Need some advice about buying this car

[big_bad_buff]

I want to buy it, fix it up, then sell it, and hopefully pocket around $300-$400

A guy I know is going to sell me a ford escort (like a 80-89 model not sure) for $20, his kids drove it growing up, clean title etc, he just wants to get rid of it, sitting in his yard, no need for it.

The Body is rough, needs a battery and alternator, and he said something is wrong with the front end, from what he described it sounds like the brakes, pulling to one side.

I have a buddy with an auto body shop, I can have it looking clean in 1 to 2 full days minus paint, then I’ll have my buddy paint it and give him $100 or so for shop use and painting it.

So we will say

$20 for car
$60+ for alternator
$50 for battery
$150 for body work
$100 for seat covers interior work etc

Say around $370 if all goes well and I turn around and sell it for around $900 I could make around $500 bucks with little work.

But, if it turns our to be a total catastrophe, how do I get rid of the car legally? Would I have to pay a junk yard to take it? or would they pay me for a car that runs and drives?

 

[Testosterone boy]

Hard to make money doing that. You buy all this new stuff thinking it increases value.

It rarely does. People just assume that everything is fine on a used car.

They look at stereo and paint.

You could prolly make money on this one though. Get a used battery and alternator.

Fixing mechanical problems doesn't pay for you.

You have something going with the body shop/paint stuff though. That has potential.

 

[Illuminati]

I want to buy it, fix it up, then sell it, and hopefully pocket around $300-$400

A guy I know is going to sell me a ford escort (like a 80-89 model not sure) for $20, his kids drove it growing up, clean title etc, he just wants to get rid of it, sitting in his yard, no need for it.

The Body is rough, needs a battery and alternator, and he said something is wrong with the front end, from what he described it sounds like the brakes, pulling to one side.

I have a buddy with an auto body shop, I can have it looking clean in 1 to 2 full days minus paint, then I’ll have my buddy paint it and give him $100 or so for shop use and painting it.

So we will say

$20 for car
$60+ for alternator
$50 for battery
$150 for body work
$100 for seat covers interior work etc

Say around $370 if all goes well and I turn around and sell it for around $900 I could make around $500 bucks with little work.

But, if it turns our to be a total catastrophe, how do I get rid of the car legally? Would I have to pay a junk yard to take it? or would they pay me for a car that runs and drives?

if its pulling to one side, its gonna need an alignment. if you hear a grinding noise when you apply the brakes, then you are gonna need to get a brake job done on it. if the body is "rough" i think that you would need to expect that it is going to cost you a lot more than $150 for the body work (unless that is how much your friend told you it would cost.)
i think you would be wasting your time if you bought this car, and tried to fix it up to sell it. i could be wrong though. got any pics of the car? and if things go wrong, and you can't get rid of it, your best bet is to drive it out in the woods, and park it somewhere.

 

[genarr3]

That model car is a notorious piece of turd. Make a note of the fact that you don't see any of them on the road today. There is a possibility you'll have trouble getting parts due to the fact that there's little market for them, and you're going to need some because a pull to one side isn't a set of brake pads.

Yes a junkyard will charge you to take that car away, as I said it has no value.
Approach anyone in that worked in the auto business the years that car was on the road and you will universally get a face that appears to have bitten into a lemon. Pun intended.

I wouldn't take that car if paid.

 

[slickdadd]

If it is only $20, at the very least you could beat it to hell with a sledgehammer and fulfill the lifedream of many a road-rager. Just pretend they cut you off on the freeway.

 

[Testosterone boy]

yea....if you are going to do serious work on something, do it on something with some resale value.

Old Ford trucks last forever and people will buy them. Thats an idea for you.

 

[HumorMe]

Anything that old usually will take twice as much as you first thought to sell it.

 

[UA_Iron]

pull everything you need that you can get to fix that car from a junkyard.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

With the way gas prices are, do that work to it and drive it yourself unless you've got something good on gas.

Any junkyards I've ever dealt with will at least take the car for free. If they won't at least take it for free, don't deal with them. I would never pay a junkyard to take the car, because even if they don't part it out, they've got glass and metal to recycle.

I've had 3 cars towed away for free by junkyards and took one car to the junkyard myself and disposed of it for free (81 Monte Carlo with a V6, TOTAL piece of shit, barely ran when I got it there). The last one was 2 years ago. My Astro seized up on the side of the road. Got a guy to meet me there a few weeks later and he towed it off, gave me $5 for my "troubles" of having to drive 25 minutes each way to get to the car. I could've gotten more out of him if I wanted to but I just wanted rid of the thing.

Don't know if you have these near you, but there's an organization called the Purple Heart. They will come and tow away cars, they'll fix them up a little, then they give them to families of veterans I think or just poor people that need a car. You tell them how much the car is worth and they'll give you the paperwork to use it for a tax write off. I got rid of my grandmother's car this way (which still ran great but no one wanted it) and my brother got rid of a car this way as well.

I wouldn't waste my time or money on something like that though unless you know someone that's going to buy it.

A friend of mine used to buy cars from people when they wouldn't pass state inspection and he'd sell them after he put some work into them. He had an 88 Beretta GT for about 6 months that he couldn't get rid of. We were a one car family and the fuel pump in our Astro had died, so we needed a car. He sold it to me for what he said he bought it for and put into it, $500. I'm about 90% positive he lost money on the deal, but we've been friends since we were kids and I NEEDED a car. He had that car for 6 months and couldn't get rid of it, which was amazing because it ran GREAT. He was asking $1K, and I can gaurentee you that Beretta is 10x better than the Escort you're looking at. We had it for 2 1/2 years, drove it for almost a year and a half of that time, and managed to resell it for $500, even though I hit a deer with it and had to replace half of the front end. Sold it in September and I saw the current owner driving it a few weeks ago. It has probably 190K or more on it right now and runs like new. I doubt that Escort is doing that good.

 

[big_bad_buff]

wouldnt a used car lot give me atleast a $100 or so if i just bought the car for $20 and drove it over there? he says the engine is strong,

basiclly i can use a autobody shop and everything in it, i know how to do the work, i could get all the parts from junk yeards etc. i just dont want to put $200+ into it and have a decent looking car, and can't sell it for a profit. even if i sell it for $600 and put $200 into it it's a good deal, i just dont want to pay $20 and then have to pay someone $150 to tow it away, and you cant drop it off in the woods because that shit will get traced back to you

 

[Buddy_Christ]

wouldnt a used car lot give me atleast a $100 or so if i just bought the car for $20 and drove it over there? he says the engine is strong,

basiclly i can use a autobody shop and everything in it, i know how to do the work, i could get all the parts from junk yeards etc. i just dont want to put $200+ into it and have a decent looking car, and can't sell it for a profit. even if i sell it for $600 and put $200 into it it's a good deal, i just dont want to pay $20 and then have to pay someone $150 to tow it away, and you cant drop it off in the woods because that shit will get traced back to you

I'd walk away considering it's an Escort.

 

[lilred]

Junkyards pay you by weight, they have your drive the car onto the scales. The last time I was there, a guy got $65.00 for the car. It doesn't matterif it is running or not. If it isn't running you have to push the car unto the scales.

 

[big_bad_buff]

we're talking about cars, you're a female, i dont know if i can believe you

Junkyards pay you by weight, they have your drive the car onto the scales. The last time I was there, a guy got $65.00 for the car. It doesn't matterif it is running or not. If it isn't running you have to push the car unto the scales.

lol j/k, i've never heard of them paying you though, it would be my luck, the only car and year they wont take is the one i had lol

 

[lilred]

we're talking about cars, you're a female, i dont know if i can believe you






lol j/k, i've never heard of them paying you though, it would be my luck, the only car and year they wont take is the one i had lol

Ha! That's called scrap metal, and they pay for it. It's a salvage yard. lol!
Call a salvage yard and ask. uhoh, I'm a girl-not supposed to know these things. j/k I have a 1991 Toyota Camry, hard to get parts anywhere else, and I can't afford another car. Yr., Make and Model don't matter just scrap metal.

 

[big_bad_buff]

cool, thanks for the info. so it's worth $20 pretty much anyways, if anything just take it to a junkyard and get the price i paid for it

Ha! That's called scrap metal, and they pay for it. It's a salvage yard. lol!
Call a salvage yard and ask. uhoh, I'm a girl-not supposed to know these things. j/k I have a 1991 Toyota Camry, hard to get parts anywhere else, and I can't afford another car. Yr., Make and Model don't matter just scrap metal.

 

[pitbullstl]

wouldnt a used car lot give me atleast a $100 or so if i just bought the car for $20 and drove it over there? he says the engine is strong,

NO.


A lot of time and effort for MAYBE a couple hundred bucks.


I smell a Crash Em' Up Derby a brewing in your neck of the woods.....

Just buy it and run it into everything you see. Best 20 bucks you'll ever spend.

 

[big_bad_buff]

OMG! good idea, i think you might be on to something, i think i might go buy the car and a video camera and record everything i hit...then take the camera back after the car is destroyed thanks for the idea you big mofo

NO.


A lot of time and effort for MAYBE a couple hundred bucks.


I smell a Crash Em' Up Derby a brewing in your neck of the woods.....

Just buy it and run it into everything you see. Best 20 bucks you'll ever spend.

 

[DIVISION]

I'd walk away considering it's an Escort.

Indeed.

One of the smartest posts you've ever made, Crakhead.....

Being that it's an Escorta alone would deter me from even wasting time thinking about it.

@ BBB, forget this crapshoot idea and concentrate on the next party you are throwing at your place......make sure you invite some pale goth chicks this time......I know you've got them since you live up in the Northwest.

That's my word.





DIV

 

[big_bad_buff]

short pale big boobed tattoed goth chicks

Indeed.

One of the smartest posts you've ever made, Crakhead.....

Being that it's an Escorta alone would deter me from even wasting time thinking about it.

@ BBB, forget this crapshoot idea and concentrate on the next party you are throwing at your place......make sure you invite some pale goth chicks this time......I know you've got them since you live up in the Northwest.

That's my word.





DIV

 

[DIVISION]

short pale big boobed tattoed goth chicks

I could do without the overly large breasts and tattoos........I'd settle for a smooth beautiful ivory complexion, dark brown eyes and jet black hair with a nice firm ass....

I'm pretty basic, I don't need all the distractions.

Goth chicks are something I think you'd like BBB.....



DIV

 

[genarr3]

I'm getting flashbacks reading these posts. I believe some of you are too young to know what a piece of shit this car was back in the day.
I guarantee this is going to cost at least twice what you think it is.
Whether or not a junkyard will charge you or pay you to take the car is a debate easily solved, just pick up the phone and call a few. I'd also suggest asking about the availability of body parts for this car while you have them on the phone.

I find it comical that this "pulling" is being viewed so casually. I've worked on hundreds of these cars and can tell you firsthand this potentially can be a significant amount of work.

Demolition derbys by me won't allow compact cars to enter, so you may want to check that also.

You will live to regret this.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Ha! That's called scrap metal, and they pay for it. It's a salvage yard. lol!
Call a salvage yard and ask. uhoh, I'm a girl-not supposed to know these things. j/k I have a 1991 Toyota Camry, hard to get parts anywhere else, and I can't afford another car. Yr., Make and Model don't matter just scrap metal.

That Camry should run forever. Small Japanese cars like to do that. I don't see why you'd have a problem getting parts either, unless it's something that no one else ever has to replace.

 

[manny78]

I want to buy it, fix it up, then sell it, and hopefully pocket around $300-$400

A guy I know is going to sell me a ford escort (like a 80-89 model not sure) for $20, his kids drove it growing up, clean title etc, he just wants to get rid of it, sitting in his yard, no need for it.

The Body is rough, needs a battery and alternator, and he said something is wrong with the front end, from what he described it sounds like the brakes, pulling to one side.

I have a buddy with an auto body shop, I can have it looking clean in 1 to 2 full days minus paint, then I’ll have my buddy paint it and give him $100 or so for shop use and painting it.

So we will say

$20 for car
$60+ for alternator
$50 for battery
$150 for body work
$100 for seat covers interior work etc

Say around $370 if all goes well and I turn around and sell it for around $900 I could make around $500 bucks with little work.

But, if it turns our to be a total catastrophe, how do I get rid of the car legally? Would I have to pay a junk yard to take it? or would they pay me for a car that runs and drives?

Good luck selling a Ford Escort 89 for 900$. That's the average price for a Civic DX 92 which are a lot more reliable.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

I find it comical that this "pulling" is being viewed so casually. I've worked on hundreds of these cars and can tell you firsthand this potentially can be a significant amount of work.

Guess you've never seen a bunch of mexicans in a chop shop.

 

[big_bad_buff]

whys that?

[/QUOTE=DIVISION]Goth chicks are something I think you'd like BBB.....

DIV[/QUOTE]

 

[big_bad_buff]

called to places, one said he had too many escorts and reffered me soemone where else, that guys said "NO" lol

 

[lilred]

Here in Central Florida, there are places called U Pull, that's where they pay you for scrap metal. If you are talking to someone else-excuse me.

 

[genarr3]

called to places, one said he had too many escorts and reffered me soemone where else, that guys said "NO" lol

That's because all the Escorts still in existence on this planet are already in the junkyards. No one needs parts.

 

[DIVISION]

whys that?

Because they are nutricious and delicious......

WTF kind of question is that?

Goth chicks are pure as snow, but their minds are dirty.......I like that combination.





DIV