Is buying a £600 car worth it?

I currently have a VW Fox which I brought for £600 last march, getting rid off it in a couple of weeks, admittedly I didn't drive it all the time, but for the price I paid I could really not complain, plus the fact insurance without a black box was only 1.9K for a 18 year old first time driver was great, served me well, was brought with a few cracks and dents, however I did not mind, the car ran fantastically.

Is the price too low for a car?

It’s dependent upon its specs. So if it’s got current MOT, road tax, your insurance it all has a part to play.

In addition to the above point, it’s also dependent on the mileage the lesser the mileage of the car the higher the costs.

Hi to you too?

I didn’t want to de-rail the thread. Sorry!

My bad, I meant a year . Here’s the link to the car for more information.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/vauxhall/vauxhall-zafira-design-1.9-diesel-/1331469425#

You can get an ok car for £750. However, that particular one doesn't look worth buying. MOT is about to expire, mileage is high (not a problem if it's been serviced and maintained properly), the remark about suspected water pump leak suggests they already know that's what needs fixing but they're not willing to have maintenance done themselves, leading me to speculate that the cam belt also may not have been changed at the mileage specified by the manufacturer (usually that and the water pump are done at the same time, because the cam belt needs to be removed to access the pump and I imagine the belts probably need replacing more frequently). Last time I had a car and had the cam belt and water pump replaced, it cost me about £200. That was roughly this time of year in 2016.

holy shizz. So what do I need to look out for when I’m searching for a car?

holy shizz. So what do I need to look out for when I’m searching for a car?

That it has a recent MOT, and a full, documented service history, and ideally you have a friend who knows their way around a car.

Also buy it from a reputable dealer who provides a warranty.

Just buying it from someone off gumtree without knowing anything about cars is a recipe for a expensive mistake.

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Where can I buy it from then? I don’t have any friends who drive or family members.

Here’s an idea. Instead of using gumtree, use an auction website. That way you’re saving yourself a lot of money and possibly from getting scammed.

What you do is go on an authentic auction website. Find your ideal car, bear in mind, these cars are all being in accident so you can get a cat C/D car for at least £100-150 dependent upon the damage.

Fix it up by taking it to the garage, and you have saved yourself long term hassle. I myself went through this avenue back in 2016 and haven’t had no issues whatsoever.

A car dealer...?

where do I find them? I just want a cheap car...

holy shizz. So what do I need to look out for when I’m searching for a car?

You trolling? 👀

Honestly, I know next to nothing about mechanics and I'm sure somebody will interject with more useful information.

Basically I'd say that if you're looking to buy a car for less than a grand:
- Don't buy it if the MOT is valid for less than 6 months. The closer to 12 months, the better;
- There should be a service book with the logbook and registration documents, which should have stamps from garages for services at regular intervals. Sellers don't have to show that to you, but personally I'd ask to see it and if refused, wouldn't want to do business with them;
- Responsible car owners keep receipts for work which has been done on the car (e.g. parts which wear out and should be replaced regularly, like brake pads, cam/timing belts, tyres etc, batteries, exhausts rust and have to be replaced, also sometimes invoices for general servicing. Most of us would keep this stuff because it makes selling the car later much easier).

If they don't have that stuff doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad car or the seller is dodgy, but personally I'd look for a car from a seller who can provide those things. Or you could buy a car like that one and if it's still running in 3 months, you've had your money's worth and you're into the bonus round. Keep the oil, water, coolant and tyre pressures at the levels specified in the manual. Take it to a garage to be serviced every however many miles the manual specifies.

Why do u make me feel so dumb every time I talk to you?

I don't think that's anything to do with me, pal.