Dummy's Guide to Government Surplus Car Auctions
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2021
- This is what to expect when going to a car auction. Want to visit your local government surplus vehicle auction? Here is what you need to do. For some folks this is a great way to get a good car at a good price but for others, it's too much to deal with.
Special thanks to Brad Hansen at Retro Cars Forever / moviemaestroten for his editing prowless. Music by Bensound, - Ukulele. 
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I've been going to auctions for decades and if it looks to good to be true, it usually is. In recent years the rise of online auction sites has caused prices to rise since since many inexperienced bidders never inspect things in person and tend to drive the prices well above retail value. Fun to attend but if you think you're getting a steal, think again.
Hey, great comment and great points you make. Thanks man for sharing.
I’m seeing things sell for more than book value and that is before auction fees and tax. I shake my head and have to wonder what some folks are thinking when they bid! Online Auction Fever I suppose
Define “retail.” While these vehicles typically need some level of reconditioning, the prices on the preponderance of them are typically FAR below dealership retail prices.
Seems like you need to walk into the lot with the idea that every car you're going to look at is going to be abused, run hard, put away wet, barely maintained, and never cared for. Then if you find one that might actually not have been given the hardest life imaginable that's the one you bid on.
Haha, yeah, you just summed up my entire video into two sentences.
That is true, and the same goes when searching for a used car from any seller
I see a lot of government agencies park their stuff for a year + before it gets listed. Plan on a rotted brake / fuel line, all new pads and rotors, always a new starter, idler pulleys, belt too.
Extremely solid video. A real take and perspective from someone who understands the full process of auction buying.
Thanks man for the kind words and for the visit this morning.
@@hullinger you have just earned my subscription, and I don't subscribe to many channels.
Thanks for the video content! Forgive me for butting in, I am interested in your opinion. Have you considered - Tarbbatigan Vintage Sales Tip (erm, check it on google should be there)? It is a great one of a kind product for finding government and police auctions for cars trucks and SUVs minus the headache. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my friend finally got cool success with it.
Good info Chris. Years ago I use to go to the GSA auctions, it always amazed me how some people would bid the cars to full retail without being able to drive them or have much info on the car.
Hey there Pat. It's always a pleasure hearing from you. I didn't know about your GSA auction days. Nice, and you're right, folks jump into these auctions and drop a lot of cash for things they really shouldn't be buying. Take care bud!
Good to see the Astrovan is still around. Looks pretty mean on that wheel and tyre combo! Great presentation as always!
Always a pleasure “Learning” from you! Thank you sir!
You're kind man and thanks for the visit this morning.
Went to about 10 auctions. Nope × 10, then 2 happy scores in a row.
First score, they were taking sealed bids, so I tried $3K for a 3.0 litre Dodge Caravan at just over 100,000 km (~65,000 miles) with a 3-speed auto (not the hideous 4-spd). Dual-fuel, gasoline or natural gas (like getting a 30% discount on fuel). Ran it for years.
Second score was a perfect storm -- one auctioneer was outside during a cold downpour (while almost everybody else stayed warm inside the barn overbidding at the simultaneous police dep't lost/found bicycles auction). Got a 2000 Cavalier with just over 100,000 km gently used by the Parks Dep't admin, for $600 just by staying outside in the rain. Good commuter car.
I think you hit the nail on the head the good deals are few and far between. It never ceases to amaze me how much some of these trashed cars go for in my area.
Thanks man for checking out today's video and for your comment. Auction cars are selling for nutsy money especially considering the risk.
Very honest and informative. My auction experience is similar. Prices for auction items in my area have gone up significantly in the past few months so the "deals" are very few and far between. Still, the hunt is fun.😃
Thanks man for stopping by this morning for today's video and yeah, it seems to be the hunt that I enjoy the most.
Great content. I’ll share my past 2 purchases.
2016 Explorer police package, awd 100k. Was friend of the court transfer vehicle since new. Bought with “needs minor engine repair”. I paid $6k out the door. Vet solenoid codes, turns out there was metal in the engine plugging up the vvt system. I replaced the engine for $800 plus my labor of 2 days. Runs/drives great now. It’s prob worth 8-9k if I sold it.
2nd car I just got. 2014 Ssv Tahoe 4wd used by a small sheriffs Dept in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. 117k, advertised as having a bad trans. I was high bidder on sealed bid for $1650. Had it shipped to me for 1k, rebuilt the trans myself for $1300, went through it and added a console, front upper control arms, windshield, sway bar bushings, front brakes, turned off afm for $50. All in $4500. Completely rust free. It’s prob worth 10k.
I bought both site unseen. Didn’t even see a picture of the Tahoe. Worst case for my bid i could use it for parts, but it is turned out much better.
I have been buying government stuff for 25 years. I have gotten burned countless times. Pretty much now I just buy the mechanics specials for a discount and repair them myself
Thanks for sharing and thats a great lesson too. I like what you're doing with the repairs. You're way more risky than I am though on picking out cars. It sounds like the your max bids, like on that Tahoe, basically ensures you'll get your money back if things go badly. But it also sounds like you pick cars that fit your skill set and those cars probably get overlooked by folks too. Thanks again man. Always great to hear from ya.
Great upload. As always full of facts and informative. Looks like the shop cleaned up nicely!
Thanks man and thanks for watching, as always.
Chris makes great informative vids... Thank YOU!
You nailed it Chris. The deals at these government auctions were so much better back in the pre internet days.I got many vehicles from New York City public auction.
Thanks bud and thanks for watching too.
I love this Auction videos because it always surprises me how much the cars sale for.
Hey east coast classics love the grind bro you are one of the underrated channels on RUclips
Hey man, thanks so much. I really appreciate you sharing that! Thanks for watching too.
I see your new unit is going up nicely. Can't wait for a tour when it's done. Also, thanks for the input on the process on auction buying. Although I'll never practice it on my own, it's good to know anyway. I'm one of those types who leases a new vehicle every couple of years so I'll never know what this is like. LOL!
I always buy 3 year old cars just off lease, depreciation can be as much as 40% over 3 years...and the leased cars are well maintained because usually they are covered by manufacturer warranty and undergo free service at recommended intervals.
Back in the early 80s, my Dad, brother and I went to a GSA auction which auctioned off surplus GSA cars. Back then, it was Ford Fairmonts, AMC Concords/Gremlins and variety of Chevy, Dodge and Ford trucks and vans. We were looking for a truck or SUV...and found a Blazer with rod knock...figuring we would save money since the engine issues we have to be addressed. We attended the open house prior to bidding and noted what we wanted to bid on....and a bunch of dealers were there and bid up the prices quickly.....kind of a bummer but was a fun experience.
All right, this turned out great! Always appreciated this realistic perspective.
Thanks man for everything! Really. Each of your videos is like watching a master class on how a great video is made. I appreciate you watching!
These auction videos make me want one of those Ford Focus despite the problems. I have always been a fan of the 4 door sedan variant of the 2012-2014 Ford Focus
SPOT ON. If you cannot do the repairs yourself, you will almost always lose your cash.
I once bought a 1985 CCUV (out of Florida), could not get it running, so I spent another 2 grand and bought another one which I did get running to figure out what was wrong with the first one. It was a long list of idiotic screw-ups before I had bought it on the first one. But with two to compare they are both solid, in fact my son just replaced the master cylinder on the 2nd one (out of Kentucky) and we are bleeding the brakes tomorrow before we go for a cruise.
Next we are going to park the Ford Taurus (out of Va, $300 and 59K miles) and redo all the suspension all around. Years ago, I bought a 1976 IH Box truck that drank oil on the way home, found out that it was missing a piston, connecting rod and elbow, so had to rebuild the engine. It created a cloud of blue smoke that was truly impressive.
It can be fun, but you are buying trouble and projects.
Done many an auction, form office supplies to vehicles over the years. I love them, trying to find the gem at a cheap price and a rush if you get it but, you have to do your homework, visit lots, be patient, now your limits and what you want/need. Bought a good few vans for pennies back in the day to last through a busy periods. To test auto tranny's, apply brakes hard and ebrake, then go through the gears increasing the revs, bad ones will generally be hesitant or so some signs of slipping, ain't let me down in 30+ yes. Great vid 👍
Great comment and great advice. Thanks man for sharing that.
I have watched all of your videos buying from the government auctions. I hope you keep it up. I bought a 08 CVPI for 1500 with 95,000 miles and 1153 idle hrs....great car!!!
Very nice and thanks so much. I appreciate that.
It's always good information when you put it out there how not to get screwed all the way around so far you've been pretty good and I enjoyed the video thank you
Thanks man for the comment and visit.
Really enjoy all of your videos!!
Glad you like them and thanks for the visit this morning too!
Great summary. I would also add the risk of getting bidding frenzy. You get caught up and overpay.... And before you know it paying over retail.
Very true man. And thanks for the visit on today's video. I plan on stopping at the surplus auction on Tues or Wed to get a desk and chair. While I'm there I'll ask about transferring the warranty on our cars.
Very interesting perspective. Thank you. Sounds like the best part is the hunt.
Thanks bud for visiting this morning and yeah, the hunt seems to be what I enojy the most.
I bought at the auction when it was still live, near the end you could get some deals. I got a 8 year old Taurus with 67000 miles and drove it to 188,000 with only ever replacing the hood ( was in fender bender) tires, one break caliper and a heater hose. It was the cheapest and best used car I had. I plan on getting another at some point but the prices skyrocketed with online auction and the state makes more so they will continue doing it. Some of the state cars are used and abused. Others are hardly used and it’s not surprising to find them with under 60,000 miles. Just bid accordingly. Since the state went to fleet management vs agency they are serviced regularly and maintained. The average age is suppose to be cycled out at 5 years but I think average is 7-8 years. I’m waiting for a deal on a minivan to use for trips. Definitely will be watching
Your comment makes sense to me. I've been looking on Carvana and Cargurus for a month now at pickups. Sometimes I see some of the lower mileage (and cheaper) ones were purchased at auctions. That's why I'm looking at a nearby GSA next week. If a dealer buys at an auction I would guess his markup would be about 10% or more ... I'd like to pocket that %.
Fun video, and very informative. Thank you.
as always good advice and excellent information
Thanks again man and thanks for stopping by for the video this morning!
Thank you for your videos I enjoy them and by the way how about that crown victoria behind you looks nice my friend 👍👍👍
Thanks for the visit today and that Vic in the background is probably gonna be next weeks video. I got that a couple weeks ago at auction, but unfortunately it's going to Europe in a month to it's new owner. It's a story I'll share in the video.
Good day to you my friend. It's Ted from Texas. I used to go to car auctions all the time. I was what you could say addicted to the auction as well. The most I ever had at one time was 13 cars. I enjoyed fixing them up and selling them. I had friends a different faction. Some of them would help steer me away from Bad vehicles. But I had purchased a few lemons in my life as well. I enjoyed the video my friend. See you in the next one
Hey there Ted from Texas! Thanks bud for the visit and for sharing. Getting those lemons at auction seems to be the price of admission.
I purchased a 2008 Ford Fusion with 59,000 miles for $2,800. The retail value is $5,000
Great deal
I bought a very clean Audi for a good price at an auction. It turned out it needed a new transmission. After the cost of a new transmission it wasn't a good deal. I don't buy cars from auctions anymore.
If that happens the best choice is to just sell it and break even
I used to go to public and dealer-only auctions in the Northeast, and although I did manage to find some good deals, it was usually only on those few makes and models and were unpopular and/or unknown. Auction Fever is real and with fees, bids are easily way above what you could buy a better car for in private-party deals, or even pick up up the same cars 'As Is' from the dealers before they sent them to auction.
Excellent video
Thank you very much and thanks for the visit this morning.
It makes a difference on how well the auction was advertised. Some auctions have way too many buyers for limited inventory. It pays to write the maximum you would offer on a vehicle while at the inspection and take detailed notes. Most auctions I walk away empty handed. At other auctions, picked up some real bargains as they had some items not in the main category so the buyers for those items were absent. Example, bought a light tower generator. It was full of 30 gallons of fuel, fully services, but rental equipment. Picked it up for under $1000. Where else can you buy a 3 cylinder diesel generator with less than 1200 hours for under a grand. At later auctions old worn out units with over 30,000 hours were sold for nearly $4,000. It pays to spot the bargains and ones with poor attendance.
In regards to government cars, many are seized property from crime, lack of insurance, drug deals, etc. Those are generally in very poor repair. Identify the ones used by the city for social workers, city inspectors, etc, as those are more likely to have been kept maintained. You don't want the vehicle that was owned by the homeless guy living in it, and taken by the city for lack of insurance.
The green Jag looked to be from one of those irreputable sources.
He tells us. Not to go to auctions
But he goes every chance he gets
Lol
because he wants to get the cream of the crop.he just contradicted himself.
come on man you misunderstood the entire video lol
Accurate! But I will say - I'm very pleased with both of my auction buys. I still can't believe I have my cream-puff CVPI some days. Sometimes I just sit back and look at it - appreciating it for the unicorn that it is. However, like you said - there's a lot of risk - a lot of risk involved. You have to purchase with the mindset that you might be literally throwing the money directly in the trash... that's how I keep myself grounded.
Dude, you're totally right about that sweet Vic you've got. All loaded up with the goodies, she certainly is a unicorn. Thanks Alan.
Thank you, very interesting video and I love the American cars you deal with...old Jaguars have in Germany a bad reputation😉 but they look great🙂
Those old Jaguar's are beautiful cars to look at and it sounds like the bad reputation travels with them from country to country! Haha. Thanks for watching.
Great video! Just a heads up, in your purchase video of the Taurus you found something in the glovebox that you said is the gas filler. That actually goes around your driver side seat belt clip! No more duck tape
Oh, cool man. Thanks for the tip on that seatbelt part. My first though was that it's a fuel funnel but I'll go check it out now! Thanks too for checking out today's video.
Those cars are like rentals. The people that drove them beat the crap out of them because they don't own them. Like you said, it's more about the hunt than the kill.
Totally agree with you. Thanks!
There is something intriguing about checkling out old government vehicles and imagining the history of them. The other day I saw a land cruiser 75 series Ute in a weird colour in my street. Thought it was worth a closer look and sure enough on the door I could see the outline of the stickers that it belonged to a fire service originally, from interstate
Totally agree with you. It's always fun to see what turns up at these surplus auctions. There's always something unusual and interesting, but finding a Land Cruiser would be a super cool find.
that was fun... felt like I was there with you
Haha, glad you joined along for the auction tour. On another note, would you be interested in attending Amelia Island next year? I figure scheduling something now for next year might be good.
Another great video. When is the next auction? BTW, the garage is looking a lot better with that coat of paint. And when are you gonna update us on the Charger and introduce the new Vic?
Very Knowledgeable Video ❤️
Glad you think so and thanks man for stopping by for today's video!
Never bid on anything if you can't inspect it first. Period.
Great factual video
Glad you think so and I appreciate you watching!
Nice guidelines :) Wonder if you try other auctions like copart, or facebook or craig list etc ? Is the government auction safer than those ?
Some great deals, nice
Great video very interesting
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks bud for the visit this morning.
He's right, I gave up on Suplus auctions a long time ago, most cars are SO stripped with few options, you wouldn't want them. And resale is dismal usully. As soon as most buyers hear you got it at Surplus.... Good luck.
Another point to add is to watch the market in general.right now,not many vehicles are being built so cars of all types will be above their normal asking prices.not a great time to buy.if you're buying, you're probably going to pay over current retail price plus everything else.
Great video
Thanks for the visit
Good luck
Buddy take care
Thanks bud and thanks for watching.
good honest review isn't there a fee that's also added to the auction house,
25 years ago I was active on 3 different Government online auction sites. And purchased many items including vehicles. Today it’s not really advisable. The people who are bidding now do not understand that they are bidding on a picture. There’s lots of risk involved, but they bid like the items come with a 30day money back warranty. Often times they are paying retail prices and above in the auction.
Every auction will have a few bidders who just get excited or really do not know the value of a car, and jack the price up to high, but if you ride it out a few times, you will find the car you want for the price you want to pay, and that should be low wholesale, based on the risk, Last year I bought a 2013 Caprice PPV ( with the 6.0 V-8 ) with 130,000 miles for $4000, started it with a jump box, replaced the horn, and have been driving it ever since with no issues.
Jaguire ? It's probably an East Coast thing , right ? Not heard that before , Jagord (EU) on other hand (for X-Type as it shares +- 20% components w/ the bland mid 2000's Ford Mondeo). Not a jab or something , been following you long time , love the vids , man. Thx.
Love the police interceptor good engine too
I buy cars and trucks from the PPA Philadelphia parking authority . Make a living from those cars . . Do you get a dud sometimes , yes it happens. However you got to know what type of cars to buy and the ones to run and don’t look back . For example I would never buy a jaguar just because I have seen friends that bought them from the auction and they are AWAYS JUNK .. sooo I let them make that mistake for me . I love my Buick’s,saturns ,pontiacs, chevys , some ford cars and trucks . I do really good with all trucks ... you can’t just go to an auction and kick some tires and pull some dip sticks and expect to get a great vehicle. .. if you have been doing this forever you usually know some people so you can get history on fleet vehicles .. on police impounded vehicles you can usually get an idea just by looking and running the vin number... I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything are there bad days sure but the good days always out run the bad . Sorry if I was all over with this but hopefully someone understands it lol🤪
ONE big thing at these auctions ... beware of private sellers, they can be shop or other car lots getting rid of real JUNK.
Stick to city or govt vehicles
Public buyers usually PAY TOO MUCH !
I've bought several police cars, all not standard patrol vehicles, and a '93 Ramcharger with a 360 Magnum in Utah. I've bough a couple of pickups as well, but these days? Too many folks watching car flip and storage locker auction shows while not knowing vehicles. Crazy
What about running a carfax on something you previewed? Wouldn't that be prudent?
Three years ago I bought a 2009 Ford Crown Victoria here in Northern, VA. Thought I got a good buy. Let's say it needed a whole new rear end. I was like WTF did I just buy? Owned it for seven days and sold it on craigslist to a guy who loved these cars and had a repair shop. Luckily, I made $800 thank God!
Wow man, you're really luck to have made a few bucks on that Vic. That's a good story and good lesson.
I like that Taurus a lot.
Hey bud! Thanks for stopping by this morning. Always great to hear from ya. And yeah, I'm liking that Taurus. I've had a few folks stop me over the past couple weeks asking if it's for sale. Seems others like it too, I guess.
You wouldn't find that van around here for 1800. It would be completely rotted and have several hundred thousand miles on it. If you could find one.
Thanks man for stopping by for the vid today.
Buying cars from government auctions is too much risk! I made a big mistake of buying few cars from such years ago. Only to find out later that I bet them more than their values. Then I had to quit taking them in lieu of my deposits being forfeited. 😢
The advice thru experience Chris explains in this video is excellent. Buy retail off a used car lot or private sale. State/county/city cars are beat down soooooo, soooooo bad. U work hard for your money then spend wisely and get that deserving test drive.. Lol, Gov. Murphy in N.J. is a fraud for selling unfit cars at state auction every 30 days. As is/where is is a terrible situation. The State will sell u a car with no brakes.. F. that is my Brooklyn, N.y. answer
Selling beat down and worn out cars to unsuspecting buyers is just uncool.
Column shifter on that beautiful Taurus? I prefer the floor shifter, didn't know they had the "granny" shifter on that model year. 🤣
Thats because its a police model. All police cars are like that....
@@JamarD421 Makes perfect sense!
@@Tone260 Yeah. Me personally I wish I had a column shifter. It makes taking off from park faster.
@@JamarD421Same. Column shifters are simple but they work. They probably will last longer than their floor shifter counterparts as well, assuming something ever happens.
What about bringing in foreign cars? There are inspectors that you pay to check out the vehicle, but I have no idea of their reliability. Anyone have experience bringing in pre-'95 cars?
Right now especially hard to find a jewel out there reasonably priced. With the new car inventory so low and the plants closed down the used market is insane. Wouldn't be buying a car from any where right now unless you have to, chances of a deal are basically zero right now.
I totally agree with you. I keep thinking what the car market is gonna look like next year when things get back to normal and all these auction buyers way overpayed for cars today.
Insane is right. Not a great time to be looking for car deals. In 2018 they couldn't give the cars away at my auction house because everyone was buying new. Definitely a sellers market right now.
That vic looking nice
Thanks man. That Vic might be next weeks video and It's actually going to Europe.
Grow up that's all my Dad would buy was old cop 🚔 I didn't realize how cool they were with the big 440 under the hood. I bought a nice GMC 4x4 at action. Long time ago.
You getting a raw deal
Can you pull data to compare hours to miles?
How do you find out about the auctions?
Do you have any at the moment for sale I am looking for something so I can get to work
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks man.
is there a web for this auction, please
Yeah that Jag was a big time no no
how do i find these auctions
What we website do you go to and how do you know site to go to
Good lesson, don’t buy a jaguar from an auction
Haha, yeah, pretty much. Or to make it even more simple terms, just don't ever buy a Jaguar!
Great videos.... I have a few questions for you if you have a few minutes to spare
Hey man, send me an email at ECCvideo@yahoo.com with the questions you have.
0:38 We called it the "Brown (W)rapper" ? 😂
Do you think the price of auction cars has gone up because of this covid car shortage deal?
Hey man, thanks for checking out my auction video today. And yeah, I totally think prices are higher now than ever before. Every spring auction prices jump up due to tax return money and spring fever. By summer the prices cool down a bid. But now, with new cars in limited supply and all the money the government is giving out, prices have gone straight crazy. In so many cases, I've seen two year old cars sell for their original MSRP. Nuts!!!!
@@hullinger These 2 year old cars were auction cars? Any thoughts as to when things might normalize?
I just wish we had these auctions in Australia. Having said that I really just want to buy a Crown Vic.
We do have them in Australia man. There are a few companies that auction government cars.
Those Crown Vics are getting harder to find at these auctions. And the ones that do turn up are fairly worn out and beat. I did find however a new honey-hole of Vic's that are being decommissioned and occasionally they have a nice one that turns up at their auction. The problem is the prices have jumped up quite a bit over the past year or so. There was a time I was buying Vic's for around $1500 but that same car today is closer to $4k. But, just as you know already, getting a car to AUS isn't easy or cheap.
@@Moth11 yeah but they aren't like this. At least not here in Vic.
@@hullinger it would have to be an older one to make it easier. In my home state over 25 years you can register them as a left hand drive a lot easier
Donde es la otra subastas
I'd show more shots of your ford fusion
Is it easy to flip these cars?? Or not?
Sometimes. You can't trust all the cars to be represented well, so a "minor engine problem" could actually mean it needs a new engine. Alternatively the car could have a rusting frame from road salt. It's important to inspect the car in person as the pictures are never enough. Start the car, shift it in every gear, let it idle for 5 minutes and rev it a bit. You need to pay close attention for any noises. Check for rust spots and any repairs. Check the coolant levels as well as the oil if possible. Off colors or levels could mean a leak or worse. Document things on paper and make sure the lot numbers are legible. Auctions move fast so you need to decide if calling the bid is worthwhile with any repairs needed. Assume the worst for the repairs.
Jag you whyer? What?
Never buy a used Jaguar. Ever.
There’s a 2023 Aston Martin db11 for $50,000 😅
Its a bad deal when you buy any Jaguar from anywhere. lol they aren't reliable for one and they can become a mechanical nightmare when things go wrong.
Haha, yeah, I think you're right. In fact, I know you're right.
How is the new garage????
That garage is coming along, although I haven't done too much with it. I did pressure wash and spray 15 gallons of white paint on everything. Got the bathroom cleaned up enough to make it useable, but otherwise, I'm still debating on lighting and other things.
I am so glad to here about your garage. You deserve it because of your passion & enthusiasm of auctioneering & automobiles in general plus you are honest about every step of the process even when u get lemons every once in a while but Lady luck is on ur side with many classics you also have had... Hmmmmm, maybe you can organize a cars & coffee meet up sometime soon even if it is in a Wall Mart parking lot so you can maintain your personal privacy but u do have a loyal fan base and following..
They ain't there too make friends. LoL deal or no deal
Is that Jeff Bezos's weird brother
Love dodge diplomats.
Totally agree! Those Diplomats are one of my favorites.
My first auction cars were M-bodies; two '82 Diplomats and a '87 and '89 Gran Fury. I've since graduated to Crown Vics; '98, '06, '08, and '09.
Jag-Wire?
Haha, yeah, I seem to get some grieve from saying Jag-wire.
jay-guayer lol