Looking for a car in Connecticut for my destitute friend. At one point in his life he was doing well for himself, but his business partner got him into drugs and he lost literally everything, so now at age 50 he's living in a flophouse on murder row in New London and he's been without a car for over a decade. He just got approved for Social Security disability with some back pay so he has around $8k to spend. That seems to give him a ton of options (I have 50 tabs open right now). My personal leanings would be for him to get something as cheap as possible so he still has some savings if something goes wrong since the guy just seems to have terrible luck; OTOH there's an argument for something nice so he can get some pride back.(He got his CDL-A at the same time as me, but due to being on the sex offender registry from a 30 year old SA charge against his ex-GF he was never able to land a job. Western Express actually flew him out, put him in a truck for training, and then kicked him out on the side of the road in South Carolina even though he had told them up front he was on the registry.)Here's the radius I've been looking at. I don't have Facebook so I haven't been looking there. Just Carfax and Craigslist so far.https://worcester.craigslist.org/search/fabyan-ct/cta?lat=42.0143&lon=-71.944&max_auto_miles=120000&max_price=8000&search_distance=72#search=2~list~0
When looking, I've been skipping over Jeep, Dodge, Nissan, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai (I've heard they've gotten decent lately but I'm iffy on their older stuff which would be in his price range), and Mini. This Volvo- cheap- seems like reasonable miles
>>28844799He doesn't deserve pride, if must be earned.Your retarded nigger friend should buy the cheapest running small car with no obvious major mechanical issues, get a new set of decent tires put on it, and then buy a a set of harbor freight tools. What it is doesn't really matter.
>>28844805Is there really no such thing as a cheap BMW?No warning lights and under $4k
>>28844810100k mile Accord V6 for $6500
I'm going to guess the ecotec is probably not going to be one of his best options, right?
>>28844799Tell him to blow it on fent
>>28844816those things are roaches, idk about the v6 but the problem is he will still look like a crackhead for driving what i consider to be a nigger hoodrat starter car.
Luxury Prius, but it's right at his budget limit.>>28844819He's clean and sober. We got drug tested for our CDLs and he's legit clean.
1.8T with pretty reasonable miles and somewhat recent, but again at the edge of his budget.
HOLD ON A FUCKIGN MINUTE, THIS HAS A 3800.3800. Under 50k miles. Under $5k.Email sent.
>>28844833*under $6k. I can't read.
I should not be looking at Audis for him.I should not be looking at Audis for him.I should not be looking at Audis for him.I should not be looking at Audis for him.
>>28844838I should not be looking a REBUILT Audis for him...Fuck, I missed that.
26 year old Passat 1.8T, but with reasonable miles?My sister had an '01 GTI that went 190k before falling apart a couple years ago.
>>28844846Manual, too.
This makes me depressed just looking at it, and I own a Pontiac.
>>28844852I am still depressed.
Lexus 6-banger under 100k miles for $6k.
Is the 1.6 Ecoboost decent?Car looks clean but the best picture was taken wet. Not a fan of people who do that.https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/chicopee-2013-ford-fusion-se/7908959857.html
72k mile TSX for $6500 by someone who is terrible at taking pictures.
>>28844846Brittle plastic pass
>>28844864I hear that. My sister's GTI was literally falling apart and she had been spending like $2k a year to keep it running.
It's an Accord.It's in his budget.
>>28844799>He just got approved for Social Security disability with some back payHow? I have a severe disability that's a terminal illness and they won't give it to me after 2 years and 3 tries even with a lawyer.How are these people getting it for "depression" or "drug abuse?"
It's a Camry V6.It's in his budget.(I already contacted asking about the engine type)https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/warwick-toyota-camry-xle-low-88k-miles/7912754951.html
>>28844871I don't know the details of what he has going on but he's needed surgery for it.He's ex-Army so he has VA.
>>28844799Camry is always the answer for retards who can't take care of anything. Or a 3800 or a Panther, all the same boring shit that runs forever.
>>28844874BLAUKPONT
>>28844877>PantherWas just about to get to those.This needs an exhaust manifold. That would be, what, about $2k?I have a heated garage so I could do the brakes for him.50k miles, but it has some rust.https://providence.craigslist.org/cto/d/providence-2004-mercury-grand-marquis/7912388920.html
>>28844810>No warning lights Because they don't work.As a BMW owner I can assure you there is no bigger shitbox on earth than a $3,000 BMW, that car is leaking every single fluid from every single place. It would take you 100 hours to get it straight if you had the knowledge, it will cost you $10,000 to have someone else do it.
rust-free MKZ, but I dunno, I don't think I could trust a car owned by someone who stained and ripped the seats.
>>28844881I wouldn't bother with that, get one from a boomer who loved, these are pretty easy to find with 6 gorillion dealer invoices.
>>28844886https://hartford.craigslist.org/ctd/d/east-windsor-2012-lincoln-mkz-awd-119k/7912528371.html
>>28844886Good Lord, no.Camry3800 GM PantherThat's it, those are the reliable cars.
>>28844892Is there no such thing as a cheap German luxury car?
There are so many Mercedes...
Mercedes wagon?
Rust-free STS under 100k miles. Dealer is upfront about the title and doc fee.
Solara V6 under 120k for under $6k, and not in white, black, silver, or gray.
>>28844923*under $5k. I really can't read.
Super cheap |car|.
27 year old ES300 with reasonable miles for $3k. Looks like age is really getting to the old girl, though.https://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/d/enfield-1999-lexus-es300-runs-great/7912764228.html
I should not be looking at Audis.I should not be looking at Audis,I should not be looking at Audis.
>>28844898They are all cheap because they are a fucking horror. You are going to spend 3x the buy in to keep it on the road.My BMW has 77,000 miles and I work on it constantly. I accept it because it's pretty fast and a convertible but I also own a Toyota in case I actually have to get somewhere.
Low mileage Panther, but that's Camry money.https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/2FAFP74W83X127541
>>28844936God, Audis just look and drive so good though.
Under 100k ES300 with an interior that looks mint, but they certainly seem to be asking a bit much for an '02.
>>28844951https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/JTHBF30G525036115
>>28844951Another ES300 that looks in decent shape, but a year older and 27k more miles for only $950 less.https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/JT8BF28G715106646That's about it from what I've seen so far.
Not a 3800, but a low mileage 3.6.
>>288449713.6 is a shitwagon, that thing is 90% in the grave already.
>>28844974How about this 3800?
>>28844980https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1G4HD57287U193511
This one's certainly a little tired, but it's a 3800 with under 100k miles for $3500.https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1G4HP52K95U131370Headliner's gone.
>>28845001>>28844980>>28844833And I am partial to recommending 3800's since I own one.(he doesn't have enough to buy mine from underneath me. I have it insured for $10k)
>>28844857Should I treat the RX330 as basically a Camry in narrowing this list down?
I think this is the last year of the 3800.https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1G4HD57268U190303
My friend just sent me this. 150,000 miles.Looks fully loaded.Should I talk him out of it due to the mileage and/or any other concerns?God, why is he looking at cars with 150,000 miles?
>>28845119*parked at a private residence without any plates. Why doesn't it have plates?I have questions.
>>28845119>>28845123Fucking hell, the woman admitted she buys cars at auction and flips them as a "hustle" and my friend is still laser focused on this thing.A fool and his money aren't going to be parted as long as I'm his only ride. I'm not going to take him anywhere near this thing.
>>28844799Best idea in the world. Find someone barely able to support themselves and give them a car to drain their income on maintenance.Or no maintenance and another rolling death trap on the road.
>>28845179The man is currently screwed without wheels. He only has a summer job running an amusement park ride at the beach and is otherwise unemployed. He's on food stamps and I think his invalid mother has to help him with rent. His mom's in assisted care and she was just in the hospital yesterday. A cheap car gives him employment options that he doesn't have otherwise.
>>28844799You live up north so you need to check the underside for rust. Ask for a picture of the undercarriage.
>>28845197Yup, I largely know what I'm looking at when it comes to the basic condition. It's the fundamental reliability that I don't have a complete picture of. Like, I'm not a Mercedes guy so when I look at this: >>28844898... I don't know if I'm looking at $2000 a year or $2000 every 10 years.
>>28845186Gonna be honest opAny person ive met who ends up in situations like this got there by burning every bridge in their network that could have possibly supported them on the way down. Sometimes people do really just have shit luck, but if you manage to fall that far and hit rock bottom, it usually has more to do with the person rather than their circumstances. Ive had people close to me have this happen, and eventually I had to realize they would suck all of my time and money from me because thats what they do to everyone, and its also why theres nobody left. By all means help the dude find a car, but be careful how you handle this.
>>28845214>It's the fundamental reliability that I don't have a complete picture of.This Toyota Matrix would be good and doesn't cost too much. Very versatile vehicle. Good gas mileage, reliable, clean title and the mileage isn't too high so it should last him a long time and the repairs won't be too pricey.https://providence.craigslist.org/ctd/d/pawtucket-2009-toyota-matrix-auto-low/7914882134.htmlGenerally speaking if its Toyota or Honda its probably good. Avoid CVT transmissions on anything made before 2020.
>>28845214I'd suggest sticking to cars with clean titles.
>>28845216He's a good guy. I drove him to CDL school and he was there all day every day like I was with no complaints. He worked just as hard as I did.He was apparently doing very well for himself selling propane and propane accessories until he got into hard drugs. He said he had a house where he was taking care of his mon, a modified SRT-10 with 700HP and a Callaway Corvette at one point, but he pissed it all away. The guy's had some knocks. His daughter was murdered by her BF. His ex that accused him of rape on Valentine's day died of a drug OD. His dad died young. He's not the brightest bulb but he tries. He's certainly fucked things up in his life but he doesn't try to shirk responsibility. It's how I know so much shit about him even though I don't really do "friends" and I normally don't even care to ask. Occasionally I'll bring him along on my excursions and he enjoys it. Here he is at Carnegie Hall when I got him a nosebleed seat to see the NieR Automata orchestral concert. (the guy standing at the top left)
>>28845253fucking iphone
>>28845214>$2,000
>>28844833This guy from Craigslist just called and we're set up to take a look there, so this now makes three low-mileage 3800's to look at in West Hartford.>>28845001>>28845043I think he's gonna get a grandma car today.
>>28844810>>28844883Former BMW mechanic here, and I'll back this up. Even well-maintained BMWs of that age are endless money pits, I'd run screaming from one at that price.
>>28844799>30 year old SA charge against his ex-GFWhatever he told you is bullshit. There's always more to the story. Sex offenders always try to spin it in the best way possible. They try to make it seem like they were the victim of the system. Don't go out your way to help this piece of shit. He'll probably squander the $8k back pay anyway.t. CPS worker who frequently works with pedos and sex offenders.
>>28845749He didn't try to spin it. I don't think he even understands what happened. He and his GF (who was the mother of his child) were in an on-again, off-again relationship, it was Valentine's Day, there was sex, and then there were cops. He didn't have a story other than, "I think she was saving herself for someone else."Do I believe he might have forced himself on her? Yes. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed and relationships bring out a bundle of caveman instincts. It's certainly possible he was caught up in the instinct to try to "force a family together" which, depending on a girl's feelings, might be what she wants or might be something she doesn't want at all. One of the pitfalls of being a man is that there is no universal "right" behavior because women are all over the place in what they want, and whether a man is right or wrong depends on her interpretation, not his intent. One woman's "hunk of a manly man," is another woman's "misogynist," and women are often not even on the same page with their own sex drives with what they want. The plea they offered him gave him nothing but probation so it doesn't sound like anyone viewing the facts of the case saw it as some unconscionable moral outrage. What benefit does it serve society that a man who is out of jail and is thus physically free to prey on women if such was his bent can't get a job because he can't pass a background check? That "can't get a job" thing doesn't protect anyone, all it's doing is taking away their ability to contribute to society.
Update:Chris bought the ultra- low-mileage Lacrosse. After seeing it we didn't bother going anywhere else. The seller was an ultra personable guy and he and Chris got along right away.We didn't try to play any games with him over the condition of the car. It started right up on the first crank without a single miss, instantly purred like a kitten, and came down to low idle without a single shake. There wasn't a hint of weeping anywhere. The car's bottom was immaculate. The seller had owned a mechanic shop and knew what he had. He mentioned that he had checked and there was no rust on the fuel or brake lines, which are definitely problem areas on these cars. (pretty much the only problem area, and it's only a problem every ~15 years or so.)Its handling was exactly what it was designed to be: generic and inoffensive.The seller was a saint and knocked $600 off the price after hearing Chris' life story. Chris didn't try to hide that he was completely sold on the car and he put himself completely in the seller's hands. Those hands said, "$5100," and Chris practically jumped out of his seat.The seller's being a real champ and going to drop the car off at my house tomorrow since he has access to a dealer plate. I'll polish it up for Chris. I'll post some before and after's then.The seller even offered to hook Chris up with a lawyer to help him get a pardon so he can get his life back on track.
>>28846109>Do I believe he might have forced himself on her? Yes.What am I reading lmao
>>28845119If he's set on a ford crossover go for the explorer, it's at least got that fleet vehicle parts availability that the panther cars had
I am from mass, i buy used vehicles from arizona, nevada and other places out west for cheap and drive them home (semi-legally.(mostly illegally.)) Everything here is rotted or flooded and brought up from florida. Looking around new york will yield the same results. Find a shitbox that you guys can wrench on.https://hartford.craigslist.org/ctd/d/new-britain-subaru-forester-2013-awd/7915226803.htmlProbably needs a head gasket, water pump and timing belt. Maybe a clutch too.https://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/ctd/d/fresh-meadows-oldsmobile-cutlass-sedan/7915176793.htmlMight be nice but you gotta see underneath it.https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/cto/d/brooklyn-2015-nissan-versa/7914794531.htmlThats from Crooklyn so...
>>28846196He listened to my concerns and told her we weren't interested in an auction car.As we were driving back from him buying the Buick, she texted him telling him it was sold, as though she had somehow triumphed over our rejection.I think he really dodged a bullet there. She sounded like someone who always needs to one-up to stay on top and has no problem taking others down to keep herself there. The difference between that and the guy we bought the Buick from, who was an honest, solid, grounded, compassionate, intelligent, hardworking man is fucking night and day.I've been blessed to live in a very high-trust bubble where low-trust people can be filtered out and you can make real progress in life based on the shared principle of honesty.
>>28846523Yeah I saw your update after I posted, seems like about the best outcome you could hope for.
>>28844816Depends if it has the 2.2 ecotec. That engine is a fucking roach like the other anon mentioned. t. Has a 2010 Cobalt That thing had survived rental car abuse, being starved of coolant, sitting for years, having brittle plastic bits inside the cylinders, and having a busted oil pan and it still runs.The interior is likely gone to shit though. Everything should be falling apart and peeling by now.
scrubbie scrubbie scrubbie scrubbie
very niceclean up those headlights and scrape off that dealership shit on the trunk and it'll be near perfect
washy washy washy>>28846976Dealership shit is already off, as is the old registration sticker. Already have the headlight restoration kit.
this caked-on brake dust is a bitch. I should probably not be wasting my energy on the wheels when I want to get this thing polished and ceramic coated.
>>28846861Here's the cleaned engine compartment (mostly) dry. I'm happier.
I'm not sure the lighting is conducive to showing off how she looks after the third wash. She's squeaky clean now and all the grit is out of the paint. (I don't clay bar, I just give it a good soapy wash a panel at at time with dish soap and rinse it very, very well.)So she's prepped for polish. I'll do that tomorrow.
>>28847159You can only polish a turd so much. Nice of you to help that guy out, hopefully he makes good use of it
>>28847159>I don't clay barWhy not? You make it sound like it's against your religion or something.
>>2884718750 cents worth of soap vs a $20 bar. That's against my religion.
>>28846154Thats a pretty great deal. Those 2000's Buicks just seem to last forever. Shouldnt have any problem getting parts either.
>>28846109....cars?
>>28847228They actually don't. The first wash won't get all the grit out of the paint which is why people think they need a clay bar to pull it out. But after a power wash, a hot water dish soap hand wash with a superbly generous rinse, and then another hot water dish soap hand wash and rinse, the grit is out of the paint without the scratches of a clay bar.If there's anything left it's so fine it might as well be polish itself, and it will be pulled out in the polish.
