First
you must learn to read between the lines of some of
those advertisements
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Description
|
Meaning
|
|
One owner
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Hertz
|
|
Ideal for enthusiast
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Total restoration needed
|
|
Slight attention needed
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Needs major overhaul
|
|
Good mechanics
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Bad body
|
|
Good body
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Bad Mechanics
|
|
Marriage forces sale
|
It can be done in a MG, they did, and
must get married
|
|
Stored two years
|
Most parts seized, grass in chassis
|
|
No dealers
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No body who knows anything about cars,
please
|
|
Collector's item
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Price is over-inflated
|
|
Good t tires
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That's all that is good about it
|
|
Excellent condition
|
Buyer beware
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Genuine reason for sale
|
I've got to dump it
|
|
Company car forces sale
|
I've got a better job and getting a
decent car
|
|
Baby forces sale
|
Can't pour any more money into this
thing
|
|
House forces sale
|
Neighbors complaining
|
|
In need of total restoration
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In pieces
|
|
Lack of time forces sale
|
Spent more time than it's worth
|
|
Dismantled for restoration
|
I can't put it back together
|
|
Slight accident damage
|
Total write off
|
|
OBO (or best offer)
|
I don't expect anything near the asking
price
|
|
Offers
|
I haven't the nerve to put a price on
the car
|
|
Used daily
|
High mileage and jillion things wrong
with it
|
|
Genuine mileage
|
Disconnected speedo-cable
|
|
Drives good
|
Looks terrible
|
|
Strong runner
|
same as above
|
|
Owned by careful lady
|
The others were maniacs
|
|
Will bargain
|
I'll get mad, you won't buy the car and
I'll hit you
|
|
Will consider trade
|
Anything to get out from under this
dog
|
Thank you Sandy Sanders Cambridge,
England
But
Seriously...
If your are anything like me, you get so excited
while looking at that "new" car that you forget all
the crucial questions. Print
out this link and take it with you when you go
to look at a potential car. It helps to make a more
objective analysis.
Prices
I think is silly to give a list of prices you
should pay for a car when there are so many
variables involved (condition of car, area of the
country, etc.) The only advise I have is that you
should buy the best you can afford. You can pay
$4000 for a nice car and maybe spend $1000 to make
it perfect, or spend $800 on a basketcase and
easily spend a lot more money and many years work
to get it to the same condition you could have paid
for in the beginning. Never underestimate the cost
of new parts or outside labor. A nice car probably
means more work you can do and less you will have
to farm out. Also, if you can find a pretty
complete "parts car", it will pay for itself many
times over.
Where
to Buy
Of course I recommend the "MG's
Only" classifeds for MG's and Sprites as well
as local newspaper classifieds.
mgcars.org
classifieds2000.com
collectorcartraderonline.com
www.carscene.com
Hemmings
Motor News makes a wonderful book of everything
auto related for sale, trade, wanted, etc. But be
warned. You will spend many hours drooling and
"shopping". Anyone remember the Sears Wish Book
that came out just before Christmas?
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