I had hoped someone on here, without my financial difficulties, would have a beater they could accept less for, but that didn't work out. Fortunately my Merc has made it these last several weeks with no major issues, as well as my wife's Sunday car. Instead of needing to leave my Merc for her, I can keep with me, and find her a Mazda5, or a Honda Oddesy
Still gotta be a inexpensive one, but I'm starting to be able to breathe again.
Thanks.
ouch!!!
Have made it through the first month without and of the defers maint. biting me in the butt.
Still hoping someone could make me a sweet deal on a known semi dependable beater. Until then:
Any advice on this.
Bit on the high side of budget, but if a 12v starting battery (or alternator) would allow it to be driven to work for, say, 3-4 months, it might be doable?
In reply to 03Panther :
Back in the day my rule was to not buy a car for more than I could part it out. I did that to protect my finances. I can't see going wrong at $900 there but I understand if you don't have the time to part out if it comes to that.
Let the insurance have the highlander for $750, instead of buy back; wanted it for parts, but decided to be an adult!
But a 900 Prius, well, good point. If a few easy fixes don't get it to where I need, easy to bail, I would think. Thanks. Good thought.
In reply to 03Panther :
Read the entire description of the Prius you linked..... You don't want that one, unless you are prepared to immediately replace or recondition the Hybrid battery too. NOT just the 12 volt battery.
Seller even says so.
Thanks. I actually did read where it needed the traction battery. But I know the honda insight could be driven on only the ICE, as a beater car. I don't know if the hybrid technology Toyota went with had the forthought to be that way, or if they built in intentional planed obsolescence
The insight even gets about the same mpg, despite a bad battery. Just makes a fairly slow car, a VERY slow one 
I know there are some folks on here that know the Prius well, so hoping someone will be able to learn me.
If it can not be drive at all as an ICE only, or there are dramatic reasons not to, then it's not worth $100 to me, despite what I could part it out for.
But I'm assuming it can be; hope I can get that confirmed (or discounted)
Of course, it may be a moot point; no response from seller.
I get lots of responses from the text speak crowd. Fairly understand them - then the get mor obnoxious when I ask for clarification. But this af is decently written, but I don't get a response.
In reply to 03Panther :
It's a busy time for a lot of people, hopefully you'll get a reply.
Thanks. Definitely a busy and stressful time of year for a lot of folks. With very little family left, neither my wife nor I do much for commercially motivated holidays, but many do. I got a few days off, so drove the 5 1/2 hrs home to kiss my wife, and get some repairs on house and property done. Will drive back up Tuesday. Looking at using the day to check out a couple beaters that would normally be too far to look at.
I figure if a guy posts an ad, just before a holiday, he doesn't mind showing the car on a holiday. But then, logic don't make it to F B very often, it seems.
In reply to 03Panther :
It will no run on ICE only.
That is a nice $1900 car which is $900 for the car, $500 for a refurbished Hybrid Battery and $500 to fix AC. Could be less if you DIY it all but that takes time which you might not have.
As for a 12v battery. The correct battery runs about $200. It is a gel 12v but the battery is in the trunk. I have run these cars, even if temporarily, on any 12v battery you can find. Since the battery is in the trunk, I just set any 12v battery, like one from a Chevy Van or Dodge Grand Caravan anywhere in the trunk and then via jumper cables attach that battery to Prius battery terminals. Ive seen people mount 12v lawn tractor batteries into the proper battery well also. When I have bought dead Prius I have brought them home just running off my 12v jumper pack.
Took a moment to google some Prius info. All of the quick glance searches basically say "well, you might. Or might not. But take it to you hybrid mechanic, 'cause your not smart enough to understand"
Love it!
In reply to 03Panther :
Here's my Gen2 Prius Buyers Guide
I suspect that this car has a Hybrid Battery issue that is causing the car to not be driven. That lack of driving is then causing a 12v battery issue as the 12v battery is dead from non-usage.
Quick search brings up this listing. Inquire if he sells working batteries or if he'll refurb yours to working: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/229846690067231/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ad2a6c96f-3643-4379-bab1-bbac022ce448
A quick search of things around Columbus, GA doesn't return much. Here is my favorite so far, Midway, AL
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1074443173979799?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined&referral_story_type=listing&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%22-2844887308778653949%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%226975756512461667%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A6975756512461667%2C%5C%22target_type%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22primary_position%5C%22%3A11%2C%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22%3A3694389230839747693%2C%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22%3A504%2C%5C%22value%5C%22%3A7.2467551397247e-5%2C%5C%22candidate_retrieval_source_map%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%226975756512461667%5C%22%3A111%7D%7D%22%2C%22ftmd_400706%22%3A%22111112l%22%7D
Manual trans so almost no one is going to come look at it. Cosmetic damage will keep all the others away. The ad fails to say how many miles because I'm sure it is not 123,456. Asking $1,800...pipe dream! Again, no one is looking for a damaged, manual trans. If the miles are reasonable and it can be driven, offer $750.
Stop at JY and buy a headlamp or order one off Amazon. Pound fender enough to make it fit. In the longer term, search car-part.com for a JY fender of same color.
Thanks for that link to the guide. I've never disliked the Prius, but know next to nothing.
Know a bit about the first mass produced hybrid (despite Toyota claims) and its plus and minus's. Like the throwback looks of the crx like insight, as well.
Macon is well with my personal cone of bad decisions, as well. Will contact him sometime, no matter what. (Sorta have an old insight with a bad battery - no title... yet)
Had not seen that ad... that is exactly what I need. I've had nicer, that I just banged on the inside of the fender, and tossed a headlight in! Even cobbled brackets to hold em, sometimes.
I will definitely be checking that out
in his defense, his $1800 asking price is no pipe dream, in the 6 state area I look. 85% of the ads I see, want more than a running car would be, for ther car with a blown engine, bad trans, and/or no title.
I have politely pointed out that those conditions lower the value somewhat, and "nigger, you have lost your berkeleying mind" is not the worst I've gotten. 'Course every word in that is either in slang , getto, text speak, or grossly misspelled.
I couldn't get close to his asking price, so if I had seen it, I'd have probably moved past it, but I'll try, and we'll see.
Great tip. Thanks.
John Welsh said:In reply to 03Panther :
It will no run on ICE only.
That is a nice $1900 car which is $900 for the car, $500 for a refurbished Hybrid Battery and $500 to fix AC. Could be less if you DIY it all but that takes time which you might not have.As for a 12v battery. The correct battery runs about $200.
Agreed on the many ways to deal with the 12v side... I can handle that. Heck, buying the correct one is doable.
I had no clue a Prius battery could be done for $500. My prior info assumed diy would be more than that
Last I looked, the insight battery was more than another insight!
My niece's yuppie liberal leftest socialist husband (who is saving the planet by being a vegan and driving a new Prius) bought a newer one, cause of the cost of a new battery in his.
Diy would be beyond him, but I'm positive he did not know about any $500 ones (or how to look for, but that's another story)
If you do look at that Focus... If the steering wheel vibrates at idle, the likely cuplrut is the passenger side motor mount. Near the alternator. It is very common that it goes bad. There is another center, underbody engine mount that is common for bad. Least common problem is the trans side motor mount.
But, if the steering wheel vibrates at idle, and I'll say 75% it does, then I would fain a big deal about it with a comment like, "wow, look at this steering wheel vibrate, he might have whacked the left side of the car a lot more than it seems!" Use this to drive down the price. Actually, this vibration is nothing to be really concerned about but it becomes annoying and the fix is pretty easy.
Sample repair videos #1 and #2 Parts are cheap. Under $100 will get you one real Ford one or less than $100 will get you a set of all 3, aftermarket.
In reply to John Welsh :
Side story. Friend bought a new 86 k car for his wife. Kept for many years. Bought for my niece in H. S. in 99, with 86K. First repair was a front top dog bone engine mount worn. Tried two different new parts. Both vibrated worse than the bad one. Brand new, and had almost no rubber bonded. Sad. I shimmed inside of the old one - essentially a solid mount. NVH was horrible, but engine quit jumping enough to hit other stuff!
I'm sure , despit my ADD, I'll talk myself out of THIS really bad decision: Money Pit
but I could use counseling
NOT a short term solution, but from a guy that's worked on a bunch of early Toyota mini trucks, and hates fwd, probably the earliest car to maintain I'll ever own!
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