For those looking for cheap vehicles on island...................

and if you do buy a cheap vehicle, expect to pay a lot to fix it up so it can run for more than a day

Trust no one you know nothing about... A good policy...

As a former automechanic I never found a cheap car in STX worth my time...

When you see ads on Craigslist and other advertisements offering cheap vehicles for sale, usually private individuals for cheap like under two thousand dollars, make sure and take someone else with you and do not go alone.

I've bought many used vehicles over the years and (a) if something looked halfway decent I'd first have a trusted mechanic go out and check it for me then report back and (b) on other occasions have had sellers bring the car to me.

We are looking for a beater to throw stuff in at our construction site and contacted a few on CL... There is one guy that kept answering the phone from different adds (different phone numbers too) and the story was always the same... the car is in a container in Bovoni or wherever.... watch out for this guy if you hear someone with the same story... photos were never in the add.

I saw this ad on CL. I offered to help with the concerns on the car. I thought they wanted $180.00 per week. Turns out it's monthly. When I asked for contact info they wouldn't reply. I'm not sure if it's a scam or not.

http://virgin.craigslist.org/cto/4408778361.html

It may not be a scam, but I wouldn't drive a vehicle on island without an emergency brake. I owned a VW beetle years ago and for a short while that was the only braking system it had until I came up with the money to get it fixed for inspection.

I understand what you mean. However the "e brake" in those Jeeps are a joke. That's why they're called parking brakes. They may hold it on an incline but it ain't stopping it worth a crap.
That system uses 2 small shoes inside the rear rotors. Not very affective.

Trust no one you know nothing about... A good policy...

As a former automechanic I never found a cheap car in STX worth my time...

I have been going back and forth and back and forth with my decision on if I should ship my truck to STX with me when I move, or if I should sell it state side and try to buy a cheap "Island Car".

The truck is a 94 Chevy Cheyenne 1500. just hit 200,000 miles. I own it outright, so I am not making any payments on it. Insurance is cheap. It has its quarks and little problems (like blinkers won't turn off by themselves anymore, paint is in bad shape, basically looks like an island truck already) but it runs solid, is super easy to work on, and I know the truck (just not exactly how much longer it will last).

After my PMV I feel confident that it can handle the hills, road condition, pot holes, etc... which honestly were not as bad as I was expecting (especially the new roads on the east end, thanks for the visit Joe Biden) but I did see pretty much the entire island (lots of the west end where I think I would most like to live) and feel that my truck can handle it.

I was quoted 2,300 to ship my truck to STX, which is about what I could get for it selling it state side.

I have been all over craigslist for the past 8 months or so checking out island cars. I have seen some deals, but as stated by Spee1dy, I fear I might have to end up spending more money to keep it running.

If I ship the truck, I am automatically out $2,300 in shipping (which I will never see again). Where as if I sell it (lets say $2,000) and dont spend the $2,300 on shipping, then I show up on island with roughly 4,000 to spend on an Island Car (I dont want to pay more than 4,000).

If you were in my situation what would you do? Spend the money (that I can never get back) to have an older truck with quarks shipped and registered, and go through the headache of shipping it?

Or sell it state side, and go through the headache of arriving on island without a means of transportation and having to sort through the scamers to try to find a reliable ride?

Has anyone had a good experiences buying an island car off of Craigs List?

I am leaning towards shipping it and sticking with what I know, but its always nice hearing others opinions.

Trust no one you know nothing about... A good policy...

As a former automechanic I never found a cheap car in STX worth my time...

I have been going back and forth and back and forth with my decision on if I should ship my truck to STX with me when I move, or if I should sell it state side and try to buy a cheap "Island Car".

The truck is a 94 Chevy Cheyenne 1500. just hit 200,000 miles. I own it outright, so I am not making any payments on it. Insurance is cheap. It has its quarks and little problems (like blinkers won't turn off by themselves anymore, paint is in bad shape, basically looks like an island truck already) but it runs solid, is super easy to work on, and I know the truck (just not exactly how much longer it will last).

After my PMV I feel confident that it can handle the hills, road condition, pot holes, etc... which honestly were not as bad as I was expecting (especially the new roads on the east end, thanks for the visit Joe Biden) but I did see pretty much the entire island (lots of the west end where I think I would most like to live) and feel that my truck can handle it.

I was quoted 2,300 to ship my truck to STX, which is about what I could get for it selling it state side.

I have been all over craigslist for the past 8 months or so checking out island cars. I have seen some deals, but as stated by Spee1dy, I fear I might have to end up spending more money to keep it running.

If I ship the truck, I am automatically out $2,300 in shipping (which I will never see again). Where as if I sell it (lets say $2,000) and dont spend the $2,300 on shipping, then I show up on island with roughly 4,000 to spend on an Island Car (I dont want to pay more than 4,000).

If you were in my situation what would you do? Spend the money (that I can never get back) to have an older truck with quarks shipped and registered, and go through the headache of shipping it?

Or sell it state side, and go through the headache of arriving on island without a means of transportation and having to sort through the scamers to try to find a reliable ride?

Has anyone had a good experiences buying an island car off of Craigs List?

I am leaning towards shipping it and sticking with what I know, but its always nice hearing others opinions.

I think that there is not much to be found for under $4000. I don't think you'll find "better" then your truck. You would have to deal with shipping, but I have not found that to be very hard.

Not sure where you're shipping from, have you checked Seastar? https://www.seastarline.com/services/vehicle-exportation/itinerary.aspx
They have very good prices for shipping from Florida.

Bring your truck.
I drive a 17 yr. old Toyota Tacoma which I keep in great condition and am always being asked if I'd like to sell it.
You are not likely to find a good and relable vehicle without spending at least $6K (IMO) and then you have no idea of problems you may have with it down the road. It'll be worth spending the cost to ship.

You don't mention if, during the PMV, you did actual "live" research by checking out vehicles for sale on island... I know it is easier said than done as time constraints during those visits maybe don't allow it... That would have given you better leverage to make an informed decision... Every now and then good vehicles pop up, mostly either on these boards or at the Avis, yet, that requires a bit of patience, some basic auto mechanic know-how, and/or a mechanic you can trust... Most of the cars I looked at, the exterior was acceptable but mechanically were an absolute disaster... I found a lot of shoddy quality repairs from "tree shade" mechanics...

Sharing my experience:

I bought 2 cars stateside and had them shipped...
I bought 1 island car (after checking up a bunch of vehicles) and I got it from a friend leaving Hovensa, so the car history was well known...
My experience with Craig List was not good at all and too much time was wasted weeding out scams and listings that appeared too good to be true...and many were...

I would look carefully at how many more years you expect or think you can get out of that truck... At least parts for it are fairly easy to find on island or via Rock Auto, which ships to the VIs... On top of that, those trucks are fairly easy to repair... IMHO, in your shoes, I would bring it, then, if necessary, look for something later and leave that one as an "emergency" vehicle.. I was surprised at how many times I've had to use my secondary car...

P.S. If you decide to bring the truck, be sure to install a good automatic transmission oil cooler... If it came equipped with a heavy duty towing package it may already have one... replace it anyway with a higher capacity one...

Sell it - No way I'd ship a 94 Chevy truck down here unless it was a mint showpiece, certainly not a regular truck with 200k on the ticker. There are always deals around with people leaving island. 4k would set you up pretty decent for sure, but I'd spend 2 or 3 and set the rest aside for any immediate repairs. If you know how to work on vehicles you know what to look for.

personally, your car is paid off. you know what is wrong with your vehicle. why would you sell it to buy a beater which will cost you more than the cost of shipping, to buy something you know nothing about.

picaflores- I would be shipping it from Florida (I was quoted that price from Jacksonville), and no I hadn't found that company. Thanks for the heads up, I will check that out.

Rowdy- Unfortunately, I didn't really have time to do any "live shopping". That is all good advice. I really need to have a mechanic here give my truck a thorough inspection before I actually decide what I want to do. I still have plenty of time to make a decision before my move... but hearing others opinions is always great

IslandHops- Good points as well. I know 200k is a LOT of miles for an old truck.

If I could find a deal like this one http://virgin.craigslist.org/ctd/4386166365.html And if I had a mechanic look it over and it checked out then I would definitely sell my truck state side and buy this little truck.

My main concern with selling my truck state side is the logistics of getting established ( i.e. finding a permanent residence, finding a job, and most importantly finding a vehicle) without having a vehicle.

When I was considering purchasing a newer model truck, the prices were $16K and up, plus they all had more miles than my truck so decided I would fix it up and paint. Looks brand new (mostly) and still runs great. $$ well spent, IMO.

And.... if anything comes from the " April 24th announcement" from Hovensa, prices here will even go up.

My main concern with selling my truck state side is the logistics of getting established ( i.e. finding a permanent residence, finding a job, and most importantly finding a vehicle) without having a vehicle.

That gives weight to my comment of bringing your truck and then, if necessary, patiently look around for an option...

If I could find a deal like this one http://virgin.craigslist.org/ctd/4386166365.html And if I had a mechanic look it over and it checked out then I would definitely sell my truck state side and buy this little truck.

I took a glance at that ad... I hate to say I found a few red flags...

1) Isuzu is no longer is in the USA... Getting parts for that truck can be tricky, specially in the VIs.
2) It says it has a 2bbl Weber Carburator... So likely it is the 2.3 Isuzu built engine... Those were quite troublesome and the owner lists a missfire (actually says needs some tuning).. the 2.6 liter Isuzu built engine were all fuel injected... I don't recall ever seen a Weber carb from the factory in an Isuzu... All were Hitachi... After some research, the Weber was a kit to replace the factory Hitachi unit...

At the same time I don't know if that is important (my two findings) to you, but I can't stress how careful you have to be...

P.S. Edited after doing some Isuzu research...

And.... if anything comes from the " April 24th announcement" from Hovensa, prices here will even go up.

24th? I thought it was the 23rd we are all waiting for?

My apologies!

My apologies!!!!

I would bring the truck. It's a vehicle you know. I shipped an older car with high miles on it - drove it for 2 years, sold it to a friend who drove it for 2 years and sold it to another friend. It was worth it to me to have a vehicle I knew the history of.

I would bring the truck. It's a vehicle you know. I shipped an older car with high miles on it - drove it for 2 years, sold it to a friend who drove it for 2 years and sold it to another friend. It was worth it to me to have a vehicle I knew the history of.

+1 x 100

I have purchased vehicles from this site and from craigslist. Both under $2500. Havnt had any serious problems with either vehicle other then regular maintenance. And I drive all over island everyday for work. Maybe I have gotten lucky but there are decent cars here.

another vote for bringing your vehicle. We've brought 5 down over the years, and they have needed occasional maintenance and repairs while on stx, but so would any other car or truck. None of ours had really high mileage though. We refer to their life on stx as the retirement home for cars. Our oldest truck is a 1991, but it's been here 10 years or so.
We did also buy an old 'island' car once, and that worked out for us as well. It was about 14 years old at the time, and cheap, found the ad in the Avis. The prior owner used it to take his dogs to the beach. It was for our sons to use when they visited, but I also used it some, even to go to work. Kept it a couple years, never had to do any repairs besides regular maintenance except buy tires a couple times, but the rust got so bad that the driver's door was ready to fall off. We sold it to a young man who had come from the states and had a service-type job. He was happy with it too. So, it can work out both ways.