Throwing Around Car Ideas..

"Jay Lauer" (thefaultinourcars)
09/14/2014 at 21:42 • Filed to: None

Well I've been perusing Craigslist for quite some time now, and I'm kind of run out of ideas. So, I've turned to you guys for inspiration.

Here are my criteria: I want a car that I can flip, as always.

So first and foremost, it has to be a car that holds value.

Secondly, it has to be a car that people want to buy used, so no BMW 750s or Jaguar XJRs. The idea being that it's a car that people would buy on Craigslist.

Thirdly, the budget is anything under $10,000. I'm willing to pay $10,000 but it has to be a very good deal on a car that will net a decent sized profit. More or less, I try to buy in the $3-8k range.

Fourthly, I'd like something that's either FWD or AWD. Winter in coming soon so most people won't be wanting to buy a RWD car. It's very un-Jalop, I know, but.... deal with it.

Fifthly, fuel economy. A lot of the last cars I've bought have gotten sub-par gas mileage, so I'd like something that could get around 30.

Sixthly, Fun. Fun cars are always appreciated.

My ideas have come up as the following; WRX, STi, Mazdaspeed 3, GTI, Mini Cooper S, Focus SVT, Jetta/Golf TDi, C5 Corvette, a regular Mazda3, a 2012+Focus, or a Saabura would be really amazing.

Show me what you got, Oppo

DISCUSSION (47)

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:45

-No RWD

-C5 Corvette

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:45

This is dangerous. You know damn well that we opponauts will just find the most obscure and amazingly useless car that can be found under your budget. Personally, I recommend either a beater Lancia Delta or two AMC Eagles.

Sweet Trav > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:46

S4?

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/466075…

bob and john > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:47

I'm going to throw out Audi A4 on this.

Also, just for the $$ of it, Miata...seriously, the rule for selling miatas (at least for NA's) is pick a number between 2-6K. there is your selling price.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:48

Celica Supra.

Jay Lauer > bob and john
09/14/2014 at 21:52

I've looked around at S4s before, but they seemed to me to be maintenance queens that were quite expensive to keep up.

I have been looking at around slightly at Miatas. I seem to have developed a smugness against them after buying the S2000. That's totally my own fault. I've driven Miatas before, and they're great.

Jay Lauer > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
09/14/2014 at 21:53

Are they really desirable though?

Nibby > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:54

Kinja'd!!!

Jay Lauer > Sweet Trav
09/14/2014 at 21:55

I probably should've put a notice in about Audis.

I once drove 6 hours to buy one with a truck and trailer. After getting there and driving it around a little, the owner neglected to mention the transmission was 4 miles from giving up completely. I didn't even make him an offer. I just got out of the car and left. Wasting a good $200 on fuel and a days worth of my time.

Ever since then Audis have kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

StingrayJake > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:55

A C5 Corvette or a Mini Cooper S can be had for $10,000?

Jay Lauer > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
09/14/2014 at 21:56

Lulz well played there. Throw a GMC Syclone in there while you're at it.

I tried to stress the sell-ability as much as I could.

Textured Soy Protein > bob and john
09/14/2014 at 21:56

I drove a Miata through 4 Wisconsin winters. It was...interesting. Blizzaks, LSD and ABS were all used heavily.

Milky > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 21:58

Wouldn't it be smart to buy a RWD car when no one wants them and then sell when people do?

Jay Lauer > StingrayJake
09/14/2014 at 22:03

R53s (02-06) can be found easy under $10k, the R56s are a bit harder.

Generally, C5 Corvettes are more than $10k, but ones that need some TLC can be found under ten.

Jay Lauer > Milky
09/14/2014 at 22:04

I'll be doing that later in the winter, more when snows on the ground. I try to turn them over pretty quickly.

Jay Lauer > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
09/14/2014 at 22:07

I tend to spend a lot of time making rules that I break.

I've been driving one around all weekend, so C5 Vette has really been on my brain.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:17

As always wrx. They hold value and if you can fix what ever abuse it has received, and take off any tasteless mods and you should profit

mcseanerson > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:28

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/deta…

mcseanerson > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:35

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-91…

bob and john > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:37

not S4. just a normal a4. the 2.0L in the B7 gen was a good motor. same as a golf GTI

Jay Lauer > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/14/2014 at 22:38

You're unbelievably so totally right with that statement. That's really where I'm leaning. The first two Subarus did me wonders. It's been a little dry around where I live to find any, but they come eventually.

This seemed intriguing. http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/466545…

Jay Lauer > bob and john
09/14/2014 at 22:38

It's just a matter of finding a cheap one. I don't think I have yet, but I'll definitely look.

Jay Lauer > mcseanerson
09/14/2014 at 22:41

"Rod Knock"

And here's the thing: Who buys a 911 with almost 170,000 miles?

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:42

seems like a lot for a car that old but it does have low miles . Are you paying extra for it being a saab?

mcseanerson > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:47

Insane people who also recommended a Lancia Delta.

Edit: Also with the way the Porsche bubble is going you could probably set it on fire and sell it for 15k in 3 months.

Money Hustard > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:50

Just go big and get a 80-Series Land Cruiser. It'll hold it's value, if not appreciate. It has AWD. It has a 50/50 weight distribution. They are going for $6-12K, and are purdy in there own way.

I've been shopping them recently. They are a remarkable testament to how much longer a car will last if you make it with some care, and the right materials. I'm looking at a bunch of them with 100-200K miles, and they just don't look their age.

Kinja'd!!!

Jay Lauer > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/14/2014 at 22:51

That's the real question. But Subarus seem to go for more than this where I live.

The really just vary:

http://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/4644841640…

http://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/4608406499… -From really expensive

http://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/4652969199… -To less expensive. I'd be more inclined if he had the original hood and fenders, but he doesn't. I really don't like yellow either.

mcseanerson > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/14/2014 at 22:52

Me and my buddy had an investment plan to purchase BRZs. Purchase clapped out Miata under 2k. Fix nice enough for autocross and sell for profit. Purchase WRX for 5k - 7k. Fix and sell for profit. Purchase nicer and/or newer wrx for 10k-13k. Fix up and sell for 15-17k and finance the rest of a BRZ purchase. WRX's hold their value pretty well and depending how and when you buy compared to the condition it's in and what time of year it is when you sell you could easily profit.

Jay Lauer > Money Hustard
09/14/2014 at 22:55

Funny you mention that.

Kinja'd!!!

My dad actually flipped one of those. I simply couldn't believe how tight that car felt. It felt like driving a brand-new 20 year old car. I'm going to Craigslist those right now.

mcseanerson > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:55

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/463244…

Money Hustard > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 22:58

I don't want to hear that. All I hear is positive things about them. I've had their weird thing happen to me recently, I'm normally a car guy (on the faster end if I can get it), but in the past few months this odd obsession has gripped my simple mind from out of no where. Having little need for an off-road vehicle, being generally opposed to tall, ponderous automobiles, and never being particularly attracted to the vehicle in the past 20 years that it's been around, I have become fixated on 80-series Toyota Land Cruisers. My Maxima lease runs up in like 11 months, and I've been thinking about them for a month already... This is going to be a long 11 months of craigslist.

PatBateman > mcseanerson
09/14/2014 at 23:00

So, I'm a finance/math guy. You'd be better off to keep buying beater Miatas and selling them for 150-250% profit (sell the first Miata for $6k, buy three more Miatas, sell them for $6k each, make more money). Better margins than the WRXs.

You're welcome.

Jay Lauer > Money Hustard
09/14/2014 at 23:01

Well saying that it's tight is a compliment. It didn't feel like a used car; It felt super well screwed together.

My only complaint was fuel economy. But you know what you're getting into when buying one.

mcseanerson > PatBateman
09/14/2014 at 23:03

Miata purchasers are cheapskates. You'll get the guy who give you a decent price eventually but WRX guys are thirsty.

Money Hustard > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 23:08

You misunderstand me slightly. I want to hear they are awful, so I stop thinking about them.

I'm typically looking for a car with half that 0-60 time.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 23:11

Not now but in 2 years they will freakn sky rocket.

Jay Lauer > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
09/14/2014 at 23:31

If I was going to keep a car that long, I'd probably buy a Zr-1 Corvette.

Why do you say they'll sky rocket?

bob and john > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 23:36

It is a nicer car, so it might work out for yea.

and if, if you look really hard, youd find a manual AWD wagon!

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jay Lauer
09/14/2014 at 23:56

They are pretty cheap right now the cheapest they have ever been and I have studied some market trends and I think that toyota sports cars will go up a large amount in a year or two.

Jay Lauer > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
09/15/2014 at 00:07

The Mk4 Supra is already way up in the $40k+ price. I'm curious why you think the Celica Supra would appreciate. It seems to be pushed aside for the more favorable Mk4 Supra.

I'm not trying to be a dick with what I'm saying. I'm just curious about the logic behind the Celica Supra.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jay Lauer
09/15/2014 at 07:17

People want a supra and they will buy the celica supra just to say they own a supra.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jay Lauer
09/15/2014 at 08:36

the yellow one is kinda what I had in mind. It needs some love. You should absolutely not remove the Honda Sucks Sticker lol (I couldn;t even type that without laughing get rid of that crap) Thats a good entry price. fix some of the ghetto crap and profit next spring.

Jay Lauer > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/15/2014 at 09:51

Lulz I own an S2000. It might be a bit contradictory.

Basically I want to find one like this, but it any color except yellow. The Subaru community is pretty tight knit around here, so if I put that one up for sale, they'd already know how much I spent. Normally I try to go to Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Springfield, etc.

I really want to get a blue one.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jay Lauer
09/15/2014 at 10:14

with my experience stay the hell away from black

Jay Lauer > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/15/2014 at 10:16

Why's that?

So far I've had a silver and a red.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jay Lauer
09/15/2014 at 10:18

its a pain in the ass. Its never clean, even when ur done cleaning it. You can see every little pit, chip, swirl mark in the paint. It gets hot in the sun. I mean touch the car and it could inflict pain.

iwrock > Jay Lauer
09/15/2014 at 11:57

a true oppo would buy 10 $1000 miatas with his $10k.