Craigslist good buys

[red kryptonite]

Originally Posted by The Producer

red car for red krypto

i'm assuming this is a new player and not one of the cars that sold last year

non JCW but still looks pretty great on the wheels

i havent seen this one yet, im guessing its a new player. i still want one

[underscore]

I've never bothered with an inspection nor dealt with a buyer who wanted to have one done. I'll do a check on the VIN and a history report to check for accidents and look over the mechanicals myself. My thinking was always for something common like an Accord or Camry, worst case even if the motor or trans pops there's loads available for not much more than the inspection would cost and you can swap those cars in a weekend anyways.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by is350

Genuine question for those who have experience buying used from private sale,

I have been looking on fb marketplace for a while now, saw 3 good examples of accord, camry and buick allure from the 2003 - 2009 era, all low mileage ranging from 120k to 180k km, all look well taken of with the pictures and the descriptions, all sold within 24 hours. all 3 listings were reasonably priced at $4500 - 5000

Are these buyers very mechanically experienced and just inspecting the cars on the spot and buying it right away?

Even if I am able to message the seller 1st, are there mechanic shops that allow me to schedule a same day inspection? I thought that's unreasonable no?

so for example: if I message a buyer today a few hours after the listing is posted, I schedule a test drive and viewing tomorrow. If I call the mechanic shop tomorrow, will they be able to fit me for an inspection tomorrow?

The best thing to do is to set aside $10K and buy the car for $5K. The difference you've set aside is for maintenance. $5K can go a long way for a Japanese car if you don't care about the brand names of the parts you might need, like suspension components or brakes.