Featured Guide
The Auction Price Wasn't the Real Price
A $2,900 hammer price became a $4,168 invoice before a trailer ever moved. Where each added line came from and how to read a total before bidding.
Auction Lessons
What the auction listing didn't tell us.
This section turns the surprises and mistakes from Project 001 into reusable buying guidance — fees we did not expect, transportation we underestimated and mechanical unknowns a listing never covered. It is our experience with one car, not legal or professional advice.
Planned guides
Fees & Totals
The Auction Price Wasn't the Real Price
A $2,900 hammer price became a $4,168 invoice before a trailer ever moved. Where each added line came from and how to read a total before bidding.
- fees
- budget
- bidding
Fees & Totals
Every Fee We Paid After Winning
Auction fee, broker/service fee, document fee, transportation, then taxes, title and registration. A plain list of what showed up after the win.
- fees
- paperwork
- transport
Inspection
What Auction Photos Can Hide
Dirt, angles and lighting change what a listing shows. What our arrival photos revealed that the listing images did not.
- photos
- condition
- inspection
Listings
What “Run and Drive” Does and Doesn't Tell You
A car can move under its own power and still refuse to shift past third gear. What that label covered — and what it did not.
- listings
- terminology
- drivetrain
Buying Guidance
What We Would Check Before Bidding Again
The checks we wish we had run first, written as a practical list based on what this specific purchase taught us.
- checklist
- research
- history report
Buying Guidance
When a Cheap Car Stops Being Cheap
The point where repair costs pass what the car is worth, and how we thought about it when a shop recommended a $7,000–$8,000 transmission.
- repair costs
- value
- decisions