The engine had already passed its test. The 2004 Honda Pilot fired up on a jump pack, ran quietly and showed no check engine light. Then the buyer pulled out toward the gas station and found a problem the engine start had not shown him. “As I was on my way to the gas station, I realized that the brakes were completely shot,” he says.

The clip comes from @thegoldenwealth, who labels it “PT 1” with the on screen line “I picked up a 2004 Honda pilot for $800 at the auction.” His caption asks, “what do you think did I over pay?” It opens outside the auction yard, where he says he has his paperwork and is waiting for the car to come out of the gate. An orange forklift is in the shot by the gate. “They’re pulling it out now,” he says.

The $800 is above his own limit, and he says so. “I usually don’t like to bid $800 on cars. I like to stay strictly under $700,” he explains, before talking himself into it: “Not all cars are gonna go for four or five hundred dollars.”

With the key in hand he goes through the cabin first. Every car he buys needs cleaning, he says, and this one is “not too bad. We’ve seen way worse conditions before.” Then he starts pulling out what the last owner left behind. “I like to check inside of the cars and see what treasures I find,” he says. The first is a small gas stove. There is a ladder, and a cooler. In the trunk is a duffel bag. “I opened it cause I thought I was gonna find a million dollars. But guess what, I was wrong.” Inside are items he says he took for copper pipes and admits he cannot identify. His read on the previous owner, twice: “This was definitely a hard working person.”

Two more finds matter to the flip. He says the starter has been changed, “which means we won’t have to change that anytime soon.” And when he opens the front door he finds an iPhone that does not work. “I found so many phones when I buy and sell these cars,” he says, adding that it is headed for the pile with the rest.

The jump pack goes on next. He calls it the “moment of truth,” and the Pilot starts. “It sounds great. It’s very quiet. No issues with it at all. There’s not even any check engine lights on.” The plan from there is a wash, a full clear out and a detail, with one stop first: “We definitely need to stop at the gas station.” He says he will also be watching the gauge on the way to make sure it does not overheat.

That drive is where the brakes show up. He reaches the pump anyway. “We made it down to the gas station in one piece,” he says, and names the next errand as a trip to AutoZone for brake pads. Part 1 ends at the gas station with the pads not yet fitted and no word on what the Pilot will sell for.

What His $800 Pickup Shows About Buying a Cheap Auction Car

Set your ceiling before the bidding starts and notice when you break it. His is $700. He went $100 over on this one and can say why. If you cannot give a reason for the extra money, stop at your number.

Bring what he brought to the pickup: the paperwork to get the car released and a jump pack to start it. He connected the pack before he tried the first start.

Go through the cabin and the trunk before you turn the key. He says he checks the inside of the car and the mileage, and on this one he notes that the starter has been changed. Empty every door pocket and bag before the car goes to be cleaned.

After it starts, listen to the engine and then read the dash. He reports a quiet engine first and then no check engine lights.

Test the brakes before you leave the lot. Press the pedal with the engine running, roll forward a few feet and stop, and do it again. He found out on the way to the gas station.

Plan the first drive around the nearest fuel and the nearest parts store, and keep an eye on the temperature gauge the whole way, as he says he would.

Add the repairs to the bid before deciding whether the price was right. His caption asks if $800 was too much, but the brake pads and the detail are still to come, and the real cost of the Pilot is the $800 plus whatever part 2 shows.