What is your geographic buying range?

I love forum classifieds sections. There are quite a few forums I monitor even when I am not a member. Ive gotten some of my best deals from car forum classifieds. One thing I have noticed is no matter what website or what is being sold you see responses of "If only it wasnt so far away I would buy it".

I may be in the minority but I travel for cars/parts all the time. If I see something I am interested at a good price, I figure in travel costs and if it is still a good deal I go for it. Its almost more fun to buy far away because you get to take a road trip and have a few good stories. When the object of desire is within 300-350 miles one way thats a long day round trip but totally doable. Ive done trips like that many times. If it is something that requires an over night stay it better be an awesome deal or awesome car (or both) but I have done that as well. I have begged/borrowed/rented tow dollys, car trailers and trucks. Ive flat towed with a rv style tow bars. Ive driven cars back with duct tape and prayers. My wife says I enjoy the hunt and trip more than the cars and sometimes I think she is right. Now that I finally own my own trailer and a cross-country reliable truck its even easier to jump on those great deals.

So how far will you drive? What factors into your decision? Or do you only look for that Unicorn in your own zip code?

I live in CT and it seems everything is more expensive. People want crazy money for their cars and its frustrating. A 1996 corolla in decent condition with 100,000 should not be 3500 to 4000. I have been trying to purchase a fun car and keep my current as a backup, but luck its just to frustrating. I just decided to keep the money handy and when I run across something I'll jump on it.

I took an awesome backroad trip from Cincinnati to Boone N.C. in an Impala SS one time to pick up a front fender for an E21.I didn't take any highways at all. Plus when I got there the guy threw in the other fender, front valance and a door for free.

I don't know how many miles it was but I seem to remember leaving around 5 a.m. on Saturday morning and getting back home around midday on Sunday.

Of course back then it wasn't uncommon for me to leave work on Friday pick a direction and drive until I figured I could get back home in time to sleep for a couple hours before I had to go to work on Monday.

I had some epic road trips back then. Just for the sake of driving, not for parts or cars.

I drove 750 miles to buy a van in Raleigh from a member of this forum.Rust free is worth the $5-600 and two days it cost me to go get it. I'll do it again for my next purchase,too. The only cars I'll buy locally are Miatas because you can find them with low mileage and no winter driving pretty easily.

A weekend trip wouldn't scare me at all. I just love driving. I love taking the back roads where the road follows the lay of the land. Unfortunately even the smallest state roads are getting straightened out and widened in an effort to keep people safe. Sure takes the fun out of driving though.

Coming down through KY or heading east through southern OH was my favorite.

Coming across wide open farmland and the road starts to tighten up a little bit, bending and curving around into a little valley. Drop the speed as you come through the main street of some sleepy little town that time seems to have bypassed. On the other side of the town the road rolls up and down and curves unto an old rusty bridge and as you leave the city limits the road twists and turns up the other side of the valley. Drop it into 2nd and treat it like your at a hill climb. Back out into farmland and you up the tempo, as the road gently glides from left to right, up and down, following the gently rolling hills.

Bonus points for doing this in an equally awesome car. But to enjoy it properly I would say you'd need something with predictable but low limits and an awesome sounding engine. As odd as it may sound my favorite car for these trips was a 76' Cutlass, It didn't handle worth a damn but it was predictable. I had built the olds 350 in it with some worked heads and a big ass cam. With headers and the exhaust dumped before the axle it sounded great. To hear that thing echoing off the landscape as I screamed past was pure bliss.

Anyway I didn't mean to take this so off topic, you just hit on some good memories.

My Cousin and I drove from Asheville NC to Ponca NE in his NA VW Rabbit Diesel to pick up an Ebay Purchased Rabbit Diesel only this one had a turbo. The plan was to flat tow one back with the other. That didn't work out so we drove them back nose to tail with sleep and food breaks. Did it all in a weekend.

The two of us also made two overnight trips to PA from NC to rescue other Rabbits from the crusher or worse.

Not sure I would want to do the Nebraska trek again without taking a bit more time, but it was an epic road trip.

Depends entirely on what I'm looking at or for. So no flat answer.

I'm not willing to go driving past perfectly good whatevers to go get one that is no better from far away.

before i had a kid i would go lots of places. i live in cleveland and have been to connecticut, baltimore, buffalo, kalamazoo, chicago, charlotte, and as far south as southern georgia for a parts deal.

anymore i don't have time so i pay for shipping or wait for a deal to be close to me. i don't even want to drive 30 minutes to look at something anymore.

My limit so far has been between 300-400 miles.

Having said that, i once towed a working car 1100 miles and then towed a non-working car 1100 miles back due to some cool race i read about in a magazine..... And i'd do it again.

It depends on what I am looking for and buying. I've driven from MI to FL for a car, MI to St Louis to far east KY and back for a car, 2hrs one way to buy a used Vortech blower.

Right now, I would go 4hrs radius of here to get what I Would want car/vehicle wise. Parts... UPS stores are around.

About 150 miles round trip is my limit these days, but back in my twenties I thought nothing of going 500 miles to pick up a motorcycle sight unseen.

I would consider a fly &drive for the right deal.

Some years ago I flew from NJ to LA to buy a Honda S600, which I drove around CA for a week and then back to NJ. I would still do the same for sometnig rare and or especially desirable to me.

I'm with the OP. when I look for a car I am willing to go basically anywhere I can get to and drive home in a weekend.

Michigan has rust. The drive south for a rust free car is well worth the added travel expense in saved future time wrenching.

So far I've gone from Michigan to... 1) Alabama - drove down with GF, drove '88 Golf back 2) Florida - flew down, drove '91 Olds CC wagon back 3) Arkansas - trailered back an '85 Ranger roller

I've also driven out of state for parts.

I don't have a limit, because I have never had to. If I had to I would probably go by hours. I wouldn't go probably farther than 3 or 4 hours one way.

Vigo wrote: Having said that, i once towed a working car 1100 miles and then towed a non-working car 1100 miles back due to some cool race i read about in a magazine..... And i'd do it again.

Flew to MD to pick up a $750 car. Drove it back to Chicago, painted it, tweaked it, drove it to Florida, ran around some cones a 1/2 dozen or so times. Ran another 1/2 dozen 1/4 miles and drove it home, sold it and started looking for another car to do the same thing in.

Before that my 911 came from Tx, Mrs. Oldtin's 928 came from San Francisco. More for the adventure than anything. Although there's a fair chance whatever is next may come from Atlanta. So I guess my limit is continental U.S. - then again - didn't one of the members here pick up a mini in the UK?

I haven't bought a car that was less than 300 or so miles away in a while. My last two required an overnight, one was a train trip out and a drive home, the other was an overnight, and a tow dolly home.
I'd have bought your trailer if it wasn't soo far away.

I'm perfectly willing to travel for a car as long as it makes financial sense.

But if the cost of transport/lost days at work start to outweigh just paying a little more for a local car, then it's out.

I live in SE Tennessee. I've bought cars in Jacksonville, Houston, Boston, and Topeka, KS. because in each case, the car was worth the trip. If I wanted a Camry, I'd find one close.

And in every case I flew one way and drove the car back home.

I live in Western Connecticut and, strange as it may sound, I pretty much ignore Eastern Connecticut Craigslist, since there's no easy way for me to drive to that part of the state, although I did go out there to check out a Porsche and to buy a hard top for a Jeep.

But...

I have driven deep into Pennsylvania for a Formula Ford chassis, some '95 Miata M seats, and the right used Cannondale mountain bike.

I have bought a 911, a Miata and several sets of Porsche wheels from New Jersey.

I troll Eastern New York for just about anything and have gone there for bargain sets of Jeep wheels and tires.

My other 911 came from the Hamptons, which is a total PITA to drive to. I asked the seller to bring the car to the Port Jefferson ferry (twice) and I brought it home on the boat.

I'll travel to just about any part of Massachusetts. I bought a Jeep Wrangler somewhere around Springfield, a Legacy GT in North Hampton and two sets of Porsche wheels just over the border. I hauled an empty trailer out to Cape Cod on a verbal agreement to pay full asking price on a rusty '99 Miata that needed a head gasket, only to have the bitch try to bump the price by $500 when I arrived. It was a bitter drive home.

I asked my father to pick up some Formula Ford bodywork in Georgia on his way to Florida and then had a friend haul it North for me.

I look at New Hampshire and Vermont, but haven't bought anything up there. Yet.

So, I guess I'm willing to travel for the right stuff.

Then again, I bought my Cayman and CRX less that two miles from my house.

I should also mention that I have sold vehicles across great distances. Again, I'm in Connecticut.

My Honda CT 70 Mini Trail was bought sight unseen and shipped to the AMA museum in Ohio.

My '65 Mustang fastback was sold on eBay and shipped to Indiana.

My 1977 Honda CB550F Super Sport was shipped to Georgia, via eBay. I've never bought anything in Atlanta, but I've sold something there!

I eBay'd one Miata to a guy from Delaware, who drove up and drove it home and the other Miata went to a guy who lived pretty far up in Maine. He took a bus down and drove it home. Sold through Miatanet, so it's not entirely useless...

But the winner has to be my Locost. Sold on eBay, with a strong "No Shipping" clause, to a guy from Iowa. He and his son drove straight through to my house, loaded up and turned around with the intention of driving all the way home. They only made it to Western Ohio before they had to stop for the night, but I applaud their effort.

And, once again, my CRX auction ends in two and a half hours, so we'll see where that ends up...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281048042536

Swank Force One wrote: I'm perfectly willing to travel for a car as long as it makes financial sense. But if the cost of transport/lost days at work start to outweigh just paying a little more for a local car, then it's out.

I totally agree with it making financial sense. I always factor the trip into the price. Having spent all of my driving life in the rust belt alot of times there isnt a local choice (or extremely limited) unless you want to do body work. Now that I live in Michigan I not only have to deal with rust but limited choices of non-domestic choices. If I wanted a clean CRX for example I would have a very hard time finding one. Not impossible. Just difficult. By going to a candy store like Atlanta I would have many more options. If I wanted a Caliber I wouldnt have to leave my hometown to have my pick of a hundred!

DrBoost wrote: I'd have bought your trailer if it wasn't soo far away.

If only I sat at Richards desk!

logdog wrote: So how far will you drive? What factors into your decision? Or do you only look for that Unicorn in your own zip code?

back in 1998... my wife drove me from the poconos to Philly, and then I flew one way from Philly to Pittsburgh.....

all to pay what was for then a ridiculous sum of $4000 for a 1987 AE86 GT-S coupe with 44k original miles....

I've flown from MI to NC for my old Miata. Flown to VA for my RX-8. Got a ride from my dad when he was returning to SE PA from MI for a business trip to Harrisburg to get my truck. I can't find anything decent in my price ranges in MI. So far, I've lucked out ::knocks on wood:: I'm sure I'll be doing it again.

Woody wrote: And, once again, my CRX auction ends in two and a half hours, so we'll see where that ends up...

Delaware.