I was looking around at some car repo and salvage lots and saw a
2003 Kia Optima for $2000. It had a fair amount of body damage from a side impact, but it was 100% sheetmetal. I figure $6K in total damage - but mostly, it's both doors and a front fender to replace outright plus some tweaking the car into shape.Pretty easy DIYer job to fix, actually. Not as in - gosh - it looks like new, but funcitonal and runs down the road. Repainting won't even happen - no point.
5K miles on it. As you can imagine, a salvage title. Still, a car with 5K on it that drives okay for $2K...So - the question is, it seems like a good car to beat up and drive into the ground, being nearly new, but I know it's no Toyota or even GM.
So...
About the warranty. I know if the original buyer sells it that all coverages drop to half. Q: is the drivetrain warranty still in effect? It is only 6 months old, afterall.
My hope is that it would have couple of years left on it and that I can keep the engine running with it for cheap. The rest of the car - it's a beater a far as I'm concerned, so as long as the rear axle doesn't shear off or something silly, it's okay.