# Super cheap UBER X car



## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Where did you find yours? I love my Mirage, maybe a little too much, doing uber in it has added about 2-3k miles (I do uber friday/saturday only and my drive to work is 6 miles round trip when not ubering). My 2014 is a 12K miles now and I'm curious if anybody has done a cheap uber car? I saw one guy that had a malibu from a auction for $200-300+ parts.

I found this Chevrolet cobalt, I can cheaply replace the seats, remove the stinky carpet, rhino line the floor boards, bondo the major dents, replace hood/trunk from junkyard, paint the dash/replace door panels,plasti dip the entire car or a cheap DIY paintjob, headlights $80 for a pair, I think all in TTL +parts=$1600 109K miles on the car and 5 speed (I can't drive automatic). 2010 would give 2+ years of service with uber as well, maybe add 30-40K miles to the car then resell it for around $1500-2000.
http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/5147735627.html

also found others like this elantra with high miles
http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/5140666921.html

I don't mind racking miles up in the Mirage, just don't want it to be in the salt infested roads of pa 24/7


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## Mr_Frenchie (Jul 13, 2015)

You got to be kidding with that Cobalt!! omg

even for x that’s low. hahaha WTF are you kidding me. 

just use your Mirage. why add more expense.


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## limepro (Mar 7, 2015)

Some homeless people definitely had sex in that cobalt.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

thanks for the f shack-mike and the boys.

That makes it the perfect uber x Car. Nobody will ever know they are being transported in a murder scene or a car that had homeless people mating in it


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## limepro (Mar 7, 2015)

alex16 said:


> thanks for the f shack-mike and the boys.
> 
> That makes it the perfect uber x Car. Nobody will ever know they are being transported in a murder scene or a car that had homeless people mating in it


Exact movie I was thinking about lol.


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## just drive (Oct 29, 2014)

Malibu is a good choice. Roomy, cheap.


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## BrozayRico (Aug 22, 2015)

Your over thinking this uber car thing. As long as it passed inspection and you have great rapport skills.


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

I roll the cheap bu... I like the room but if I was out for a car for Uber it'd be a 4 cylinder bu. The 3.5 has TONS of power but it's a bit heavy on the gas pump.


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

BTW that cobalt is a 100 dollar car at copart...


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Co part??


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

my other business is flipping cars.. www.copart.com...


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

If I could find a cobalt or similar car I can uber with I would pay you cash lol I don't mind fixing up basic stuff on a car like bolt ons like that cobalt has, I could disassemble the interior in 2 hours and remove the hood/trunk in 10 minutes. If I had the parts I could spray and rebuild that cobalt in a day.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Bunch of totaled out cars on that app in my area and starting bids all around 200+ if I could find a 2009+ under 200k miles that would take less than 1500 total invested to uber with I would be interested. Don't want anything with tons of body damage.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

That Cobalt is just nasty. And at $1,000 about a grand overpriced. 

The Hyundai looks better, with 275k miles it's just broken in, really. The engine should have loosened up nicely


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## KGB7 (Apr 23, 2015)

Yeah, get the Cobalt dude, awesome car, you will enjoy working on it....LOL


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Haha I read that cobalt hold up well late 2009 they fixed every timing chain issue and the parts for these cars are all over the junkyard.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

Doesn't it say somewhere you can't use a totaled or flooded car?


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

All that matters is the title status, it's a clear title so uber approves of this car, in all honesty it looks like some of the current taxis in Harrisburg


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

uberx requires you to have a car that's 1 color, you're not allow to have a car with 2 colors on it.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

Houston TNC requirements

Year: 2008 or newer 2. Mileage: Less than 150,000 miles 3. Cannot be a salvaged car or a rebuild 4. 4 Doors 5. Any color 6. Personal insurance in your name


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

I can spray paint the doors the same color. Pa is 8 years or newer under 350k miles clear title


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## Uber-Doober (Dec 16, 2014)

Mr_Frenchie said:


> You got to be kidding with that Cobalt!! omg
> 
> even for x that's low. hahaha WTF are you kidding me.
> 
> just use your Mirage. why add more expense.


^^^
And the emergency brake doesn't work, if you'll notice the block of wood in front of the rear tire to keep the car from rolling.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

azndriver87 said:


> uberx requires you to have a car that's 1 color, you're not allow to have a car with 2 colors on it.


Photoshop.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

It's a stick shift e brake not needed. Plus going down some of pa mountain roads a e brake is just going to make your death slower if the brakes fail. 

Photoshop? I never had to send a picture of my car to uber.


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## KGB7 (Apr 23, 2015)

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin.

https://www.google.com/search?q=199...ed=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIirqX_tfDxwIVAj8-Ch3HBwXU#


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

i wouldn't get a "super cheap" car for uber, because you're eng up spending more money on repair


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Repair isn't much the issue here in pa, it's the road salt damage I'm concerned about. I rather have a pos car I can idle all day/night during rough winter times and not feel too bad about a 14 hour salt bath + passenger feet snow/salt bath. A cobalt that is abused will still hold up pretty good, they are used as taxis in Harrisburg, most with over 200k miles and abused since day one.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

alex16 said:


> Where did you find yours? I love my Mirage, maybe a little too much, doing uber in it has added about 2-3k miles (I do uber friday/saturday only and my drive to work is 6 miles round trip when not ubering). My 2014 is a 12K miles now and I'm curious if anybody has done a cheap uber car? I saw one guy that had a malibu from a auction for $200-300+ parts.
> 
> I found this Chevrolet cobalt, I can cheaply replace the seats, remove the stinky carpet, rhino line the floor boards, bondo the major dents, replace hood/trunk from junkyard, paint the dash/replace door panels,plasti dip the entire car or a cheap DIY paintjob, headlights $80 for a pair, I think all in TTL +parts=$1600 109K miles on the car and 5 speed (I can't drive automatic). 2010 would give 2+ years of service with uber as well, maybe add 30-40K miles to the car then resell it for around $1500-2000.
> http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/5147735627.html
> ...


Do and let us know how it turned out. If you have the time to do all that work, more power to you. However, a wise man once said a turd will only take on so much of a shine. That car is a turd. If you can do all that, why not just fix it up and sell it right off the bat? After two year of service if it isn't worth zero, you were just driving for a hobby.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

No car will ever be worth zero. Scrap is low but at $4 per 100lbs but local junkyard offers $500 for a 2010 cobalt not running. Selling it right off the bat will only produce a small profit, the mileage and overall condition won't bring in premium prices (3k) but with 200k and rough looking people ignore the mileage more and the rough looks for a lower 2k price.


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

alex16 said:


> No car will ever be worth zero. Scrap is low but at $4 per 100lbs but local junkyard offers $500 for a 2010 cobalt not running. Selling it right off the bat will only produce a small profit, the mileage and overall condition won't bring in premium prices (3k) but with 200k and rough looking people ignore the mileage more and the rough looks for a lower 2k price.


Seriously dude... Copart... your wasting time and money on that piece of crusher bait.

There are some wastes of time on copart to. be picky.
This one don't look to bad.

http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/26824385?searchId=1956433756

heres a TON more.
http://www.copart.com/us/search?q=cobalt#frm=q=cobalt&Page=2&zipFilter=0&cn=&vf_titlgroup=&InitialFilters=&OriginalCount=800&PageSize=20&Sort=zip&ZipSort=17901


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

alex16 said:


> No car will ever be worth zero. Scrap is low but at $4 per 100lbs but local junkyard offers $500 for a 2010 cobalt not running. Selling it right off the bat will only produce a small profit, the mileage and overall condition won't bring in premium prices (3k) but with 200k and rough looking people ignore the mileage more and the rough looks for a lower 2k price.


KNock yourself out. I will say this, maybe I said it before, you are a glass half full kind of guy,


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

Any Uber car that costs 3500 or below is more or less disposable. 
If you can squeeze value out of it for 6 months at least it would have paid for itself plus more. For starters you will have no need for comprehensive coverage because the car is not worth the 2000$ deductible. In the case of accident or mechanical failure you can walk away from the car at little to no loss.
Of course you will need a 'real' car for your day to day runs and as backup Uber mobile or at least have funds for another disposable ride lined up in case.


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

Luberon said:


> Any Uber car that costs 3500 or below is more or less disposable.
> If you can squeeze value out of it for 6 months at least it would have paid for itself plus more. For starters you will have no need for comprehensive coverage because the car is not worth the 2000$ deductible. In the case of accident or mechanical failure you can walk away from the car at little to no loss.
> Of course you will need a 'real' car for your day to day runs and as backup Uber mobile or at least have funds for another disposable ride lined up in case.


This is assuming one does Uber part time. For full time drivers a disposable car won't cut it


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

Luberon said:


> This is assuming one does Uber part time. For full time drivers a disposable car won't cut it


wana bet??

It's all in how you take care of it and how much fixing you can handle yourself. My 2005 Uplander has been mine for 4 years or so now. paid 800 for it, it's getting ready to kiss 250,000 miles. I got it in the low 100s.. tires, oil and brakes is about all I have done to it. 
I just spoiled the wife with a brand new car, her old driver was a 2000 Focus I paid 50 bucks for. Put a timing belt in it and she drove it with out any issues for 5 years.
My uber car is a 2005 Malibu I paid 200 + auction fees for.

You gotta know how to keep them on the road yourself and watch for steals at the auction. If you buy any car that is out of warranty and you can't handle the little stuff then uber is not for you. When I say little stuff I mean doing brakes, simple suspension work, a tune up, that sort of thing.. I can do my own oil changes but would rather pay someone else 20 bucks to deal with the mess.


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

merkurfan said:


> wana bet??
> 
> It's all in how you take care of it and how much fixing you can handle yourself. My 2005 Uplander has been mine for 4 years or so now. paid 800 for it, it's getting ready to kiss 250,000 miles. I got it in the low 100s.. tires, oil and brakes is about all I have done to it.
> I just spoiled the wife with a brand new car, her old driver was a 2000 Focus I paid 50 bucks for. Put a timing belt in it and she drove it with out any issues for 5 years.
> ...


Wow... Am impressed
Yours is a different situation. 
1) you can fix cars up yourself
2) you have access to auction
1+2= ridiculously cheap cars


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

Luberon said:


> Wow... Am impressed
> Yours is a different situation.
> 1) you can fix cars up yourself
> 2) you have access to auction
> 1+2= ridiculously cheap cars


The auction I get the cars from is open to the public 
Most of the easy work anyone could do if they put their mind to it.
ya, I lurk the auctions


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

Luberon said:


> Any Uber car that costs 3500 or below is more or less disposable.
> If you can squeeze value out of it for 6 months at least it would have paid for itself plus more. For starters you will have no need for comprehensive coverage because the car is not worth the 2000$ deductible. In the case of accident or mechanical failure you can walk away from the car at little to no loss.
> Of course you will need a 'real' car for your day to day runs and as backup Uber mobile or at least have funds for another disposable ride lined up in case.


assuming you can drive for 6 months without major repair


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

azndriver87 said:


> assuming you can drive for 6 months without major repair


Yes it is of course a gamble. The cheaper the car the less you'd care if it gives up.
For a car costing $1000 or less even 2-3 months is good value. 
Cars under 5k are generally not worth major repairs economically speaking


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

Luberon said:


> Yes it is of course a gamble. The cheaper the car the less you'd care if it gives up.
> For a car costing $1000 or less even 2-3 months is good value.
> Cars under 5k are generally not worth major repairs economically speaking


yah but if you think about it, by preventing a $500 repair, your car might break down and your car might be worth $1500 afterwards, a $5000 will soon $1500 before you have a chance to make it back. why worth the trouble


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

realistically speaking, lets say you'll be putting 30,000 miles for 1 year.

for example:
a brand new camry, 2015 you can get it for $18,000 ($19,500 after tax/fees)
2 year, 60,000 miles later, you'll probably be able to sell it for $15,000.
you'll lose about $4500 in depreciation.

now if you buy a $5000, you're hoping to last 6 months, and 6 months later if a car completely break down you'll lose that $5000. or how much repairs you're going to make on this car to last 2 more years. I bought a $5000 car, and i've already spent about 1,700 in repairs in 2 months.

make me wonder maybe i should have gone with a new car, that's still under warranty, this way i'll won't spend that much on repairs rather than depreciation.


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

besides if everyone else is driving a 2012 cars or newer, and you're driving a 2006 rust bucket, you'll get a lower rating.


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## alex16 (Jun 2, 2015)

Everyone said my rating would be bad with a tiny mirage, one of the smallest cars on the road. False!


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

yours is 2014, i said "2006" rust bucket


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

azndriver87 said:


> realistically speaking, lets say you'll be putting 30,000 miles for 1 year.
> 
> for example:
> a brand new camry, 2015 you can get it for $18,000 ($19,500 after tax/fees)
> ...


We are talking apples and oranges here. 
First off $5000 car is not super cheap. I said in my post $3500 or less and other posters are talking about figures way below that. Posters here are mentioning cars that cost 500 to $2k.
Second, all those that buy such cars have access to auto auction and/or are mechanics or experienced DIYers, meaning they can pick out gems (cars that need little repair) from packs of lemon and they can fix up these cars cheaply.
Moreover, buying a $1000 car is always a gamble, you must be ready to walk away from the car if anything breaks down that will require more than a couple hundred to fix.

Finally six months is a minimum. If you buy a car for $1500 and get 10,000+ miles out of it without major repair, that is 15c or less a mile. Besides you pay less in insurance and take way less risk in case of an accident. I imagine wrecking that $18,000 Camry will hurt. Also for the Camry you pay must have good credit or be at the mercy of Santander or similar loan sharks.

A super cheap car is not for everyone, sure, but if you can make it work it is a great deal.


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

azndriver87 said:


> yah but if you think about it, by preventing a $500 repair, your car might break down and your car might be worth $1500 afterwards, a $5000 will soon $1500 before you have a chance to make it back. why worth the trouble


Depends what you call a big repair. For 5k car a 500$ repair may make sense but not for $1200 car. Also every repair has a cost/benefit. For a $5000 car you may be better off selling it for $3000 than invest in $1500 repair that may or may not work.

That is why I said originally that the best scenario is when the driver is part time, so a broken car will not bankrupt him/her and has ready access to a second car given reliability issues inevitable with an older car.
This is not for everyone and not for every situation but if you can make it work for you, it is awesome.


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## Luberon (Nov 24, 2014)

azndriver87 said:


> besides if everyone else is driving a 2012 cars or newer, and you're driving a 2006 rust bucket, you'll get a lower rating.


I maintained a 4.7-4.8 rating driving a 2005 Civic I bought for $2800 and fixed up for $250. I put 20k on the car made $12,000+ in fares and sold it for $1500 when it couldnt pass state inspection.


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

azndriver87 said:


> yours is 2014, i said "2006" rust bucket


Mine is a 05 no rust, clean interior..

My rating is 4.92...

So ya.. there is a hole in your theory.. Rust buckets should not get past uber and their photo requirements,


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## merkurfan (Jul 20, 2015)

azndriver87 said:


> realistically speaking, lets say you'll be putting 30,000 miles for 1 year.
> 
> for example:
> a brand new camry, 2015 you can get it for $18,000 ($19,500 after tax/fees)
> ...


Ok.. New car on the lot. 18K 0% interest. Same car 2 years old 60K on the clock 15K on the window at 9% or more..

what car would you buy?

Ya, I'd be rolling the new car as well. Even as a cash buyer I'd pay the 3K more for the warranty.. a 60K 2-3 year old camry is worth 55-65% of new.

also on the sub 3500 dollar cars every month that that car works for you is a savings of 4-600 dollars with no payment and no comp/collision coverage. I did the math a long time ago. For me (and most people) new cars don't pencil out.


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