Overhaulin' - Tips and Advice for buying my first car?

Tips and Advice for buying my first car?

hi im 16 and my parents gave me $4000 to buy my first car. I was looking at german cars but people are telling me that maintenance is really high and parts are expensive. So i decided to go with American, hopefully some muscle. I'm 6'4 and 280 so im not looking for small cars. My parents told me no suv's either so yeah those are pretty much out. I saw a '99 Camaro and it has about 101,000 mi. is that good for an american car? If someone has a custom car for sale does that mean its probably a bad one? (i.e. custom exhaust, lights, stereo system). Can someone give me other tips/advice/experiences about buying my car and what BAD things to look for in a car. If the engine and/or the transmission is rebuilt even though it had alot of miles, is that good or bad? and what are the benefits and consequences? Also I heard that an old Diesel Mercedes is like the best car you can buy, is that true?

Public Comments

well if you buy that type of car, your insurance will be higher on any sports car so keep that in mind, I would say buy a dodge intrepid, lots of room, kinda sporty, lots of room, big trunk, great gas savings, V6 gets about 25 mpg. for that $$$ you could get a very nice clean newer Intrepid. That is about the best buy for the $$$ just my opinion GL
anything that moves backwards and forward
one thing u wanna remember is dont buy over the internet because i almost did and the car had so many problems with it that werent shown in the pics on the net and also keep the state tax and insurance in mind when buying a car
All aftermarket stuff wiil bring the cost up meaning the actual car is worth less because of them. Bring a rag, flashlight, tape measure and magnet 1 Bring someone with knowledge/experience 2 Check oil/trans fluid/brake fluid levels and quality 3 Check all lights/turns signals/ brake and reverse lights/wipers/washer/heat/air 4 Start car, listen for tapping, grinding, clunking...any bad, walk away. 5 Test drive, check power, braking, steering (does wheel stay straight or shimmy back and forth..bad) 6 Reach under front seat, rub hand on underside of seat, your hand should be clean, if it's not that car was in a flood. It's the one place they never think to clean. 7 Look down side of body for wavy signs of body work, if you find wavy spots, put magnet to it, if it doesnt stick the bondo is to thick and will fall off in a few years. 8 Open hood and trunk, measure on angle from front of one side to back of other side to make sure it is square, numbers should match (this will tell you if it has bee in a bad accident). 9 Measure wheels from left to right (both high and low to ground) to make sure no wheels are pointing in or out, do this on front and rear tires. Keep in mind for 4,000 dollars no car will be perfect on most of these but the mechanical ones are most important (engine, trans, brakes, lights, heat/ac, steering) Good American cars for your size are Impala, Grand Marquis, Monte Carlo, Camaro might be a bit tight, Buick Century's and Regals are quick too, although the Century and Marquis may look like Grandpa's car, they are very nice cruisers. Try to stay under 125,000 miles otherwise it will be in shop a lot. Also don't pay what they are asking always bid lower and haggle.
I think you'll really find this question on Yahoo! Answers interesting. I found a great website that allows you up to 4 quotes...and gives you the negotiating advantage before you enter the dealers lot. Just read their tips and I found really good deals. I am sure this will help you find the cheapest deal within your neighborhood. You always want to find the lowest price online before you even enter the dealership lot. My suggestion to you is to find the lowest prices online first, you will get lower bargaining offers over the internet than in person because they know you are out there shopping around and they want your business. You could save up to $8000 Online First. So, try it out. Once you have gotten your online quotes, you may proceed to the dealership with more leverage at hand. Take your parents with you. http://www.PeopleAutomotive.com (copy the link and paste it) Let me know how it works out.
http://urlhawk.com/csf - here's a good website to look for real good, affordable and quality vehicles from official government auctions! I bought my Honda Accord 2005 for just $2250 with a milage of 5,270! And it's been already a year I'm riding my car and it's still doing well! I've recommended it to my friends and all of them are enjoying their used cars and have no problem with it! One of my friend was very lucky. He got a tuned sports car for just $970! ADDED: I just found out that it's been featured in Auto magazine and they received good editorial reviews!
You also should compare car insurance quotes for cars before buying one, for example here - carinsurance.yoll.net