Is it even possible to get your child their first vehicle for a few thousand dollars?

[testdepth]

Either you go see @Labowski or @Northgagunman and take your pick from their ample selection ( they have a Windstar newer than mine for way cheap and a Hyundai Accent even cheaper) or you find an auction where the city/county/state vehicles go through. If you're willing to ride to middle GA then T Lynn Davis is your best bet. Plenty of late model Crown Vic cop cars going through there every week. Not to mention every other public service type vehicle.

I'm in your neck of the woods way way down SE GA

 

[testdepth]

Way too many jerkoffs!
Full of BS
Half truths
Outright liars
Possibly 85% to 90% of listings on CL fall under the above.

 

[BNB]

Ride the roads look for cars for sale.**** cl pretty much anything on there thesez days are junk or scammers.

 

[spistols]

Mid 90s to early 2000 Jeep Cherokee 2wd. Easy and cheap to work on by anyone. Well within your price range and a nice safe vehicle at that. Find them on CL all day long.

Like someone already said, if it is half price, don't even click. The same goes for phone numbers in the pic or a Gmail email address on the photo.

 

[boxer90]

Cars are more expensive down here. Almost makes me want to get a Broker's license and then go to SC when I visit family and buy cars up there for resell, because they are dirt cheap up in the Upstate. Have to watch for auctions but some have weird rules; I know in NC, pretty much all of them won't sell cars that can't pass emissions and/or no recent emissions test done to anyone that doesn't have a dealer's license, even people who are out-of-state.

Ride the roads look for cars for sale.**** cl pretty much anything on there thesez days are junk or scammers.

This too. Also depends on the road. Can find some good deals on the "back roads" as many cars don't pass through.

 

[jmartinroe]

https://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/threads/1996-volvo-960-sedan-260k-miles-in-good-shape.1435616/

Older car but I am only asking $1,100 in Oakwood GA

 

[roundhouse]

Her budget at the ripe old age of 17 is $3000. Dependable, reliable and safe top the list of must haves. Working A/C would be nice but not R12 system.
There are lots of frogs as you say. I looked at an Integra that was actually a nice car for a 96 but the guy failed to mention the check engine light stayed on. He claimed it was an O2 sensor.

Easy, sign up for a Carfax account
A minor fender bender in the history is no problem , your kid is gonna hit something with it anyway

Use the carfax for how many owners and major wrecks

Usually You gotta get at least one hour away from Atlanta or any big city

Avoid dealers , almost always overpriced
Don't believe anything the seller says , if they say it has a rebuilt transmission it's a lie unless they have the receipt to prove it
If they say they changed the oil every 3000 miles it's a lie unless they have a folder of receipts

Ask on the phone of the seller has a clear Title in THEIR name
If the title is not in the name of the seller , they are an unlicensed car dealer or a flipper , either way , avoid them

Ask the seller :
How long have you owned the car ?
If it's a short time , less than a couple years , that's a red flag

Ask the seller :
Why are you selling it ?

And ask the seller :
What needs repairing on the car ?

Don't ask IF anything needs repair , ask WHAT needs repair



If they say the AC just needs a recharge , figure on $1000 in repairs
If it just needed $40 worth of freon , the seller would have fixed it already

R-12 is still available here and there , if you're sure there are no leaks in the system
And I've put 134a in R12 systems with no issues
Some cars have no problem with it and some do
It was a car I paid $200 for so I wasn't about to spend a bunch on converting it
I just dumped the 134 in and it blew cold air for years


Don't worry about the miles , just the overall condition and maintenance and how many owners it's had , the fewer owners the better condition the car is usually In

I've owned cars with 300k on em , or more. I used to daily drive one with 490k on it
Miles getting put on a car are better than months of sitting and not being driven

Next : look at 92-97 thunderbirds and Cougars
They are mostly the same as a mustang underneath but 1/4 the price
And usually driven by old women instead of teenage rednecks

The typical repairs they need will be new front ball joints , new electric radiator fans

And almost every used car will need a battery , new brake pads and rotors a good alignment , probably should install a new radiator ,( they are all plastic and 20 years old and when it blows it may damage the engine ) same with the fans , and tires (get good ones , do NOT get tires made in China and that's what you will get unless you specifically request not )


The Cougars and thunderbirds are sturdy and they are rear wheel drive
Making them easy to work on and parts are cheap since the V-6 or V-8 engine and transmission is the same as used in millions of other ford cars and trucks of that era

My brother drives a lot lot of miles , 200-300 a day , all over Atlanta and the burbs and he makes a better impression on his clients if he drives an old car , a shiny late model expensive car would really hurt his sales pitch and he's on 100% commission
, no sale, no paycheck .

and he has used these exclusively for the last ten years
One was $850
One was $1000 and the one he's been driving for the last four years was a princely $1500 for a one owner grandma owned garage kept one with 110k on the clock

On the first one He replaced the ball joints and radatior and fans , gets quality tires brakes and shocks

And when the engine or transmission blows , he finds another one , switches all the stuff over to the new one

He usually gets 4 or 5 years and about 100k out of em before they conk out needing a repair that's not worth doing

These cars are overall, the best car for the money
They have no resale value , no one wants them

I prefer the V-8 engine over the 6 , more power , not much more gas because the 8 doesn't have to work as hard
It's a lot of car for a 6 to haul around


Also 90s Buicks are good deals too , again because no one wants them

https://athensga.craigslist.org/cto/6114412623.html


https://athensga.craigslist.org/cto/6164826342.html


https://macon.craigslist.org/cto/6170632992.html

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/6168950624.html


https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/6172609298.html

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[Cadcom]

I have had good luck using CL BUT I stay away from the metro Atlanta area. I picked up an S 10 Blazer that was in excellent condition in Adairsville and it is now on it's second kid. I really think my 14 year old son will be able to drive it in a few more years.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Bought this for 3000 in Cartersville. I have put 12k miles on it in the last three months. I use it running in and out of Atlanta. Had 182k on it when I bought it but it had a rebuilt engine and the interior is like new. Runs like a top and the AC is nice and cold too.

I picked this up off the ODT for my 16 year old son. Have about 2500 in it.

 

[roundhouse]

Also if you want a Toyota for a Pontiac price
Look for a Pontiac Vibe

It's really a Toyota with Pontiac stickers on it , but since it doesn't say Toyota , they are a lot cheaper .



Also forgot to mention
Get a code reader if you're looking at a 96 and newer car with a EEC 2 computer diagnostic plug under the drivers side of the dash

They will show the codes stored in the computer , if any .
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