The hunt for the shitbox begins

A big shoutout to all our generous donors and sponsors so far. Together we have now raised $2890.

We still have a bit to go, but with that in mind it is now time to start the search for the shitbox.

There are certain rules the shitbox needs to conform to – you can check them out in this post here. Even after the rules there is a reasonable amount of choice in the below $1500 category, as well as come pitfalls to avoid.

On top of the rules there are some desirable attributes of the potential shitbox which we are looking for.

Working Air Conditioning – Very useful to keep driver comfortable and the windscreen demisted if it is cold and wet.
Petrol or diesel powered (as there isn’t much LPG available on the proposed route)
Manual transmission (not essential but more fun and generally less to go wrong than old automatics)
A larger vehicle – like a van or wagon – mainly for the larger area for stickers and decorations. Easier to pack and/or cart stuff around.
Working cruise control – generally useful to avoid speeding tickets.
Mechanically – good enough to make the distance.
Something which isn’t on the written off vehicle list – so that we can actually get rego in NSW.
Something within a few hours from Wollongong
4+ months Rego and decent tyres – whilst external to the criteria of what is included in the the $1500 value, if a car already has Rego and decent tyres then that is always a plus.

Things that are not a bother for shitbox buyers. These are all things which are in many ways a bonus as they reduce car value

Hail damage, general dents
Ripped interior
sagging headlinings
Flood damage (within reason) – so long as the vehicle is functional / roadworthy / healthy to sit in.

There are also some vehicles we can definitely rule out

Subarus, Audi Quattros, Volvo XC’s, Jeeps, – AWD’s, 4WD’s
Holden Captivas, Cruzes or Epicas, Cherys, (We want to make the finish with reasonable probabilty)
Any 2 door coupe or convertible (space and practicality)

An initial search returns 13 vehicles in the less than $1500 range.

As described in the ads themselves – which as always, requires some reading between the lines of what isn’t mentioned.

Car	Pros	Cons	Asking price
Fiat Punto	Rego until December – Manual – Cruise control and Air Conditioning	Known issues: – Crack in windshield; not in driver view – Only passenger window works	$1500
Honda Jazz	Looks pretty good	Few Dings – QLD Rego	$1500
Volvo V70	Straight, Rust free, decent interior, working air con (allegedly)	Oil leak, Water Leak, No Rego	$1500
Ford Laser	Looks solid	No Rego, Rough paint, Tinting looks cracked, dint on rear, tail light needs fixing	$1500
Mazda MPV	Roomy, Straight, Decent paint	No Rego, No Reverse Gear	$1500
Holden Astra	Ok for driving to and from work	Missed a timing belt tooth, wouldn’t drive it far, wear and tear, Odometer doesn’t work,	$1400
Audi A4	New starter, Alternator, Sunroof	No Rego, Paint crazed	$1300
Civic Wagon 1982	5 speed manual, Ring for details	No Rego, doesn’t look to have moved in a while	$1250
Camry Sportivo	Manual, looks straight	No Rego. was SA registered so need blueslip. Long way away to collect	$1000
Magna	New Battery	No Rego, Fading Paint, cracked light	$1000
Citroen Piccaso	Drives fine normally but will intermittently drop into neutral and needs to be restarted. Decent Leather Interior	Transmission issues, right tail light,	$1000
Peugeot 307	Low Kms, Manual, lots of fruit	No Rego, Sideway photos, a few minor dents, Needs to be towed…. why?	$1000
Toyota Camry Vienta	Just been serviced, new battery, & four tyres are still good. Heater & air conditioning work well & the car has tow-bar. Has been reliable. For its age, it still runs ok,	needs a new owner who is mechanically inclined. Does burn a bit more oil	$1200 neg