USA new resident - pistonheads classifieds equivalent?
Discussion
Good morning all,
I'm moving to the USA (New Orleans or Charleston) at the end of this year, i'm of course excited and the car purchase research has began way ahead of other very important items.
What is the equivalent to the pistonheads classifieds in the USA? Ebay seems to be quite a good resource to get some benchmark pricing, but I'd like to see a greater spectrum of vehicles, some classics too could be of interest.
Any tips are welcomed. Immediate thoughts are 06/07 BMW M5,M6, Audi S4 or novelty muscle car since we're moving to the South...
Many thanks.
I'm moving to the USA (New Orleans or Charleston) at the end of this year, i'm of course excited and the car purchase research has began way ahead of other very important items.
What is the equivalent to the pistonheads classifieds in the USA? Ebay seems to be quite a good resource to get some benchmark pricing, but I'd like to see a greater spectrum of vehicles, some classics too could be of interest.
Any tips are welcomed. Immediate thoughts are 06/07 BMW M5,M6, Audi S4 or novelty muscle car since we're moving to the South...
Many thanks.
I think that you need to look at Autotrader.com or Craigslist.com.
The issue is going to be whether there is sufficient selection around you or not. Travel may have to be a state or two away.
Cars in the US tend to hold their value far better than cars in the UK so you need to spend a lot of time understanding true value - try Edmunds.com.
The issue is going to be whether there is sufficient selection around you or not. Travel may have to be a state or two away.
Cars in the US tend to hold their value far better than cars in the UK so you need to spend a lot of time understanding true value - try Edmunds.com.
Ben,
Is this a permanent move or just for a short contract? I came here thirty years ago, went through the procedure to get a work permit, green card then citizenship.
Finding and purchasing a car will be no problem. Another source is CarMax which has branches in many big cities. They specialize in the more popular cars but often have interesting ones available. For a small sum, sometimes free, they will bring any car that interests you to their nearest store. One popular feature of CarMax is that they calculate a value on any car you want to sell, and the offer is good for at least seven days. The offer is the same whether you buy something from them or not. They just made a nice offer on my son's M5, but he decided to keep it a bit longer.
There are many less reputable dealers and you need to read the fine print. A few specialize in selling cars known to have had a serious accident, and then rebuilt. Check OffLeaseOnly.com and you will see what I mean.
You may be able to get a copy of Hemmings magazine which is where many people list unusual cars. I am sure they are on line.
Wilf.
Is this a permanent move or just for a short contract? I came here thirty years ago, went through the procedure to get a work permit, green card then citizenship.
Finding and purchasing a car will be no problem. Another source is CarMax which has branches in many big cities. They specialize in the more popular cars but often have interesting ones available. For a small sum, sometimes free, they will bring any car that interests you to their nearest store. One popular feature of CarMax is that they calculate a value on any car you want to sell, and the offer is good for at least seven days. The offer is the same whether you buy something from them or not. They just made a nice offer on my son's M5, but he decided to keep it a bit longer.
There are many less reputable dealers and you need to read the fine print. A few specialize in selling cars known to have had a serious accident, and then rebuilt. Check OffLeaseOnly.com and you will see what I mean.
You may be able to get a copy of Hemmings magazine which is where many people list unusual cars. I am sure they are on line.
Wilf.
http://www.hemmings.com/ is great for classics.
Most dealers list their cars on cars.com or autotrader.
I sell new Jag's and Land Rovers in Indiana. We get a lot of nice BMW's traded to us, let me know if you have no luck locally.
Most dealers list their cars on cars.com or autotrader.
I sell new Jag's and Land Rovers in Indiana. We get a lot of nice BMW's traded to us, let me know if you have no luck locally.
Thanks for the help, there is plenty to keep me going here and i'm confident I can find something suitable. It's a permenant move so it won't be a cash and grab, it'll be a considered and cherished purchase.
The next job is getting my head around the fact the US spec cars vary so much to UK ones, the fact that a v10 M5 can some with a manual box in the US is rather exciting!
The next job is getting my head around the fact the US spec cars vary so much to UK ones, the fact that a v10 M5 can some with a manual box in the US is rather exciting!
Don't forget that you have the rare one-off opportunity to bring your own car over for 12 months when you arrive. If I could do that, I would pick up a TVR Tuscan and have a real blast driving around and showing off at the car shows. It does need to be exported or destroyed after 12 months, but the fun you would have would be hard to beat. How about a newer Alfa such as the 157? It would be unique and cheap! You'd have to get parts from home, but how hard is that these days?
David
David
Loach1 said:
Don't forget that you have the rare one-off opportunity to bring your own car over for 12 months when you arrive. If I could do that, I would pick up a TVR Tuscan and have a real blast driving around and showing off at the car shows. It does need to be exported or destroyed after 12 months, but the fun you would have would be hard to beat. How about a newer Alfa such as the 157? It would be unique and cheap! You'd have to get parts from home, but how hard is that these days?
David
After you have imported the vehicle, then re-exported it, you'll not see much change from $3K, which is useful to bear in mind.David
It might be worth looking at swapalease.com if you want to experience some nice cars at a lowish cost.
Benjaminbopper said:
I'm moving to the USA (New Orleans or Charleston) at the end of this year, i'm of course excited and the car purchase research has began way ahead of other very important items.
Why buy a European car in the US though? It's the US and you have a whole range of stuff to drive that you would never get a chance to in Europe.New Orleans is Mustang country. Wall to wall Mustangs. Turn up in a BMW/Audi and you are gonna look a bit out of place. You might look cool cruising down Bourbon in an M5, but no one know what it is, and most don't care either. You'll come across as a snobby Brit who doesn't buy American. Not sure about Charleston, but it's the south, it's pickup country. Turn up in an X5 and you're not quite getting it. Plus it'll look rather anemic and small sitting next to an F150.
Seriously, there is life after German cars.
And then there is the problem of it breaking down. An alternator for a Mustang is $38. An alternator for an M5 is not $38. Breaking down in a major city won't be a problem, breaking down outside the city will be a problem. None of the German marques have any sort of presence once you get into the country, and the US has a lot of country.
and furthermore - not so bothered about what it looks like in a car park, if no one were notice me an M5 and then I disappeared into the distance to the roar of a V10, this is the perfect result in my books!
Good points on cost of ownership, but wouldn't that take the fun out of running a performance car?!
Don't forget we get we have Italian and French cars here so shoddy reliability is a matter of daily life.
That said a Camaro ZL1 on finance/lease is a tempting prospect...
Good points on cost of ownership, but wouldn't that take the fun out of running a performance car?!
Don't forget we get we have Italian and French cars here so shoddy reliability is a matter of daily life.
That said a Camaro ZL1 on finance/lease is a tempting prospect...
Benjaminbopper said:
and furthermore - not so bothered about what it looks like in a car park, if no one were notice me an M5 and then I disappeared into the distance to the roar of a V10, this is the perfect result in my books!
Good points on cost of ownership, but wouldn't that take the fun out of running a performance car?!
Don't forget we get we have Italian and French cars here so shoddy reliability is a matter of daily life.
That said a Camaro ZL1 on finance/lease is a tempting prospect...
cough....new Corvette....Good points on cost of ownership, but wouldn't that take the fun out of running a performance car?!
Don't forget we get we have Italian and French cars here so shoddy reliability is a matter of daily life.
That said a Camaro ZL1 on finance/lease is a tempting prospect...
Just in case anyone has totally lost their marbles, a Mustang alternator costs a little more than $38.
Quantum leap from a Civic to an M5, ZL1 or new Corvette. Good for you, if you can pull that one off, fresh off the boat with zero credit and no US insurance history.
Are you just "all giddy" at the prospect of your move, or have you actually figured out the cold logistics around what you are proposing here?
Quantum leap from a Civic to an M5, ZL1 or new Corvette. Good for you, if you can pull that one off, fresh off the boat with zero credit and no US insurance history.
Are you just "all giddy" at the prospect of your move, or have you actually figured out the cold logistics around what you are proposing here?
Matt Harper said:
Just in case anyone has totally lost their marbles, a Mustang alternator costs a little more than $38.
Was slightly surprised to see that a couple of years ago, Rockauto is currently showing 2005 Mustang alternator at $124 vs refurbished 2006 M5 alternator at $324. I'd say that's a significant saving.Matt Harper said:
Quantum leap from a Civic to an M5, ZL1 or new Corvette. Good for you, if you can pull that one off, fresh off the boat with zero credit and no US insurance history.
Are you just "all giddy" at the prospect of your move, or have you actually figured out the cold logistics around what you are proposing here?
Granted it is a jump, however I currently work for Honda Motor Europe and if you've seen our current range you can imagine that the company car list is somewhat limited from a performance perspective. Driving a company civic doesn't necessarily mean I don't have experience in driving vehicles of different configurations!Are you just "all giddy" at the prospect of your move, or have you actually figured out the cold logistics around what you are proposing here?
In terms of logistics, again not particularly concerned - mortgage planning has been straight forward and if you can buy a house i'm not concerned about a car. It goes without saying that moving to the USA is hard thing to achieve with the immigration controls in place, but having an American wife does bypass much of that, it also comes with the benefit of a credit history!
Good info on the M5, the prices pretty much stack up with those in the UK - valid point on immediate availability of a part, but before buying any used vehicle I will always try and find a local specialist, wkimports in Baton Rouge should do the job and they offer a vehicle pre-inspection service too which is a must in my opinion.
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