2o6 Flip Car thread!

[2o6]

Nothing is insurmountable, but some projects are not profitable.

Did you read my cost analysis? This may be my most profitable yet.

[GoCougs]

Kevin quoting Cougs about law immorality.  I've seen it all!

I agree btw.

All revolutions start small and in the darnedest places.

[2o6]

I made the mistake of telling my mechanic guy "I'm in no hurry" and it's been sitting two, almost three weeks.

[2o6]

I've been dragging my ass on the Cadillac. The semester ended, then I had finals, then I went on vacation, so it kinda sat. Plus the fact that my GM guy took a solid 4 weeks to get to getting the rack done.



The steering rack is in, but the body actually looks like shit, and the trunk is broken. The 3rd brake light and plate cluster has a leak that leaked through the 3rd brake light, down the back of the trunk, and rusted both sides of the trunk latch. I'm sending it to a body shop who will fix that and all the other niggles for $500-600.


I also made the mistake of buying $45 in parts for a brake switch when the car got stuck in park. Turns out the car won't let you shift out of park if the wiring for the 3rd brake light isn't plugged in. I had unplugged it to take off the side of the trunk latch. 


Cost analysis



$500 - Purchase Price

$240 - Labor for steering rack

$150 - New Battery

$40 - Brake light (switches)

$240 shipped - Window Regulator/motor, Intake Manifold gasket (you need to take off the intake to get to the coils and plugs and it's good practice to replace it once intake is off), Ignition coils (x2), spark plugs (x6)

$225 - steering rack (price shown after core return)

$95 - Trunk latch parts

Invested so far


$1490.


Still needs


Body work. The latch is severely rusted and beyond my desire to go it myself. Also, there are a few dents and dings that could use a little love. Also, the clearcoat is awkward in one place on the car.

Detail. It's kinda nasty in there.

3rd brake light cluster? I may be able to replace the neon (neon?  ) bulb in the plate cluster. Otherwise I may need to replace the whole assembly. It's easy to take out, but the part itself is expensive. I may have to repair and reseal it.


My max budget for this car is $2200. So far, I'm well under.

[veeman]

Your posts in this thread are my favorite in this forum.  I get a kick out of the details of your thought process and ingenuity. You downplay the time and effort it takes I think but all the more props to you.

I hate taking time out of my day to deal with car related maintenance and repairs. 

[2o6]

These are very flattering photos of this car, but it's now nearly done. I got the trunk latch repaired (I did it myself!) and I put on new plugs and two new coils and intake manifold gasket and now it runs like a dream. It holds most of it's fluids, has good tires and brakes, has a fresh alignment and ice cold AC


The bad

- CEL is on for an EVAP canister; I typically ignore EVAP CEL's mostly because they're annoying and typically don't affect drivability. Usually I can get the car to a 1/4 tank of gas and sell it with a clear CEL.

- This car was from rochester NY, and I've realized that fooling around with with the body work is a waste of time. I got the headlight replaced, but the screws to hold the bumper cover on (you must take the bumper cover off to remove headlight) are severely rusty (one broke off, the other three only just spin)

-I'm only in it about $1600 post detail, so I think selling it for $3000 is doable.

[AutobahnSHO]

"most of it's fluids"??

LOL

Nice work!

[2o6]

Listed

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5666874030.html

[ifcar]

Listed

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5666874030.html

You accidentally listed the fuel as diesel, FYI.

[2o6]

Sold - $2850


Profit - $1240

[SJ_GTI]

Sold - $2850


Profit - $1240

Damn, nice.

[FoMoJo]

Sold - $2850


Profit - $1240

That was pretty quick.

[ifcar]

Congrats!

[2o6]

I seem to have a common theme here

I bought another Vibe. I had it towed about 100 miles to my house.


2003 and 130K. Motor threw a rod.


The car is similar to the white one I sold in March, but this car was more expensive. However, it is not white. White Toyotas have the shittiest paint known to man, and after 6-7 years the clearcoat falls off and it's really chalky.


The body is pretty good, and it's got identical options to the one I had in March. Sunroof, AC, PL, PW, Cruise.







OK so cost analysis

$1000 - Purchase Price

$650 + tax = $689 - Engine

$500 - Engine Labor

$36 - registration/tax fees

$120 - detail


$2345 invested

Sell for $3500.

Projected profit - $1155.

[AutobahnSHO]

Did Vibes ever come with a manual??

BTW seems the more successful small used-car places specialize in certain types of vehicles. I once bought a Grand Caravan from a place that had ONLY Dodge/Chrysler minivans on the lot.  Others do trucks, some do imports.

[ifcar]

Did Vibes ever come with a manual??

They did, yes. Back before the Vibe would have been a crossover and thus exempted from the norm of offering one.

[2o6]

Did Vibes ever come with a manual??

BTW seems the more successful small used-car places specialize in certain types of vehicles. I once bought a Grand Caravan from a place that had ONLY Dodge/Chrysler minivans on the lot.  Others do trucks, some do imports.

Yeah. A 5MT (which is notorious for breaking synchros and clutch forks and trans bearings) that sucks, or a less-shitty, but poorly ratio'ed 6MT that came in the high-revving Vibe GT model.


The 4AT is pretty standard Toyota fare. I think the design of that box dates back to the 1960's or 1970's.

[veeman]

Small nitpicky detail but how much was the cost of towing 100 miles.  That's gotta be a lot. 

[2o6]

Small nitpicky detail but how much was the cost of towing 100 miles.  That's gotta be a lot.

AAA membership has a free tow up to 200 miles.

[ifcar]

Looking at the pictures again, the Vibe design has aged really well. It looks five years newer than it is, on the outside at least.

[AutobahnSHO]

Looking at the pictures again, the Vibe design has aged really well. It looks five years newer than it is, on the outside at least.

+1

[2o6]

Looking at the pictures again, the Vibe design has aged really well. It looks five years newer than it is, on the outside at least.

It doesn't look too bad on the inside, either.

[2o6]

Y'all know me, I can't pass up any late-model Toyota that doesn't run.



I bought a 2007 Yaris sedan today, for $1200. Seized motor.

[AutobahnSHO]

Y'all know me, I can't pass up any late-model Toyota that doesn't run

[2o6]

There we go. That's the only pic I have of it now.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah. A 5MT (which is notorious for breaking synchros and clutch forks and trans bearings) that sucks, or a less-shitty, but poorly ratio'ed 6MT that came in the high-revving Vibe GT model.


The 4AT is pretty standard Toyota fare. I think the design of that box dates back to the 1960's or 1970's.

Yeah, I detail a Matrix RS (or whatever the sporty one is...R? XR?) twice a year. 5-speed manual. Fun little car, and they have aged well for sure.  I swear the 6-speed in my A4 spoiled me on manuals, though.  Even a Toyota 5-speed just feels imprecise.  But it's one of the few manuals I get to drive each year now, so I love it anyways.

[ifcar]

Yeah, I detail a Matrix RS (or whatever the sporty one is...R? XR?) twice a year. 5-speed manual. Fun little car, and they have aged well for sure.  I swear the 6-speed in my A4 spoiled me on manuals, though.  Even a Toyota 5-speed just feels imprecise.  But it's one of the few manuals I get to drive each year now, so I love it anyways.

The five-speed would be the normal model, the XR. The XRS, with the more powerful engine, would have a six-speed.

[giant_mtb]

Ah, yeah, it's an XR.  Shows how much I know. Really do like it, though. The seats fold down nicely.  And it has the awesome 2000s era carpet in it that comes clean so easily.

[ifcar]

Ah, yeah, it's an XR.  Shows how much I know. Really do like it, though. The seats fold down nicely.  And it has the awesome 2000s era carpet in it that comes clean so easily.

What changed in the newer cars' carpet? Is it more cheaply made, or plusher in a way that retains dirt?

[Madman]

Ahh, yes.  That early-2000s carpet.  Ages like a fine wine, I tell you!

A masterpiece in polyester and nylon!  We'll never see the likes of it again.