PandOSailor

Hi,
I am looking for a street wise person to advise me about buying a car in NY.
To give you some idea, here in England I see cars with 'For Sale' signs on Usually they are cheap and if you are lucky they can be O.K. I also need to know about buying car insurance in the USA. To give you a bit of background, I am a fit 69 year old Englishman, Retired Merchant Marine Officer, very well traveled and I what I want to do is buy a car in NY and drive to San Francisco. If you can help please contact me, I would be quite happy to call you back if you trust me with your phone number.

NeoPatrick

All I can tell you is if you are then planning to sell that car in California, you may have trouble as there are a number of requirements regarding cars in California that the car you buy in NY won't meet.

JayZee

Maybe he can try selling it in Tijauana.

basingstoke2

JZ- I had a friend who used to do just that every year. He would sell a junker and use the proceeds to help pay for a rental to return home.

Gardyloo

Without a US address you'll have difficulty getting the car registered in NY (unlike the UK, cars are registered by the states, not central government.) You'll have difficulty getting insurance (compulsory) without a US driving license. You'll have a hard time getting a driving license without a legitimate US address.

These are all things that can be overcome given sufficient time (30-60 days residence for a license) and funds to wait it out.

As opposed to a one-way car hire that will cost something like $500 for a coast-to-coast itinerary over a week, then something like $200 - $300 a week for a (different, local) car in California.

thebestpuppeteer

I am in the automobile business. If you are to purchase a vehicle and then sell it a month or two later, you will get killed with the resale value. You are far better off calling Enterprise or another rental car company and doing a monthly rental. Also try to rent the vehicle outside of New York City, try Westchester of Long Island. It will be far less monies.

mclaurie

It's my understanding you can't register a car nor buy insurance for it (required to drive it) without a US address.

http://www.usatourist.com/english/tips/carbuying.html

You might be able to find someone who needs a car driven cross country on a site like craigslist, but that may not give you the freedom you want.

If you want to get a quote for a rental, whizzcarrental.com is a UK co. that gives quotes including all insurance (which often doubles the cost of a rental for a non US citizen).

nytraveler

Buying a car in the US is difficult without a mailing address. And you would have a lot of trouble getting it registered, inspected and insured.

And since the insurance companies would have no info on your driving record they would probably put you in the risk pool - meaning insurance would be a fortune. And, unless you are judgment proof - that is, have no financial resources - you need to buy substantial coverage, at least $100,000 worth, in case you kit an expensive car or injure someone. We carry $300,000 in insurance since there are a lot of expensive cars in this area - and if you total a sports car - or even a big luxury sedan, you can go over the limit. And short-term policies - less than a year - also tend to be very expensive.)

Also- since Cal has more stringent rules concerning emissions than NYC - you might well not be able to sell it - but would have to junk it. Also- a private sale could take weeks. And selling back to a used car dealer would net you nothing like what you paid for it.

The US truly has a federal system of government - most laws controlled by the states - so you have 50 different sets of rules and regs about most everything - except federal crimes (like mail fraud, interstate organized crime or crimes depriving someone of their civil rights under the constitution).

Ackislander

While everyone is raining on your parade, this would be a terrific idea if you were only a US resident.

I had a student who got to and from university this way every year -- buy at one end and sell at the other, and if you know about cars and are not doing a new one, it can be cheaper than flying. It certainly was for him.

Any Canadians out there? Would this be easier Halifax to Vancouver?