Am I the only one who thinks a $400 car with a blown head gasket beats a $4000 car that runs?

Charlie Reed · 2026-11-13T13:00:08.010791+00:00

Bought a 2001 Civic off a guy in Bakersfield last month for $400, head gasket gone, coolant in the oil, the whole mess. My buddy told me I was nuts and should have put that money toward a running car, but here is the thing, a cheap car that already broke tells you exactly what is wrong with it, and a running car just hides its problems until the week after you pay for it. I have done this three times now and the blown motor car has never left me stranded on the side of the road wondering what else is about to go. Anybody else prefer buying dead and building back up over gambling on something that still turns over?

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Am I the only one who thinks a $400 car with a blown head gasket beats a $4000 car that runs? | Cars We Bought Broken - Rigidtalk