Thanks doozooby & johnny, some interesting thoughts
I managed to get my 1st car down only $300 , was very disappointed. I'm looking at buying a new car at the start of this next year; I hate dealing with 2nd hand dealers, but I dealt with so many dodgy private sellers that I ended up resigning to the fact that if it costs an extra grand or 2 then I at least get a 3 month warranty if there are any issues..
I liked the practice buying idea, I guess it's like going to a couple of real estate auctions before the real thing.