Hi everyone,

I'm a 28 year old computer engineer, currently voluntarily unemployed, and planning a trip to New England for leisure purposes.

Where I live I'm a public transportation user, and when I travel I usually rent a car. However, given my status, I am planning to stay longer than usual (5 to 8 weeks), and the costs of renting for such a long time are bigger than my budget allows for. I am thus considering buying a second-hand car, fixing and improving it as much as I will be able to, and selling it before I leave at a reasonable profit.

I believe I am a fast and autonomous learner in regard to all things technical. I've been interested in auto mechanics for a long time without having the time to delve into it up to now. I am willing to spend a lot of time doing the required reading and research in order to achieve this project, and I think I would enjoy doing so, it would be like starting a new hobby for me. I enjoy learning for myself, and I am the type of guy who asks for help in understanding his problems, as opposed to requesting solutions from other folks.

However, my experience with under-the-hood automobile issues is very minimal. I also know very little about the economic and commercial aspects that relate to motor vehicles, so I will be seeking some advice in that field as well as purely technical help.

I'm wondering if this is the right forum for me. I'm perfectly willing to hear that it isn't, and that it is a purely technical-focused place.

More precisely, I am wondering whether there would be people in this forum who would be willing to counsel me with the buying part of my project: steering me clear of brands or models for which the spare parts are too hard or expensive to purchase, giving me a general idea of the consumer demand for certain models so I can manage to sell the thing before I leave, etc. etc.

Although this might be premature, I am of course interested in opinions regarding how realistic all this sounds.

Thanks for reading ! All answers, reactions, observations and pointers will be greatly appreciated.