Tips on Buying Cars: repo auctions, mercury grand marquis, lincoln town car

Question
I live in the Dallas area and am interested in buying from a repo or police auction...Can you give me a little more information on these? How exactly they work, (etc) and you wouldn't happen to know how often they occur or any in my area? Can you think of any other ways an 18 year old with 8,000 dollars can get a nice car? I couldnt get a car loan could i? Thanks for the help.

Answer
1) Repo auctions are the riskiest way to purchase a vehicle.  You're buying "as is, where is," which means you'll have no opportunity to test-drive the car, or have it inspected by a mechanic.  And what are you going to find at a police auction?  Crown Victorias.  You'd be much better off buying one (or the mechanically-identical Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car) from a private owner.  I see these cars advertised all the time for $2500-$5500, with low miles and in good condition.

2) Without knowing your job and credit history, I'd have no idea what your chances are of getting an auto loan.  But if you're 18 and have no credit established (which is most likely the case), then you're going to to need a good, solid co-signer to get an auto loan for nearly any vehicle, regardless of price.