Hello from Evergreen, Colorado, USA.

My name is Tim Donahue. I am a Winemaker here in Colorado and I am going to be attending the University of Adelaide to pursue my Masters in Oenology (winemaking).

I am a gear head and absolutely love cars of all kinds. I have owned everything from a 700hp Twin turbocharged 1951 Chevrolet to 1973 Datsun 510 (Bluebird) with a built l20b and mikuni 44's, Evo, WRX's, Mini Cooper S...yadda yadda yadda.... you get the point.

The challenge I have is that I am going to be needing to purchase/lease a car during my 19 month stay in Adelaide. Being that I will be technically unemployed and a full time student, I do not have a great amount of money to dump in a car, however I would like something entertaining during my stay.

Your car market is dramatically different than ours here. Cars that did not hold there value here are a fortune, and vice versa. I do not even recognize 50% of the cars that are available.

I would like to spend less than $15k AU (more like $10k). I tend to like unusual cars, I have found the Mitsubishi Legunum (sp?) looks kinda fun. A station wagon from hell sounds a bit entertaining.

Some of the Turbo Diesel stuff (we do not really have any of that here) could be a fun little foray also.

I am a big guy at 1.93 m and close to 20 stone so keep that in mind.

What should I be looking for, and what is customary practice for "bargaining" All suggestions will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Tim

 

for an idea of the 2nd hand market have a look at:

www.carsales.com.au
www.drive.com.au


I think $15k could get u a Nissan silvia S14? Might be a bit of a squeeze though....

 

Try www.tradingpost.com.au to give you an idea.

No Chev's or US Fords down here, Chysler only just started importing some models a few years ago, also there is the Jeep range.

Bargain as much as you like, over the last couple of years used cars have dropped in price dramatically you should be able to get something pretty decent for 10K. However remember the cars here are more expensive in the first place so the used cars may still seem expensive to you.

 

I can recommend some good importers in Adelaide if u want.... might not be as cheap but they'll have a nice selection of more 'unusual' cars.

My mate runs this place:

http://www.sinergymotorsports.com.au/

 

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I noticed that cars in general were higher priced. The US dollar SUCKS right now so I have even less buying power.

Also realize that just about ANY car you have available is going to be different from the US domestic market, which, for the most part, is flooded with GIANT petrol guzzling Sport Utility Vehicles that get 8mpg. Cars that actually "Perform" are reserved for a remarkably small group of enthusiasts.

For the most part Americans are some of the least skilled drivers on Earth. 1/2 of the people I know do not even know what a manual transmission is, let alone how to drive one. After all, you can't shift and text message your plastic surgeon at the same time. As much as I hate to admit it, Jeremy Clarkson's (Top Gear) is remarkably accurate when it comes to the majority of America's driving habits.

It is bizarre though, My wife has a 318ti with some toys, and I could replicate it here for about $6,000, where as the same car would be around $20k BEFORE even touching it. Where as an Impreza is only slightly more than what it would be here. Just a different market. As much as I abhor the thought, Honda's are pretty inexpensive as well.

I loved my 510 (Bluebird) and I know you have a pretty substantial following behind them. Considering I can rebuild the entire car with a screwdriver and 8-18mm socket set, I may look into that...If I can find one.

 

You can't really get a car for 'lease' down here as you know it in the US, however 15K willgive you good options. We actually have an evo 6 GSr we are selling for $17,k, would consider an offer.

the lease world here is different and usually like a loan over the same 5 years period but with a large ballon payment at the end, 40% say, to keep the payments down, but the interests is higher.

www.tradingpost.com.au is another option.

 

so, how do u find things down here in Australia?

 

We use ebay.com.au or www.carsales.com.au, or www.drive.com.au

Jeff