What's The Most And The Least You've Paid For A Running Driving Car?

It's mid week and I'm bored.

So the question of the day what is the most and the least you've paid for a running car?

$125 for 72 Pinto in 1989. It was a flip that I sold for $375 a day later, I saw the new owner still driving it 2 years later.

$17,000 for 11 Outback in 2014; I'm still driving it.

If we want to add race cars:

$2000 for the F500 in 2014 (note we are talking running driving)

$3000 for the Datsun in 2003 (I foolishly sold it and bought it back 2 years later)

$200 for a 1986 honda accord ex in about 2003.  passenger door was screwed shut with a metal strap and driver door with a gate hasp and screwdriver.

$140k tesla plaid

these last 20 years have been a heck of a ride

$50 for a running driving 1965 Ford truck with rust, and a 352 with a rod knock.  It did various truck stuff for about a year and then went to another sailor with the same rod knocking.  
 

Most....  we just got a 22 Tahoe and I'm not ready to talk about that.  

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

1000 fold increase in your buying power.................nicely done.

paid implies it wasn't free, soo $200 I think in 2010ish. It was a crusty new hampshire nissan 200sx , the v6 one that was basically a bigger hatchback z31.

and then a bit under 24k for a well optioned flex this past fall, miles not to high, but by now due for the 90k seemingly necessary water pump service.

(edited to add what was bought.)

Least paid (not including free cars) was $150 for an 87 Ford Escort with a dead starter.

Most paid was $25,000 for the 2002 Corvette Z06.

Most paid on loan is the ~$65,000 on the 2020 Q5 e-tron.

$25 for a pair of Renault 4cvs , drove one to High School for a year or so ,

$25 for a 1955 sunroof bug  that I gave my girlfriend to drive to work,

too many cheap VWs bugs and buses when they were just old cars

Free.50 for my current DD, though it took me about a grand to get it driveable.   

$75 bucks for a 1991 Camry that needed an ignitor (my son wrecked that one, wasn't his fault but damn)

$400 for a 1996 Bonneville SSEi with a leaky fuel line (fixed with an $8 dorman repair kit)

$400 for a 1992 Prelude with a janky body kit and a mismatched intake manifold (H22 on a F22). Restored the body to factory with junkyard parts

Of course these were all in the oughts, before "Cash for clunkers"  

The last new car I bought was a 2011 Kia Sorrento in late 2010.  That one cost me a tick over 26K

Least paid was $25.  I bought several.  My first 13 cars were all air-cooled VWs.  The most I paid for any of them was $125.  They all ran.

Although, there was also a Toyota Corolla that the owner gave me in trade for removing the radio.  That took me about an hour, and in those days I was making less than $5 per hour.  So, $5.  And I drove it away after removing the radio.

Most is probably my wife's mini van. $28K

$700 to buy my (not quite yet) Wife's Geo Storm so I would have a "reliable" car instead of her trading it in.

$26k for a CPO 06 Odyssey touring that has consumed at least half that amount in PAX tires, motor mounts and door actuators.

Due to some metal issues we are considering getting a new Atlas 

Most: $31,000 for a new 2003 Honda Odyssey

Least: $50 in 1987 for a 1966 Corvair

$200 for a 92 Hatchback.

$22K for an 06 Merc R350.

Least was $1.00 for a rust free 58 Chevrolet Biscayne 6 cyl/power glide in 1968 because my uncle was probably embarrassed for my POS 57 Chevrolet. Provided transportation for a year until I purchased a 65 GTO.

2013 Tacoma and 2016 CX5 purchased new in the low 30s.

Most of my DD's have been around 2500

The racecar was purchased for 740. We negotiated to 750 but only had 20s. 

My BMW was a whopping 11000 and I overpaid but the PPI missed a few things. 

$6500 for the excursion. I could definitely sell it for a profit right now if I thought I could replace it. 

$250 for a 95 Taurus with a bad transmission after I threw my cavalier through the woods. 

I used to leave the keys in the Taurus with the windows down in Wal-Mart's parking lot for 8-10 hours a day hoping to come back to a missing vehicle. Never happened. You had to baby the throttle I'm such a way that by 15mph you were in third gear, otherwise it felt like if you mashed the gas it would just explode trans parts all over the place. 

Most was $18k out the door for a brand new 2013 Honda Fit. Least is $500 for a very poorly spray painted black CRX Si.

I think the least was $750-800(can't remember exact price) for a RX-7 GSL-SE, around y2k.  Most would be the approximately 28K I payed for a new WRX in 2018.  Might get eclipsed if I get antsy and buy another performance car or a new 4 Runner in the near future.  Trying to be responsible, though, and just keep what I currently have.

A six pack for an 81 GLC which I traded for the camping van I used a ton. Most would be Golf R at 38.5K. I still like to keep my cars under $10K but lately my time not wrenching has been valuable. 

bmw88rider said:

A six pack for an 81 GLC which I traded for the camping van I used a ton. Most would be Golf R at 38.5K. I still like to keep my cars under $10K but lately my time not wrenching has been valuable. 

What brand of beer? That's a huge range for this group $3.50 to $10.00

Least: $500 1994 Miata, many many many years ago

Most: $25k for the IS-F currently in the garage. Back then I "overpaid" but it was local, had the mods I wanted, and I know the owner personally and he was a wash-it-every-weekend kind of guy.

Least: $300 for a Volvo 240, including an extra front quarter panel and hood. This was 2012-2013ish

Most: $32k +TTL for the brand new Kia Sedona, 2017 MY in 2018.

$1000 for a 1966 Cadillac. And we aren't counting a couple of runners that were either given to me or offered for free and I declined. 

Most would be the Tesla Model 3, although the Dodge 2500 is very close behind and might even be higher when adjusted for inflation.
 

We are not going to be adding up the receipts for the Targa Miata, especially not at MSRP. But that was stretched over 15 years. 

Most I ever paid was $14k for a really nice 1999 W210 E300TD.  My (now ex) wife had totaled her 97 Tercel and I got her something a little more tank-like.  I will have to say, though, the Tercel did a lovely job protecting her.  She more or less hit a concrete wall at 45 mph and she had a bruised knuckle that we guess was from her hands going forward and hitting the dash  She had a bruise from the shoulder belt too, but that's it.  Zero cuts or scrapes.  I was impressed.

Least I ever paid for a running car was a free 65 Scout 80.  Now, when I say running, I mean it needed fresh fuel and a battery and not turn-key drive it away, but dragging it out of the weeds I popped the clutch and it fired up for a bit.

Least I paid for a turn-the-key and drive away car was $300 for a 66 Bonneville.... the one some of you saw at the 2020 challenge.

Most: $40k for the Silverado.

Least: Was given an Astro van and $500 once for letting an ex have a free vehicle. 

282,000$ for a car that I only owned for maybe a month to flip. Broke even. 
 

tons of free running stuff but 750$ for my first vw beetle that I used for years.