I'll give a vote for the previous-gen 4-runner ('96 thru....'02 I think). It could be a no-brainer for a snow/SUV/schlepping-stuff vehicle. You could start checking e-bay.....
If you get a decent one, should be less dues to maintain than a Volvo (duh), but.....not as safe of course.
Well, the Odyssey is now about 15 months old, with almost 14K on the clock.
The next car coming into the household (barring something happening to one of the Hondas) will probably be a crap mobile for my son when he turns 17 (just over 2 years from now?. Or maybe 16, so I can teach him to drive on it instead of my car.
He actually wants one bad enough that he is saving all the cash he gets. Of course, that will change if he gets a girlfriend...
Still hoping to convince my Mom to donate her '95ish Saturn to the cause when the time comes. Otherwise, I will have to dust off my bottom feeder skills (been a while since I did that).
Maybe I can buy Andre's '57 when he gets the '58 Desoto? Could you imaging a kid showing up (in a realtively wealthy suburban area of NJ) for driver's ed in a 1957 Desoto? That should terrorize the kids (or their parents) that get handed the keys to a BMW on their 16th birthday!
I'm having visions of the "deathmobile" in the parade at the end of Animal House! And yes, i know that was a Lincoln.
Of course, my folks have lived in the same house for 38+ years now....
Yeah, my family is the same way. My grandmom's still in the same house that she and my Granddad bought back in 1950. And I live in the house that her uncle built way back in 1916!
My Granddad had a GM pickup from that 1967-72 generation. I think it was a GMC though, and I don't know the year. Too long ago for me to remember, but I do vaguely remember seeing pictures. I want to say it was kind of a burnt-orange with a white roof? It got replaced by a 1973 Chevy pickup, 3/4 ton model I believe, which is the first truck I can remember. That gave way to a '76 GMC 3/4 ton crew cab, which then ultimately got replaced by the Silverado once Granddad decided not to do anymore camping and that hotels were easier. The Silverado wasn't strong enough to hold his camper safely, although he did do a test fit once, and drove it around the block. Originally the Silverado was just going to be something smaller and more maneuverable for Granddad to drive around, and he was going to keep the big '76 for camping. But once he gave up camping, there was just no need for that big truck, and the '85 did most of what he needed it to do just fine.
what they'd do if you showed up for your driver's test in something like a '57 DeSoto? Years ago, I let a buddy take his test in my '68 Dart. Back then the power steering didn't work, and it idled way too fast, so you had to really hold your foot on the non-power brake pedal. Especially on a hot summer day after a few good, hard stops!
Well, my buddy goofed up immediately at the beginning of the test! When you do that, the cop that goes out with you takes over the driving and has to take the car the whole rest of the way through the course. When they got back, the cop told me that my car was idling way too fast. My buddy also told me that the cop was griping about my car under his breath the whole way through the test, muttering about no power steering, too much power (that fast idle would make it almost pounce like an angry jungle cat when you let off the brake), etc etc.
My friend then tried to borrow his cousin's '85 Lynx to take the test in, which I thought would be a cakewalk, but it had a huge crack in the windshield so they wouldn't let him take the test. We couldn't find another car to use, and there was no way his old man was going to let him use his Maxima. So he tried it one more time in the Dart, and was VERY careful, and managed to pass.
My dad's Chevy is orange with the white roof. It has white painted steel wheels with little dog-dish hubcaps.
Would love to get hold of it someday, but I suspect that since it has lived its whole life at sea level in California, the carbs wouldn't like the high altitude of Denver very much.
My son will be 16 in June and doesn't yet have his permit .. something to do with money (he doesn't have any saved up for drivers training class) and grades (not good enough for his mother's liking). He's supposed to come visit in April and we talked about teaching him to drive stick while he's here, but without a permit, that's a non-starter.
I like the idea of taking the driver's test in the DeSoto!
It does make more sense to buy a new car every three months instead of paying for XM, right?
If you paid for XM, when you got the itch to trade after 4.5 months, you'd have to deal with all that stuff about canceling the subscription. Much easier to just plan on replacing the car...
Gettin' real itchy to buy that Civic. Another co-worker got 1 this week, a silver LX sedan and it's realllly nice. I prefer the EX much better though. The wife's gettin' a bit worried also as I keep showing her more pics of the car and the Ft. Lauderdale Car Show began today. Thinking of going down tomorrow since it's my N/S day. G-d help me!!!
3 years for the T&C, and 3 days for the Escape. The light on the gas gage came on this morning so I have a decision to make. Fill er up, or trade Hmm...?
for what they were at the time, I kinda like the '74 GTO as well. It was just a sad end to the musclecar era, and seemed so anticlimatic compared to what had come before. And with 200 hp in a body that weighed maybe 3500 pounds, it was pretty decent for the time. A Duster/Dart Sport 360 was a few hundred pounds lighter and had 245 hp, and could probably beat it, but by that time there really wasn't a whole lot left around. You could still get a 280 hp 440 in a Charger that year, but I'd imagine the extra weight of the larger car and the big block would offset any performance advantage. I think you could still get a 310 hp 455 in the Firebird though. Using the old gross rating that would probbably be around 400, so I'm sure that could be pretty exciting.
Let's see, in the fleet here in Alaska, Zippy is at 20 months, the Titan is at 16 months, and the Ram is at 28 months. Heck, even the travel trailer is over a year now.
I keep trying to talk myself into a new car, but then I find more compelling reasons to talk myself out of it! Mainly financial. Since I made the last payment on my Intrepid (11/04), I've had to put maybe $520 into it, all of it maintenance (oil changes, filters, battery, brakes, etc) or stupidity-related (stripped drain plug).
The car payment itself was $347.66. So the way I look at it, since November 2004, the car has only cost me 1 1/2 payments! And I'm sure that any new car on my list would run more than $347.66 per month unless I financed it for a long time, or put a big down payment on it. The best rate I found is at my credit union, which is 5.4%. To come in at around that $347.66 payment for 5 years, the most I'd be able to borrow is around $18,300. I don't think that would get me much of a Charger.
In my CCBA thinking,you save $6000 by not having a car payment the last 18 mos. plus your trade of maybe $4000.
$28,300 will get you into that charger. Plus if you are due for brakes or any type of maintenance on the Intrepid you can add that on top. Heck , we can get you into the Hemi with that kind of money.
My cars at 29, 18, 10 and 4 years. Yes I have the itch, but I'm holding out becuase I plan on getting a bike in June. Its been hard though, only 4 vehicles and surrounded by carlots. Just...don't...scratch.
I had the Volvo detailed yesterday so I could take pics. The guy did a great job and even buffed out 80% of the scratches that come with an 8-year-old car. Then when I brought it home to take pics, the wife starts in about "I don't think we should sell it. We're not going to find anything as good."
Thing is, on the drive home, I was having the same doubts. Seems I go back and forth constantly. I do still really like the car, its just getting to me that I seem to keep throwing money at it and its still not quite "right." SO, I dunno. I need to figure out how much more I want to spend on the Volvo right now in yet another attempt to make it right, then present that to the wife, along with an alternative list of vehicles. Has anybody ever written up a proposal for their spouse on a car purchase?
Oh, by the way, I've had the Volvo 54 months. That is a record for any non-project vehicle in my stable. My Alfa holds my all-time record. It will be 7 years next month!
The Pacifica and Lincoln are at 6 months.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I hear ya. After dropping a ton of money to completely redo the brakes on our L300 after 44,000 miles, my thinking on European cars has taken a drastic turn (remember, the L has quite a number of Euro-sourced components, including the engine and, apparently, the brakes).
I think I'm much more inclined to get something that won't cost the proverbial arm and a leg in maintenance costs the next time around. That, or pop for an extended warranty.
(question: would said warranty have covered the brakes? I know the pads are a wearable item and probably not covered, but I wonder about the rotors and calipers?)
by saying anything, but I was bracing for my Intrepid to start giving me fits around the 70-90,000 mile mark, which is where I've heard a common problem time is for cars. And as I recall, the cars that my family has bought new in the past, and had problems with, tended to crop up around then.
But it really didn't happen. I had a few minor fits around 50,000 miles, like a leaky thermostat housing, door seals starting to shrink, etc. Then after that there was really nothing.
Around 85,000 miles I had the coolant flushed and the belts replaced, and soon after that the oil pressure light started coming on. There was a TSB to fix that though. The wiring to the sensor would overheat at idle and make it give a false reading, but there was nothing actually wrong with the oil pressure. Then, around 97,000 miles I replaced my front pads and rotors myself, for about $83.
Had the repair shop do my back brakes, check/adjust the parking brake, and also check my handiwork up front around the 102,000 mile mark. And that's been about it. I just had it in the shop last week, around the 114,700 mark, to have them change the oil, rotate the tires, check the brakes, etc. Stuff I'd normally do, but just felt like being lazy about.
I don't think brake rotors would be covered in a warranty, because usually they go bad because of the rotors, or over-tightened lugs, etc. I'd think a caliper would be covered, though.
As for my DeSoto, I think its brakes are actually MORE complicated than modern brakes. It had 4-wheel drums all around, but you need a special wheel puller tool to get the back drums off. And the car has something called "Total Contact Braking", which gives it two cylinders per wheel up front, instead of the usual one. That allows the shoes to press out more evenly on the drum, but adds more complexity as well.
At least with modern brakes, replacing the pads and even the rotors is usually a pretty easy job. I've heard that the back brakes on my Intrepid are tricky though, so I've just left them to the mechanic.
Akangl, are you back in Alaska? I saw a couple references that you said you liked Alaska better than Texas but I must have missed it if you have moved back. Hope all is going well with you and it IS time for you to get another car/truck!
Andre, cool aerial pic of your farm! I think I could see your new garage in the picture towards the back part of the yard near where the forest starts. I'm sure your grandmother enjoys having family across the street.
Andre, this is just a thought, but if sold your fleet you could have a new Charger and a new basic truck in the driveway with a small monthly payment if any.
Happy Motoring to all. Mark :P
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Akangl, are you back in Alaska? I saw a couple references that you said you liked Alaska better than Texas but I must have missed it if you have moved back. Hope all is going well with you and it IS time for you to get another car/truck!
Yes I am back in Alaska, have been back for 4 days now, was an interesting drive back to say the least. My Titan is less than thrilled, the day we got back she dumped oil out of the oil filter, cost me a bit to get it fixed, dern truck. Nothing like seeing a big puddle of oil where the truck sits to wake you up.
So far all is going pretty good, little one has a dr appt next week in Anchorage. Its nice to be back around my family and familiar surroundings.
I've driven Zippy once since I've been back, her and the Titan are currently on the list. Don't need both vehicles anymore so its time to cut expenses........which means trade the 2 for one. Zippy is nearly paid off, but insurance on her is a killer. I'm about 1/2 way through the lease on the Titan and almost over the total lease miles (allowed 48k, Titan has 46,700 as of today), definatly going to have to trade or buy it.
Probably won't do anything until fall time, not in a big hurry, have to think long and hard about what I want to do with Zippy and the Titan. Probably going to be looking at an Excursion or 3/4 ton Suburban.........very used of course.
actually, i must be a glutton for punishment because i find myself looking at even more expensive euros to replace it (i mean originally more expensive, but cheaper now)
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
That is a loooong trip... Still on snow tires? How did they hold out?
Yup, still have the Bridgestone Winter Duelers on, they aren't doing too bad. I mean they won't make another winter but considering they have close to 35k on them with 15k of that being in fairly hot weather I can't complain.
I never took them off in Texas, so hauled the 18s down there for nothing, hauled them back and put them back in the front room of the house.
Funny you should mention the electrics. My daughter reported last night that she is seeing lots of warning lights flash on the L300 .. might be a fuse, might not.
What sucks is that the car is out of warranty (44K on it). On top of that, I get to look forward to fuel pump issues (well documented on the L-series), plus the possibility of the BCM needing replacement (also a well known problem).
If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have bought the Altima. :sick:
Kinda makes me want to go back to 3 year leases, where you're always under a factory warranty. That, plus a new car every 3 years.
who has bought a new(er) vehicle has had idiot light problems. Even right now, I know my buddy's '98 Tracker, my uncle's '03 Corolla, and his '97 Silverado all have idiot lights a'blazing. For the Tracker I think it's the EGR valve. For the Corolla it's the catalytic converter. Dunno what it is for the truck yet. If the transmission's about to go, I wonder if the computer would be "smart" enough to trigger the check engine light?
I know on my buddy's Tracker, when the torque converter refused to lock up (usually happens around 45 mph) it would trigger the check engine light.
The check engine light/service engine soon light is one problem I've never had with my Intrepid, although I did have the oil pressure light come on back in 2003 (turned out there was a TSB on it and it was an electrical problem, not a real oil pressure problem. Still pretty scary, though!)
The idiot light these days is just a "check the computer for the error code" light. It could be anything in the world, which is why I bought an OBDII scanner a few years ago. Just plug it in, read the code, clear it, and see if it comes back.
that's what we did, bought a scanner. That's how we found out my buddy's Tracker has EGR valve problems and my uncle's '03 Corolla needs a new catastrophic converter. We just haven't bothered to plug it into the pickup yet.
In my experience, once you start to *go back and forth constantly* about selling a car that, you *seem to keep throwing money at it and its still not quite "right."*, it's time to sell it.
I second that, as soon as I find something "wrong" with a car my wife knows it will be gone soon.
2011 Toyota Camry, 2014 Jeep Wrangler, 2017 Honda Civic Coupe, 2019 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid XSE, 2021 Toyota Tundra, 2022 Toyota 4Runner, 2022 Tesla Model 3
"I'm about 1/2 way through the lease on the Titan and almost over the total lease miles (allowed 48k, Titan has 46,700 as of today), definatly going to have to trade or buy it
Aren't you within a few months of having the Titan paid for?
Anony, why would you think Jolie has the Titan almost paid for, it's a lease. I would think she is very upside down on the lease (with the high miles) especially if she tries to trade it. :surprise:
Also, I thought Zippy was going to go to their son for his "first" driver. I guess we'll see shortly.
Mark
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
It's fun to talk about constantly buying/selling/trading cars, & to egg others on in an on-line forum to do that. But some people are good at it, & can buy & sell used Hondas or whatever w/o blowing or losing a lot of $$. I'm guessing that there might be people who read this board, take it literally, & are already seriously in over their heads with the car payments.....
I can't argue that... you are right, there are people who will finance their last dollar to have the car that they want which is fine, it's not my business. Personally, I'm not one of them as I prefer not to finance.
I have a couple of friends who change cars at least every year because they lease 3 or 4 cars at once so they are always rotating out an old one for a new one. Their lease payments are $1,100-1,500 per vehicle... which includes a new BMW 750IL... a Jaguar sedan and a Range Rover. I think a new Bentley Continental Flying Spur is next. I like living through others, it's a lot cheaper!
Mark :P
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Comments
If you get a decent one, should be less dues to maintain than a Volvo (duh), but.....not as safe of course.
Really, who of us keeps a car 36-39 months anyway? :P
Boy does that hit close to home...
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
In April, it'll be a year since I bought my '76 LeMans. I hope I don't start getting the lust again. :shades:
It does make more sense to buy a new car every three months instead of paying for XM, right?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Like you're going to get anyone here to tell you otherwise?
Lessee, the oldest car in our fleet is the L300 - 40 months. The Focus we've had for 28 months and the VUE 16 months.
Gettin' the itch!
But then my Granddad bought the Silverado new around July of '85, so that one will be 21 years in the family this summer. Damn I'm getting old!
Of course, my folks have lived in the same house for 38+ years now....
The next car coming into the household (barring something happening to one of the Hondas) will probably be a crap mobile for my son when he turns 17 (just over 2 years from now?. Or maybe 16, so I can teach him to drive on it instead of my car.
He actually wants one bad enough that he is saving all the cash he gets. Of course, that will change if he gets a girlfriend...
Still hoping to convince my Mom to donate her '95ish Saturn to the cause when the time comes. Otherwise, I will have to dust off my bottom feeder skills (been a while since I did that).
Maybe I can buy Andre's '57 when he gets the '58 Desoto? Could you imaging a kid showing up (in a realtively wealthy suburban area of NJ) for driver's ed in a 1957 Desoto? That should terrorize the kids (or their parents) that get handed the keys to a BMW on their 16th birthday!
I'm having visions of the "deathmobile" in the parade at the end of Animal House! And yes, i know that was a Lincoln.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yeah, my family is the same way. My grandmom's still in the same house that she and my Granddad bought back in 1950. And I live in the house that her uncle built way back in 1916!
My Granddad had a GM pickup from that 1967-72 generation. I think it was a GMC though, and I don't know the year. Too long ago for me to remember, but I do vaguely remember seeing pictures. I want to say it was kind of a burnt-orange with a white roof? It got replaced by a 1973 Chevy pickup, 3/4 ton model I believe, which is the first truck I can remember. That gave way to a '76 GMC 3/4 ton crew cab, which then ultimately got replaced by the Silverado once Granddad decided not to do anymore camping and that hotels were easier. The Silverado wasn't strong enough to hold his camper safely, although he did do a test fit once, and drove it around the block. Originally the Silverado was just going to be something smaller and more maneuverable for Granddad to drive around, and he was going to keep the big '76 for camping. But once he gave up camping, there was just no need for that big truck, and the '85 did most of what he needed it to do just fine.
Well, my buddy goofed up immediately at the beginning of the test! When you do that, the cop that goes out with you takes over the driving and has to take the car the whole rest of the way through the course. When they got back, the cop told me that my car was idling way too fast. My buddy also told me that the cop was griping about my car under his breath the whole way through the test, muttering about no power steering, too much power (that fast idle would make it almost pounce like an angry jungle cat when you let off the brake), etc etc.
My friend then tried to borrow his cousin's '85 Lynx to take the test in, which I thought would be a cakewalk, but it had a huge crack in the windshield so they wouldn't let him take the test. We couldn't find another car to use, and there was no way his old man was going to let him use his Maxima. So he tried it one more time in the Dart, and was VERY careful, and managed to pass.
Would love to get hold of it someday, but I suspect that since it has lived its whole life at sea level in California, the carbs wouldn't like the high altitude of Denver very much.
My son will be 16 in June and doesn't yet have his permit .. something to do with money (he doesn't have any saved up for drivers training class) and grades (not good enough for his mother's liking). He's supposed to come visit in April and we talked about teaching him to drive stick while he's here, but without a permit, that's a non-starter.
I like the idea of taking the driver's test in the DeSoto!
If you paid for XM, when you got the itch to trade after 4.5 months, you'd have to deal with all that stuff about canceling the subscription. Much easier to just plan on replacing the car...
31 Long years ! NO regrets here........
G-d help me!!!
The Sandman
This was the year that they based it on the Nova platform (Pontiac ??? Buick was the Appolo..)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
A little known factoid....
Nova, Omega, Ventura, Appolo....
take all first letters, N O V A
Let's see, in the fleet here in Alaska, Zippy is at 20 months, the Titan is at 16 months, and the Ram is at 28 months. Heck, even the travel trailer is over a year now.
The car payment itself was $347.66. So the way I look at it, since November 2004, the car has only cost me 1 1/2 payments!
310 hp was the rating for the 73 SD 455 motor...then it dropped to 290 in 74. Non SD 455 was rated at 250 hp in 74.
Regarding the 74 GTO... dont forget the factory functional hood scoop!
$28,300 will get you into that charger. Plus if you are due for brakes or any type of maintenance on the Intrepid you can add that on top. Heck , we can get you into the Hemi with that kind of money.
Thing is, on the drive home, I was having the same doubts. Seems I go back and forth constantly. I do still really like the car, its just getting to me that I seem to keep throwing money at it and its still not quite "right." SO, I dunno. I need to figure out how much more I want to spend on the Volvo right now in yet another attempt to make it right, then present that to the wife, along with an alternative list of vehicles. Has anybody ever written up a proposal for their spouse on a car purchase?
Oh, by the way, I've had the Volvo 54 months. That is a record for any non-project vehicle in my stable. My Alfa holds my all-time record. It will be 7 years next month!
The Pacifica and Lincoln are at 6 months.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
That seems to set in whenever a car gets to be 3-6 model years old, unless it's a Honda or Toyota.
maybe i should be thankful the volvo held out for 7 years before this set in.
oh, wait, you said model years ... ugh ... I can't do the Terry math. I think it might be anywhere between 8 and 10 model years old now.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I think I'm much more inclined to get something that won't cost the proverbial arm and a leg in maintenance costs the next time around. That, or pop for an extended warranty.
(question: would said warranty have covered the brakes? I know the pads are a wearable item and probably not covered, but I wonder about the rotors and calipers?)
Perhaps I should look at getting andre's DeSoto?
But it really didn't happen. I had a few minor fits around 50,000 miles, like a leaky thermostat housing, door seals starting to shrink, etc. Then after that there was really nothing.
Around 85,000 miles I had the coolant flushed and the belts replaced, and soon after that the oil pressure light started coming on. There was a TSB to fix that though. The wiring to the sensor would overheat at idle and make it give a false reading, but there was nothing actually wrong with the oil pressure. Then, around 97,000 miles I replaced my front pads and rotors myself, for about $83.
Had the repair shop do my back brakes, check/adjust the parking brake, and also check my handiwork up front around the 102,000 mile mark. And that's been about it. I just had it in the shop last week, around the 114,700 mark, to have them change the oil, rotate the tires, check the brakes, etc. Stuff I'd normally do, but just felt like being lazy about.
I don't think brake rotors would be covered in a warranty, because usually they go bad because of the rotors, or over-tightened lugs, etc. I'd think a caliper would be covered, though.
As for my DeSoto, I think its brakes are actually MORE complicated than modern brakes. It had 4-wheel drums all around, but you need a special wheel puller tool to get the back drums off. And the car has something called "Total Contact Braking", which gives it two cylinders per wheel up front, instead of the usual one. That allows the shoes to press out more evenly on the drum, but adds more complexity as well.
At least with modern brakes, replacing the pads and even the rotors is usually a pretty easy job. I've heard that the back brakes on my Intrepid are tricky though, so I've just left them to the mechanic.
Andre, cool aerial pic of your farm! I think I could see your new garage in the picture towards the back part of the yard near where the forest starts. I'm sure your grandmother enjoys having family across the street.
Andre, this is just a thought, but if sold your fleet you could have a new Charger and a new basic truck in the driveway with a small monthly payment if any.
Happy Motoring to all. Mark :P
Yes I am back in Alaska, have been back for 4 days now, was an interesting drive back to say the least. My Titan is less than thrilled, the day we got back she dumped oil out of the oil filter, cost me a bit to get it fixed, dern truck. Nothing like seeing a big puddle of oil where the truck sits to wake you up.
So far all is going pretty good, little one has a dr appt next week in Anchorage. Its nice to be back around my family and familiar surroundings.
I've driven Zippy once since I've been back, her and the Titan are currently on the list. Don't need both vehicles anymore so its time to cut expenses........which means trade the 2 for one. Zippy is nearly paid off, but insurance on her is a killer. I'm about 1/2 way through the lease on the Titan and almost over the total lease miles (allowed 48k, Titan has 46,700 as of today), definatly going to have to trade or buy it.
Probably won't do anything until fall time, not in a big hurry, have to think long and hard about what I want to do with Zippy and the Titan. Probably going to be looking at an Excursion or 3/4 ton Suburban.........very used of course.
Calipers, maybe. Rotors, no...
Just hope the electrics aren't Euro-sourced!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
What .................?!?!?!?!?
Terry :confuse: :lemon: :sick:
Yup, still have the Bridgestone Winter Duelers on, they aren't doing too bad. I mean they won't make another winter but considering they have close to 35k on them with 15k of that being in fairly hot weather I can't complain.
I never took them off in Texas, so hauled the 18s down there for nothing, hauled them back and put them back in the front room of the house.
What sucks is that the car is out of warranty (44K on it). On top of that, I get to look forward to fuel pump issues (well documented on the L-series), plus the possibility of the BCM needing replacement (also a well known problem).
If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have bought the Altima. :sick:
Kinda makes me want to go back to 3 year leases, where you're always under a factory warranty. That, plus a new car every 3 years.
I know on my buddy's Tracker, when the torque converter refused to lock up (usually happens around 45 mph) it would trigger the check engine light.
The check engine light/service engine soon light is one problem I've never had with my Intrepid, although I did have the oil pressure light come on back in 2003 (turned out there was a TSB on it and it was an electrical problem, not a real oil pressure problem. Still pretty scary, though!)
Esp. if it's a common model.....
Aren't you within a few months of having the Titan paid for?
Also, I thought Zippy was going to go to their son for his "first" driver. I guess we'll see shortly.
Mark
I have a couple of friends who change cars at least every year because they lease 3 or 4 cars at once so they are always rotating out an old one for a new one. Their lease payments are $1,100-1,500 per vehicle... which includes a new BMW 750IL... a Jaguar sedan and a Range Rover. I think a new Bentley Continental Flying Spur is next. I like living through others, it's a lot cheaper!
Mark :P
Akangl said that the Titan would be paid off in a few months...But according to the CCBA time line the 48 month lease isn't over until Nov. 08. I thought something had changed.
akangl, "Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous" #1740, 12 Nov 2004 7:50 pm
30 or so months is quite a "few".