Ever buy a preemptive parts car/mechanics special?

[Elkins45]

A guy on Facebook has a 2008 Scion xB with 219k miles for sale as a mechanics special. Based on the pix all the body panels are good as well as the interior. It runs but there’s a cloud of smoke coming out of the back in the video so something bad is going on inside that engine. He’s asking $900 and I’m not willing to pay that much, but if we can agree on a price I might be tempted to bring it home as a donor for my two others. In a wildly optimistic best case I can fix it. I’ve wanted to tackle a big project and this seems like a good simple engine to attempt a rebuild. In a worst case scenario I can get half of my money back towing it to the scrapyard.

I’m only going to make an offer if all the panels are intact and rust free.

 

[dishdude]

Scrap value is probably $600 so not much to lose.

 

[cptbarkey]

Good luck on negotiating. $900 is an ok price imo, and its unlikely to be around for very long at that price.

 

[AKhan87]

A guy on Facebook has a 2008 Scion xB with 219k miles for sale as a mechanics special. Based on the pix all the body panels are good as well as the interior. It runs but there’s a cloud of smoke coming out of the back in the video so something bad is going on inside that engine. He’s asking $900 and I’m not willing to pay that much, but if we can agree on a price I might be tempted to bring it home as a donor for my two others. In a wildly optimistic best case I can fix it. I’ve wanted to tackle a big project and this seems like a good simple engine to attempt a rebuild. In a worst case scenario I can get half of my money back towing it to the scrapyard.

I’m only going to make an offer if all the panels are intact and rust free.

very simple engine to rebuild, follow OEM Toyota manual for all the steps and torque specs.

I have done this many times, and I still want to do it, I simply don't have any space to do this anymore.

 

[TomYoung]

Good luck on negotiating. $900 is an ok price imo, and its unlikely to be around for very long at that price.

That would not be a meaningful negotiating stance.

 

[maduroman]

500 tops

 

[Nukeman7]

I would verify the OEM catalytic converter is intact before making an offer. That part alone may be worth $200-300 in recycled metal value.

 

[Elkins45]

Good luck on negotiating. $900 is an ok price imo, and its unlikely to be around for very long at that price.

It’s been listed for at least three weeks for what that’s worth.

 

[Wylie6G72]

I bought a '92 Plymouth Sundance Duster for $700. Running other than a bad fuel pump. 256,000 miles. No dents or rust, but paint was completely destroyed from the Texas sun. Robbed the manual transmission and wiring harness to convert my Shadow to manual. Robbed a bunch of interior stuff, airbag, etc. and sent it to its grave. She was tired, but she gave my Shadow a new lease on life by getting rid of that A504.

 

[Timmastertech]

My grand marquis and my plow truck are the only vehicles I have ever bought that were not mechanics specials, but I am a professional so its no big deal. I generally buy cars cheap that need work, fix them and run them til they cant be fixed anymore. Other than my 03 grand marquis I have never paid more than a grand for a car in my life.

 

[cptbarkey]

That would not be a meaningful negotiating stance.

Low balling isn’t either.

 

[D60]

I've owned plenty of parts cars for a running vehicle. Kinda fun IMO

 

[IndyIan]

I guess I probably did use around $1000-1500 in parts from my old smashed Focus wagon, onto my current one, but I was maintaining the old one pretty well, so it had newer shocks, struts, brakes, alternator, battery, headlight, etc...
It is handy for little odd parts on hand, like the hvac cables, hvac fan, fuses, light bulbs, and you get to practice how to take things apart.
Also the same things broke on both the cars at amazingly similar mileage as well, so an original parts car is likely to have the same parts nearly worn out as your own car.
I wouldn't drive very far to see a parts car with that mileage on it, and I would only take it if it had some newer parts that you are likely to use. Don't waste your time removing and installing 218k mile original shocks for example.

 

[BC1]

I have a wrecked parts car for my grand cherokee, drove enough to get on the trailer. Paid for itself in odd parts already.

If that 08 is compatible for your 2 runners getting it is a no brainer at a lower price. This is assuming the boss will let you drag another one home.

 

[brages]

Scrap value is probably $600 so not much to lose.

I sold a wrecked car last year for around $250 so $600 seems high to me.

 

[Elkins45]

Good luck on negotiating. $900 is an ok price imo, and its unlikely to be around for very long at that price.

You called it. He wouldn’t budge on the price.

 

[cptbarkey]

You called it. He wouldn’t budge on the price.

If it starts/runs (smoking aside) yeah kinda figured. I think your plan was solid though as a spare parts vehicle vs having to go to the u-pull-it. I have a fleet of UTVs to manage and wish I had a spare junker.

 

[maduroman]

It’s been listed for at least three weeks for what that’s worth.

Cause price is too high

 

[Elkins45]

If it starts/runs (smoking aside) yeah kinda figured. I think your plan was solid though as a spare parts vehicle vs having to go to the u-pull-it. I have a fleet of UTVs to manage and wish I had a spare junker.

Guy said if he didn’t sell it at $900 he was going to either part it out and probably make more money that way. He’s probably right.

 

[eljefino]

Back when I ran Saturns I did this a couple times. The scenario was more like I thought I could fix some $275 car but once I got into it figured it was better to part out. Kept things like engines, trannys, subframes then scrapped the rest. Didn't have dead cars littering my dooryard for longer than a month.