Efficient, cheap beaters! Used car ads: 35 mpg highway or more for $1500 or less

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Xist

Oh! You sold the battery for $250, or... will you please clarify #697?

Yes, I sold the battery!
There are many other parts that I should be selling....

[MetroMPG]

So is it worth buying an 04 Prius for $1k just to part out?

[Xist]

I would enjoy reading about your adventures parting out a Prius.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

So is it worth buying an 04 Prius for $1k just to part out?

Probably! The two catalytic converters are worth over $600 alone.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Xist

I would enjoy reading about your adventures parting out a Prius.

I do things so slowly that it wouldn't be interesting! But I'll at least give you the start of the story!

An older woman I know crashed her 2006 Prius into a parked vehicle at night, totally destroying the whole front end on the Prius. Last December, I think. My neighbor, who had sold her the car, got it back from the towing company and put it in his family's junkyard. I've gone up to the junkyard a few times to collect parts. Some parts were given to Prius-driving friends in need. I sold the battery for $250. I have not sold the other parts yet. I have to split the profits with my neighbor. Now you're all caught up!

[Xist]

When I started to read the story I thought it deserved its own thread, but I guess this will do. Is this a conventional junkyard, run by a family, or do they park their old cars there, and occasionally remove parts? How many parts have you distributed from this Prius? What other parts are you trying to sell? How much do you think you could have gotten for the parts that you gave away?

[Gasoline Fumes]

So many questions!

It was a somewhat conventional junkyard at one time, but the guy running it (neighbor's brother/brother-in-law) is retiring. Most of the cars are gone. I gave away the rear washer nozzle and antenna base. I gave my mother the touchscreen, hers stopped working. Those touchscreens go for at least a couple hundred dollars, if I remember correctly. A friend went up there and got some parts for himself, I don't remember what he took. I need to go back and get the cats and the steering column. The electric power steering is apparently a popular hotrod power steering setup. Dash trim, radio and the donut spare are other higher value parts.

A search on eBay for sold listings of used parts for a specific car is how I decide what parts are worth selling.

I'm keeping the backup camera for myself! And I put the antenna mast on my Insight!

[MetroMPG]

In response to me asking what the $1200 Prius needs to pass a safety inspection, the owner replied:

Hi, The frame needs some work. The car just keeps on going - probably could get another 100,000 kms

So... I may go have a peek to see just how bad the rust is.

[MetroMPG]

It appears to live at a good home:

[MetroMPG]

I just got back from looking at that Prius.

It does indeed live at a good home, 2nd owner, stacks of maintenance receipts, and the seller seemed honest & trusting -- he threw me the key and went back inside because it was sprinkling a little bit when I got there.

It's too rusty though - easily the rustiest Prius I've ever seen. I brought my ramps to get a good look underneath -- it's spread well beyond the rockers themselves into structural elements and the rear floors.

Note to Prius owners (and everybody else not in the dry south):rust-proof your frickin' cars! Thread: 2004 Toyota Prius body rust / corrosion (rocker panels, front fenders)

It's probably repairable, but it's a pretty big job. Maybe even bigger than fixing the floors in the MPGiata. I don't need that big a project, and I told him as much.

He actually said, "please feel free to make me a lowball offer." I've never had a seller say that before.


So if anybody wants a high miles, rusty Prius for ~$500, have at 'er!