Good deal?

Hey all,

I have the opportunity to buy a 1995 Mercury Sable for 50 bucks. It is from a friend of mine, and is also a vehicle I have used. There is only a couple of things wrong with it.


Windshield cracked badly.
Unusually high fuel consumption.
Starts without a key.
Passenger side front door handle broken.
Something wrong with driver’s side window
Driver side door won’t latch.
I am sure there are other things wrong, but I believe I can fix all this. My question is, would it be worth it, and would the fuel consumption be something to be worried about, or do you guys think it would be something that would nickel and dime me to death? :banghead:

Thanks

I don't think it'll work for very long and I wouldn't try repairing it, but for $50, its hard to go wrong buying any car.

depends on the milage and the maintence it has recieved. but lets face it it is a 50$ car.

any check engine lights?if not

so... you can try to do a major tune up and see if that corrects the gass milage. and i mean change most of all tune up stuff. such as change spark plugs,plug wires, pcv valve, air filter,oil,oilfilter,check for badbelts. check timing. (but it is computer controled) dump in some injectorcleaner. then after that tank full is burned off change fuelfilter. all this should return the car to opitimum fuel economy if not the check engine light should be on.


the rest is nickel and dime stuff that is easy to fix.

1.) Call a glass shop and ask how much it would cost to replace the windshield with new glass and with used glass.

2.) See if there are any codes stored in the computer. A bad O2 sensor is an example of a part that can affect fuel economy. Take a look at a couple of the spark plugs. Look at the air filter.

3.) Why does it start without a key? Call a local wrecking yard to see what it would cost for replacement parts to fix the ignition lock.

4.) Call the wrecking yard and see what a used passenger door handle will cost.

5.) You need to find out what is wrong with the driver's window so you can call about replacement parts if necessary.

6.) Why doesn't the door latch? Is the latch stuck and need serious lubricating or is the latch damaged? Is the door out of align? Was the car in a wreck?

After you have really determined what is wrong with the car and what it would cost to fix, you will be able to decide if it is worth spending any money on and what things are really worth fixing.

Don't forget to inspect the braking system.

Years ago my cousin bought a car for $100-. He put $700- into it making repairs. Total spent $800-. About a year later he sold the car for $1300-.
Car needed a tune-up, clutch, u-joints, tires, oil change, and brakes. He made a time consuming inspection so that he would not have any surprises.