Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General new zx3

tried out a new focus tonight on the auction test track and it felt like quality stuff. plenty quick and tight. handled much better than i thought it would. i may bid on it at the thursday morning sale. much faster that i thought it would be since it has the same motor as the zx2 i have on my lot. it felt faster and i thought it weighed more.

What kind of auctions do you buy cars at? Is it those "government auctions" I always see advertised in the paper? Is there some sort of special dealer auction that only dealers can go to? I wanna get a beater car, for really cheap, any recomendations?

no government auctions for me!! that is where stupid people go. any auto auction that the public can go to usually has only junk. i go to dealer only auctions. there are two manhiem auctions in houston and that is where i go. no retail buyers are supposed to be allowed. this is the same company auctions your local dealers go to. generally, individuals do not have a real handle on what a car is actually worth so it is hard to buy at a public auction. you are bidding aginst unimformed individuals who most of the time pay way over what something is worth and they think they are getting a good deal just because it is at auction. this focus was an off lease car belonging to ford motor credit. i may bid on it tomorrow and hope i get it but i will be bidding against other ford dealers, carmax,etc. they have much more money than i do so they usually win :rolleyes:

By that you mean retail buyers can get in and how do I do it?

bkent, if you want a really good cheap beater car, buy any escort built after 1991. these cars are actually mazda protoge designs and are really dependable and cheap. if you can find a gt, they are actually a lot of fun to drive. motor mounts are the only problem but they are cheap to buy and install. 93 and newer have 134a freon so that is a plus when it comes time to repair your ac. nissan sentras are also cheap to buy if you buy the old body style of 94 back and any nissan is a long life car and nissan repair parts are relitively inexpensive. avoid mitsubishi because the repair parts are way expensive. why not an old coutique, how much cheaper a car is that. get a zetec with mtx and enjoy the drive in a cheap beater that does not look or feel it. buy from an individual but never pay more than nada wholesale because he is only able to get much less than loan as a trade in. check your local independent dealers for these type of cars and shop from one that has been in business for a few years as he is more inclined to make sure you get a good one so he will be in business a few more years. a dealer will probably be a litte higher than an individual but the cars are generally detailed and all the repairs needed are made. check the web sites of the cars you are looking at to see the common problems that you need to look for on your particular car. this site has helped me so much on my car lots contiques.