Buying a Reconditioned Car from High School Kids

–It was a cold and windy Saturday morningĔ

It was a cold and windy Saturday morning. People all over the Damascus High School parking lot were wearing bright ATF vests. No, it wasnêt a raid by the Treasury agents of the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms enforcement division; not a single moonshiner in sight. In this case, ATF stands for Automotive Trades Foundation, a nonprofit organization established jointly by Montgomery County Schools and supported by WANADA for many years as part of its area-wide auto technician training program.

For the ATF this was its spring fundraiser. But unlike more traditional school fundraisers, there were no tables of baked goods, no kids going door-to-door selling wrapping paper or candy; this fundraiser was selling cars that had been donated to the foundation and then repaired and cleaned by students. Following a Maryland state inspection, the cars and trucks are sold to the public by the foundationês Mini Dealership, with ATF students on hand to show the cars and ride with the prospective buyers on test drives.

On this Saturday morning there were about 50 shoppers looking for a bargain from the 19 used cars available. As a longtime photographer for WANADA, I was curious about the ATF operation and also in need of a used minivan to be able to handle the grandkids when they come to visit. A 2000 Ford Windstar SL, with only 62,000 miles on it caught my eye, and Alex, a Damascus High School junior, was my student sales representative. On the test drive Alex was friendly and particularly knowledgeable about the car and its features, but there was no hard sell. He answered all my questions and provided insight into what was done to the vehicle in the shop.

I took a second test drive in a 1998 Volvo V70 XC. Mike and Holly, also both Damascus High School juniors, were along this time and both were courteous and excited to be in the Automotive Technology Class. But I decided the Ford was a better fit for me.

The –hot” vehicle of the day seemed to be the 1992 Acura Legend with over 100,000 miles that had been recently painted and had loads of extras all for a modest $3,200. On the economy end of the list was a red Dodge Neon with 88,000 miles for just $1,595. And for the discriminating buyer, the top end offered a 1979 Rolls Royce with just 46,000 miles for a mere $9,895.

The moment of truth came promptly at 11 a.m. when a lottery was used to pair buyers and vehicles. A student picked names from a box (one name per household), and after each name was drawn, that person could declare which car they wished to purchase. The first name drawn in the lottery choose the Acura Legend, her daughter clapped with delight. Call it the luck of the draw, my name was the second drawn and I choose the 2000 Ford Windstar SL. As I was escorted from the lottery drawing area, I heard the next car chosen was the Volvo.

I went to the room where we completed the sale, and I wrote the final check to include all tax and tag fees for a very fair $4,004. I was out by noon, and sold on more than just the Ford. ATFês Mini Dealership is a real winner!