Female needs buying advise. Are we surprised :)

Kali925 · 07-19-2012, 05:40 AM

So heres the deal, I will be losing my truck soon to do a bankruptcy but it's all good because this is going to help me out.

But.... in the meantime, I need a car.

I am a focus girl. I have had three Ford Focus hatchback models.. Now I am looking at a Focus LX ... I need some advise tho from someone who can help me to figure out if its worth it.

2001 Ford Focus LX
243,000 Miles.

The body looks good but the owner says the door handles keep breaking, the passenger door does not open from the outside. It needs for new tires which I have priced at approx. $280 + state sales tax. It also needs a timing belt.

This is where I am worried. I know nothing about timing belts. My husband doesn't do cars... he just drives them, lol. For this car what am I going to expect to pay to have this replaced?

The owner as agreed to take the car, at my expense, to the place we service our truck. They said they do a basic check to see if the car was kept up with on maintenence.

Does this timing belt issue sound like a deal breaker?

The owner is asking $1400. I told him since I have to replace the tires I need him to come down, we didn't talk specifics but he needs to sale quick so he has a mortgage payment. (We are both in the same bad debt boat).

If anyone could recommend anything that would be SO AWESOME!

Thanks,
Kali925

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02fordsvt · 07-19-2012, 07:42 AM

If it has an SPI engine, stay far away from that car with those miles; it's a ticking time bomb before the engine gives up for good. If it's a zetec, it doesn't sound to bad but I think you can still do better.

***sleepyboy*** · 07-19-2012, 07:47 AM

Welcome to the forum

I'd stay away from it personally. It's got a quarter of a million miles on it, needs a t-belt, tires, and who knows what else. Unless he gives it to you for 500-800 bucks max, just to get you buy till you can save up for a few thousand dollar more car. Try to find one with a zetec if you can. Those take well to high mileage if taken care of.

Also if you ever want to save money and work on it your self we have a massive How To archive to look through here

Kali925 · 07-19-2012, 08:11 AM

Thanks, guys!

I am supposed to talk to the guy again tomorrow and I am going to ask him about the engine. Do you all have any more really smart sounding questions I can ask and what the answers should be to make this car worth it?

To be honest, I don't have much money right now and I am looking for a quick buy to last me at least 18 months... maybe not that long but at least 8-10 months for sure!

Any more information you can provide is extremely helpful. Thank you.

Snyper · 07-19-2012, 09:18 AM

If you are looking for something to last you that long, I'd definitely consider other options. But it also depends how much you drive. That's a ton of mileage already and I know for me, within 8-10 months I'd be adding a ton more miles to it and it would probably keel over. Plus, you gotta throw tires on it. $500-$800 is a good number like someone already said. If it was me, I wouldn't pay more than $600 and I'd just wait for a better option with less miles.

Elizabeth · 07-19-2012, 09:51 AM

Seriously NEVER allow your vehicle to be repossessed.
Do ANYTHING you can to keep it. In a bankruptcy you can ask to keep the vehicle if you owe money on it.
(the best is to owe just about what it is worth)
You just 'reaffirm the loan'.
The problem with allowing the vehicle to be taken is you will NEVER be able to get a car loan again from ANY reputable place NEVER, seriously... NEVER.(so your options drop to Craigslist cars, and "JD Buyrider Hellhole cars"...for the rest of your life).
Seriously. I have done bankrupcies twice. And kept the car.

Just last year i have zero problems going into a dealer and buying a brand new car $22,000. No money down Even the tax on the loan, no trade in... and got the lowest available financing rate ...Even though my last bankruptcy is STILL on my credit report, I could DO this because I NEVER allowed my car to be repossessed, i kept it and reaffirmed the loan.
This really matters in our car crazy society.
Even if you have to get a loan on the truck equal to it's value and use the money to cover part of the bankrupcy DO IT.
Having that ability to show you can hold on the a vehicle No MATTER WHAT, really matters.

If it really is totally impossible to hold on to the vehicle, try to sell it instead of allowing it to be repossessed. WAY better.
(another bad thing is closing your current checking account. A lot of sleazy lawyers tell you to close it NO! you do not have to, and by keeping it open, you will still HAVE a checking account. Getting one after closing it and doing a bankruptcy is Hell. (The ONLY reason for closing it is to make the lawyer less work, which IMO is crap.)
I have had the same checking account through two bankruptcies, no problem, and at a first class top line bank, no problems at all.

This is just my experience.
And for any planning on insulting me for going through a bankruptcy, get lost.

Pennut · 07-19-2012, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

Seriously NEVER allow your vehicle to be repossessed.
Do ANYTHING you can to keep it. In a bankruptcy you can ask to keep the vehicle if you owe money on it.
(the best is to owe just about what it is worth)
You just 'reaffirm the loan'.
The problem with allowing the vehicle to be taken is you will NEVER be able to get a car loan again from ANY reputable place NEVER, seriously... NEVER.(so your options drop to Craigslist cars, and "JD Buyrider Hellhole cars"...for the rest of your life).
Seriously. I have done bankrupcies twice. And kept the car.

Just last year i have zero problems going into a dealer and buying a brand new car $22,000 down Even the tax on the loan, no trade in... and got the lowest available financing rate ...Even though my last bankruptcy is STILL on my credit report, I could DO this because I NEVER allowed my car to be repossessed, i kept it and reaffirmed the loan.
This really matters in our car crazy society.
Even if you have to get a loan on the truck equal to it's value and use the money to cover part of the bankrupcy DO IT.
Having that ability to show you can hold on the a vehicle No MATTER WHAT, really matters.

If it really is totally impossible to hold on to the vehicle, try to sell it instead of allowing it to be repossessed. WAY better.
(another bad thing is closing your current checking account. A lot of sleazy lawyers tell you to close it NO! you do not have to, and by keeping it open, you will still HAVE a checking account. Getting one after closing it and doing a bankruptcy is Hell. (The ONLY reason for closing it is to make the lawyer less work, which IMO is crap.)
I have had the same checking account through two bankruptcies, no problem, and at a first class top line bank, no problems at all.

This is just my experience.
And for any planning on insulting me for going through a bankruptcy, get lost.

A lot of people go through bankruptcy now that never thought they would have to because of the lousy economy. Another option may to be to get someone to take over the payments. The bank will probably want someone with good to excellent credit though and it probably won't be the easiest option. But it's an option. Good luck

Kali925 · 07-19-2012, 11:16 AM

Elizabeth, I am not one to judge so no worries.

This is not our first repo, it's a third. The first was taken in 2010 when I couldn't make the payments when I lost my job. The second was because I gave us my car to save my husbands truck which is what I drive now. I got the second car without hassel even with the previous repo being on my credit. My attorney, he is the son of a father/son duo in my sister has assured us that in 18 months we won't have a problem getting a car but I'm not getting a new car under loan. The plan is to save what I pay normally for the truck/insurance and in 18 months by a new-to-me car with outright cash.

But in the mean time I just need wheels to get me to and from work which is 32 miles a day round trip. The grocery and walmart is on my way home, literally, so I'd only be putting 160-200 miles a week on the car. The added 40 is simply to drive to the store on the weekend or what not.

As for the option to put it in someone elses name, we have no one with the credit needed to refinance into their name without a co signer. We are going with what our attorney is suggesting and considering he is one of the top ones in my city I'm not too worried. I never anticipate to get another vehicle on loan, ever again. I don't like the payment and that's really the only reason why I don't want to.

Thank you again for being honest with me.

I appreciate everything that everyone has told me. I think I am going to pass the buck on this car and go elsewhere! Thanks guys and gals!