cars for kids

[clyde]

Originally Posted by robg

Honestly, your mom's Lexus seems like the most intriguing option. How much would she sell it to you for? If its in the ballpark of the other options that would give a used car with known provenance and a strong reupation for reliability that would likely give your daughter something to drive past the 2 year mark.

The best thing about it is that it's low miles. If it's something that would work, it should be a solid driver for a very long time.

Whatever I spend on it, it's a $14k (+/-) car. If I bring that back here, then I will also need to figure out some kind of comparable opportunity for my younger daughter. It's one of the things my wife and I have to sort through.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by ZBB

I wouldn’t deduct $2k for reserve for future repairs - sounds like you already expect to pay for repairs going forward.

Is that an offer to cover up to $2k of anything I have to do to get it to pass inspection in the first 60 days after?

I got lucky buying this car in that I didn't need to put any money in right away or pay to have it inspected (since the seller did it before I bought it...super rare these days on beater class cars). The BMW needed some Monday.

I don't think I can buy a car like this without it part of the equation.

If you could get something for $5-7k, it sounds like a wash with repairing the current car via engine swap…

That's my rough conclusion, too. Given that, I'm pretty inclined to go with a swap.

[clyde]

I think I've made the decision to buy a used engine and have the shop put it in. I don't know that I know the best/right way to buy a used engine and get it to where I need it be.

How do I find or choose a used engine? Or how do I figure out who to buy one from?

Some places with websites say their prices include shipping (if shipping to a business that can unload it off the truck), others don't say anything. Some places are close enough to go get it (if I can borrow someone's truck). Some specifically say that they've tested the engines, some don't, but I don't know how to verify? JV said something about doing an oil analysis, but I'm not sure how to make that happen. Some seem to have surprisingly decent warranties on used engines and others really get some heavy mileage out of "limited" in "limited warranty" while others are silent (which makes me assume they're as-is).

I can feel myself falling into buying from a place after calling because the vibe and price feel right...which basically boils down to taking a $3k leap of faith.

Any thoughts?

[John V]

I mean, it's hard to know what you're getting. The easy answer (but isn't necessarily correct), is to find a shop that does an actual compression test, and buy the lowest mileage engine they have. LKQ auctions on eBay are a good option. There are lots of "local" salvage yards if you include Pennsylvania, I'm happy to provide truck services if that's helpful.

[Terri Kennedy]

Originally Posted by clyde

Any thoughts?

Nothing useful...

The last time I bought a used engine (1970's) I went to one of the local junkyards. They had 2 prices - one for picking it up at the office, and another much lower price if they just told you where in the junkyard the donor car was and you had to go pull it yourself. Picking a "good" one involved looking the car over to make sure it was junked for some obvious other reason and hadn't been in the yard long enough to have a tree growing through the bumper.