:
It means the oil never gets checked or changed and has been driven for thousands of miles with the check engine light on with no one ever checking the code.
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Those are both rather insulting generalizations. :nono:
Maybe the woman owned cars means it wasn't driven by an *******.
Apparently "a-hole" gets bleeped out.

It would be nice if some of you would stop and think about what you say before you say crap that makes you sound like a sexist a-hole.
 
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bluee said:
Those are both rather insulting generalizations. :nono:
Maybe the woman owned cars means it wasn't driven by an *******.
Apparently "a-hole" gets bleeped out.

It would be nice if some of you would stop and think about what you say before you say crap that makes you sound like a sexist a-hole.
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I have met more women that were clueless about their cars than guys. Yes, I have a few guy friends that couldn't point anything out if you open the hood. But the percentages of engine mistreatment falls far far far in favor of the women.

I know far far far far more women that get pregnant than guys.
Is saying women get pregnant and guys don't sexist?
 
..............
 
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bluee said:
Those are both rather insulting generalizations. :nono:
Maybe the woman owned cars means it wasn't driven by an *******.
Apparently "a-hole" gets bleeped out.

It would be nice if some of you would stop and think about what you say before you say crap that makes you sound like a sexist a-hole.
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Hey ma'am....

When using spicy words just substitute the $ sign for the letter S....
It usually fakes out the cuss word thingie....:yes:;)..

Test,............ ****ole......
 
So, I find myself a recent Craigslist idiot (savant) buyer, having secured an updated family hauler for what I think was a good 20% below average price (the guy only wanted to get his estimated trade-in total: price plus tax savings, I was there with a purchase contract and a cash deposit six hours after he posted it).

Now I find the need to be an Idiot Craigslist Seller. My SOP is to use Edmund's 'clean' car values on both sides of the deal as to what I truly expect. But I advertise something like "Below Blue Book, priced to sell @ $X." Given what I read here, I did some further research.

On the retail side of things, NADA yellow book is the price leader at $6150, followed by KBB at $5774, then Edmunds at $5151. Private party sale changes around: KBB $4574, NADA $4075, Edmund's $3936. Using my SOP, I figure listing a Craigslist ad at "Priced below Blue Book at $4,500" looking for $4k after the haggle.

Is this so wrong?

BTW, it is a Y2K Expedition 4wd Eddie Bauer with 113k miles (no further north than MD, so limited chassis rust, nothing on the body), if anyone is interested. I'll deliver up to an eight hour drive from Annapolis for the price of gas and a ride home, or a ride to an airport served by American Airlines. :D
 
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bluee said:
Those are both rather insulting generalizations. :nono:
Maybe the woman owned cars means it wasn't driven by an *******.
Apparently "a-hole" gets bleeped out.

It would be nice if some of you would stop and think about what you say before you say crap that makes you sound like a sexist a-hole.
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ROFL. Maybe they just are sexist. ;)

It's "Diversity" don't ya know? Everyone tells me they want diversity until I act like myself. Then they instantly switch to wanting conformity. Go figure. ;)

Decide which you want... Diverse interesting people with faults, or conformists with nothing ever bad to say about anyone.

Once you know, it makes deciding who'll you'll spend time with a WHOLE lot easier. :) :) :)

Note: Conformists/Prohibitionists are on the rise. But there's a hell of a backlash starting up, too. You can probably hide away in either culture and feel comfortable. And then get bored and switch. :) :) :)
 
catmandu said:
So, I find myself a recent Craigslist idiot (savant) buyer, having secured an updated family hauler for what I think was a good 20% below average price (the guy only wanted to get his estimated trade-in total: price plus tax savings, I was there with a purchase contract and a cash deposit six hours after he posted it).

Now I find the need to be an Idiot Craigslist Seller. My SOP is to use Edmund's 'clean' car values on both sides of the deal as to what I truly expect. But I advertise something like "Below Blue Book, priced to sell @ $X." Given what I read here, I did some further research.

On the retail side of things, NADA yellow book is the price leader at $6150, followed by KBB at $5774, then Edmunds at $5151. Private party sale changes around: KBB $4574, NADA $4075, Edmund's $3936. Using my SOP, I figure listing a Craigslist ad at "Priced below Blue Book at $4,500" looking for $4k after the haggle.

Is this so wrong?

BTW, it is a Y2K Expedition 4wd Eddie Bauer with 113k miles (no further north than MD, so limited chassis rust, nothing on the body), if anyone is interested. I'll deliver up to an eight hour drive from Annapolis for the price of gas and a ride home, or a ride to an airport served by American Airlines. :D
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Just for the record, some of my original post was intended to be mildly amusing. I do that sometimes. :rolleyes:

That being said, ultimately something is worth what the buyer is willing to pay. I also find that almost always, non-mechanical types overestimate the value of a car that has been kind to them, probably more for emotional reasons. People do tend to get attached to their cars.

The truth is that a used car that has never had any problems is really just a used car that simply hasn't had those problems -- yet. Cars are machines. They wear out. Things break. Steel rusts and rubber rots. So the problems that the seller has never had aren't necessarily a good omen from the buyer's POV.

On the other hand, sometimes you find a jewel that way, especially if you're mechanically inclined. Part of the challenge, therefore, becomes evaluating a car from the perspective of what you're good at and what you enjoy doing.

When I pay someone to fix my car, it's usually because it either requires tools and equipment that I don't have, or because I just don't feel like doing it. I hate working on exhaust systems lying on my back, for example, and I don't have a lift. So one of the first things I do when looking at a used car is to scope out the exhaust system. In addition, because I'm not very good at body work, I don't want a car with extensive body damage.

On the other hand, I love electrical work and am very good at electrical / electronic diagnostics, I don't mind working on engines to the extent that I have the right tools, and I understand and can tolerate fuel system work. So none of those things scare me off, and I've gotten some very excellent deals over the years by matching a car's specific needs to my specific strengths.

-Rich
 
It's the Italian pronunciation...

Ahz-ho-lee
 
Well, I wound up buying a 2001 Saturn SC1 for a grand. That was older than I was looking for, but I like this particular car. And yes, I found it on CL, lol.

One owner, very well-maintained, no body damage to speak of, all highway miles -- almost 175,000 miles of them, and still on the original clutch! Needs a windshield, a valve cover gasket, and one wheel cover, and the clutch probably doesn't have more than 5K - 10K left on it (obviously). Fairly new exhaust system. The various filters all look new pretty new.

Everything works except there's a problem in the driver's side dome door dome light circuit. The "door ajar" beep works, but the light stays on even when the door's closed. The symptoms are of a short somewhere, but with the switch turned to the middle (off) position, it draws no current, so it's something I can fix at my leisure.

The car was throwing a PO447 code when I bought it. I cleaned some of the EVAP components, put a can of fuel system cleaner in the gas, cleaned the fuel filler opening and fuel cap and flipped the seal over, and cleared the code. Since then, I've put it through three drive cycles and some ordinary driving for a total of about seven trips and 75 miles since clearing the code, and no CEL yet. If the code comes back I'll change the EVAP purge and vent solenoids. They're about $50 combined.

The ignition key was very hard to turn, so I sprayed some WD-40 in there, upon which it became impossible to turn. But the key looked really worn to me, so I had the GM dealer cut me a new one from the VIN. Works great now. That's a lot easier than changing the cylinder, and a whole lot cheaper than buying a new keyed cylinder from GM to keep the keys the same.

Actually, with that particular problem, I've found that even if it's the tumblers in the cylinder that are worn, getting a key cut from the VIN (or using the spare key that came with the car, if it hasn't been used) often solves the problem. It's a neat little trick.

The car came from a lovely family. They even helped me get it home: Hubby followed behind me in the Saturn, and wifey with the three kids in tow followed hubby in the minivan. It was a 70-mile trip (each way), so it was no small favor.

Hubby was even going to pay for the gas for the Saturn until I pushed him out of the way and paid for it myself. The family wouldn't even let me feed them when we got to my place (obviously, they didn't know what a good cook I am). They stayed a while and chatted, filled out the paperwork, let the kids pee, wished me well, and went back home. Wifey cried when they left, she was so happy that someone was going to keep the Saturn on the road.

I'm going to have to put about another $1,200.00 in the car between the clutch and the windshield. I really don't feel like doing the clutch myself: It's a royal pain without a lift. It probably could use new tires before the end of the year, although I may not bother with them until the spring because I plan to use the Kia in the winter and in bad weather in general. The Kia is fantastic in the snow and rain.

My goal is to get two years out of the Saturn, but because Saturns are sort of semi-historic cars with a bit of a cult following (this is my fifth Saturn, by the way), I'd love to keep it longer. I like a lot of things about this particular model, not the least of which being that I've measured the gas mileage (on the one I just bought) at > 35 mpg.

-Rich
 

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Oh, by the way, the additional insurance for the Saturn will cost me < $17.00 month. Life is good.

-Rich
 
docmirror said:
Did you get a head gasket with it. Cause it's gonna need a gasket soon.
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I know that's a possibility, but it's also a fairly simple job on the SOHC. There also are shops that will recondition the entire head for ~ $300.00 while you have it off the block. Add new rings, and you've got yourself a top overhaul for < $400.00 and eight to ten hours of work.

The other possibility I'm mulling over is asking the Automotive Studies program at the state college if they want to do a pre-emptive full engine overhaul as a project. The owner pays for the parts plus $20.00, and the students do the work under the professors' supervision.

Whether they accept a project depends on whether they need that particular project for instructional purposes. I imagine there's a pretty good chance that they might accept an overhaul project, but I haven't asked yet because school's out of session.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
I know that's a possibility, but it's also a fairly simple job on the SOHC. There also are shops that will recondition the entire head for ~ $300.00 while you have it off the block. Add new rings, and you've got yourself a top overhaul for < $400.00 and eight to ten hours of work.

The other possibility I'm mulling over is asking the Automotive Studies program at the state college if they want to do a pre-emptive full engine overhaul as a project. The owner pays for the parts plus $20.00, and the students do the work under the professors' supervision.

Whether they accept a project depends on whether they need that particular project for instructional purposes. I imagine there's a pretty good chance that they might accept an overhaul project, but I haven't asked yet because school's out of session.

-Rich
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You ain't changing the rings by just pulling the head...:no::nonod:
 
RJM62 said:
because Saturns are sort of semi-historic cars with a bit of a cult following (this is my fifth Saturn, by the way), I'd love to keep it longer. I like a lot of things about this particular model, not the least of which being that I've measured the gas mileage (on the one I just bought) at > 35 mpg.

-Rich
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I found out about that when I bought my Redline.

And your model holds good memories for me as well, first of my friends to get a license and car had one. Stupid teenager tricks means I know I can steer one from the back seat with my feet:nono:

My Saturn
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N801BH said:
You ain't changing the rings by just pulling the head...:no::nonod:
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No, that would take a bit more work. I was figuring the head gasket replacement itself at about five or six hours, but Mitchell has it at 10.8 hours.

Frankly, I think 10.8 hours is high. I've never done one on that particular engine, but I've looked at the manuals and a video, and it looks like a lot easier engine to work on than the last one I did (on a Plymouth Horizon).

I'm leaning more toward letting the college kids do a pre-emptive overhaul / rebuild, however, if the college is interested. I do like keeping old cars on the road, especially Saturns because they ain't making them any more. But the only "fun" for me in doing a head gasket replacement myself would be the satisfaction of the money savings. It's really a pretty tedious job in and of itself.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
No, that would take a bit more work. I was figuring the head gasket replacement itself at about five or six hours, but Mitchell has it at 10.8 hours.

Frankly, I think 10.8 hours is high. I've never done one on that particular engine, but I've looked at the manuals and a video, and it looks like a lot easier engine to work on than the last one I did (on a Plymouth Horizon).

I'm leaning more toward letting the college kids do a pre-emptive overhaul / rebuild, however, if the college is interested. I do like keeping old cars on the road, especially Saturns because they ain't making them any more. But the only "fun" for me in doing a head gasket replacement myself would be the satisfaction of the money savings. It's really a pretty tedious job in and of itself.

-Rich
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Your idea of school kids changing it is valid.... Alot of auto mechanic classes at local high schools/ junior collages/trade schools will jump at the chance..
You provide the parts and magic happens..;)
 
I have a 2000 SL2. Decent car. Though the seat is a bit lower than I'd like.

Those clutches can last a really long time if you don't ride them. Mine's pushing 200K and I live in the mountains, too.

I'm not sure how you can say how much life it has without doing almost all the work you need to replace it, or if it starts slipping under heavy load.
 
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RJM62 said:
Well, I wound up buying a 2001 Saturn SC1 for a grand. That was older than I was looking for, but I like this particular car. And yes, I found it on CL, lol.
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Just picked up a car off Craigslist myself - 2004 Taurus owned by some geezer with handicap plates. Looks like he resorted to the braille method for parking on occasion, but it looks good under the hood. New Motorcraft brand hoses, etc. - looks like actual dealer work and not the **** I would usually do with an older car...

Cash in a parking lot deal.
 
MAKG1 said:
I have a 2000 SL2. Decent car. Though the seat is a bit lower than I'd like.

Those clutches can last a really long time if you don't ride them. Mine's pushing 200K and I live in the mountains, too.

I'm not sure how you can say how much life it has without doing almost all the work you need to replace it, or if it starts slipping under heavy load.
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Rough guesstimates.

-Rich
 
Looks like you got your backup wheels covered, Rich. Cool deal. Neighbor bought a beater Saturn this weekend too and it had sat so long the battery wouldn't hold a charge. New battery and he was tooling the dirt roads checking out the suspension and steering.

His is a lot rougher than yours, but he has time on his hands and knows how to fix stuff.

I went over last night to see what he needed help on for two-man parts of the project but he wasn't home.

Probably drove the thing into town for ice cream.

Cash for clunkers! ;)
 
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