the cheapest running car you have bought?

[jakeb]

make/model: 81 Toyota Corona (lux model)
price: $100
location: Michigan
from who: someone in a trailer...
description of the car: It was rust color and had a bunch of blended in rust as well. It had 282k miles and ran like a champ, leaked a bunch of oil tho. The plasic bumpers were held on with drywall screws....it had crazy moon style hubcaps. When I bought it it was fifthly inside and smelled like piss. Cleaned it up and it was an excellent car....the cruise even worked. Sold it to a friend for $100.

[F34R]

1986 Chrysler LeBaron~ free

[iamsam]

ha ha what a cool thread! Makes all my awesome car deals seem not so awesome...

Anyway here is my contribution:

1988 528e auto
Runs perfect, everything works, except the auto trans. It is deader than dead. I plan a 5-speed swap.

$250




But I think the best deal I ever got was this car below. Not the lowest price, but the best deal.

1987 535is, ONE OWNER, PERFECT condiction, flawless interior, everything worked, but the throwout bearing had exploded and the clutch was eaten. $350 for a new clutch, $100 for some E38 Style 5s, and $300 for some nearly new Yokohamas, and we have this:







Got this one for $400

[redsubdivisions]

-1992 E34 525i wagon w/illustrious M50 motor.
-Bought it for $800 in Naples, FL (where I was working at the time).
-Cold A/C, fire breath heating system, OBC works, heated seats work, power windows all around, cruise control, everything with 165K on the odometer.
-Needs some exterior TLC, but that's a slow work in progress.
-Bought it from my co-worker who needed cash really bad for his lawyer, so in exchange for this beast (yes, beast. It has had many engines tossed in the back of it, taken for 150 to 400+ mile road trips, and is an excellent dog transporter without any problems), I gave him $800 cash. I thought it was a pretty sweet deal. Now it's a daily for my woman and she loves it.

[IronJoe]

1987 c900 SPG (Special Peformance Group)

Price: $750

Had 165,000 miles when purchased. I did a few repairs (hood, bumper, core support, lights, grille) due to the PO's parking lot accident which was repaired poorly with zip ties and bungee cords. Replaced the hood and repainted it along with the sunroof which had peeling clearcoat. Refreshed front & rear bumpers with SEM bumper paint, replaced mismatched wheels with OEM SPG three-spoke wheels and did a tune-up. Had the headliner and interior panels reupholstured and sourced non-shredded driver's seat leather.

This was in 2007 and it's been running great ever since. Original engine, trans and turbo. Doesn't leak anything and has been incredibly reliable, I basically just put gas in it. Hauls a ton of stuff due to the hatch + flat-folding rear seats. Oh, and it gets 29mpg highway.


When purchased (note the misalignment of the entire front end)


Cool kids have a USA sticker



Getting ish done:


All lined up (with a dark green hood)



Painted, polished, and waxed:

[Cabriolet]

make/model 1989 Ford Aerostar
price $4000 in 1994
location NV -> CA
from who Grandpa
description of the car. we as a family put 320000 miles on it. it was 100% a pos. 3L autotrans. pulled the tent trailer. never any really issues. dad turned it in for cash for clunker. my dad spent maybe a few hundred bucks on the maintenance on the car, though out the life of it. only have a google maps pic of the car.

[MattM]

I got my car, and a 91 vert for free....

those are the 2 cheapest for me

[Cyrix2k]

define "running." My first car was $600, running, and inspected. It was a 1989 Caprice Brougham in great shape with 130k miles purchased in 2005. The e30 was $400, but it wasn't running due to a bad main relay. $13 later and it was driving.

[be34st]

My old E34.

1990 535iA. It wasnt the prettiest, But boy did it haul ass! Best $750.00 ever spent

[BoxDriver86]

I already hated you for owning it. Then I hated you even more when I read you got it for free. Then I read you traded it for an E36 and I nearly threw my computer off of my desk!

I learned to drive on my Dad's 780 Bertone and it would've been my first car if some idiot didn't forget how to fuckin brake. Car was rear ended and written off. If I was smarter I would've bought the car from the insurance company and paid to fix it. Slow as hell though...

Trust me, hindsight is 20/20. I had just gotten my first job out of college and wanted something a little more "corporate" but with a manual. I regret it every day as I ended up being bored out of my skull and ditched it for my e30. I sold it to a guy who runs a car dealership where I used to live who still has it and takes it to a bunch of Volvo shows.

You're right. It was stupid slow.

[1991318is1]

1987 325 is black on black 5 speed 2 sets of bbs wheels and new tires no rust , all power and chipped for 600 bucks

1992 vw fox wolfsburg 5 speed for free perfect condition just needed the water pump ,it was 20 bucks lol.

[Brian e30]

make/model?- bmw 1989 325i
price?- $670
location?- Florida , miami
from who?- craigslist
description of the car?- When I bought the car , it honestly was in very good condition for the price. The glove box was hanging , and there is a leak in the sunroof that doesnt work. the front struts needed to be replaced and one of the brake calibers . Other then that, she runs fine .. i dont have a pic because im waiting for the rims/springs to come in which will be within 2 weeks .. ahhhh :D

pictures is a plus!

[bimmershark]

1999 chevy metro 4 door auto with only 36k on it

paid 300 bucks for it

came with a missing front bumper cover and leaking fuel lines (but still ran!)

couple bucks for new lines and bam best cheap beater i have ever bought .. almost 40 mpg's ..i drove it for awhile traded it to my mom who sold it to my uncle...who traded it back to my mom who sold it to my aunt....who is still currently driving it

[ejnight]

86 325
Portland Oregon
$300 cash
Used Car sales man.
Was trashed and had a rod knock.
the add said it had euro weaves on it so I went to but it for them.
Turned out they where BBS RS 001 with new tires. I pulled the wheels and put on this set of I have paid $100 with new tires. and traded the car for $250 cash and a tanning bed for my wife.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...bluebmw009.jpg

[Bimmerista]

Someone that was moving out of state once gave me a 1990 BMW 525i for free and it was running, just barely however.

But one of the cheapest cars I've ever bought in recent time was a 91 318is for $220. The motor sounded good & it drove ok. It certainly needed work to be up to snuff. Ended up selling it for a profit 2 days later.



Back in 2001 or 2002, I bought an Audi 400 for $75. It needed a jump start every time though.