This Is Why You're Here
Why Used Car + Services Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
You found 8 vehicles at auction that would retail for $180K total. Acquisition cost is $110K. You need the capital in 48 hours before the next auction cycle.
Your service department needs an alignment machine ($40K) and a second lift ($12K). Service revenue is $25K/month and growing — but the equipment investment is upfront.
A local dealer is retiring and selling 30 vehicles and a fully equipped 4-bay shop. Total price: $350K. This would double your operation overnight.
You've got 14 units on the lot that each need $1,500-$3K in reconditioning before they're retail-ready. That's $28K-$42K tied up in cars that can't sell yet. Every week they sit is $200/unit in floor cost.
Your service writer wants to add a used car warranty program — $18K for the software, training, and initial warranty reserve. Warranty customers come back for service and buy their next car from you.
Found 12 vehicles at auction for $95K — would retail for $165K. Needed the cash in 48 hours. Basecamp funded a $100K line of credit and I bought every one. Also financed a $40K alignment machine for the service side. Both done in a week.
Michelle T., Used Car Dealer + Service Owner, Nashville, TN
Used Car + Service Financing
Get Your Used Car + Service Business Funded in 60 Seconds
Slide the calculator to see your estimated approval range. Then answer 3 quick questions to lock it in. No documents needed. Soft-pull pre-qual.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for Your Business
Why Used Car + Service Businesses Choose Basecamp
Auction Inventory Waits for Nobody
You found 8 cars at auction that retail for $180K. Acquisition is $110K. The next auction cycle is in 48 hours. Your bank needs three weeks. We fund auction purchases in 24-48 hours so you never watch profit drive away.
Service Department Builds Customer Loyalty
Adding service bays costs $40K-$60K for lifts, alignment machines, and tools. But service customers buy their next car from you. It's the retention play that separates successful lots from ones that churn. We fund the service buildout.
Reconditioning Costs Hit Before Revenue
Every car you buy needs $1K-$3K in reconditioning before it's retail-ready. Detailing, mechanical work, cosmetics. On 30 units that's $45K-$90K in costs before a single car sells. A line of credit handles the recon float without draining your lot budget.
Dealership Acquisitions Move Fast
A retiring dealer selling 30 cars and a 4-bay shop for $350K is a once-in-five-years opportunity. You've got maybe two weeks before another buyer steps in. Banks take 60 days. We capital-stack working capital, equipment financing, and revenue-based term financing to close in under two weeks (see /loans/business-acquisition).
Bobby's Take
Bobby's Playbook for Used Car + Service
Most used-car service operators get evaluated like retail businesses by banks — daily cash, inventory turn, walk-in traffic. What banks miss is that auction-inventory turnover plus customer-pay service revenue on a hybrid lot-and-shop model produces a different cash-flow signature, and the lenders who fund used-car service operators know to read it. Service revenue isn't retail revenue. Here's how to position your transaction so the right specialists see it first.
Three things determine whether a used-car service transaction closes: auction-buying frequency and inventory turnover, lot-side gross profit per unit, and shop-side customer-pay revenue. Not your personal FICO. Not your time in business. Specialist used-car service lenders care about whether your monthly blended lot-and-shop revenue supports a $2,500-$5,000/month payment — and whether the dual revenue streams (lot retail plus service) give the file diversification banks rarely credit.
The biggest mistake used-car service operators make: applying with lot revenue and shop revenue blended into one number. The lender can't see the dual-revenue strength of the model. The fix: separate lot-sale revenue, lot-financed F&I revenue, and shop service revenue. Specialist used-car service lenders price the dual-revenue model as more diversified than either pure lot or pure shop. Generalist lenders see one number and underwrite to whichever side looks weaker.
lost gross from missed sales velocity per unfunded reconditioned unit
Where this gets interesting at scale: a used-car service operator adding auction-buying capital, expanding the reconditioning bay, or buying a second lot doesn't need ONE loan. They need a working capital line for auction-buying floats + equipment financing for additional bays and reconditioning equipment + sometimes a SBA 7(a) for a second-lot real estate purchase + sometimes inventory financing on the dealer floor plan. Four products, multiple lenders, one application — that's how single-lot used-car service operators scale into multi-lot dealer-with-service operations.
The used-car service operators who scale fastest aren't the ones who waited until reconditioning was caught up before going back to the auction. They're the ones who had auction-buying capital and reconditioning bay capacity available so inventory could turn faster. Every week a $20K used unit sits on the lot un-reconditioned is $300-$500 in lost gross from missed sales velocity. Run the numbers in 60 seconds — see what 70+ specialist lenders will offer your used-car service business this week.
Bottom line:
Used-car service operators lose the diversified-revenue strength when lot and shop revenue blend on the file. Separate lot retail, F&I, and shop service — that's how a specialist sees the dual-revenue model.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
What You're Up Against
The Real Challenges Used Car + Services Face
Pricing Transparency
What Used Car + Service Funding Actually Costs
Rates and terms depend on credit, revenue, time in business, and lender. Every business is unique — see what 70+ lenders will offer you in 60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual.
These are industry averages. Your actual rate depends on your revenue, credit profile, and time in business — it could be lower. Run your specific numbers in 30 seconds.
Calculate Your Real Cost →Tax Strategy
Section 179 Breakdown for Used Car + Services
Finance the equipment. Keep your cash. Take the deduction. Your flatbed delivery truck costs $39,000 after taxes and you never touched your reserves.
Bobby Friel
Founder, Basecamp Funding
How It Works
From Application to Funded in 5 Steps
No paperwork avalanche. No bank lobby. No guessing.
60-Second Intake
Tell us about your shop, bay count, and monthly RO volume. No P&L upload yet.
Soft Credit Screen
We pull a soft inquiry only. Your FICO and shop credit stay untouched.
Specialty-Auto Lenders Compete
70+ lenders who fund independent shops, body shops, and tire stores review your file in parallel. You stay on the floor.
One Specialist, Multiple Offers
Your funding specialist walks you through the structures, the trade-offs, and what each costs. No runaround.
Choose Your Offer, Sign, Get Funded
E-signature. Funds hit your shop's account — same day available so the parts truck rolls.
Used Car + Service Capital Uses
What Used Car + Service Businesses Use Funding For
Lifts & Bay Equipment
Two-post lifts, four-post lifts, alignment racks, tire machines, and brake lathes
ADAS Calibration Systems
Static and dynamic calibration tools for forward-facing cameras, radar, and LiDAR
Paint Booths & Body Equipment
Downdraft paint booths, frame machines, mixing systems, and ventilation
Diagnostic & Scan Tools
OEM-level scan tools, ISTA licensing, J2534 pass-thru devices, and subscriptions
Technician Hiring
Signing bonuses, tool allowances, and payroll bridging for new hires
Shop Expansion
Additional bays, second locations, facility upgrades, and lot paving
Full Transparency
What Kills Your Qualification (And What Doesn't)
Most lenders won't tell you this upfront. We will.
✅ These Won't Stop You
These Can Be Deal-Breakers
Need commercial insurance for your used car + service business?
Garage keepers liability and general liability are required for most shop financing. InsuranceService365.com covers auto repair shops across 29 states.
Don't Wait Until You Need Funding to Get Funded
The shops that get funded fast are the ones that pre-qualified before the lift went down or the RO backlog stacked up. By the time you're scrambling for a $14K transmission rebuild, your underwriting numbers look stressed. Pre-qualify when the bay's busy — that's when lenders are most generous.
Ready?
See What Your Used Car + Service Business Qualifies For
Slide the calculator, answer 3 questions, and a specialist pulls your options within the hour.
See What You Could Qualify For
Slide to your average monthly bank deposits.
Estimated Approval Range
Based on 100-150% of monthly revenue
Soft-pull pre-qual · No obligation · Estimate only
Other Auto Repair Shops Specialties We Fund
Click any specialty for tailored financing options.
Recommended Products
Recommended Funding for Used Car + Service Businesses
Working Capital
Cover parts inventory, payroll, and shop expenses. Funded same day.
Learn More →Equipment Financing
Finance lifts, alignment racks, and diagnostic equipment — asset-backed.
Learn More →Business Line of Credit
Draw for parts and supplies as repair orders come in.
Learn More →Revenue-Based Financing
Payments flex with your daily revenue — lower during slow weeks.
Learn More →FAQs
Used Car + Service Business Loan FAQs
Used Car Dealer Loans & Dealership Service Financing — $10K to $20M+
You're running two businesses at once. The lot side needs $110K for an auction buy — and the auction is in 48 hours. The service side needs a $40K alignment machine and a second lift. Every car you buy needs $1K-$3K in reconditioning before it's retail-ready. And the dealer down the street is retiring with 30 cars and a 4-bay shop that would double your operation. All of this is happening at the same time. Your bank wants to handle it as one loan with 60 days of underwriting.
That's why used car dealers come to us. We stack products. A $100K line of credit for auction buys you draw and repay as cars sell. Equipment financing for lifts and alignment machines. Working capital for reconditioning and hiring. 70+ lenders competing for your business. No hard pull. Most dealers hear back the same day. If there's an auction lot you're watching and you don't have the cash — fill out the application. Takes 60 seconds.
Stop Sending Customers Down the Street. Get Your Used Car + Service Shop Funded Today.
60 seconds. Soft-pull pre-qual. No obligation.
See What You Qualify For →Soft-pull pre-qual · Free to check · Nationwide