what the cheapest you every paid for a running used car?

had a guy at work a little down on his luck. i found a 98 dodge truck with working a/c for $600.00 210k miles. needs tires and a good cleaning. dont get me wrong , it needs some stuff like possible power steering, dash board, radio, shocks. paint is toast

i figure some used tires and some stuff and i have him a running vehicle for under $1100.


i think that for a full sized truck i did good.

 

Good of you to help out. That truck could be a great deal if it lasts a while.

 

cheapest i ever bought was a 84 F250 6.9 back probably 14 years ago for $700. Ran decent was jerry rigged. Had to touch 2 bare wires together to get the glow plugs to cycle, push buttom horn. Drove it for a year or so with no problems. Next cheapest was probably our cavalier. Bought it from my brother in law for 1500 back 3 years ago. Put 60k miles on it. Set of tires and breaks and plugs for a total of maybe 350. Shes still going too

 

My first thought was it would be my 1934 Ford coupe I bought for 10 bucks back in 1963. But it didn't have an engine so it doesn't qualify as running. Then the thought came about my 1961 Jeep FC170 cabover pickup but when I bought it, it had a piston hanging out of the side of the Continental engine. So I guess for me it would have to be the 1974 F100 sitting in the garage. I bought it new back in 74 and gave $3200. for it. It's now sporting a very modded up 390 and is a real tire burner.

 

Back in the day, I bought more than one running car for 50 bucks.

 

In 1973 or 1974 I bought a good running 1957 Toyopet for $40. Toyopet was Toyota before they were called Toyota. The funny thing was that officially they didn't start importing them until 1958 but mine was a 1957! Great running little car except that it gradually leaked water out of the water pump so about every hour I had to add more water. The car ran so well that I used to win bets by being able to start it with no trouble and without even getting inside. I would just reach in a pull the (manual) choke know about half way out and pull the (manual) throttle **** about 1/4 of the way out. All I had to do was just BUMP the key and it would start and run instantly every time.

 

In the early 80's I bought a 1964 Ford 4x4 step side pickup for $75. Just had to clean the rat's nest off the manifold, pump up the tires and jump start it to drive home. Hosed it out and put new tires on it with some brake work and it ran like a champ for years.

 

When I was a kid in the 70's my dad had $250 and $300 cars all the time.

In todays world I think anything running under $2000 is hard to find. i am shocked that after parking the dodge last night, it is not dripping anything!

I found some descent used tires for this one $150 mounted.

I sold my 97 f250 to a friends daughter 3 years ago. i know it was worth $2500 to $3000 but i sold to her for $1000. she drove it the last 3, close to 300k know and she just sold it for $1600.

 

I've always said any running/driving car is worth 1,000

 

Old vehicles value all depends on what is wrong with them. They could need an engine which makes most old vehicles worth only salvage value. If you can't repair it yourself, repair bills will equal the price of the vehicle very quickly if there is much wrong with it. Back in 71 I bought a 59 Chevy Impala for $100 that was smoking really bad. Turned out the po had run nondetergent oil for a long time and then switched to detergent oil whick broke up the sludge and plugged the oil drain holes in the heads such that oil was building up in the valve covers above the valve guides. Cleaned out a bucket full of sludge from under the valve covers and under the intake manifold. It didn't smoke afterwards. Bought lots of cheap cars in the 70's, fixed them up a little and resold at a profit. About 20 yrs ago, I bought a $800 Buick skyhawk wagon for my daughter after she wrecked the Cavalier I gave her. It was a pos with a CE light on. A vacuum line with a hole in it that connected to the map sensor caused the CE and the rough running. New hose fixed it and she drove it for a couple of years.

 

There's a local FB group for cars under $1000.and another one for under $1500. I see dogged out but running cars going for $600 or so all the time. Most need tires and a battery. None of them are in great shape by any stretch but if you're on foot they're better than nothing.

I bought a 72 GTO for $1000. We drove it home but the front end was completely worn out. Dad and I picked up a 72 Malibu for $700 or so. It needed some work but we drove it home.

 

I bought a 78 t-bird in 84 as my first car and paid $1,000 for it. Bought it from family that's why I got a good deal on it. The car ran good, was rust free, and had a fresh repaint.

 

Bought a '63 Chevy Impala 2 dr for $200 bucks...drove it for a year and a half and sold it for $350 and the kid was tickled pink.

 

I bought a 64 Dodge Dart 20 years ago for 35.00 and in 86 I bought a 72 buick skylark GS for 500 bucks. My first car was a 63 Dodge Dart
station wagon I bought for 50 bucks. Lowered it, tinted the windows,and put a big *** stereo in it. I drove the wheels of of it. That 64 Dart
ran for 415,000 miles and I sold it for 1100 bucks.