Thread: Buying Used Car Stories

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

I just wish I saved the original add for my Landy collection.
Any of the WA AULROians who have seen Black Betty in action will tell you she was a top buy!!!
Few more scratches and dings,she may get called UGLY BETTY!!!! I DONT THINK SO!!!!
Andrew

I found the online Trading Post ad for my Disco in my briefcase a few weeks ago. I was about to throw it out but decided to file it away in my Disco file
I'll be able to show people what it looked like before all the new dents and scratches.

Well I had purchased my first Land Rover, a Disco 1 unintentionally...
I went to the auctions specifically to purchase a nice sounding Series 80 Land Cruiser....
Unfortunately this car was the last car to be auctioned so I resigned to the fact that I had better get my butt back to work as I only had a couple of hours off...
While sitting watching the cars go by, a 1997 Disco 1 popped up and sparked my interest...
Very clean and good nick, 300TDI etc and 170k

Bidding started at 3.5 or so and I ended up putting in a bid or two and getting it for $5500... I was pretty happy (the first and only time)...

Anyway I drove it back to work and straight away began to overheat

I work in Melbourne and live out near Ballarat so I really had no choice but to nurse it back home....

I got it most of the way back home until I hit the Pentland Hills out of Bacchus Marsh which is a long climb of 5km at least and is a car killer (if you have any sort of overheating/head gasket probs)...

Well everything was well until I hit the hills, it cooked the engine in an instant so now the engine is in the process of being rebuilt... The Mech said it has had a leaking head gasket for quite a long time... Bastards!
Anyway I did enjoy the beast while it was going and I am hold with luck I will have her back this weekend....

So $5500 to drive about 35km - Great Value!

You buy at auction and you willingly accept the risk. "As is, where is, with all faults and many". No rego, no safety certificate, no warranty is the norm at most vehicle auctions, and generally no inspection possible. You have to trust your own judgement of quality and value. The vehicle is yours on the drop of the hammer and you are legally obligated to pay for it and remove it from the auction site, and insurance responsibility is yours as from that moment.

At one time in my motor industry career I attended four auctions a week in Sydney on behalf of a group of Brisbane used car dealers. you saw the good, the bad (cars), and the downright stupid (buyers). If you are planning to buy a car at auction, go to several as an observer and watch what the dealers are prepared to pay for, and how much. You will soon recognise the makes and models that are regarded as dogs and not wanted in the yards. You will recognise the makes and models that are only wanted if they are bought as outright bargains. Old, untidy, and faulty trade-ins are commonly sent to auction. the old and untidy are not wanted at new car dealers used car divisions, these operations mostly nowadays not having cars older than five years or with >100,000 on the clock.

Originally Posted by teaBagger

Well I had purchased my first Land Rover, a Disco 1 unintentionally...
I went to the auctions specifically to purchase a nice sounding Series 80 Land Cruiser....
Unfortunately this car was the last car to be auctioned so I resigned to the fact that I had better get my butt back to work as I only had a couple of hours off...
While sitting watching the cars go by, a 1997 Disco 1 popped up and sparked my interest...
Very clean and good nick, 300TDI etc and 170k

Bidding started at 3.5 or so and I ended up putting in a bid or two and getting it for $5500... I was pretty happy (the first and only time)...

Anyway I drove it back to work and straight away began to overheat

I work in Melbourne and live out near Ballarat so I really had no choice but to nurse it back home....

I got it most of the way back home until I hit the Pentland Hills out of Bacchus Marsh which is a long climb of 5km at least and is a car killer (if you have any sort of overheating/head gasket probs)...

Well everything was well until I hit the hills, it cooked the engine in an instant so now the engine is in the process of being rebuilt... The Mech said it has had a leaking head gasket for quite a long time... Bastards!
Anyway I did enjoy the beast while it was going and I am hold with luck I will have her back this weekend....

So $5500 to drive about 35km - Great Value!

That is hard luck.

It is a bastard of a thing to do. I don't think i could sell a car (morally) in that condition.

I would ignore what Brian said as he said it himeself he works in the motor traders industry...

Your here now and the forum is very helful in sorting out difficult problems.

Hope it gets back on the road.

That car with the stuffed engine was probably intentionally traded in that condition. Dont blame dealers for every pile of puss that goes to auction. Plenty of dealers have been dudded by unscrupulous buyers. when you are caught with a dog generally the best thing to do is cut your losses and send it to auction, or wholesale it to a bomb dealer

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

That car with the stuffed engine was probably intentionally traded in that condition. Dont blame dealers for every pile of puss that goes to auction. Plenty of dealers have been dudded by unscrupulous buyers. when you are caught with a dog generally the best thing to do is cut your losses and send it to auction, or wholesale it to a bomb dealer

Thats why the industry is soooo respected!!

Maybe so, doesn't make it right and doesn't mean you shouldn't be sympathetic.

More so, its probably not such an appropraite reply to someone with post #1!!!