In November 2021 browsing Marketplace I stubbled across a 2011 Mustang V6/auto (she started out wanting a manual) for sale. Price was higher than what I wanted to pay but it had high mileage, wasn't perfect, but was Grabber Blue. As MarketPlace goes, it disappeared and reappeared a few times, each time lower in price. In mid January 2022 it got to a price I was more willing to actually look, so as my normal buying plans I found some friends that HATE the cars I am interested in as they will have no attachment to it and they will tear it apart. This has been a successful strategy so...
We went and looked, the owner was young and driving this 45 minutes one way to work and I thought ok it should be ok, so I drove the car around the block and it was HORRIBLE.
When I got back I ask the girl if her father new she was driving a car like this to work everyday? Rattles, squeaks, popping bumping shaking etc. It was bad. If he was there I probably would have had a talk with him.. But she was own her own and this was just a way back and for to work. It was not a Mustang to her, it was a way to work.
I offered her much lower than asking price and she said she would need to think about it.
3 days later she called and asked if I was still interested and if my offer was cash. ( I was looking more as my daughters 15 birthday was approaching and I wanted one in possession prior) I told her that I had found a few more in better shape and told her what my cash offer would be at that time (lower that original) and I wouldn't pick the car apart, I would just come get the car and hand her cash. She said come get it. A buddy of mine picked it up and hid it at his house until it was no longer an option to hide from my daughter.