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buying a car before next weekend.... doable?

N

notfred

Lifer
I want to get a used car. I'm not real picky, but it's going to be something like a 98-2000 focus/civic/corrola/cavalier/other small car in this category...

I want to spend maybe $6000 to $7000, I need to finance the car, hopefully at a decent interest rate, And I want to know if you guys think it's realistic to pick up the car by friday the 18th?

I'm not an expert on buying cars... I've never actually bought one from a dealer, and never on a short timetable like this.
 
when i bought our jeep, the guy could have gotten it to me the next day, but we went on vacation instead. You will probably get a better rate through your bank than the dealer, though. That may add one day to your time table.
 
I don't mean to say that I need the dealer to finance it, or even that I have to buy it from a dealer, jsut that I'll actually be looking at dealers which is not my normal method for buying cars.
 
dealer would sell you the car today if they have it on the lot. and if they don't, they'll try to sell you a different one.
 
Sure, why not?

Most (uninformed) buyers walk into a car dealership without any real intent of buying a car, and 4 hours later they have traded theirs in and are driving off in something new. Seriously.

It takes anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours to actually "buy" a car. If you arrange financing ahead of time and show up with a check, you can cut that time in half.

If you're smart, you've used the internet to pick out exactly which cars you're interested in, you already know how much you're willing to pay for them, and the only reason to go to a dealer is to test drive a handful of models that you've narrowed your search down to. Then just sign the check over to them, fill out a bunch of nonsense paperwork, and you're done.

 
private party will take longer because you will have to do all the dirty work of getting the title, getting plates, etc. The seller will have to have the lien signed off as being paid, if they owe money.
 
It's definitely possible. If you're using a bank/credit union for the loan, I would start the financing process ASAP to make sure all the paperwork can be completed in time.

You'll have to spend some time looking around to find what you want, but the type of car you're looking for should be in plentiful supply.

Finally, you'll need to allow some time to make sure the specific vehicle you are interested in is in good mechanical condition. I know you have some knowledge in this area but it might still be a good idea to have a local shop check it out thoroughly for you. If it turns out there is a problem, that will add a few days to your search because you'll have to find another vehicle and then have that one checked out.

I think you can accomplish all this in that time frame, although it will require a lot of your time over the next week or so. Good luck.
 
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
private party will take longer because you will have to do all the dirty work of getting the title, getting plates, etc. The seller will have to have the lien signed off as being paid, if they owe money.
Click to expand...
That's not true at all. Notice notfred said that he was financing his new car? That means that his bank/lender handles all those details same as if he went to a dealer. They get the title, plates, etc. The ONLY time the seller/buyer have to go through all that (minimal) hassle (when compared to the fact that private party book is usually 10% or more under dealer book) is when a seller with free-and-clear title is selling to a buyer who is paying cash.

edit: notfred, definitely get your financing approved NOW. Because you are buying a used car, there is absolutely no reason to use the dealer for your financing, and actually you want to avoid dealer financing in order to get the best deal and have more negotiating leverage. Go to your bank or credit union. Approval shouldn't take more than a day, then you can shop the car lots and the classifieds.
Of the cars you mentioned, I recommend either a Civic or an Impreza 2.5RS (if you can find one at that price). I would avoid the Focus and Cavalier.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
I want to get a used car. I'm not real picky, but it's going to be something like a 98-2000 focus/civic/corrola/cavalier/other small car in this category...

I want to spend maybe $6000 to $7000, I need to finance the car, hopefully at a decent interest rate, And I want to know if you guys think it's realistic to pick up the car by friday the 18th?

I'm not an expert on buying cars... I've never actually bought one from a dealer, and never on a short timetable like this.
Click to expand...


Well if you got a Saturn or Cav you could prob. get a new one if you take into account the $4000 off AND the 0.0%.

 
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
private party will take longer because you will have to do all the dirty work of getting the title, getting plates, etc. The seller will have to have the lien signed off as being paid, if they owe money.
Click to expand...
That's not true at all. Notice notfred said that he was financing his new car? That means that his bank/lender handles all those details same as if he went to a dealer. They get the title, plates, etc. The ONLY time the seller/buyer have to go through all that (minimal) hassle (when compared to the fact that private party book is usually 10% or more under dealer book) is when a seller with free-and-clear title is selling to a buyer who is paying cash.

edit: notfred, definitely get your financing approved NOW. Because you are buying a used car, there is absolutely no reason to use the dealer for your financing, and actually you want to avoid dealer financing in order to get the best deal and have more negotiating leverage. Go to your bank or credit union. Approval shouldn't take more than a day, then you can shop the car lots and the classifieds.
Of the cars you mentioned, I recommend either a Civic or an Impreza 2.5RS (if you can find one at that price). I would avoid the Focus and Cavalier.
Click to expand...

I just bought a car from a private party 8 months ago and i had to do all the running around myself.

1. Get the loan(online)
2. Pick up check
3. Give check to owner
4. Have title signed to me(he owned it at this point)
5. Go to SoS for license plate and to issue the registration
6. Give a copy of the title and registration to the bank
7. Wait 3 months while they screw up my plate order 2 times.

 
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
I just bought a car from a private party 8 months ago and i had to do all the running around myself.

1. Get the loan(online)
2. Pick up check
3. Give check to owner
4. Have title signed to me(he owned it at this point)
5. Go to SoS for license plate and to issue the registration
6. Give a copy of the title and registration to the bank
7. Wait 3 months while they screw up my plate order 2 times.
Click to expand...
Hmm... maybe it has to do with your bank or different state laws. Online lender may have been the issue. When I bought or sold private party, we (buyer and seller) always went directly to the buyer's bank branch (usually US, WAMU, or a local CU), who would handle all the details in just a few minutes. Easier than going to a dealer. If I was buying, plates and registration would show up in them mail in a few weeks, bank kept the title. If I was selling, I just signed over the title to the bank and got the money on the spot.
 
What really helps is that you're pretty much a full fledged mechanic and you do a lot of the car inspection yourself. Just do a quick car fax check to make sure it doesn't have a nasty title and give a good look over. If the price is right, and you are pre-approved on the financing, you can easily make the deal in a day.
 
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