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Welcome back. We've bemoaned your absence often here.
Where the hell have you been?
TB...I did like the twin turbo AWD versions of these cars. Yours is the base model? I've often said, any car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. To you, this is a $3K+ car.
But, rroyce is the resident used car guru around here...king of the trade-in values....lord of used iron. IF he says it's a $1K car, the book opens and shuts.
Welcome back, Terry!
-Mathias
-MOo
where have you been - Alaska, Central America, Transylvania? So nice to see your handle on this Townhall page. Other helpful people have stepped in the RWTIW and elsewhere, but your expertise and style are inimitable.
Please don't go away.
Get lost on the back nine?
turboshadow
Check out Ebay Its gonna make salesmen cry how much these cars are selling for. Not just the RTTT models.
I'll ask again. Where can one get a car that has the lines of the Stealth/3000GT as well as the performance and all the interior goodies for $3000 before a dollar is spent. A BMW for $30k that will be worth 20 K in two years? Nope.
In your myoptic sales world you don't understand what a hobby car is. People buy Harleys and spend $10,000 on chrome they will never recoup.Laugh at them. How many buy BOATS and loose thousands? I laugh like you at People who buy common $40,000 Land Rovers, Jaguars and BMWs and lose $15,000 in four years just to turn some heads.
You kmow that you guys sell them. And you are laughing because I may spend $4000 on a hobby car?
No matter how many "pile on" you know the truth and can't stand it.
As well as Depreciation money. How can you say that and justify paying $60,000 for a car thats worth $40,000 in three years?
$20.000 down the drain. For a "me too" car
When you sell a "hobby" car all those dollars are accounted for by receipts. Blue Book is not used. Only the buyer decided what they want and what they will pay based upon what has been done and KNOWING more will be done.
I know the car has a recently rebuilt motor and transmission. I know the car has new brakes and ABS I can see all the reciepts and check with those who did the work.
A JDM motor can be bought for $1100 for the car.
I may put 4k a year on it. Even if I junk it and there WILL be a buyer for it when Im done playing, but even if I junk it, I lost less then most people who buy new cars.
A sport bike? I already have a bike. Insurance on this car is the same as my bike. $376 a year. No collision or comp. I self insure against my screw ups. I assure you I can afford to enjoy this car. Its not an investment. It's a hobby.
Show me a similar 200Hp 2 seater I can drive for $3k or even $8K and Im all over it, No one has answered THAT question yet.
There was a poster some time ago who reported buying junkers for $300-500 each. He would do minor maintenance and drive them until they died, which was usually about 3 months. Then he would sell parts on EBay and the chassis to a junk yard. One time he got towed for a parking violation and didn't bother to get the car. He claimed that his mechanical cost to drive was zero. I viewed this as a hobby that paid for itself. It was harmless and unique. To each his own.
You could turn down your rhetoric.
Because here at Edmonds you will always be known as the guy who
**...just bought a 92 Stealth week end driver.with 156K on it for $3k -- I would put another $4K-5K into the car if it needed it next week....**
Oh and BTW it will need the other $4K-5K
I guess since you're a Kia buyer, and harbor so much disdain for anything better or more expensive, it comes as a bit of a shock that you'd drop that kind of coin into a 15 year old car...one that really didn't do much in the marketplace. And, one that isn't anywhere near considered collectable.
Clearly you like it. That's all that matters. Understand, you paid about 3X more than the market says its worth. Just looking around my area, with about the same mileage, they're ASKING $1,100 for them.
220HP coupes aren't a big deal anymore. 15 years ago...maybe. Not now! You can get a normally aspirated V6 or turbo 4 cyl to put out more power, today.
In answer to your question, I bought a boat...1987 Blue Water Coastal Cruiser 42 10 years ago.. I know what I paid for it. 10 years later, I really have no idea what it's worth today, because I'm not selling it. I didn't buy it as an investment, though. I bought it because I liked it.
I also own a BMW. Laugh if you want, but I love it...worth what I paid. Again, didn't buy it as an investment.
Poke fun if you want, but I kind of chuckle at Kias.
As opposed to the 3100lb 4 seater that you are currently driving and the 0-60 time of a contemporary Accord?
You could've had a Mustang/Camaro for that money and it actually could be fast.
Perhaps I'm missing something here. If the average 92' Stealth is going for around 1k, what's wrong with paying 3k for one in top notch condition with thousands of dollars in new parts and labor?
OMG, I left for 4 hours and I'm still laughing. Kias and Stealths, oh my!
Spend that money anyway you see fit and PLEASE keep sharing with us.
-Moo
Okay let me do this s l o w l y
Car sales DEPRECIATING ASSET
Real Estate APPRECIATING ASSET.
Yet you will hear the word "investment" when they are selling cars that will be worth $3000-$4000 LESS AS SOON AS THE FRONT WHEELS GO OVER THE CURB!!And far more to come. Why aren't you laughing at THAT INSTANT waste of money?
More then I paid for a car I will enjoy fixing up and keeping running.
YEah you can look down your nose at those who don't care to buy Bland Rovers.But your "customers" are losing far far more then I paid for a hobby car..
Someone else pointed out that you can find used Mustang GTs ( or Z28s) all day, every day for $3K, and it would be considerably faster, newer, much better/well respected as "hobby" cars....less expensive to fix and to maintain, too.
I think the other part of the issuse here is TB states that cars are neccessary evils. That anyone who buys anything better or more expensive than a Kia, is a fool. That's why he chose to buy a new Kia (I never quite made that connection).
Then, we see/hear, after going on and on about hating cars, and turns around and buys a Stealth for 3X more than its worth. On top of that, he's willing to pour another $4K-$5K into it.
So, all of his posts now look rather foolish and disingenuous.
Way too funny!
-Moo
Edit: Is anyone even seeing the complete grammar massacre in this gent's posts? "looses"?? I'll just leave it at that.
Okay let me do this s l o w l y
Car sales DEPRECIATING ASSET
Real Estate APPRECIATING ASSET.
Man, I wish I lived where you live.
Car sales DEPRECIATING ASSET
Real Estate APPRECIATING ASSET.
Not if all you shysters keep putting people in loans/house they can't afford just to move a house. According to all the talking heads home values are dropping.
But hey, everybody who sells houses does not care about the after effects, all they care about is what ever it takes to sell a house.*
* To anyone one in the real estate business with the exception of our savy stealth buyer I was not directing this at you. Any one but a fool knows you can't generalize an entire industry with one blanket statement.
What would have been a good price to pay for the Stealth as described then? Seems as though a new motor, trans, brakes etc. would put it well over the average selling price of $1K.
in. LOL.
link title
Lets see who is more credible..NADA, KBB or a salesmans word?
Just because its what YOU would pay does not mean squat if Im not selling it to you. I bought the car because I have always like the way it looked. If I wanted a Mustang I would have bought a Mustang.
Again please explain the difference to the world between losing $3000 on a luxury car seconds after the deal is made and paying $3000 for a car that may be sold for $1500 in a year? Please if you can find time to stop "laughing" please explain it because I am at a loss of logic here. Money lost is money lost.
I can buy a new BMW 6 series for $70,000. Next year I MAY get $60K ACV on a trade IF I am astute. I LOST $10K in the first year plus interest insurance costs etc.....Thats financially smart? Nope. But the BUYER feels its worth it.
Where is buying a $3000 car at Private Party book deserving of such ridicule. EVEN IF ITS WORTH NOTHINIG in a year or I have to spend another $2k on it to enjoy it?
When I am buying a car for daily use I want the least expensive best value I can find. Right now the Koreans in my opinion provide that. Its a necessary evil.
When I want a week end toy and join up with others who have the same interest in the same cars. (And there are many 3si.com) where is that so humorous.
You are doing all you can to destroy my credibility because you cannot reply to my arguments and opinion about the way YOU do business. YOu are the ones who are myopic. Not I.
When they start picking at grammar and spulling, you know you have struck a nerve. LOL
So come tell me the difference between your customer who gives away thousands when they sign your deals and my purchase. IM waiting.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Okay you want a good deal?
Do the research. Know what you will pay, KNow what your payments will be, Get pre approved.
Do NOT give your SS to anyone in the dealership before approving the deal....do NOT give your SS# to ANYONE before approving the deal, Salesmen turn over far too much and you don't want your SS# in the hands of a desperate disgruntled salesman out of a job........
DO not buy a warranty at the dealership You can google for dealers who sell the same warranty at a discount and save the taxes as well.
Get the OUT THE DOOR PRICE BEFORE you go to the F&I guy.
They can mess with the doc fees all they want after you are satisfied with the O T D price.
THEN bring in the trade and negotiate the ACV, Take the trade to a CARMAX or used car dealer for a written offer before you go to the new car dealer.
ALWAYS BE READY WILLING AND ABLE TO WALK OUT and try another dealer even in another state.
KEEP THE CAR well past the pay off.
Pay cash if possible unless the loan is below current LIQUID savings rates of 4.5% such as INGDirect.
1) is it realistic to get a Sentra or a Corolla with mileage below 55-60,000 K for $8,000-8,500 in NJ/NY? I need a trustworthy small-sized car that I can drive every day to and from work and park on the streets of NYC.
2) I'd really like to clear things out with the salesperson as much as I can over the e-mail (will they say the car for that price or not) rather than driving around from dealership to dealership. How do you word things over the e-mail?
3) I read through edmunds advice on used cars and through the entire carbuyingtips.com in order to learn about hidden costs, etc, however, most articles focus on new cars. What additional costs and fees are added to a used car price on a dealer's lot?
4) Finally, should I go through a dealer or buy from a private party and then get my own warranty from warranty direct . com?
Thank you for your patience and advice.
NO matter what one pays for a home at some point they will have made money in more then 90% of cases.
HOmes drop and they rise like the stock market but OVERALL they rise. Some people buy high and have to wait longer but they will get paid off.
That does not happen with a car. You may get lucky and buy a collector but in 99% of the cases the car WILL be worth zero at some point unlike Real Estate.
Thats why it is so important to conserve as much as possible to enojy a reliable car. Those who buy highline cars are comfprtable with throwing away thousands and thousands of dollars on a signiture for whatever joy they get from theor purchase. Thats life. Our job is to minimize that expense. Your jobs are to maximize your income from our wallets.
Diametrically opposing forces.
A dealer will cost you at least a few thousand more and they get the cars from private parties, put as little as possible in them and price them very high.
Don't bother with any warranty. Put aside that moiney instead> I ll bet you wont use it all during the warranty period as will the people selliing them to you.
If I were you I would try to find a car in the south where the roads are smoother and there is no snow. Even a higher mileage car down here has mostly freeway miles. NOt all stop and go like in NJ/NY.
1)$8500 is not unrealistic, but $9000 would be a good deal
2)Just email the person you would like to pay $8500 or $9000 plus taxes and fees. Tell them that is your limit
3)Added fees are a administation fee which varies from state to state and dealership to dealership. Plus what ever it cost your state to register a vehicle plus tax on the vehicle which is whatever your state tax rate is
4)If you are going through a dealer or on-line make sure you get a warranty from Nissan not a third party such as universal under writers or something like that.
Good Luck!
http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/car/394064226.html
A typical example. I searched Craigslist for private party only and 5000-8000. There appears to be one for sale in your area every few days. It's a good incentive to learn stick
I think the default rate is pretty significant. Chances are quite good a significant number of people are going to loose their homes because they got into it under terms that better serve a minority of people. When their adjustable rate kicks in, they can't be re-financed because they are upside down.
So your statement has to be qualified.
If you can't stay in your home and make payments required by the loan you have, it doesn't matter that your home is going to be worth so much more in the future. That future doesn't come to you. And, if you put little to nothing down, chances are, you're paying primarily interest and your time horizon to realize a good return isn't a slam dunk.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
If you were to tell me it was a 15 year old Camry, or Accord, with 156K miles, one owner, all service records, in decent shape, it would be a stretch, butI could believe $3,000.
But, a Dodge....a rebadged one at that, one that wasn't popular to begin with, with some new parts thrown on it, 156K miles? Sorry, I'll take a pass, everyday....all day!
It's hard for me to believe someone would drop a new motor (does Mitsubishi even make those engines any more?), tranny, brakes, etc...parts and labor that had to cost many, many thousands, into a $1K car....even a $3K car. Either the seller lied....or the buyer isn't being forthright.
It's worth what it's worth. Most ads I see say ~$1K, with that type of mileage. It's unpopularity, the Dodge badge (it's not like Mitsubishi has a great rep in the car industry, either) and the mileage kill it, regardless of condition.
I've got thick skin. I can take insults. When the bluff is called, and the shoe's on the other foot, it looks like some get testy.
TB's trying way too hard to explain he got a good deal....regardless of the evidence to the contrary. That's OK. Ain't my money.
Word of advice TB. You've stated you hate cars. OK...run with that. I know people like that. They also don't want anything to do with them.
If your gold encrusted Stealth is going to be a hobby.....take a class in auto mechanics. You've got turbos, ECU (although pretty rudimentary), some complicated emmisssions equipment (more complicated than current cars)...and a ton of other things on that Stealth that's going to give you headaches. If you're not versed on fixing them, it's going to turn into a huge money pit. Clearly you don't mind throwing a bunch more money into this thing, as you've stated. Still, it could very easily just turn into a pile of parts in boxes, in pretty short order, if you don't know what you're doing.
Think of this as one of those "fixer-upper" houses. IF you don't know anything about carpentry, plumbing, concrete, electical, etc....it's little more than a hole you throw your greenbacks into.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
But isn't the Stealth really a Mitsu Eclipse? If that is the AWD turbo it might be in demand. I know the tuners drool over the pre 2000 models.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
No, a 3000 GT is a Stealth. The DSM cars are the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and Plymouth Laser (and to some, the Galant VR4).
What makes your scenario laughable to allot of us is the fact that you try to sound like such a hot shot know it all, coming in the door talking smack about people you don't even know with your chip on your shoulder. Then you tell every one how to go out and get great deals and just walk away if it is not your number, and its OK to jack a salesperson for practice. Then you buy a 92 Dodge and for $3000 and brag about the fact you would spend $4000 more on it next week to fix it. Actually I can't remeber if you said 3-4 or 4-5 so I will go with $4000
Mr know it all is going to sink $7K into a 17 year old 150K mile car that is not worth crap, to drive on weekends. Your right the dealers don't want it because it is a POS.
So either practice what you preach or shut up.
I also think it is strange that you first mentioned this car as a Dodge Stealth. Then when we started giving you crap about it all of the sudden it was a turbo xj69000 top of line car :confuse:
And then some.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
156K turdbucket for 3k. ROFL!!!
Spend your money wherever you want and please keep sharing with us.
But please, please don't be offended when we exercise our 1st amendment. Thanks!
-Moo
With or without the new tranny and engine its still an 18 year old car with over 150K miles on it and its not even a classic. Its still worth a few grand at best.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I think most here would know what a hobby car is and what isn't. A 67 Mustang would make it a 92 Stelth doesn't.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
-Moo
Does anybody out there know what happened to our guru? He makes his first, and only, post in over a year... then vanishes again into thin cyberspace. :confuse: