Purchase advice for ascii_man
- Thread starter ascii_man
- Start date
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What is going on with this van? Something seems amiss in the running board area.
https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/5422330971.html
https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/5422330971.html
LeeRevell
Well-known member
ascii_man said:
Two panels are missing, one on each side. They are just "glued" on.
So I have a couple of contenders. What would you pay?
In one corner:
2002 Ford E-150 (5.4L), 216k
Second owner, purchased early 2007 at 85k miles. Has records, including synthetic oil changes, true transmission flush, etc. Recent A/C compressor (validated on CARFAX).
Splits time between inland South, costal South (possible salt spray), rust belt
2000 Chevrolet Express 1500 5.7L (L31), 116k
Inland South
Third owner purchased early 2010: exact mileage unknown, but probably about 100k miles (definitely not driven for 4 months or so)
Has changed oil, but no other maintenance or records
Football-sized dent in rear panel
What would you pay?
In one corner:
2002 Ford E-150 (5.4L), 216k
Second owner, purchased early 2007 at 85k miles. Has records, including synthetic oil changes, true transmission flush, etc. Recent A/C compressor (validated on CARFAX).
Splits time between inland South, costal South (possible salt spray), rust belt
2000 Chevrolet Express 1500 5.7L (L31), 116k
Inland South
Third owner purchased early 2010: exact mileage unknown, but probably about 100k miles (definitely not driven for 4 months or so)
Has changed oil, but no other maintenance or records
Football-sized dent in rear panel
What would you pay?
Attachments
Depending on your budget & goal, but personelly, I would pick the chevy. A friend of mine, once told me the best van was GMC's. More solid suspension etc... I think you could pay between $2000.00 and $4000.00 depending of the condition. As for the 2002 ford E150 I am affraid you won't get it under $6000.00 for sure. Looks nicer than the chevy, but you have for what you'll pay ! Some points to check, following my thinny experience with these vehicules so far, I suggest you check carefully the total height clearance, as I noticed not all the conversion van have same clearance. I am only 5' 5'' so bear feet, I can stand upright, but I saw aome where I couln't stand upright. I will show you later, pictures of what I have done to gain clearance. I removed the "woodden" part on top, where the "disco" lights are. this gine me over one more inche. Also where we will be standing, between bed & driver & passager's seats, I have removed the carpet & under carpet, and will install a vynil flooring, only 1/8'' thick, so I will again gain some more clearance.ascii_man said:
Hope this help, keep me posted, good luck
Paid about $140 for a mechanical inspection on the Ford: It had numerous issues (low on oil, head gasket, cracked serpentine belt, brakes at 10%, etc.) and smells musty.
The Chevrolet owner got agitated at the suggestion of an inspection and it got worse when I asked him how he arrived at his price ("it's how much I want for it"). "It's probably got issues; I'm not selling you a $30,000 van, I'm selling you a $6500 van." Actually, he is failing to sell a $3900 van ($2800 according to Edmunds)
I'm seriously wondering whether this is going to work out: so far, I've just wasted countless hours and several hundred dollars for nothing.
I bought my daily driver, a fairly obscure make, on the Internet for a right around the Edmund's price after an inspection, so it's not like I'm asking too much here.
The Chevrolet owner got agitated at the suggestion of an inspection and it got worse when I asked him how he arrived at his price ("it's how much I want for it"). "It's probably got issues; I'm not selling you a $30,000 van, I'm selling you a $6500 van." Actually, he is failing to sell a $3900 van ($2800 according to Edmunds)
I'm seriously wondering whether this is going to work out: so far, I've just wasted countless hours and several hundred dollars for nothing.
I bought my daily driver, a fairly obscure make, on the Internet for a right around the Edmund's price after an inspection, so it's not like I'm asking too much here.
SaltySeaWitch
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Just my 2 cents worth here but I say hold out for the right van at the right price to come along. I sell used cars and I am the worst at not paying what anyone is asking and I research before buying and have it checked out by a mechanic. Private sellers have emotional attachments to vehicles or have often paid too much for it when they bought it and want to make it up with you. Lately people are pricing vehicles at dealer prices on CL. I refuse to pay it. If you are not walking, hold out for the right van. It's out there.
Anyone who doesn't want you to get an inspection is hiding something. I sell cars "AS IS". If they drive it off lot, and it blows up, it's theirs. I encourage (sometimes almost insist) every person to take it for inspection before buying. I don't want someone to buy a car from me and it is bad. I believe in karma and would never sell one that was a lemon on purpose but it happens. I am not a mechanic and I tell them that. A few had a mechanic say no to a car, and they always still buy a different car from me because I was honest with them and they trust me for that. I don't care how many cars they want inspected. I want them to love the car they buy not regret it. It's sometimes every penny they have. I know how it is. But most people selling cars don't care. There are good sellers out there and that is who you want to buy from.
Hold out just a bit longer and you will save money and have peace of mind with the purchase. Good luck!!
Anyone who doesn't want you to get an inspection is hiding something. I sell cars "AS IS". If they drive it off lot, and it blows up, it's theirs. I encourage (sometimes almost insist) every person to take it for inspection before buying. I don't want someone to buy a car from me and it is bad. I believe in karma and would never sell one that was a lemon on purpose but it happens. I am not a mechanic and I tell them that. A few had a mechanic say no to a car, and they always still buy a different car from me because I was honest with them and they trust me for that. I don't care how many cars they want inspected. I want them to love the car they buy not regret it. It's sometimes every penny they have. I know how it is. But most people selling cars don't care. There are good sellers out there and that is who you want to buy from.
Hold out just a bit longer and you will save money and have peace of mind with the purchase. Good luck!!
Thanks. I did meet one honest and kind seller, but I couldn't go through with that purchase due to a specific personal (medical) reason.
I'm going to start telling them about the inspection on the first call ("the process I follow is...") and maybe save time (it's especially time-consuming for me to find a good mechanic in another city). I think I'll probably need to look beyond Craigslist too. I wish there were a Conversion Van Enthusiast forum somewhere, like the European cars have.
I would be willing to waive the inspection for a very, very low price (my car mechanic bought a VW bus for his son for $1000: at that price you are looking at "a vaguely-Volkswagen shaped piece of scrap metal", and if you are a professional mechanic, then repairs are not an issue.
I just don't know if this is worth giving up so much of my very limited free time for several months.
I'm going to start telling them about the inspection on the first call ("the process I follow is...") and maybe save time (it's especially time-consuming for me to find a good mechanic in another city). I think I'll probably need to look beyond Craigslist too. I wish there were a Conversion Van Enthusiast forum somewhere, like the European cars have.
I would be willing to waive the inspection for a very, very low price (my car mechanic bought a VW bus for his son for $1000: at that price you are looking at "a vaguely-Volkswagen shaped piece of scrap metal", and if you are a professional mechanic, then repairs are not an issue.
I just don't know if this is worth giving up so much of my very limited free time for several months.
ascii_man said:
hello, you may want to see if there is a "Auto Traders" on line with listings in your area. i always say "go with your gut feelings" when i get that sinking sensation in my gut that tells me something just ain't right if i ignore it i'm always sorry sooner or later......like the gorgeous BIG & LIFTED full size 4x4 Bronco who's price was to good to pass up.........one payment and one blown engine later, up in MN no less, and i knew why! so i wish you well in your hunt & you may wanna see if your gut speaks to you in the process{just a suggestion}
texas jaybirdA month after starting this thread, the only obvious changes are that I've gained weight and lost money. I have heard of others on this site getting decent deals (e.g., a 100k Chevy for $5k), but I am looking at nearly $5k for 20 year old 200k mile vans. I found a low mileage van on AutoTrader for $6k, but the owner sounds like an extremely heavy smoker and has no maintenance records because her dead husband supposedly did it himself. Or a decent van at a decent price owned by people who always traveled with their dogs.
After some research (including a trip to a dealer in a sketchy part of town who was asking $11k for a fairly worn out van), I have realized that I only want a GM (Chevy/GMC); I've also developed a preference for some converters: a bad converter can cause problems by putting screws in the wrong places, and the the aftermarket seats can cause safety issues.
I've asked about some eBay listings. I suppose my next step is to try to set up some automation on Craigslist and search nationwide.
Now I am sure that some might criticize me for being too picky, but keep in mind my personal needs for a van that a) will look appropriate at the parking lot of my white-collar job and in middle-class settings and b) I can sleep in 8-10 hours without waking up with an allergy headache. So obviously I can't just get a $400 barn find. But once I'm spending somewhat significant money, I want to have a good indication that I'm getting a van with some life left. Especially since I don't have garage space to do a lot of repair work myself.
After some research (including a trip to a dealer in a sketchy part of town who was asking $11k for a fairly worn out van), I have realized that I only want a GM (Chevy/GMC); I've also developed a preference for some converters: a bad converter can cause problems by putting screws in the wrong places, and the the aftermarket seats can cause safety issues.
I've asked about some eBay listings. I suppose my next step is to try to set up some automation on Craigslist and search nationwide.
Now I am sure that some might criticize me for being too picky, but keep in mind my personal needs for a van that a) will look appropriate at the parking lot of my white-collar job and in middle-class settings and b) I can sleep in 8-10 hours without waking up with an allergy headache. So obviously I can't just get a $400 barn find. But once I'm spending somewhat significant money, I want to have a good indication that I'm getting a van with some life left. Especially since I don't have garage space to do a lot of repair work myself.
Well, I was briefly the high bidder for an eBay van* , but I'm trying to suspend my purchase for a couple of months. I need to take a break, and also the next few months are kind of a critical time in my career.
My shopping so far, and being honest about my needs and desires have convinced me that starting very cheap is not suitable for me, but I have too much uncertainty to really go out and bid / negotiate / travel to buy without a better understanding of what I need. As I've been more realistic about what I need, I realize I don't want to waste even travel costs and sales tax on my minimum viable option.
So I found a couple of places that rent Class Bs within driving distance. It's expensive, but after a week of that I'll have a better understanding of where I can park, which size I need/want, whether to build/buy, and frankly just whether it's even something I want to do, so that I can be fully committed.
*Rant about the bad-faith "sellers" who seem to be a majority on Craigslist and eBay:
I was actually just $100 under the winning bid, but the reserve was not met...the non-seller was a dealer who would also charge several hundred dollars in fees. It's sort of their job and they know what they are doing, but I am getting a little frustrated about "sellers" who aren't willing to take a fair price. They have it on their lot, they have it on CL, they put it in front of a nationwide market on eBay, and the maximum bid is $X. That's a good indication of the market price for that vehicle. We supposedly live in a "market economy". The dealer bought it at an auction, so they should be familiar with the concept.
It's a free country, but I am losing respect for people who refuse to do an honest business by selling to honest buyers at a fair market price and care only about bullying gullible, uninformed consumer into overpaying by thousands of dollars. And by-owner listings are often just as bad.
Again, I fully understand hot concert or sporting tickets going for hundreds of dollars because it's "what the market will bear". But these jerks see "what the market will bear" and they back out; if it's not a rip off, they don't want to be involved.
My shopping so far, and being honest about my needs and desires have convinced me that starting very cheap is not suitable for me, but I have too much uncertainty to really go out and bid / negotiate / travel to buy without a better understanding of what I need. As I've been more realistic about what I need, I realize I don't want to waste even travel costs and sales tax on my minimum viable option.
So I found a couple of places that rent Class Bs within driving distance. It's expensive, but after a week of that I'll have a better understanding of where I can park, which size I need/want, whether to build/buy, and frankly just whether it's even something I want to do, so that I can be fully committed.
*Rant about the bad-faith "sellers" who seem to be a majority on Craigslist and eBay:
I was actually just $100 under the winning bid, but the reserve was not met...the non-seller was a dealer who would also charge several hundred dollars in fees. It's sort of their job and they know what they are doing, but I am getting a little frustrated about "sellers" who aren't willing to take a fair price. They have it on their lot, they have it on CL, they put it in front of a nationwide market on eBay, and the maximum bid is $X. That's a good indication of the market price for that vehicle. We supposedly live in a "market economy". The dealer bought it at an auction, so they should be familiar with the concept.
It's a free country, but I am losing respect for people who refuse to do an honest business by selling to honest buyers at a fair market price and care only about bullying gullible, uninformed consumer into overpaying by thousands of dollars. And by-owner listings are often just as bad.
Again, I fully understand hot concert or sporting tickets going for hundreds of dollars because it's "what the market will bear". But these jerks see "what the market will bear" and they back out; if it's not a rip off, they don't want to be involved.
ascii_man said:
I went with a friend up to the mainland a couple weeks ago to buy some Jeeps (he fixes them up and flips'em) and it was interesting how little "pull" cash-in-hand has when dealing with in-demand products like Jeeps. One lot had $9k on windshield, my friend pulled out cash and said he'd give him $7,500 right now. They said no thanks and let us walk off the lot without even a counter. Saw versions of this repeat. But hey, if I knew I could make an extra couple grand just by being patient, can't say I wouldn't do just that.
I was playing on ebay for a while and decided the whole process of bidding, buying unseen, and getting the vehicle home, is just a bit much for me at the moment. It seems like you're saving time shopping via the web, but I found it to be a real time sink too. I figure I'll just keep working my saved searches on craigslist, cars.com and auto/truck trader, and sooner or later the right thing will fall into my lap...and in the meantime my finances keep moving toward improving my choices.
drysailor
Well-known member
ascii_man said:
I had exactly the same experience with Ebay and CL as your ranter. These sites are so dominated by scammers and junk that it's almost not worth the trouble to try to weed it out anymore.
If you follow sites like Autotrader and Cars.com regularly, you'll find dealers who seem to deal often in used vans. If you then follow these dealer's sites closely, you may find some good buys. In my area, So-Cal, this activity seemed to vary widely by time of year, with fall and spring seeming to have many more offerings and better prices than other times of the year. These places may be buying bulk lots from vanpools, handicap transporters, etc. Your idea to narrow your focus is good also. Just be ready to move quickly when you get a good hit on your search criteria. And getting a prebuy inspection is absolutely worth the $$.
(A)BradKW said:
(B)BradKW said:
Thanks, buddy. I totally agree with "B", although I'm somewhat willing to travel (one of the downsides of living in the Rust Belt, although your sea breezes are probably worse).
For "A", I'm OK with the idea that "CASH!" isn't a magic word that hypnotizes people into making nonsensical deals. If they were to sell to your friend at a price where he could also re-retail it for a profit, then that would obviously be too low.
In a sense, the true low-baller who doesn't want the item itself but only a profitable resale opportunity is the mirror image of the ripoff-only seller. I imagine it is frustrating to post an ad on Craigslist because I often see "no, I don't want any help selling"; apparently some people call every single seller trying to make some sort of commission off their transaction, and I'm sure that some people call on almost every ad and offer a crazy low price (2013 5-series, 27,000 miles...red with saddle interior: yeah, I'll give you $9500 CASH...I said CASSSSSHHHH (I think I have an obnoxious co-worker who does this).
Both the bad-faith seller and bad-faith buyer are both fixated on hardball win-lose haggling as a battle of the wills, with no consideration to objective standards of what constitutes a reasonable market price. Yes, price guides vary, and no, they're not gospel, but they're some indication of what a reasonable price is. Completed eBay auctions offer a very good indication.
A local dealer in a bad part of town has a 2004 (12 years old) van with 158k miles. It's not horrible, but the driver's seat is kind of ripped. CARFAX has no data since 2013 and shows an accident in 2008 shows an accident.
Edmunds says $3k dealer retail, KBB says $4940 - $7453 with a typical asking price of $7447 and a fair purchase price of $6197.
What is the dealer's asking price? $10995. So just about double what it's worth. A little room for negotiation is one thing, but this is crazy. Even if I did want it, I don't have time to spend 10 hours bare-knuckle waterboarding session with a professional. And I really think they'll end up taking it to auction ("dealers only", or course) rather than accept somebody's reasonable offer.
But yeah, the Internet doesn't make this much easier; it seems to enable a lot of bad-faith time-wasting on both the bid and the ask sides.
