Yesterday I auctioned off about 30 vehicles at a new impound lot in my area. For those unfamiliar with these places, impound lots are more or less tow companies that have contracts with state, local and county governments to pickup and tow vehicles around a given area. Many are abandoned cars that will simply be crushed while a few DUI and drug siezed vehicles will likely be given a new lease on life with a new owner.

Contrary to the glorified commercials and spam of the modern day though, most of these vehicles are over 10 years old and have a market value that is well south of 2k. When you buy one, chances are that you'll have to fix a variety of problems in order to get it back to peak condition. That's not a big deal if you know what you're doing... but you have to go into it with the expectation that the vehicle you buy may not work out in the end as anything more than a parts car.

I rarely buy at these sales. No more than 2 to 3 cars a year do I get, and it's only if the vehicle actually appears to had a good owner at some recent point in it's history. The list of variables I look at in addition to this is quite long which makes my acceptance parameters quite narrow. The VIN history, quality of the engine components, tires, whether the vehicle likely came from a buy here / pay here lot, cosmetic condition, powertrain condition, and most importantly the 'why'. Most of the buyers that come to these sales are either looking for profit or cheap transportation. For me it's usually to explore a type of vehicle that interests me for some reason or another. Yesterday it turned out to be a mid-90's Volvo 940 that will be a 'donor car' for my family's newfound love.

Three weeks ago I managed to get a 1994 Volvo 940 wagon from a Volvo dealer for $600. On the surface it really wasn't anything special. There were a few small scratches, stickers that were used to cover up where the prior owners had written their names on the interior door panels, and enough dog hair in certain crevices to kill most allergy sufferers. It appeared to be nothing more than a typical older beater car.

But when I looked at it's history, I found that the beater was actually a gem. It had 48 visits to a Volvo specialist. New tires meant that it was reconditioned by a dealership which tried to sell it, and finally, a rare cloth interior with no sunroof which represents a combination that was special ordered from the factory. This usually indicates the first owner cared deeply about getting this type of car and the records put to rest the sentiments of this Volvo's second owner. One drive and I became convinced it would become a perfect hauler for family and stuff.

After purchasing it at a public sale, I drove it out to KOG's place in Athens. A 300 mile commute which included a visit to North Georgia. My wife then used it to criss cross the metro-Atlanta area, and before we knew it, we had actually put 2500 miles on it within a 3 week period. The wagon appears to be absolutely perfect for what our needs are right now. My wife needs a wagon that can safely hold two small kids and a dog. I need to have a car that I can use to pick up spare parts for vehicles I sell on the side. Plus the rear wheel drive, gas sipping four cylinder, and easy to maintain powertrain allow me to do some light towing for the dozen or so times during the year that I actually need to do it.

Well this Saturday I did that sale down in Powder Springs and I ended up getting a 1993 940 that appears to be in very good running order in exchange for my auctioneering work. It has 153k, all the options (most of which we don't need), and a lot of spare Volvo parts that we will likely use since we plan on keeping the beater wagon. We got a good engine, transmission, regulator, relays, fuses, and a ton of additional spare parts that may end up spiraling into the nethersphere of cost should commodity costs continue to skyrocket.

For those of you that already have an older car you love, consider getting a spare. There really is not going to be a paradigm shift in the fuel economy of cars until the electrics come in 2011. Plus the cost in parts have more or less gone through double digit increases for nearly 8 years now. The quality of replacement parts have gone down substantially, and the durability of original factory parts are usually far better than these cheaply made knockoffs.

Enjoy your beater, and enjoy the weekend!