People who know about cars?

Question

can i buy a good car for 500 - 1000 pounds? if not what kind of things would be wrong with a car like this?

Answer 1

Good cars are available at any price, provided you are prepared to go without some of the more modern conveniences.

Many older vehicles that have been very well maintained come up for sale privately. Main things to check for are rust, engine smoke, unusual noises and service history. Rather than going to a yard, check the newspapers and local notice boards for private sales.

Answer 2

Absolutely anything COULD be wrong with it.

Most likely things: Leaky engine or transmission seals. If it's anything more than a slight seepage, you don't want it. Period. If it's the head gasket, you don't want it. (You can tell if your oil has coolant in it or vice-versa...it'll look kind of milky or have foam on top. If it's really bad, you'll see visible, separated oil in the coolant.)

Belts and hoses will often all need replacing. Same with tires.

AC may not work.

It might have body damage.

In a FWD car, the CV axles might be bad. (Actually, they'll probably be bad...it's an easy job to do if you have the tools. It's cheaper to buy the tools than to pay someone to do it, and if it's your first time, it shouldn't take you more than 1 hour per side)

It might just have a lot of miles on it.

A lot of different things can bring a car down into that price range. The ones you want to look for in particular are ones with non-structural body damage. If you don't mind some dents or cracked bumpers, you can get a whole lot of car for not much money buying a cosmetically distressed vehicle.

I don't know too much about the used car market in the UK, but in the US, you could find a decent car in that range without too much trouble.

First thing, don't bother with a dealer. Buy from the owner.

Second, test drive with the radio off. You're listening for any squealing, or especially knocking and pinging NOT coming from the interior of the car. (Interior squeaks and rattles are to be expected) If you hear anything weird, walk away. Do turns left and right with the steering wheel at full lock. If you hear or feel any knocking sounds, it's probably one or both CV axles. They'll need replacing, but it shouldn't kill the deal.

After you're done driving, pop the hood and smell the engine. If you smell anything other than a faint oily scent, walk away. If you smell gasoline, and the owner can't explain it with something not scary, run away.

The engine should be dirty. Dirty engines can't hide leaks. You know exactly what's leaking and where.

I doubt you'll get a sweet ride for this price, but you should find something driveable. Expect to have to spent a few hundred on repairs. Good luck.

Answer 3

Absolutely! Just remember you can't be choosy about what sort of car it is. At this price, accept that it won't be perfect & just make sure it's in a reasonably fit state. Don't go to a dealer, try shop window ads or ask friends if they know anyone selling a banger. Take it for a MOT if the seller lets you, even if it's got one, it may have been done at a 'friendly' garage. And yes, it is possible to get a really good car for this money, but it's also possible to get a deathtrap, so take someone who knows about cars along with you. Happy hunting!

Answer 4

you can buy a car for that price. My first car cost $900CDN. I drove that car hard, and I sold it to a guy I work with, he's still drivign it. I had to put about that into the car to bring it up to safty. My general rule of thumb I work with is; if a car cost below $500 you're going to pay 3 times that in safty issue repairs. If a car costs $1000, you're going to pay double that in repairs, and if a car costs $1500, you're going to pay about $500 in repairs. Of course it doest always work out. But thats what I've had to deal with and have noticed when fixing problems for others.

Answer 5

Get one with a full service history in your local paper. Local sellers would not usually sell a dodgy car, in case you can call back round and knock on the door.

Never buy a car from anyone with a board in the window on a street corner

Answer 6

I have bought good cheap cars from Ebay, look for avanced search to specify distance price etc
Look for new mot, some tax, good seller rating (the more the better) which of course you don't know outside ebay.

A Corsa is a good car.

http://motors.listings.ebay.co.uk/Cars_W0QQafcjZQQafmpZQQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfcclZ1QQfclZ3QQflocZ1QQfromZR14QQfrppZ50QQfsclZ1QQfssZ0QQfstypeZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQga10244Z10425QQnojsprZyQQnojsprZyQQpriceZ1QQsaaffZafdefaultQQsacatZ9801QQsacqyZQQsacqyopZgeQQsacurZ0QQsascsZ2QQsaslcZ0QQsaslopZ1QQsasltZ2QQsocmdZListingItemListQQsorefinesearchZ1

Skoda Felicia's come really cheap, I got a '95 1.3 one for £500 9months ago, 30kmiles, newmot, no rust, nothing wrong with it.

http://motors.search.ebay.co.uk/skoda_Cars_W0QQa38ZQ2d24QQa39ZQ2d24QQa6ZQ2d24QQa85ZQ2d24QQalistZa39Q2ca41Q2ca6Q2ca85Q2ca38Q2ca3801QQbsZSearchQQcatrefZC6QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfcclZ1QQfclZ3QQfgtpZQQfhlcZ1QQfposZLU1Q201AAQQfromZR2QQfrppZ50QQfsclZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQfssZ0QQfstypeZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQga10244Z10425QQgcsZ13QQlopgZQQpf_queryZskodaQQpfidZ1150QQpfmodeZ1QQpriceZ1QQreqtypeZ2QQsacatZ9801QQsacurZ0QQsadisZ200QQsalicZ3QQsaprchiZ650QQsaprcloZQQsargnZQ2d1QQsaslcZ3QQsaslopZ1QQsasltZ2QQsbrftogZ1QQsofocusZbsQQsorefinesearchZ1

Answer 7

YES in 1998 I bought a 1992 Lada with only 40000 miles on it for 300 pounds... it was in Milton Keynes the only things I did to it were tyres and a thermostat.. changed the oil and drove it till about 65000 miles @ which point a drunk crossed center and demolised it for me...

Answer 8

my friend has just bought a car from a second hand car dealer and only paid £500 and it's only had one previous owner and the engine is clean and its running great, its only a small chicaquento if thats how its spelt but it does her fine

Answer 9

You can indeed, but you MUST have someone who knows what he/she's doing to check it over for you.

You can get a real honest bargain or a complete pile of junk.

Good luck!

Answer 10

at that price range it most important to have a mechanic check it.. if the transmission or other pricey part goes you'r ruined.