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How reliable are the vehicles that they have for sale in asset auctions? My home town has about 10 or so pickup trucks that are being auctioned off by the city. I do not have a truck and need one badly. Has anyone had any problems buying a vehicle from city auctions?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
that could vary from town to town and even vehicle to vehicle. I'd suggest examining them, put your finger in the exhaust pipe and check for smut, get under it and look for oil leaks, loose bolts, loose drive shaft/u-bolts, broken wires, bent stuff, anything that might catch your eye. Ask also if you can view the maintenance records.
Rural scrapper
I have never bought one thru one of these auctions but I wouldn't pay much for any seized or repo vehicles. Very risky venture I would say but ya never know might get a good pickup out of the deal. I wouldn't even think bout it unless your very mechanically inclined. A good mechanic can usually figure out within a few minutes the overall condition of the pickup and how's its been cared for, if thats above your abilities I'd stay away.
Alvord iron and salvage
3rd generation scrapper and dam proud of it
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
were these city owned vehicles or confiscations?
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personally i always stay away from vehicles that belonged to a municipality or a rental agency. The people that drive these things dont own them and typically treat them worse than if they did. The "scheduled" maintenance job done on them is no substitute for buying from a private individual that took care of his possessions. You might get a low price but a major problem under the hood would put you in a hole very fast.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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you'll probably find more of that on computers than in exhaust pipesOriginally Posted by Bear
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I have bought many vehicles from government agency auctions and you can get some really good deals but either you or someone you know and trust needs to go over the vehicle top to bottom. Crawl under it, start it up, drive it if the auction allows you to, you want to know everything you can before bidding. Also don't be scared of "non running" vehicles if you or a friend are a competent mechanic, most agencies mechanics are terrible and i have seen "non running" vehicles go for stupid cheap and the person who bought fixed it at the lot and drove it home that day its just a matter of having a trusted competent mechanic with you to spot the little issues that others overlook.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I would start by knowing what scrap price for it is and go from there. also what it would cost to make a trailer out of it. If you can part it and "scrap" it out for $500 buy it for that and if it lasts a week you aren't out anything and get a "bonus" of a weeks work out of it.
BTW, I worked for a road crew and some of the summer "high school" help would walk by the trucks and hit them with a hammer - just because. You never know what was done to it.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
alrighty, stick yer finger in the back of a computer before you buy it thenyou'll probably find more of that on computers than in exhaust pipes
ANY auction= stuff for cheap
Missed out on a 87 c70 chevy for $700 at a public auctionRunning and driving
Rural scrapper
Yeah auctions can be a good place to score Some deals but often have seen pissing matches then drive the price stupid high before too. With that said would go there with a clear limit of what your willing to spend and not go a dime higher
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depnds on the auction if a 95 is mixxed in with a lot of 87 and 88 trucks RUN AWAY fast as it shows they are getting rid of end of life vehicles
newwer but higher milleage i"ve had luck with caveat empor my friend because in my experience i've junked more than have run outta them
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They are city owned vehicles.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
then they should have clear maintenance records, which will tell a lot about the vehicle. I really don't buy the part that city vehicles have been run into the mud, have you ever seen one driving anywhere fast? (except maybe to lunch? ) And you certainly don't want to get behind one at 2 oclock, when they can't get back to the yard before 3:15 ; )
the same still holds true with every gasoline vehicle you'll ever consider owning, your first check should be a finger in the tailpipe (presuming it isn't busted midway somewhere, allowing the exhaust to exit elsewhere) If it comes out coated in sut you don't want it
Last edited by Bear; 10-04-2012 at 01:05 AM.
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Really? Check for smut? Like an old rolled up copy of Hustler or something? I ain't fallin' for no bannanna in the tail pipe.
"64K should be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates 1981
http://www.treasurecoastelectronicrecycling.com/
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I always wear gloves when handling hard drives...just in case lol
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
I work for a municipality and I can tell you without a doubt we beat the **** out of our vehicles.
I am not afraid to buy something that has lived a hard life.
I understand maintenance.
That and i cant help but dent and scratch every truck i touch, shiny paint is over rated.
Old trucks are cheap. Parts are cheap/scrap and anyone can do the work. You just have to put in the time
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If the price is right I'm all in.
I'm thankful my wife hasn't tried to trade me in yet.
Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesaler
Certified Zip-Tie Mechanic
"Give them enough so they can do something with it, but not too much that they won't do nothing."
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