I'm in the same business and let me tell you, this is as real as it gets. Everyone usually thinks we're out to rip people off when in reality it's our job to provide good reliable transportation to people. No one sees all of what we go through or how much time and money we invest in our inventory. Keep up the great work and awesome videos!!!
I, too, am in the business. SOME are there to provide good, reliable transportation. I know I am which is why I've never had a single customer complaint. Most in the business aren't driven by the same honorable goal, though. Most just want to make money regardless of the quality of the car and the happiness of the customer. That's why there's such a stigma attached to dealers. Now there's the truth.
Its tough getting cars up to decent condition. A lot of people let things go on their used car, thus 1/2 a dozen items need attention to get the car up to snuff.
I am also in the same business. I just started my dealer business back in September. Sold 9-10 cars so far! But I agree with you, this is very much real!
Yeah I was thinking: time to put a clause in the auction that any error codes cleared prior to the auction negate the auction. This is twice he's been burned by that. Last one was the audi R8 and they took it back.
@@muskokamike127 everyone does it there’s no point in not doing it it just puts you at a disadvantage and there’s no way to enforce that as the codes could have been cleared or they could’ve popped up after the purchase.
@@jamesmason131 Everyone does it doesn't make it right. As for the codes popping up after: the ECU stores "cleared codes" and you can tell if it was cleared right before the auction. The odds of something "breaking" or "failing" in the 5 minutes after the car is run through is astronomical. This is no different IMO than turning back the odometer or putting thicker oil in to hide low compression......
@Susan curran I asked that once and someone told me they don't let you plug into the cars before you buy them. They don't even let you bring them onto the lot.
@@muskokamike127 I have never heard of a rule like that and how would they enforce it if it was the case at some random auctions? Use a code reader and you are much more unlikely to get screwed like this.
Hey Craig. I am only commenting b/c you say you read all comments. I enjoy your channel and find this very entertaining about going from $400 to a Ferrari. Will probably learn more from this than most MBA programs as well. I seriously respect the fact you do not conceal the defects in your cars when you run through the auctions. That is such a scumbag move.
I think, like you said, it is getting a little convoluted as far as cars go. I think it would be a good idea to completely separate your Ferrari cars from your other cars when you're talking about them to us. I still like to hear about the other deals you are making, like the Raptor and the S7, but it would be nice to get a breakdown of where you are at in the Ferrari process in slideshow view at the end of the video showing profits, losses, and what your costs associated with each car. This would help track the progress better and not confuse the audience with "wait, is the F-150 or the Mustang a part of the $400 Ferrari challenge?" Thanks for making awesome content, Craig!
@JACKSON PAULS Oh, and the gas mileage is beyond horrible! Beyond that, it's been a great truck. I have a little over 100k on it now and it's been great.
This is great content, not just for car guys but also young people with aspirations to start something from scratch. Love seeing you take the bad in stride and try to figure it out. Thats business! Also very cool to see your knowledge of cars. Great videos all around!!
Man you are truly inspiring me. I love how open and honest you are in doing this challenge. I'm trying to sell stuff now to get to the $400 to do my own challenge. Thanks for the content
Just make sure you get rid of it asap. They are fine for the first 50k to 75k miles usually. Pay it off as quickly as possible and sell it when you aren't gonna loose money on it anymore. Get yourself a Honda or a Toyota next time if you plan on keeping it for a long time
I wouldn't buy anything GM anymore.... brother has a 2017 equinox bought new. oil consumption issues, cam shaft sensor issues.... uncle had a 2012 model, wheel hubs went out less than 100k miles oil consumption was high, got rid of it.
I'm from Germany and i've been flipping cars since highschool back in 2011. I can't believe how different and how much options you have in the States. Amazing Channel. I'm looking forward to spend a few months in the USA and I will try to flip some cars while I'm there.
Hey buddy just wanted to let you know that I am a new dealer here in Chattanooga TN and I am just starting out doing the same thing you are doing. Which is buying cheap cars and cleaning them up and selling for a profit I hope. My dealership does not open until Monday. I bought six cars at the auction for a total of $4013. I hope to make atleast a thousand on each one. Love your videos and some of your tips have helped me. Keep it up and I'll keep watching. Thanks.
I’m a salesman at a 300 car Chevy/Buick store in small town middle America. Loving the content. I think the continued recaps of “started with $400 and bought a...” are important. And they will get more important as the journey goes.
Yeah the recap's important but id reallyput some thought on how represent it. Maybe a simple graphic would work to support spoken information. Right now its easy enough to follow but after couple more flips it'll get more complicated.
I got to tell you , I am new to this channel but I am hooked on it. You give car dealers a goodname , you are so honest it’s unbelievable , you are honest to a fault but in the long run that will make you lots of money God bless and keep on keepin on
My dream is to have my service company run itself so I can start a dealership and buy, sell, and enjoy the cars I love. This is great knowledge and inspiration. Thanks from Texas
This is such an interesting series,I grew up with 2 uncles who had collision shops ,so auction cars was all i knew growing up,My mouth would water wen i seen a nice Transam ,IROC Z ,Monte SS,Grand national ,or mustang Gts with a 3/4 nose on it LOL,The above mentioned cars were what i personally looked for when buying the next build back in the late 80s early 90's
This kind of reminds me of the gamblers you see in vegas...they're on a roll, winning winning winning and then wham, they lose it all in one hand. You hit a couple of home runs with the last two cars and wanted to ride that high. I get that way too....things going along just great then wham, get knocked back down to earth. With me though it's usually women not cars lololol
good on you for keeping the check engine light on. When you tell the truth, you don't have to remember the lies. I actually can't wait to see the trailblazer. I really wanna see your skills on this one. CHEERS !
I'm in the same bussiness people always Blame dealers for what cars are like lol. Feels like being a therapist sometimes when you explain things too them especially for cheaper cars
Those 2008-2011 GMs that the trans goes into limp mode with a pressure switch code are usually the plastic discs in the solenoid pack which crack and then the switches don't work. Sonnex makes a $30 kit for them. Hardest part of the repair is getting the darn solenoid pack out which they don't give you a ton of room... but I've DIY'd a few of them at home in the garage.
I did work for a few guys that sold at the auction. I would buy a used transportation from the junk yard for around 400 or 500 and put it in and be done. You make a lot more money and send it down the road.
One of the few channels on RUclips I actually look forward to watching each week. You actually keep it real. I’m a car dealer as well out of Florida and this is as real as it gets.
Just had a thought... You could add some analytics to the Ferrari challenge by tracking the market values (KBB, for instance...) of the vehicles as you go....
Sometimes you have to cut your loses. Been buying auction cars for 10years if you buy right and have rules. Generally be ok. I used to buy regular (impound and police) auction cars. After getting two w blown head gaskets, no more. I only buy collision damage salvage titles now... w 25-30 have yet to lose money...
Flipping low cost cars is a gamble. After finding, obtaining, repairing, detailing, smog, registration, your total NET Profit divided by time spent is often $20 /Hour. If Registered & smogged when bought, you can sometimes put many miles b4 flipping them. Some people just want control of their time and prefer to work for themselves but might make more as employees. Then again, some folks go big and start Used Lots, Shops, Loan Company, Repo, etc. I know one guy who specializes in selling to Illegals. He gets his investment money from the Down Payment, his daughter runs the finance company. It's a lot of cash. He has a shop, workers do all the prep. From nothing to millionaire...
What kind of Ferrari do you want? Enjoying the vids! I like to have a little fun with the cars with my kids too before moving them along. Also I would rather fix a car up to provide safe transportation even if it cuts into profits.
In the process of getting my license in Florida. I just stumbled into your channel while googling different used dealer type search. Couldn’t be happier that I did! I have been buying and selling ( for a small profit) some fun German machinery the last few years. Stuff that I want to drive foremost and make a little money on. I’m seeing we have similar interests! I had no idea what to expect from the auctions , I appreciate you showing us what it’s all about and explaining! Have you covered floor planning? Do you think everything should be cash? Appreciate all the hard work! Thank you
Even if you "clear" a cel, it will still come up as not ready when someone plugs in a scanner so the potential buyer will know something was really wrong. You are a rare honest guy and I give you a lot of credit for that.
I help out friends looking for cars when they are really in a bind. For the most part I stay away from GM products. Their quality and reliability has really gone down in the last 10 years. I got rid of my Escalade as soon as the little gremlin issues started happening. Plus the chrome came off the rims like orange peels at 6 years old. Some careful shopping with Toyota and Honda has worked out the best for me so far.
I had good luck for a long time with GM back in the day. My 2006 Colorado puked the head at 70k. Known issue but the dealers and corporate tried everything to screw me despite being in the power train when it first happened plus the secret warranty. Cost me almost 2k and everyone blamed everyone else, so I bought a Toyota and tell everyone I can what happened to me
I do agree long ago they were easy to work on, especially since I was younger and didn't have a lot of tools or diagnostic stuff. Odd that GM felt my issue was normal yet all the old junkboxes I had didn't blow engines
Thanks for sharing the pitfalls as well. Far to many people only share the success stories about how easy it is to get rich flipping cars or whatever else. Looking forward to seeing how that Trailblazer turns out. 👍
Watching these videos reminds me of the CA gold rush in the mid 1850s. The only ones who really made out were the people who were selling the shovels and equipment to the gold miners not the gold miners. Here looks like if you want to make money, start your own auction house and charge those fees!!
You should have got the throttle body for the F150 from the dealer, it’s a known issue so they sell it cheap, I think it was like $70 at the Ford dealer
Hi. Just a thought for you. My last automatic car had little reverse drive. I filled up with new atf oil and worked. Keep your chin up. James in Scotland. Love your videos.
I find it funny that you start from a hardline approach and then actually do the right thing (with the check engine and also with the accord that came back to you), I would prefer to deal with that anyday than all the snakes who say the right things before stabbing you in the back.
Awesome series, I would think a mobile diagnostician plus some elbow grease on your end (we can see you're not afraid to work) would take some of these "lemons" and turn them into profit centers. I'm not saying that all of them are easy fixes but if you have a good relationship with your diagnostic guy they can save you a ton of money I know mine has kept me from making wrong diagnostic choices in the past.
I only buy 06 style impalas with bad transmissions. I buy them for $500. Takes me 8hrs and $200 to rebuild and replace. In augusta, ga they sell for $3k... Easy money
I just bought a $7,000 vehicle (2006 Dodge Dakota) from a small-time used car dealer. I thought the transaction went OK (other than him writing the wrong VIN on most of the paperwork....) I didn't appreciate that he lied about the fact that he bought it from Insurance Auto Auctions. It did have a 'clean' and not salvage title though.
In my town, there is an old man that lives on the side of the highway(lots of traffic). He has about 10 used cars with prices on them. He is known to not haggle. Pay his price. He is fair and has been at it for years. I'm almost certain that my state law says that you have to have a dealers license if you sell more than 10 cars a year. I could be wrong about the number. Might be over 15 cars sold=have a dealers license. I believe the license is between 1500-2500 dollars per year. Some folks sell 14 cars per year and avoid having to pay the license fee. Anyway.....I live in fayetteville north carolina. Fort Bragg is in fayetteville. Large military bases ALWAYS have plenty of used car dealers because every soldier gets paid twice a month.....guaranteed. That makes them easy to finance.....a car dealers dream.
So here's the thing. These are SUV crossovers. They are very popular. Even GM ones. If you put the money in to fix the transmission, there is a very good chance you will get your money back.
I bought a v6 07 mustang on copart on a salvage title r they only sent me a salvage not reconstructed 42k miles on it (previous owner hit a deer) how do I go about finding a same body style mustang with a clean title but with a blown motor if you could point me in the right direction that would be amazing!
I'm really enjoying this series, but I do have one critique. I know that you mentioned several times in your videos that you want to show other cars that you're buying at the auctions so that viewers can see how the business works, but it does make the "$400 challenge" more difficult to follow. I would recommend that you streamline these videos by only showing the cars that pertain to the challenge, and providing more details on just those cars.
There's a problem with the initial concept of this video series. Most of us do not have a dealer's license, putting us at an immediate disadvantage. Still fun to see how he'll handle difficulties!
Not true. The public can buy from alot of auctions at very comparable prices to the dealers. And the public can buy cars from any dealers auction through a licensed broker for a small fee. His only major advantage is having a shop and crew. But he is trying to not use those tools at his disposal without figuring in what it would cost the average person to get the same things done in their own home garage.
Get content. Great Channel. I live close by. I Going to have to come by and see what you have in your inventory. I have Binged watched all of your vlogs.
Absolutely killing it. You inspired me to start flipping cars. Had some mechanical know how so have come out on top on most deals. Looking to get my dealer license in CA within the month!!
OH MY GOD the Chevy Equinox timing chain thing is so real. I purchased a Chevy Traverse which is basically the larger version of the Equinox. I wanted the traverse for a move across country due to a job in NY. I get to NY and maybe a month later a check engine light come on for YOU GUESSED IT the timing chain was bad. Cost me nearly 3K out of pocket to get a new timing chain with new gears and so on. Safe to say I will NEVER get another Chevy
I promise you, based on his content, and my experience flipping cars from auction like he does, he will be shopping for what ever Ferrari he can find for a deal from auction. So it won't really be any particular Ferrari, but rather the one the "auction gods" choose for him. Lol
Numbers convoluted? Ya think? If you talked about it like a theoretical checkbook register, with credits (including the initial investment), debits (including however you allocate labor and/or operating expenses), and a running balance, it would be easier to follow. But what do I know? I only made a career of translating matters from tech-speak to biz-speak--and back--as a business analyst.
So glad I ran into this channel a few months ago, love watching you when I have nothing better to do at work. (Salesman) have you ever considered opening up a new car and used dealership? Wouldn’t that open up your options for more lenders? Thanks!
Next time you buy a batch of cars for this series, make your son choose one of the cars, to kind of simulate the inexperience that some people might have and then discuss the problems. Even if that would be a loss, you can make a good video from it.
Channel feedback: People respond well to clickbait-y cars-Think the ridiculous stuff you see on Rich Rebuilds and Hoovies Garage. The trial blazer is a good move. The intro... needs some work. Invest like $50 on Fiverr for something that pops The music: Your viewers are probably 13-18-year-old boys. They tend to like urban beats more than guitar chord progressions in the background The merch and logo: Looks like the stuff you'd find at a truck stop-not going to be a favorite among those 13-18-year-old kids with pop's credit card. Look to the merch shop at Hoovies Garage for a better example. You might get some initial success with the first group of items for sale, but I think that will reflect the inelastic support your close friends and family will be willing to purchase. The personalities: You're a likable guy-very fit for youtube. HOWEVER, you will get old to the viewer. Consider incorporating more personalities, your shop-hands could potentially add some variation to your content. German seems cool. He's also an African American man and might appeal to more African American viewers like myself. TL;DR: Winners in the increasingly saturated automotive content sector tend to have high-quality merch, high-quality editing, tasteful clickbait, and interesting personalities.
Thank you for doing this unique challenge. I love the honesty. Thank you for not sugar coating anything. On another note, how come you didn't sell the equinox for scrap? I'm sure you would have made more on parts for that suv.
Not 100 % sure if this is the answer, but it could be. He has recently changed his method for calculating profit. Originally he was calculating gross profit and now his doing net profit. So the 3500 might be net.
Hey man, I live your videos and I'm loving the experiment you're doing. My advice would be for you to break up the outcome of every episode at the beginning and at the end of every episode with the numbers shown on scree so it's easier for us to follow what the overall is. Thank you, keep killing it. By the way, how much did you sell the raptor for? That truck looked badass
Impatiently waiting for the next video boss! Drop that fuckin thing please! But you've grueling inspired me to get on my car flipping grind with these videos I'm serious. Just getting a small roll collection together and a little detail kit so I can get em out the door looking brand new as possible with little to no cost for me. Thankyou! I was already on my way my way to doing this but your videos pushed my last button
That TBSS looks roached. Wonder if the marked title is the result of a theft recovery. It’ll be interesting to see if you can turn water into wine on that one.
I guess it is safe to assume that if it isn’t auction and there is a transmission issue that the previous owner already did the diagnosis and determined the transmission needs replacing and that’s why you don’t spend any time digging into it yourself?
Hi Craig, huge fan of ur job. Im also a car flipper here in Germany. Can u please do short videos for these other auction cars. What do u do to them, detailing and then car living the shop. And also some infos how much did u win and so on. Im learning a lot from ur videos.
I'm in the same business and let me tell you, this is as real as it gets. Everyone usually thinks we're out to rip people off when in reality it's our job to provide good reliable transportation to people. No one sees all of what we go through or how much time and money we invest in our inventory. Keep up the great work and awesome videos!!!
I, too, am in the business. SOME are there to provide good, reliable transportation. I know I am which is why I've never had a single customer complaint. Most in the business aren't driven by the same honorable goal, though. Most just want to make money regardless of the quality of the car and the happiness of the customer. That's why there's such a stigma attached to dealers. Now there's the truth.
Its tough getting cars up to decent condition. A lot of people let things go on their used car, thus 1/2 a dozen items need attention to get the car up to snuff.
Not every one is honest , and it is a bit monopoly feeling when only dealers can buy from these auctions
I am also in the same business. I just started my dealer business back in September. Sold 9-10 cars so far! But I agree with you, this is very much real!
buy here pay here places are the real scammers.
You should put together a dry erase boerd for all of the sales to keep track for us at home
Great idea!
Going to give us that Gone in 60 seconds vibe!
With photos of each car would be great 👍
Just get one of those cork boards with pictures and dollars.
I honestly love this guy. He's definitely my inspiration to do what he does.
The car business can be great, but very stressful.
@@mikevelilla9757 better than a 9-5 tho right?
@@genesis204 I bet it is. Fun just to think you can also drive all kinds of cars
Since there was no check engine light when you bought the Chevy, it's safe to say someone less scrupulous cleared it before you.
Yeah I was thinking: time to put a clause in the auction that any error codes cleared prior to the auction negate the auction. This is twice he's been burned by that. Last one was the audi R8 and they took it back.
@@muskokamike127 everyone does it there’s no point in not doing it it just puts you at a disadvantage and there’s no way to enforce that as the codes could have been cleared or they could’ve popped up after the purchase.
@@jamesmason131 Everyone does it doesn't make it right.
As for the codes popping up after: the ECU stores "cleared codes" and you can tell if it was cleared right before the auction. The odds of something "breaking" or "failing" in the 5 minutes after the car is run through is astronomical.
This is no different IMO than turning back the odometer or putting thicker oil in to hide low compression......
@Susan curran I asked that once and someone told me they don't let you plug into the cars before you buy them. They don't even let you bring them onto the lot.
@@muskokamike127 I have never heard of a rule like that and how would they enforce it if it was the case at some random auctions? Use a code reader and you are much more unlikely to get screwed like this.
At least this guy didn't clear the light. That shows he has some integrity.
Yes, plus he would be legally liable if he showed himself doing it on RUclips.
This series is so fun to watch!!! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
I admire you for not clearing the codes. Karma will reward you.
Hey Craig. I am only commenting b/c you say you read all comments. I enjoy your channel and find this very entertaining about going from $400 to a Ferrari. Will probably learn more from this than most MBA programs as well. I seriously respect the fact you do not conceal the defects in your cars when you run through the auctions. That is such a scumbag move.
Thx!
I think, like you said, it is getting a little convoluted as far as cars go. I think it would be a good idea to completely separate your Ferrari cars from your other cars when you're talking about them to us. I still like to hear about the other deals you are making, like the Raptor and the S7, but it would be nice to get a breakdown of where you are at in the Ferrari process in slideshow view at the end of the video showing profits, losses, and what your costs associated with each car. This would help track the progress better and not confuse the audience with "wait, is the F-150 or the Mustang a part of the $400 Ferrari challenge?" Thanks for making awesome content, Craig!
10:30 my guy has a pack of sausages under the back seat of the car lol
SVT Raptor...one of the few trucks I'd even consider trading my Tundra for!!
@JACKSON PAULS yeah they are
@JACKSON PAULS only the radio...everything else has been bullet-proof. Knock on wood...
Chevy 2500 duramax+allison
@JACKSON PAULS Oh, and the gas mileage is beyond horrible! Beyond that, it's been a great truck. I have a little over 100k on it now and it's been great.
350k on a 2013 Nissan frontier
I'm absolutely love this series I recommend this channel to my intro to money classes!
Glad you enjoy it!
This is great content, not just for car guys but also young people with aspirations to start something from scratch. Love seeing you take the bad in stride and try to figure it out. Thats business! Also very cool to see your knowledge of cars. Great videos all around!!
Man you are truly inspiring me. I love how open and honest you are in doing this challenge. I'm trying to sell stuff now to get to the $400 to do my own challenge. Thanks for the content
Oh man just bought 2019 Chevy Equinox with 15,000 miles back in July! I hope I don't regret the purchase, it is a Texas car.
I don’t know a lot about equinoxes but I do know that you are much better off since you bought a new one
Just make sure you get rid of it asap. They are fine for the first 50k to 75k miles usually. Pay it off as quickly as possible and sell it when you aren't gonna loose money on it anymore. Get yourself a Honda or a Toyota next time if you plan on keeping it for a long time
I wouldn't buy anything GM anymore.... brother has a 2017 equinox bought new. oil consumption issues, cam shaft sensor issues.... uncle had a 2012 model, wheel hubs went out less than 100k miles oil consumption was high, got rid of it.
You have the new style with new engines. They redesigned it in 2018
Gm has bad transmissions in anything but there pickups
The editing has gotten so much better over the last couple of months
Craig, you should do I breakdown video of how much money you can make per month if done properly.
I went to the dealership in Danville NH because I'm form new Hampshire!
I think you should get an obd scanner. plug it into electronics and it will tell you if there are problems with the car
Seems kinda basic, eh?
I'm from Germany and i've been flipping cars since highschool back in 2011. I can't believe how different and how much options you have in the States. Amazing Channel. I'm looking forward to spend a few months in the USA and I will try to flip some cars while I'm there.
Hey buddy just wanted to let you know that I am a new dealer here in Chattanooga TN and I am just starting out doing the same thing you are doing. Which is buying cheap cars and cleaning them up and selling for a profit I hope. My dealership does not open until Monday. I bought six cars at the auction for a total of $4013. I hope to make atleast a thousand on each one. Love your videos and some of your tips have helped me. Keep it up and I'll keep watching. Thanks.
I’m a salesman at a 300 car Chevy/Buick store in small town middle America. Loving the content. I think the continued recaps of “started with $400 and bought a...” are important. And they will get more important as the journey goes.
Yeah the recap's important but id reallyput some thought on how represent it. Maybe a simple graphic would work to support spoken information. Right now its easy enough to follow but after couple more flips it'll get more complicated.
I got to tell you , I am new to this channel but I am hooked on it. You give car dealers a goodname , you are so honest it’s unbelievable , you are honest to a fault but in the long run that will make you lots of money God bless and keep on keepin on
Like how realistic you are even with the fails. This is how most videos should be.
My dream is to have my service company run itself so I can start a dealership and buy, sell, and enjoy the cars I love. This is great knowledge and inspiration. Thanks from Texas
This is such an interesting series,I grew up with 2 uncles who had collision shops ,so auction cars was all i knew growing up,My mouth would water wen i seen a nice Transam ,IROC Z ,Monte SS,Grand national ,or mustang Gts with a 3/4 nose on it LOL,The above mentioned cars were what i personally looked for when buying the next build back in the late 80s early 90's
This kind of reminds me of the gamblers you see in vegas...they're on a roll, winning winning winning and then wham, they lose it all in one hand. You hit a couple of home runs with the last two cars and wanted to ride that high. I get that way too....things going along just great then wham, get knocked back down to earth. With me though it's usually women not cars lololol
good on you for keeping the check engine light on. When you tell the truth, you don't have to remember the lies. I actually can't wait to see the trailblazer. I really wanna see your skills on this one. CHEERS !
I'm in the same bussiness people always Blame dealers for what cars are like lol. Feels like being a therapist sometimes when you explain things too them especially for cheaper cars
Those 2008-2011 GMs that the trans goes into limp mode with a pressure switch code are usually the plastic discs in the solenoid pack which crack and then the switches don't work. Sonnex makes a $30 kit for them. Hardest part of the repair is getting the darn solenoid pack out which they don't give you a ton of room... but I've DIY'd a few of them at home in the garage.
13:49, you look like a fun dad. My dad wore K-mart velcro shoes, drank old Milwaukee by the pallet, and drove a green rot box Datsun.
😅🤣
By far my favorite series on RUclips. Glad to see there's still honest people in the world.
I did work for a few guys that sold at the auction. I would buy a used transportation from the junk yard for around 400 or 500 and put it in and be done. You make a lot more money and send it down the road.
So nice to not have a 6 hr preview! Thanks Craig ! Sorry about the Dud(s)
One of the few channels on RUclips I actually look forward to watching each week. You actually keep it real. I’m a car dealer as well out of Florida and this is as real as it gets.
Just had a thought...
You could add some analytics to the Ferrari challenge by tracking the market values (KBB, for instance...) of the vehicles as you go....
Hmm that’s a decent idea
Sometimes you have to cut your loses. Been buying auction cars for 10years if you buy right and have rules. Generally be ok. I used to buy regular (impound and police) auction cars. After getting two w blown head gaskets, no more. I only buy collision damage salvage titles now... w 25-30 have yet to lose money...
I started watching your channel a year ago. I love this series keep it going
Flipping low cost cars is a gamble. After finding, obtaining, repairing, detailing, smog, registration, your total NET Profit divided by time spent is often $20 /Hour.
If Registered & smogged when bought, you can sometimes put many miles b4 flipping them.
Some people just want control of their time and prefer to work for themselves but might make more as employees. Then again, some folks go big and start Used Lots, Shops, Loan Company, Repo, etc. I know one guy who specializes in selling to Illegals. He gets his investment money from the Down Payment, his daughter runs the finance company.
It's a lot of cash. He has a shop, workers do all the prep. From nothing to millionaire...
What kind of Ferrari do you want? Enjoying the vids! I like to have a little fun with the cars with my kids too before moving them along. Also I would rather fix a car up to provide safe transportation even if it cuts into profits.
In the process of getting my license in Florida. I just stumbled into your channel while googling different used dealer type search. Couldn’t be happier that I did! I have been buying and selling ( for a small profit) some fun German machinery the last few years. Stuff that I want to drive foremost and make a little money on. I’m seeing we have similar interests! I had no idea what to expect from the auctions , I appreciate you showing us what it’s all about and explaining! Have you covered floor planning? Do you think everything should be cash? Appreciate all the hard work! Thank you
Even if you "clear" a cel, it will still come up as not ready when someone plugs in a scanner so the potential buyer will know something was really wrong. You are a rare honest guy and I give you a lot of credit for that.
You are very honest you will be bless
Really enjoy your channel. Your content is not only informative but fun. Keep up the great job. 👍
Love the SRX. That S7 is BEAUTIFUL can't wait to see the next video
I love to see you and your son together. Oh yeah!! he's gonna be a car guy
14:27 damn your son is your lil twin 😂
You should put your dealership website in the description!
It is in the description
I help out friends looking for cars when they are really in a bind. For the most part I stay away from GM products. Their quality and reliability has really gone down in the last 10 years. I got rid of my Escalade as soon as the little gremlin issues started happening. Plus the chrome came off the rims like orange peels at 6 years old. Some careful shopping with Toyota and Honda has worked out the best for me so far.
As a person that fixes all my own stuff, GM is easy to work on and you can buy them used cheap. They are quite crappy though.
ph prior to mid 90's you could work on them and they would stay pretty reliable. Newer stuff is made so cheap it doesnt hold up.
I had good luck for a long time with GM back in the day. My 2006 Colorado puked the head at 70k. Known issue but the dealers and corporate tried everything to screw me despite being in the power train when it first happened plus the secret warranty. Cost me almost 2k and everyone blamed everyone else, so I bought a Toyota and tell everyone I can what happened to me
I do agree long ago they were easy to work on, especially since I was younger and didn't have a lot of tools or diagnostic stuff. Odd that GM felt my issue was normal yet all the old junkboxes I had didn't blow engines
Thanks for sharing the pitfalls as well. Far to many people only share the success stories about how easy it is to get rich flipping cars or whatever else. Looking forward to seeing how that Trailblazer turns out. 👍
Watching these videos reminds me of the CA gold rush in the mid 1850s. The only ones who really made out were the people who were selling the shovels and equipment to the gold miners not the gold miners. Here looks like if you want to make money, start your own auction house and charge those fees!!
You should have got the throttle body for the F150 from the dealer, it’s a known issue so they sell it cheap, I think it was like $70 at the Ford dealer
Hi. Just a thought for you. My last automatic car had little reverse drive. I filled up with new atf oil and worked. Keep your chin up. James in Scotland. Love your videos.
Just now watching the series. Love em thanks bro
Id like to see how to get a dealers license vid!
I find it funny that you start from a hardline approach and then actually do the right thing (with the check engine and also with the accord that came back to you), I would prefer to deal with that anyday than all the snakes who say the right things before stabbing you in the back.
Awesome series, I would think a mobile diagnostician plus some elbow grease on your end (we can see you're not afraid to work) would take some of these "lemons" and turn them into profit centers. I'm not saying that all of them are easy fixes but if you have a good relationship with your diagnostic guy they can save you a ton of money I know mine has kept me from making wrong diagnostic choices in the past.
That Audi s7 has had panel work done on the passenger side.. either front door and fender or rear door and quarter
i want more wholesale videos, auction to acv, detail and quick flips!!!!
Keep on flipping Craig!Cant wait for your next video
I only buy 06 style impalas with bad transmissions. I buy them for $500. Takes me 8hrs and $200 to rebuild and replace. In augusta, ga they sell for $3k... Easy money
I just bought a $7,000 vehicle (2006 Dodge Dakota) from a small-time used car dealer. I thought the transaction went OK (other than him writing the wrong VIN on most of the paperwork....) I didn't appreciate that he lied about the fact that he bought it from Insurance Auto Auctions. It did have a 'clean' and not salvage title though.
I'm pretty sure you're doing the challenge in easy mode since youre doing it through your dealership.
In my town, there is an old man that lives on the side of the highway(lots of traffic). He has about 10 used cars with prices on them. He is known to not haggle. Pay his price. He is fair and has been at it for years. I'm almost certain that my state law says that you have to have a dealers license if you sell more than 10 cars a year. I could be wrong about the number. Might be over 15 cars sold=have a dealers license. I believe the license is between 1500-2500 dollars per year. Some folks sell 14 cars per year and avoid having to pay the license fee. Anyway.....I live in fayetteville north carolina. Fort Bragg is in fayetteville. Large military bases ALWAYS have plenty of used car dealers because every soldier gets paid twice a month.....guaranteed. That makes them easy to finance.....a car dealers dream.
So here's the thing. These are SUV crossovers. They are very popular. Even GM ones. If you put the money in to fix the transmission, there is a very good chance you will get your money back.
This is very good documentation on what happens in the business.
Great series
I bought a v6 07 mustang on copart on a salvage title r they only sent me a salvage not reconstructed 42k miles on it (previous owner hit a deer) how do I go about finding a same body style mustang with a clean title but with a blown motor if you could point me in the right direction that would be amazing!
I'm really enjoying this series, but I do have one critique. I know that you mentioned several times in your videos that you want to show other cars that you're buying at the auctions so that viewers can see how the business works, but it does make the "$400 challenge" more difficult to follow. I would recommend that you streamline these videos by only showing the cars that pertain to the challenge, and providing more details on just those cars.
There's a problem with the initial concept of this video series. Most of us do not have a dealer's license, putting us at an immediate disadvantage. Still fun to see how he'll handle difficulties!
Not true. The public can buy from alot of auctions at very comparable prices to the dealers. And the public can buy cars from any dealers auction through a licensed broker for a small fee. His only major advantage is having a shop and crew. But he is trying to not use those tools at his disposal without figuring in what it would cost the average person to get the same things done in their own home garage.
@@brandonb4224 Wondering if there's a website or such where I can learn more about buying at a car auction, at or near dealer prices.
Get content. Great
Channel. I live close by. I
Going to have to come by and see what you have in your inventory. I have Binged watched all of your vlogs.
Absolutely killing it. You inspired me to start flipping cars. Had some mechanical know how so have come out on top on most deals. Looking to get my dealer license in CA within the month!!
How is it going?
OH MY GOD the Chevy Equinox timing chain thing is so real. I purchased a Chevy Traverse which is basically the larger version of the Equinox. I wanted the traverse for a move across country due to a job in NY. I get to NY and maybe a month later a check engine light come on for YOU GUESSED IT the timing chain was bad. Cost me nearly 3K out of pocket to get a new timing chain with new gears and so on. Safe to say I will NEVER get another Chevy
Rly sick series can't wait for more, what Ferrari are you going to pick once you get the money (not if when)
F430 probably
I promise you, based on his content, and my experience flipping cars from auction like he does, he will be shopping for what ever Ferrari he can find for a deal from auction. So it won't really be any particular Ferrari, but rather the one the "auction gods" choose for him. Lol
I didn't know Kurt Russell sold cars! =D Love the content man, keep at it!
Has been since the late 70s :) "used cars"
I think you should make seperate videos for the Ferrari flips and your regular flips
Numbers convoluted? Ya think? If you talked about it like a theoretical checkbook register, with credits (including the initial investment), debits (including however you allocate labor and/or operating expenses), and a running balance, it would be easier to follow.
But what do I know? I only made a career of translating matters from tech-speak to biz-speak--and back--as a business analyst.
So glad I ran into this channel a few months ago, love watching you when I have nothing better to do at work. (Salesman) have you ever considered opening up a new car and used dealership? Wouldn’t that open up your options for more lenders? Thanks!
Next time you buy a batch of cars for this series, make your son choose one of the cars, to kind of simulate the inexperience that some people might have and then discuss the problems. Even if that would be a loss, you can make a good video from it.
Great idea!
I love this series. There is no way I would attempt to try this, but it sure is fun watching a pro work.
Channel feedback:
People respond well to clickbait-y cars-Think the ridiculous stuff you see on Rich Rebuilds and Hoovies Garage. The trial blazer is a good move.
The intro... needs some work. Invest like $50 on Fiverr for something that pops
The music: Your viewers are probably 13-18-year-old boys. They tend to like urban beats more than guitar chord progressions in the background
The merch and logo: Looks like the stuff you'd find at a truck stop-not going to be a favorite among those 13-18-year-old kids with pop's credit card. Look to the merch shop at Hoovies Garage for a better example. You might get some initial success with the first group of items for sale, but I think that will reflect the inelastic support your close friends and family will be willing to purchase.
The personalities: You're a likable guy-very fit for youtube. HOWEVER, you will get old to the viewer. Consider incorporating more personalities, your shop-hands could potentially add some variation to your content. German seems cool. He's also an African American man and might appeal to more African American viewers like myself.
TL;DR: Winners in the increasingly saturated automotive content sector tend to have high-quality merch, high-quality editing, tasteful clickbait, and interesting personalities.
I love this type of videos. Just honest content about the ups and downs in the car business.
Thank you for doing this unique challenge. I love the honesty. Thank you for not sugar coating anything. On another note, how come you didn't sell the equinox for scrap? I'm sure you would have made more on parts for that suv.
I may be wrong here but u said u had 3500 after selling accord and millan... so how did u spend 2300 and 2000+fees hmmm math is hard.....
Not 100 % sure if this is the answer, but it could be.
He has recently changed his method for calculating profit. Originally he was calculating gross profit and now his doing net profit. So the 3500 might be net.
Really enjoying this series. Thanks for doing it. I'm glad we're getting to see the downs as well as the ups. We're rooting for you!
Hey man, I live your videos and I'm loving the experiment you're doing. My advice would be for you to break up the outcome of every episode at the beginning and at the end of every episode with the numbers shown on scree so it's easier for us to follow what the overall is. Thank you, keep killing it. By the way, how much did you sell the raptor for? That truck looked badass
I love to restore cars and these videos are addictive
Hi Methuen Transmission can rebuild the Equinox transmission for 1k parts and labor
Been There a few times!
Awesome content love the channel keep up the great work
I just love your videos! Cars and honesty
Could you use scan tool before you buy cars. Everything shows up anyway
I could. I didn't inspect these two 1st unfortunately
Impatiently waiting for the next video boss! Drop that fuckin thing please! But you've grueling inspired me to get on my car flipping grind with these videos I'm serious. Just getting a small roll collection together and a little detail kit so I can get em out the door looking brand new as possible with little to no cost for me. Thankyou! I was already on my way my way to doing this but your videos pushed my last button
That TBSS looks roached. Wonder if the marked title is the result of a theft recovery. It’ll be interesting to see if you can turn water into wine on that one.
I guess it is safe to assume that if it isn’t auction and there is a transmission issue that the previous owner already did the diagnosis and determined the transmission needs replacing and that’s why you don’t spend any time digging into it yourself?
One of THE best yt series
Finally I find a RUclips from new Hampshire lol
Ik thats how i feel lol
Look at Rich Rebuilds! He does some cool stuff and I believe (could be wrong, but he's definitely in New England) lives in NH.
Same I’m a Lakes region resident lol
Kind of a random question, but do you fill up the gas tanks before selling them at your dealership?
Nope. Never empty, never full
I love love love this series, I enjoy all of your videos but this is a great series. Keep up the awesome work!
I’m Really enjoying this $400 flip series! So much that it’s inspired me to start looking for my first flip!
Hi Craig, huge fan of ur job. Im also a car flipper here in Germany. Can u please do short videos for these other auction cars. What do u do to them, detailing and then car living the shop. And also some infos how much did u win and so on. Im learning a lot from ur videos.
Being honest always works well. Not turning off the check engine light was a good thing to do.