In what can often be financially trying times, there are many Americans who find themselves unable to secure traditional auto loan financing. Whether the result of poor credit, lack of employment or financial stability, there is a subsection of our society for whom owning a vehicle is a luxury they simply can’t afford.
And while the automotive industry as a whole has repeatedly published record sales numbers, one industry is stepping up to help the segment of drivers that find themselves under-served by dealerships.
‘Buy Here Pay Here’ Dealerships
Catering to those passed over by traditional lenders, ‘Buy Here Pay Here’ dealers offer an alternative way to buy a car. Based on the customer’s financial viability, they offer a selection of cars eligible for purchase. The dealer then steps in as the lender, albeit at a higher interest rate, allowing the customer to make payments directly to them.
To learn more about such dealers in our community, we turned to Google and began our search for ‘Buy Here Pay Here Near Me’. The results were unexpected, to say the least.
Meet Woodie Stroker
Bill “Woodie” Stroker is a third-generation independent auto dealer and owns one of the most prominent ‘Buy Here Pay Here’ dealerships in the greater-Cudahy CA area. When we asked about his unusual nickname, Mr. Stroker shared that he had inherited it from his father who ‘used to sell woodie wagons to surfers, then prostituted himself to sailors once demand had dried up’.
But Woodie Stroker is far from a traditional BHPH dealer. In fact, his family business was re-envisioned by his father after carpal tunnel has ended his aspirations of being ‘the best in town.’ And by the early 1980’s, ‘Woodie Stroker Auto Sales’ had begun to successfully carve itself a very niche customer base. But their success was based on more than just helping customers without established financing.
“We like to offer the widest range of vehicles possible. And while some people might be looking for a late-model car at an affordable people, you have to remember that this is L.A. and some people are real wing-nuts. For them we have to serve up vehicles that are a little more offbeat and trust me, we have some real peculiar ones.”
The ‘peculiar ones’ that Mr. Stroker is referring to are a by-product of Cudahy CA’s proximity to countless Hollywood soundstage and studio lots.
“Hollywood is kind of a like a David Lee Roth video. No matter where you look, something crazy is happening. A lot of time, studios build these crazy custom vehicles for movies and television shows, then look to recoup their expenses. A lot of vehicles end up going to auction for pennies on the dollar, and we grab them whenever we can. There’s not a lot going on in Cudahy other than gas stations and whatever happens at BIG LOTS, so money can be tight for people. But they need a car, and we have some that we’re able to make real affordable.”
If you’re hard up for cash and interested in buying a unique vehicle from Woodie Stroker, here are a few that you could make your own!
Eco-Friendly Vehicle
Apparently, ’Green Cars’ aren’t just about fuel economy. And with recreational marijuana legal in more than half of the United States, this sweet ride is a multi-tasker. Grow it. Drive it. Smoke it. Live it.
No Lift Kit Needed
Are any further details really needed?
Drug Bussed
We’re not sure what’s cooler: the overall design of this bus, or the fact that it’s rigged to fire sparks from the bottom. That’s right, wait until night then drives super-fast past cops…or stoners. Your choice.
Chicken Wire
Everyone’s a farmer, these days. Even in cities, rooftops gardens and neighborhood co-ops are all the rage. And with chicken sales at an all-time high, you need a way to get them from Point A to Point B. So if you drive a subcompact, make sure its made of the right material to get the job done.
Pink Slime
We were told this vehicle was designed to look like ‘pink slime’. To us it more closely resembles some type of amorphous genitalia. Priced to Sell.
Peacock
You think you’re fancy? Woodie has the car for you.
Neil Armstrong
One small step for you. One giant leap for your sex life. When you’re cruising with Neil Armstrong, get ready for the ladies. Just ask Buzz Aldrin, Neal’s a closer.
Tire Dragon
You might be thinking this is a ‘dragon car made out of tires’. You’re wrong. A lot of people don’t know this but, tires are actually made from the hides of dragons. That makes this the closest thing to an actual dragon that you’re ever going to see (since tire companies keep dragons locked in underground bunkers, where they harvest their skin).
LobsterMobile
An original concept for the ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’, producers felt that the ‘Lobster-Zord’ wouldn’t be very popular. Temporarily used by a seafood franchise, it’s now back in the hands of Woodie (who calls it ‘ironic’ since he’s more familiar with crabs).
Demon PT Cruiser
Next time somebody tells you that nothing could make a PT Cruiser look badass, punch them in the face and show them this bad boy. This right here is an example of what happens to a PT Cruiser that’s totaled in a fiery wreck, and escapes the bowels of hell feeding only upon the souls of the innocent.
Everybody Loves a Woodie
“That,” says Mr. Stroker, “was the slogan that my daddy coined back in the day, and we still stand by it. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to help people out. Even the people who ain’t quite right in the head.”
So if you don’t don’t mind riding around in a giant sandwich, or what may (or may not) be a clown penis, contact Woodie Stroker Auto Sales, your Buy Here Pay Here dealership.
