In an older cheap-car challenge, Emelia Hartford sent her friends to Las Vegas with no return flights and a plan to buy their way home. Each team had $5,000 to find a car and drive it back to Los Angeles within 24 hours.
Her YouTube video follows three teams through used-car listings, test drives, and some very low offers. Every purchase needed a title, but the teams could spend their money on repairs, upgrades, or even gambling.
That budget had to cover more than a seller’s handshake. Money left after buying a car could help fix it or make it faster for the races planned as part of the challenge.
The final lineup offered three very different bets: a C4 Corvette, a V6 Camaro, and a turbocharged BMW convertible. Before any racing could settle the argument, the teams had to get their purchases across the desert.
Pick Your Trouble
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At $4,500, the 1987 Corvette took the biggest share of its team’s budget. Its V8 and automatic transmission made it a tempting choice, but the air conditioning did not blow cold, and one window would not work.
During the test drive, a buyer joked, “I feel like I’m in a freaking terrarium.” Before the team left, the seller got the window working by swapping in a door-lock switch, giving them some relief for the drive.
The bright green Camaro cost $4,300 and earned the name “Mountain Dew missile.” Its buyers wanted V8 power, so settling for a V6 brought some regret, even with working air conditioning and the seller’s list of new parts.
Then there was the $3,000 BMW. It left the most money for repairs, which was handy given the cracked windshield, oil around the engine, worn tires, and salvage title. Its buyers also questioned a worrying engine noise, while the seller promised to buy it back if it failed to get them home.
Deals Meet Desert
Once the teams compared cars, the Camaro’s lack of drama became part of the joke. Its rivals had more to discuss under their hoods, while its buyers had working air conditioning.
The Corvette soon gave its occupants another job: holding its loose roof panel until they could stop. They taped it down, added oil, and kept going.
A dusty detour proved costly for the BMW. It struck a curb, lost its front bumper, and developed a coolant leak that brought the group to a gas station.
The team worked on the radiator and tightened its crimped edge before adding coolant. That repair got the BMW back on the road, while the Camaro team joked that its hardest job had been cleaning the windshield.
Count the Cost
For this drive, the Camaro makes a strong case as the best buy. It cost less than the Corvette and reached home without the roadside repair that cost the BMW team a point, though the curb strike also makes this a poor test of the BMW’s condition alone.
All three cars reached Los Angeles, and the opening episode ended with the teams tied at three points each. Hartford later published a racing follow-up featuring the budget cars.