proper way to make an offer when buying a stang????

[the pony boy]

i have been looking to get another stang while my other one sits in the driveway awaiting completion.i check all the ads almost every day and have seen many that i would have got.most of the cars i am looking at are in the 2500-4000 dollar range i usually try to get as many pics and info on the car before i talk mony.my question is depending on price of course how do you make an offer to some one on a 3500 dollar car for example and not sound like an ass?my approach is usually go low and work up if there serious about getting the car sold.also alot of the cars are a bit away so looking at them in person with cash in hand is sometimes out of the question. thanks phil

 

[BLOWN 5.0 FOX]

there are a few ways to buy a car
one of course is to talk down the quality. Not to say you need to insult the owner, but be clear about the downsides of the car... mileage, oil leaks, preventitive maint needed etc. You dont need to be a tire kicker, just be sure you know what the car is worth TO YOU. Every owner asks higher than they want to get for it so never ever pay full price. Even when they said FIRM , if they want to sell it there is always room for bargaining.

another way is CASH, if you were to bring 2500 cash on a 3500/bo car, more than likely that 2500 would look alot more interesting in person rather than a verbal offer.

Bottom line is, the seller wants top dollar and the buyer wants it for next to nothing. The sale usually ends up somewhere in the middle, unless of course the owner doesnt need the money and/or there is other buyers interested.
Ideally, you will find someone who has had it for sale for several months to get the rock bottom price. But sometimes you get lucky!

GOOD LUCK

 

[the pony boy]

thats pretty much the way i was going about thing.the one thing thats hard is to go to see the cars with cash in hand.i live in putnam ny and i was ready to go as far as rochester ny(3-4 hours)to see a car.i know if i would bring x amont of dollars it akes things alittle differnt.im working on one rite now but the guy has chnged his original asking price and raised it ???? lol wtf thanks phil

 

[BLOWN 5.0 FOX]

ok another key point is bring a large friend and/or meet in public. cash in hand welcomed offers can be dangerous and you could easilly be mugged.

 

[1.8kmint]

The less talking you do the better. If you make the seller talk more you can find out about there situation. If they need to get rid of the car than thats more power to you to know... Work with people who need to sell their cars and make sure to remind them that they need to sell it. Once it becomes a burden on them to keep it, it becomes advantagous to you when offering

 

[stykthyn]

yeah, a couple of grand in cash is a huge motivator for a seller. I had a friend that said he wouldnt sell me his bike for less than 3500, I put 26 100 dollar bills in his face and he couldnt ****** them fast enough.
I always go into a car deal looking into things that need to be repaired and deduct the avg cost of that repair from the overall price. then I tell the seller what I found and point out the various flaws. remind them that I am interested in the item and then lay down a price based upon what I found during my inspection. most sellers cant fault you when you show them an obvious defect like warped brakes, smoking engine, or a worn clutch.
The biggest thing is to go into the deal knowing the maximum that you are willing to spend and not go over that amount. If you only have 3k and they want 3500 offer the full 3k. They will most likely take it.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I wasking asking 11.5K for a 97 Cobra back in 05. Nice car, only 63,000 miles, and I have this guy offer me 7,500. He didn't drive it or anything, so I wasn't too pissed off, but I was still insulted. I asked him is wrong with the car??? He told me that is all the money he had.....So I told him to buy a V-6. I later sold the car for 10K to a friend a couple months later.

 

[nisreo]

even some cash in hand helps. My mustang was up for 1400/bo. I showed up with $700 cash and a check for another 300 to be cashed in a week. Took the car home that day.

 

[mustangjoe87]

Mine wasnt even for sale, it had been sitting in a drive way for about 6 years and I went to the door and offered him 1600.

 

[the pony boy]

good advice guys.i always try to go low and see what happens but i dont want to piss anyone off.i have been insulted by some of the offers for my car and its not even for sale...lol