simon, I agree with you about a real man don't need a fancy car to feel important.. however....
an ultra cheap used car, anything like under $5000 risks mechanical failure at any moment. The repair cost will be horrendous, not to mention dangerous should engine or braking system suddenly fail while you are on highway. I guess you have to be somewhat a mechanic yourself to inspect the car thoroughly before buying it. What steps do YOU take to make sure the car will at least last 3 - 4 months without major work?
i agree with you an what you are saying, you have to know what you are buying to know it is safe. however any major repair no matter the car the first question i would ask is "is it worth it to fix" then move on from there. buying new or used you are at risk of a lemon, but used is a slightly higher risk. no one that is selling a used car is gonna tell you the truth to why they are selling it. like i said i get cars for free, and they last me about a year then something goes wrong and i toss it or give it to someone else. then move on to the next car.
you run a certain risk no matter what you buy that it is gonna be a piece of shit. cars built on a tuesday and wednesday are gonna be better than a car built on a friday or monday. yes you can go back in research far enough to find out the day and shift your car was made on.
for me when i pick up one of the pieces of shit that i drive. i take it for a test drive, not for 10 mins either, usually for an hour or so to let it get warmed up and hiccups to come into play, take it to my friends shop and pop the tires off on the hoist and looks at the front and rear brakes, look at the lines and frame. look for rust in the shock towers. exhaust leaks. i basically give the car a full tour to check for everything that can been seen visual. sensors and stuff or another thing altogether, you cannot tell when a sensor is gonna blow out, that just happens.
i also keep an address in northern ontario for cheaper car insurance and no emissions testing.