Cars I like, Vehicles I like, Motorcycles I like, Vehicles I like, Mopeds I like, Scooters I like, Finding Cars, Buying Cars, Searching Craigslist, Searching for Cars, August 25, 2018
Philosophy
* Finnegan from Roadkill - “I realized I just need to own who I am, I like old trucks, I don’t mind breaking down. Jlo is just too new and too reliable. So, she’s gotta go. I need to drive something that can quit on me at any moment.”
*
Right Now List
* Commuter Car - Mazda Miata (Bring a Trailer)
* Dodge A-100 Panel Van
* Nomad Van
* You can set Type to Van on Craigslist
* Cargo Van
* NV200
* Dodge ProMaster
* Honda Motocompo
* Need to look for a first car for Daniel
Big Picture
* What cars, vehicles, etc. make you smile every time you get in them?
• Right now, I think I want to try to buy a Honda Ruckus
-- I don't think I have to plate it in Georgia
• Yamaha Zuma, Zuma really gets good reviews (1989-2011 two stroke, 2012-present four stroke)
-- 50cc 2 stroke
• Bicycle with 2 stroke engine
• Derringer Bicycle ($3800)
- Need to get down to twistnscoot.com
* Monday Motorcycles, M-1 Bolt, $6K but will do 40 MPH
Scooters/Mopeds that are hard to find, but I would like
* Honda RoadPal - forerunner to the Honda Express, 1976, very rare, can find them for sale on goobike.com in places like Japan or Gunma
* Honda Motocompo - the Honda Trunk moped
* Honda Wallaroo - eventual evolution of the NC50, better cylinder, variable clutch
* Aprilia SR50 - fast
* Honda Gyro, note there are enclosed versions of the Honda Gyro sold overseas, I could use one on a rainy day.
What makes a great looking car
* Curves and not too many lines
* Stance, Tires and Rims play a big part
* Color can make it really pop
I should organize this list
I like old Cadillacs
* People who have had them generally have taken better care of them than other cars
* They tend to be owned by older people
* People do comment about my old Cadillac’s all the time
* They were a little better built than most of the cars in the 60s and 70s
Where to look
• Ebay
• Craigslist (Craigslist Gold - The Cars for a Living Podcast)
* phrase search - "low miles"
* exclude, put a minus sign in front -red
* or searches, use pipe char (honda|toyota)
* grouping use parenthesis (honda|toyota)
* Search (miles|survivor|hot rod)
* Search mustang (2005|2006|2007|2008|2009|2010)
* Search (2005|2006|2007|2008|2009|2010|survivor|hot rod) miles
* Search
* (70|71|72|73|74|75|76|77|78|79|1950|1951|1952|1953|1954|1955|1956|1957|1958|1959|1960|1961|1962|1963|1964|1965|1966|1967|1968|1969|1970|1971|1972|1973|1974|1975|1976|1977|1978|1979) (cadillac|fleetwood|deville|survivor|estate)
* Want to search for cars from Estate sales
* Search for Daniel (ttr|klx)
* Expect days when you aren't going to find anything
* Don't believe anything the seller says, only believe what you can observe. Don't believe any talking, anything that comes out their mouth.
* Swap Meets
* Akron Auto Auction
* There are days when no one shows up for a car auction
* Good Guys Swap Meets
* Storage lot auctions, police auctions
* Barnfinds.com
* BringATrailer.com
* DailyTurismo.com
When to look
* For whatever reason, early spring everything seems to be for sale, then close to summer, it just stops
Thoughts
• What is the best handling car? Think about going to Sue's on the back roads in the snow.
• What is the easiest car to drive?
• What cars have undergone a recent body style change, where I still like the old body? These may be significantly cheaper. I am thinking the older Cadillac, Lincoln, Infinity
• Make sure you test how comfortable the seats are
• Might be time to buy a big car with the rising prices of gasoline
• Theodore says there is no money in new cars, he said each used car is different
• Gas guzzling cars may be getting cheap again, with increased gas prices.
• What are the cars that people are most likely to trade in quickly. For example, do Cadillac owners trade their cars in more frequently than Toyota owners?
• I saw a bright orange car and it made me feel happy.
• The sound of the car is important. I like driving the probe without a muffler, because of the way it sounds.
• When you see the car, do you want to drive it? Do you want to be seen driving it?
• What are the Georgia laws on Bicycles with engines? Do you have to title and plate them?
• Rat Rods, I could paint the Probe flat black with fizzy cans
• What cars are the simplest? Something that I could completely rebuild, something simple, something that lots of parts are available for.
* If you buy a car that has a lot of enthusiast support, you can buy complete exhaust systems, just about any part, etc.
-- Old Jeeps (Lots of parts available)
-- Early Broncos
* Lots of parts available
* No carpet, no headliner
* Easy to find parts for Ford Drive Train
-- 1966 Mustang (Lots of parts available)
-- 1968 - 1970 Camero (Lots of parts available)
-- 1972 Monte Carlo
-- Old Pickups
-- Rat Rods
-- Cars from TV shows or Movies
---- Columbo's Car
---- Watch episodes of old TV shows
— Cars with a story have more value, especially a documented story
— If a car is sitting on dirt, that is a warning sign
* Older cars do not require smog tests
*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States* I can still use smog failing cars in Delaware, but not Georgia
* Black hides lines, hard to keep clean
* Black interiors on older cars really show the dirt
* White sometimes makes the car look like an appliance
* Wheels and stance really make a difference on any car.
* What is the cheapest 1950s or 1940s car that I could buy and drive?
• Could I find and fix some cars with electrical problems?
-- I would like to try buying a couple and seeing if I could fix them.
* I don't need to go to Vegas. With every car I buy, it's a roll of the dice. -- Frank on Texas Car Wars
* I have a dream job, I make peoples dreams come true every day - Ted - South Beach Classics
* The only way to make money restoring cars, is to restore cars for others - Ted - South Beach Classics
* Every morning, I get up and check the internet, comb through the papers, everything that is for sale, there's a lot of guys out there that try to do what I do. They pop up at all times in the day and night. - Richard - Fast and Loud.
* You don’t buy the car as much as you buy the story - Jay Leno
* Here at Jay Leno's garage, we buy a car for eight thousand dollars, put twenty five or thirty thousand dollars into and we have a nice twelve thousand dollar car.
* Buying a non-running car is probably the wrong move. It’s likely cheaper to wait for a running car than buy the non-running car, find a motor or something, by it and put it in.
* What cars have character?
* What cars are unique?
* What catches your eye?
* What colors catch you off guard?
* 1976 and earlier, I think there are no emissions requirements in most or all states.
Search For
Survivor
Special Edition or just Edition
Craigslist Search - "xt225" | "xt 225" | "klx250"
Mopeds
• Yamaha Zuma, decent power potential
• Honda Ruckus
-- Mountain Motorsports in Marietta
• Anything with a GY6 compatible engine
- Aprilia SR50 R
- Kymco Super 9
- Derbi GP1
- Kimono People 50
Motorcycles
• WR250X
• Yamaha XT 225 (really cheap, 238 lbs dry weight, $4199 MSRP)
• Kawaski KLX250
• Honda CRF230L (267 lbs)
94 hondaXR250R 238.1 pounds
04 Yamaha XT225 238 lbs
'07 KLX250 262 lbs 249.1 pounds
• Bobber Bike
* Super small displacement motorcycles
* Honda RC116
Cheap New Cars
• Mazda 2
• Nissan Versa
I like the small cars, like my old CRX
• Mazda 2
• Mazda Miata, lots of fun per mile, lots of cheap ones out there, lots of good cheap ones
• Smart FourTwo
• Cooper Mini
• Scion IQ - Cheap, Discontinued $10K for a 2014 in 2016
Cheap Late Model Cars
• Jeep Patriot, seems to drop in price significantly when used.
New Cars, or Newer Cars
• 2005-2011 Mustang
-- 2011 with 5.0 badge looks good.
• STS-V
• CTS-V
• Nissan 350Z
• Nissan 370Z
• Mazda 2
• Smart FourTwo
• Cooper Mini
• Special Edition Jeep with fat knobby tires
• Hyndai Santa Fe - Easy to drive, I like it.
Cars I think are undervalued
* Maserati BiTurbo
* Maserati Coupe 2003-2006
* Older Porsche Boxsters
Cheap Exotics
* Maserati
* BiTurbo
* 2003 to 2006 Coupe
* There are so more that are unloved.
* Lamborghini
* Urraco
Cars I could rebuild or get parts for just about anything
* Jeep CJ, Flat Fender Jeep
* VW Bug
* 60’s Mustang
Going Fast Cheaply
* C4 Corvette, especially if you can find a ZR-1
* Fix the Ford Probes
Big Cars
* Chrysler 300 Series HURST (Cadillac size car with a 4 speed)
Cars I have had in the past
* 1966 Pontiac Catalina Convertible
* 1966 Mustang
* 1966 Rambler Ambassador
* 1968 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon with hide away headlights and dual facing rear seats
* 1964 Pontiac Gran Prix
Single Year Body Styles
* 1967 Pontiac Gran Prix with hide away headlights
Old Cars
Maserati BiTurbo (unloved Maserati), You want 1987 and up. Many fixes and fuel injection started in 1987.
Acura NSX
Conversion Van
Dodge RAM Pickup Truck with Cummins Turbo Diesel
1966 Pontiac Catalina
Old Cadillacs 1900-1976
1964-1966 Chrysler Imperial
1964-1969 Mustang
1964 Ford Galaxy 500 with 390 or other big block engine
1964-1966 Pontiac Gran Prix
1968-1970 Pontiac GTO
1968-1969 Firebird Convertible
1966 Torando
1970 Chevelle SS 396
1970-1972 Chevy Monte Carlo, especially the big block versions
Old Lincolns 1900-1976
Ford F-100 Pickup Truck
Audi TT
Bright Green Porsche
1956 Chrysler Imperial
1970 Mercury Cougar
1966 Austin Healy Sprite
1962 Chevy Impala
Jensen Intercepter
Monster Miata
Old Station Wagons, especially with big engines
* Two Door Pontiac Safari Star Chief Wagon
* 1968 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon
Dodge A100 Van like Dad had
Older Jaguar XJS, XJR, especially 1972 XJS with forward raked nose
Search for anything with Survivor in it
1958 GMC Low Cab Forward, LCF
Cheap cars I could just throw a crate engine into, cheap cars with lots of aftermarket support
* Old Mustangs
* C3, C4, C5 Corvettes
* Old Camero's
* Old Firebirds
* Old Nova
Search key words
* survivor
* low miles
* hot rod
* street rod
Brands I should watch for anything available:
Lotus
Aston Martin
Bugatti
Maserati
Porsche
Rolls Royce
Anything with 12 or 16 cylinders
Cars I would like if the price is right
• Mini Van with stow and go seating
• Pickup Truck
* how can I set up Craigslist to save my searches?
Car Flipping Checklist - Could turn into an iPhone App
* No Rust
* Must Run and Drive, otherwise you don't know what you are getting into.
* Low Miles
Evaluating Cars
* No Black Interiors (Black does not age well)
* No rust underneath
* I can fix a lot, can't fix rust.
* Blurry pictures are often intentional. They may be hiding something.
* Condition of the gas pedal, give you a guess at how many miles really are on it
* I want to see under the hood
* Are the original stickers in the engine compartment?
* Is the engine compartment relatively rust free?
* I want to see under the car
* Ebay/Craigslist photos with under the car views are a positive sign for the seller
* If they don’t show the underside, this could be hiding a bad situation, like severe rust.
* Look at the condition of the trunk
* Are the trunk stickers there?
* Upholstery
* Are there any tears in the upholstery?
* Headliner
* Sun Visors
* Mold (indicating water damage)
* Check that the seat belts all work
* Interior
* Soft Floors
* Check for interior lights
* Check that the cigarette lighter works
* Doors
* Open and shut each door
* Open and shut trunk, feel the side to side motion of the trunk
* Open and shut hood, feel the side to side motion of the trunk
* Door alignment
* Hood alignment
* Exterior
* Chrome condition
* Paint Mismatch
* Dents
* Hail Damage
* Waves, look long ways down the car
* Splits, Cracks, Bubbles
* Fender Mismatch
* Wrap fenders with your knuckles looking for filler, especially at the bottoms
* Under Hood
* Leaks
* Oil on engine
* Hose condition
* Belt Condition
* Does it look like the VIN plate has been replaced or re-rivoted?
* No rebuilt engines, no rebuilt transmissions
* A-Arm bushings
* Shock Leaks
* Look at the inside of the fenders for color changes
* Look for leaks
* Look for burns
* Look for exhaust leaks on the manifolds
* Look for coolant leaks
* Trunk
* Trunk Stickers
* Original Trunk carpets, mats, cardboard
* Inside Trunk color match the outside color?
* Start Engine
* Any Warning Lights?
* Tires
* Look for dry rot in the tires
* Feel for bumps in the tires
* Press on the tops of the tires with your foot
* Do any of the doors drop when the doors open?
* Open and shut every door, hood, trunk, compartment, gas door
* Always look at the underside of the car carefully. It tells a lot of the story of the car.
* Bring a temperature gun and read the temperature of every cylinder, every brake rotor or drum.