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

[Xist]

Could you fix it up and sell for a profit? I found the window switch and armrest bezel cheaper elsewhere, $40.25 shipped.

Weird. The Corolla ad says that it is cross-posted, but does not show the other posts. I showed Mom on her iPad and I was able to pull up the other posts.

All right. She posted it 21 hours ago. Eight people tagged other people and two people asked how bad the oil leaks, which I also asked, and she did not answer any of us. One person asked what is wrong with it and the owner told her the exact same thing she told me. Three people asked to see it. One person asked about emissions, which we do not have, and if it has a check engine light, which it allegedly doesn't. Then they chatted about how great manual transmissions are, but he doesn't live in the area. Three people just said that they were interested. One person asked if the vehicle just posted was still available.

After five hours the owner responded that she honestly does not know if it is safe for a road trip. I asked when I can see it and she responded that there are a couple of people ahead of me.

Is this a $600 car or are they in a hurry for some reason? KBB says that it is worth $1,276 in fair, $1,528 in good, and $2,006 in excellent condition. If I can fix the things worth fixing and make $500 that would really help me out.

The other thing is that my nephew turns 16 soon and we are convinced that my sister will buy him a car. If I told her that I had a nice-looking Corolla with a clear CarFax, inspected by the dealership, and I was in it for $800, she might pay me something for my effort, and my nephew would have something more reliable than my first car.

We are positive that they would want to spend thousands on him, although neither is working very much right now.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Xist

Could you fix it up and sell for a profit?

Nah, not likely, unless I sold it at an unfair price which I wouldn't do. Any money invested in that car wouldn't raise the value of the car beyond what money was put into it in parts. Flipping Insights is rarely profitable from what I've seen.

[Fat Charlie]

High efficiency ≠ high markup.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Xist

Pioneer CD player?

Ha! That's the same one that came in the Miata.

[Xist]

How about fixing up the Insight, sell it at a huge loss, and deliver it to Show Low, Arizona?

The Corolla sold.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

High efficiency ≠ high markup.

My Civic sold within a few days with 4 people interested in it, even though it was priced fairly and not cheap. Insights just aren't popular (although it just means more great deals for enthusiasts ).

Originally Posted by Xist

How about fixing up the Insight, sell it at a huge loss, and deliver it to Show Low, Arizona?

Well if you can live with a cracked windshield, a cracked dash piece, and can double clutch in 1st and 2nd to avoid the grinding then it shouldn't need any work! besides the common things that will eventually need replacing after 200K miles....brake lines, catalytic converter, grounds, 12V battery, etc. lol

[Xist]

I can fix many things, but you are aware of the time frames involved?

[Xist]

A 2001 with 240,000 miles and a bad inverter in Gilbert, AZ, probably a few miles from my sister's house. They recommend parting it out: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...155647877.html

[MetroMPG]

Sold!

Are you looking for yourself, or for something to fix & flip? WatchXistGo!

I have been looking at my favourite saved search for beaters about 1/3 as much since I got Mirage #2.

[Xist]

WatchXistStruggle!

I just want my two cars operating within specified parameters and ideally looking reasonably, but a $500 flip profit would be great.