Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ab348

corvette said:

marco, I like having you here, too, and appreciate your viewpoints!

Likewise here marco. The only thing I wonder about is posting the same video link in multiple forums. Maybe use one forum and stick with it for those links.

iluvmysephia1

You may only test drive If you have cash in hand.

fintail - man, you get a raise! I say we all come up with about $5,000 and spin it over to you in Seattle. I could bring this car with me to upstate NY. I interviewed on the phone this morning for a job up there in a small town right along the St. Lawrence River. You wanna talk about a fish outta water, if I should relocate up there. The '68 Datsun 411 won't even need A/C up there - the average temp. is 44.8! I've now been outta work for 3 months. U.I. is really helping, but, I gotta grab on with somebody pretty soon now. Housing is affordable up there, too, I see.

The lady interviewing has had this job open for 3 years. The BRPT, the credentialing agency for Sleep Tech.'s, granted me my RPSGT certification today, too, just an hour or two after I got off the phone with this manager from up there.

I asked her about driving around up there. Says the St. Lawrence is actually flooding now - she's seen chunks of grass floating down the river! She drives a FWD rig and does just fine in the winter, but warns me about driving onto black ice. I dealt with it in Seattle, probably not nearly as bad as it can get in upstate NY. I was thinking, wow, maybe I oughta make my argument to Mrs. iluvmysephia1 that if I should take this job and we move over 1,000 miles...again...I need an AWD rig ta handle all that upstate NY snow. What do you guys think?

Anyone know about taxes for a working stiff in upstate NY? We've heard it's the 8th highest taxed state in the U.S. Would they be outta this world?

stickguy

NY is overall on the higher end tax wise. Not sure it matters how far up you are. Only NYC and some immediate surrounding areas (like Yonkers) have extra taxes.

what town area we talking about? Somewhere around Massena? Watertown? Watertown, you get a ton of snow up there. Long, long winters. The closer to the lake, the more snow you get. Definitely have to make sure you are prepared for that!

mjfloyd1

iluvmysephia1 said:

You may only test drive If you have cash in hand. fintail - man, you get a raise! I say we all come up with about $5,000 and spin it over to you in Seattle. I could bring this car with me to upstate NY. I interviewed this morning for a job up there in a small town right along the St. Lawrence River. You wanna talk about a fish outta water, if I should relocate up there. The '68 Datsun 411 won't even need A/C up there - the average temp. is 54.8! I've now been outta work for 3 months. U.I. is really helping, but, I gotta grab on with somebody pretty soon now. Housing is affordable up there, too, I see. The lady interviewing has had this job open for 3 years. The BRPT, the credentialing agency for Sleep Tech.'s, granted me my RPSGT certification today, too, just an hour or two after I got off the phone with this manager from up there. I asked her about driving around up there. Says the St. Lawrence is actually flooding now - she's seen chunks of grass floating down the river! She drives a FWD rig and does just fine in the winter, but warns me about driving onto black ice. I dealt with it in Seattle, probably not nearly as bad as it can get in upstate NY. I was thinking, wow, maybe I oughta make my argument to Mrs. iluvmysephia1 that if I should take this job and we move over 1,000 miles...again...I need an AWD rig ta handle all that upstate NY snow. What do you guys think? Anyone know about taxes for a working stiff in upstate NY? We've heard it's the 8th most taxed state in the U.S. Would they be outta this world?

Congrats on passing your exam and getting the certification!

stickguy

well, here is one that should tick all the boxes. Turbo, Stick shift, convertible, below $5k. Perfect, right?




http://www.turnersvilleautomall.com/detail-2005-chrysler-pt_cruiser-2dr_convertible_gt-used-16538702.html

qbrozen

Whew! Dodged a bullet here. I kept an eye on their inventory when I was shopping and was tempted quite a few times to bite.
http://www.unionleader.com/Antique-car-dealership-owner-indicted

iluvmysephia1

what town area we talking about? Somewhere around Massena? Watertown? Watertown, you get a ton of snow up there. Long, long winters. The closer to the lake, the more snow you get. Definitely have to make sure you are prepared for that!

stick - it's in Ogdensburg. I am learning more and more about it. She said winters haven't been bad up there, lately. Should I believe her? I really do have to think carefully about this one. Still have to have a Skype interview next week with her for that position. Meanwhile continue searching for jobs in several other areas...including, of course - Kansas City.

stickguy

This one is interesting. would actually work fine for me. Might not be too bad a price. Just serviced, and a CPO. I am just a sucker for something cheap with a stick!

http://www.turnersvilleautomall.com/detail-2014-hyundai-elantra_gt-used-16138803.html

stickguy

iluvmysephia1 said:

what town area we talking about? Somewhere around Massena? Watertown? Watertown, you get a ton of snow up there. Long, long winters. The closer to the lake, the more snow you get. Definitely have to make sure you are prepared for that!

stick - it's in Ogdensburg. I am learning more and more about it. She said winters haven't been bad up there, lately. Should I believe her? I really do have to think carefully about this one. Still have to have a Skype interview next week with her for that position. Meanwhile continue searching for jobs in several other areas...including, of course - Kansas City.

well, it is all relative. They might not get smacked quite as hard as Watertown, being up river a bit from the lack, but is snows from November until April any given year. Looks like about 55" on average. Just don't expect it to go away, or be above freezing much!

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/ogdensburg/new-york/united-states/usny1057

iluvmysephia1

Congrats on passing your exam and getting the certification!

Thanks, mjfloyd1! It was extra tough for me because I'm a Respiratory Therapist who was trained on the job ta do sleep studies. I didn't go to school specifically to learn how to do sleep studies. The BRPT includes all kinds of questions on what's going on behind the scenes during a sleep study - the bio potential stuff, voltages, AC amplifiers, DC amplifiers, etc., etc. My smart wife found a sleep tech. tutor in the Midwest, who lived and worked in Seattle for a while, BTW, but where she lives doesn't matter, of course, the training is done during Skype sessions. The very reason she set up her business is for people like myself, who were trained on the job.

The people going to school directly to learn how to do sleep studies are taught all of the background stuff I described above while in class, so they are better able to pass the exam. I learned a week or so ago that the BRPT is taking 25 questions off of the test, now, too, so it's "only" going to be 175 questions starting September 1, 2017. And you'll only get 3 hours to take it now, down from 4 hours. All right, that's probably way too much sleep technician nerd-dom for you guys. I look forward to eventually having more time ta spend on here talking about cars!

tbirdmarco

@nyccarguy nice nead sum peapol to joyen me in the non drivers group lol lol lol. yes shore could do a lot bettor than a lot out there lol lol have driven before in an parking lot menny times. my Cuzian let me drive an few blocks near my house few weeks ago was fun took it slow no cars wher driving just sum parked on the side of the street! when I got out of the car my cuzian later on told me that an women frome one of the houses keeped looking at me was shocked I came out of the drivers side of the car and that was driving.! lol lol

iluvmysephia1

well, it is all relative. They might not get smacked quite as hard as Watertown, being up river a bit from the lack, but is snows from November until April any given year. Looks like about 55" on average. Just don't expect it to go away, or be above freezing much!

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/ogdensburg/new-york/united-states/usny1057

Looks cold, man. She says "I always keep a jacket in the car with me." I'll say!

rny421

iluvmysephia1 said:

It's in Ogdensburg. I am learning more and more about it. She said winters haven't been bad up there, lately. Should I believe her? I really do have to think carefully about this one. Still have to have a Skype interview next week with her for that position. Meanwhile continue searching for jobs in several other areas...including, of course - Kansas City.

I'm in Rochester, NY. I had to look up Ogdensburg, as I had not heard of it - it's way up there! You'll be near the thousand islands and Adirondacks, both which are beautiful in the summer. The Adirondacks also have great ski resorts if that's your thing. Google tells me Ogdensburg gets around 61" of snow a year. We get around 80". Subarus are very popular in Upstate and Western NY, but it might serve you well to get dedicated snow tires for a FWD vehicle.

Property taxes seem to be rough up there - 5% of assessed value per year, but it looks like you can buy a house reasonably cheap there (<$100k). If you aren't planning on staying there for at least five years, I'd stick with renting.

Other than that, NY isn't known is being the most tax friendly state - but who is ever happy about paying taxes?

Congrats on getting your certification!

tbirdmarco

@iluvmysephia1 Thank You for all of the kind words and thank you to everyone elce to as whell. Yes do post hear and post the same thing in the Cars and Conbersations bord for those who have not joyened us yet in this bord! have an good night all!

tbirdmarco

@iluvmysephia1 congrads on passing your exzam! and good luck with the job sirtch!

iluvmysephia1

Thanks, Marco! It has been said that searching for a job is harder work than working a full-time job!

tbirdmarco

@qbrozen wow did hear of this dealer from looking on hemmings and auto trader classicks whall looking around before got my thunderbird 2 years ago! so messed up what this guy did!

js06gv

corvette said:

A couple of waiting lists... reminds me of the story my dad told me about buying one of the first CRXs in the 1980s. He was on a wait list and the dealer called him and said the car hauler had just pulled up. He had his choice of a red one or a white one or forfeit his place on he waiting list. He took the white one and I think later had A/C installed (don't think it was an option at first). 

Funny you mention that. My wife and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a trip to British Columbia and I'm amazed at the number of decent looking older vehicles here. Saw a first gen (and likely first year - was that '84?) CRX this morning near Victoria.

iluvmysephia1

I'm in Rochester, NY. I had to look up Ogdensburg, as I had not heard of it - it's way up there! You'll be near the thousand islands and Adirondacks, both which are beautiful in the summer. The Adirondacks also have great ski resorts if that's your thing. Google tells me Ogdensburg gets around 61" of snow a year. We get around 80". Subarus are very popular in Upstate and Western NY, but it might serve you well to get dedicated snow tires for a FWD vehicle.

Property taxes seem to be rough up there - 5% of assessed value per year, but it looks like you can buy a house reasonably cheap there (<$100k). If you aren't planning on staying there for at least five years, I'd stick with renting.

Other than that, NY isn't known is being the most tax friendly state - but who is ever happy about paying taxes?

Congrats on getting your certification!</i>



rny - exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Yeah, we would rent for probably all of the time we live up there, if I get an offer and accept it. She seemed thrilled ta get a RPSGT to talk to about it. Challenges would be before us in getting a rental because we have two dogs and two cats, but I think we could find a "fit." Invariably it involves paying more rent, but, I am going through a recruiter who could be asked politely by me to ask for more moo-lah ta pay for that extra rent!

Because I have several years of experience doing sleep studies and my RPSGT, I can ask for the quoted amount in the ad that is based on the hired person being a new grad. Seriously - I should be able to get a few more bucks an hour and feel good about asking for it, too.

An extra set of winter tires, yep, and...if this thing should go through, a Subie or something else with AWD might be in our future. The 2011 Kia Soul 5-speed is at 84,400 miles now, give or take a whisker and a hair. Running strong, for sure, but...that nasty, slippery ice. Would AWD even help with real nasty ice, guys? Sounds like a "duh" question, but so be it!

stickguy

I like the looks of these. Cheap enough. Minor issue with inoperable AC. A few minor rust spots and bumper scrapes don't bother me if the price is right!

so either live without AC, or possibly invest the entry price over again to get it working!

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2002-mercedes~benz-c~class-c240_4dr_sedan_2_6l-used-16535771.html

suydam

The only difference AWD makes on ice is that it fools the driver into thinking one is more capable than is actually the case.

stickguy

Should probably just spring the extra money, and get a modern car, and not have to become best buddies with Dieter the mechanic. Like this. Love the color, and love my hatchbacks. I could certainly live with this one. Just wish it had sport seats.

http://www.eimports4less.com/detail-2015-bmw-3_series_gran_turismo-certified_328i_xdrive_gt_awd_gran_turismo_navigation-used-16403552.html

tbirdmarco

@iluvmysephia1 you are welcome man! do bleave that yes looking for an job is mor work than working an ful time job! lol lol happy Friday man!

tbirdmarco

happy! Friday! everyone!

sb55

iluvmysephia1 said:

You may only test drive If you have cash in hand.

fintail - man, you get a raise! I say we all come up with about $5,000 and spin it over to you in Seattle. I could bring this car with me to upstate NY. I interviewed on the phone this morning for a job up there in a small town right along the St. Lawrence River. You wanna talk about a fish outta water, if I should relocate up there. The '68 Datsun 411 won't even need A/C up there - the average temp. is 44.8! I've now been outta work for 3 months. U.I. is really helping, but, I gotta grab on with somebody pretty soon now. Housing is affordable up there, too, I see.

The lady interviewing has had this job open for 3 years. The BRPT, the credentialing agency for Sleep Tech.'s, granted me my RPSGT certification today, too, just an hour or two after I got off the phone with this manager from up there.

I asked her about driving around up there. Says the St. Lawrence is actually flooding now - she's seen chunks of grass floating down the river! She drives a FWD rig and does just fine in the winter, but warns me about driving onto black ice. I dealt with it in Seattle, probably not nearly as bad as it can get in upstate NY. I was thinking, wow, maybe I oughta make my argument to Mrs. iluvmysephia1 that if I should take this job and we move over 1,000 miles...again...I need an AWD rig ta handle all that upstate NY snow. What do you guys think?

Anyone know about taxes for a working stiff in upstate NY? We've heard it's the 8th highest taxed state in the U.S. Would they be outta this world?

I think that you mentioned Ogdensburg, NY in a previous post. I live in Northern Vermont now, just across the lake from Plattsburgh, NY, so Ogdensburg is 1.5 hours away and similar latitude.
I used to live in the NYC suburbs. For me, I don't mind the winters. Yeah, it's colder than the NYC area, but not as damp in the winter. Up here, people don't pretend winter isn't cold. Almost everyone uses snow tires and dresses for the conditions. Where I used to live, I had a 110 mile (5 each way) commute every day. Very few used snow tires, so winter driving was always a challenge.
If you want more info, feel free to PM me.

ab348

qbrozen said:

Whew! Dodged a bullet here. I kept an eye on their inventory when I was shopping and was tempted quite a few times to bite.
http://www.unionleader.com/Antique-car-dealership-owner-indicted

"Dusty Old Cars"... I remember visiting their site to look at cars that were linked in posts either from you or others and always got an odd sense about them. They truly were "dusty" or at least with obvious needs and questionable mods that were not always reflected in the pricing. Nothing I saw there was "gotta have it" quality.

EDIT: Found this NYT article - apparently this has been going on for months: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/your-money/dusty-old-cars.html?_r=0

qbrozen

Quite possibly from me. I remember seeing some questionable ones. I can't recall off the top of my head what I may have been interested in from them.

graphicguy

Marcothecarguy1986 said:

@graphicguy those forames everyone alwas gets so bent out of shape! did get in to back and forth in the past don't bother anymore. everyone hase there pointes of view and everyone likes what they like! as you no peapol are crazy! they used to attack me when told them that I am visually inpared how can you like cars. and attack me on my spelling there wher an few that are nice and came to my defence was on hear years ago forget witch bord was in love it in hear how we can have different pointes of you but we respect one another and all get along so whell!

Marco....hopefully you've found friends here. We sure like seeing your posts.

About tearing a vehicle down to the frame and rebuilding it....every nut, every bolt, every washer, every screw, every wire, every pump, every spring, every computer, etc. is torn down (at least internally) and reassembled on a new chassis, which even though they may be made to be identical, has manufacturing differences/tolerances.

The possibility for something to be put together wrong, bolts lost or not tightened correctly, forgotten washers, etc is very high. To me, dealerships have one. goal in mind when it comes to service....do it as quickly as possible, for the least amount of cost as possible. That never bodes well for a major undertaking like swapping a frame.

A very OCD independent service facility, with lots of time to complete the project, might be able to do it right the first time. But, tough to find those.

graphicguy

Segueing into being somewhat OCD, I had parked the Acura in a tree lined neighborhood last night to look at some antiques a lady advertised in the local weekly. I'm an antique clock fanatic and she had some old ones, not antiques, so it was a wasted trip.

Anyway, after parking in front of her house for about 30 minutes and coming home, I noticed several "globs" of tree sap on my roof and on the sides of the car......argghhhhh! I proceed to go to work for removal.

This stuff was tuff. I used ⅓ a bottle of organic Goo Gone (the stuff that's supposed to be made of citrus). Took a whole lot of it, but after about 45 minutes I got rid of most of it. Then, I had to wash off that side of the car. Then I had to re-wax that side of the car. Then, I had to put a sealant on top of that.

What started out as an estimated 15 minute job, took me about an hour and a half all totaled. Then, it started raining.....HARD!

Regarding Alphas......dang do I like them. I've liked them since they last sold the Spiders here in this country. I remember seeing them on campus when I was going to college. All the "cool" profs drove them. But, I've never....and I mean NEVER....have heard one owner say they enjoyed the ownership experience. The new Alphas are no different it seems.

This has to be a corporate decision. They choose to build unreliable cars. That's the only way I can explain it. It's not like they haven't been in business long enough that they don't know how to build cars. Heck, they've been building vehicles for over 100 years. And Fiat has culpability in this, too. It has to be a conscious decision to build unreliable cars.

Shame really.....I'd sure like to drive/own one. But, not with this continuing reliability (lack of) concerns.

iluvmysephia1

I think that you mentioned Ogdensburg, NY in a previous post. I live in Northern Vermont now, just across the lake from Plattsburgh, NY, so Ogdensburg is 1.5 hours away and similar latitude.
I used to live in the NYC suburbs. For me, I don't mind the winters. Yeah, it's colder than the NYC area, but not as damp in the winter. Up here, people don't pretend winter isn't cold. Almost everyone uses snow tires and dresses for the conditions. Where I used to live, I had a 110 mile (5 each way) commute every day. Very few used snow tires, so winter driving was always a challenge.
If you want more info, feel free to PM me.

sb55 - you may very well get a PM from me, especially if I end up moving to Ogdensburg. The more I ponder what negatives there are (cold weather, 4-10's schedule instead of my old favorite, 3-12 hr. nights a week), the more I keep thinking about how friendly the Sleep Lab Manager is, and how much she would want the new situation to work. She told me that "I don't want someone moving up here and working with us that doesn't want to be here." Sounds simplistic, but it makes a lot of sense.

I'm learning more about that opportunity every day. I'm in the running for other jobs in Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona and West Virginia. The ones that seem ta process along easier are most of the times the ones that stick. We shall see.

Driving in ice and snow is something I'm not new at. I see it as a negative, yes. Deal killer? I don't think so. Subaru? They would be a whole new world ta me! My sister in Washington state owns a Subaru Crosstek in orange color and loves it. I can talk to her about them.

corvette

suydam said:

The only difference AWD makes on ice is that it fools the driver into thinking one is more capable than is actually the case.

I have to disagree with this. The extra traction on acceleration can also prevent you from getting stuck. 

iluvmysephia1

I have to disagree with this. The extra traction on acceleration can also prevent you from getting stuck.

corvette - I agree. I will never forget our 2001 Kia Sportage 4X4 getting us un-stuck in mid-Missouri ice 2 or 3 times. I was spinning the wheels and popped it in to 4WD - chug - chunk! The small SUV gained traction and I backed out of our driveway just fine.

The other time was in Pocatello, ID, on a side of the street in winter there. My Sportage just slid into the curb and refused ta move. I popped it in to 4WD and it immediately pulled us outta there. Extra traction on acceleration can't hurt, either.

nyccarguy

@Marcothecarguy1986 - you are more than welcome to post as much as you want here.  You are a good dude.  Don't pay attention to anyone who says anything negative about your visual impairment or your phonetic spelling.  I think the fact that you love cars and even own one that you can't drive is wonderful.

nyccarguy

Anybody interested in a BMW Z3 Clown Shoe Coupe?  There's one for sale around the corner from me.  It isn't an ///M Coupe.  It's Silver.  I can check out further details if someone wants.

kyfdx

@graphicguy I have an old Seth Thomas mantel clock.. might be right up your alley. It's definitely pre-1900, I think.

fintail

When I get sap on my car, I give it a quick claying. It does the job with little effort. Happened a few weeks ago, I parked what I thought was far enough away from a tree to avoid issues - nope. When I got back to the car, I could see it on the glass, and the surface had many sap droplets. 10 minutes with the clay bar cleared it up. I am very OCD about the smoothness of the finish on my cars.

When you say antique clocks, you mean literal antiques, 100+ years old? Any specific type? I find some at local sales now and then, but nothing too special, I think.

Regarding Alfa, I am trying to think of an Italian car with a really solid track record for reliability and/or durability, any car from any era. It's tough. That's the price you pay for style and exhaust note.

Speaking of Z3 from another post, The local Lexus dealer not far from me has an M clownshoe on the lot - it's maybe a little dear

graphicguy said:

Segueing into being somewhat OCD, I had parked the Acura in a tree lined neighborhood last night to look at some antiques a lady advertised in the local weekly. I'm an antique clock fanatic and she had some old ones, not antiques, so it was a wasted trip.

ab348

The sage of that cockamamie deal on the 2017 ATS just will not end. After I pulled the plug on it on June 27th I was still getting stuff in the mail from Cadillac and SiriusXM congratulating on my purchase of it 10 days before that (remember, this was despite no actual quote sheet or other paperwork being prepared and nothing at all signed or accepted in any way by me). Also on the 27th I called the Finance manager who, to my dismay, had run through a $500 deposit on my credit card 3 weeks prior (presumably at the instruction of my idiot sales guy), to tell her the deal was dead and left her a voice mail with my card number to reverse the charge since, she had said before, they didn't keep that info on file, which I seriously doubt.

Meanwhile over the last couple of weeks the sales guy keeps calling and leaving useless voicemail messages asking how I'm doing. And yesterday, I went online to look at my credit card transactions to see when the credit was processed. No surprise: it wasn't. I called her, got her voice mail, and left her a somewhat stiff message that it needed to be reversed today. To her credit, she called at 9AM today while I was in the shower but to her discredit said that she hadn't heard from me and didn't have the credit card number to reverse the charge, so (get this) they cut a check, mailed it to me earlier this week, and said that I should have either already got it or will get it soon. Geez, I haven't had the "cheque is in the mail" excuse in years. No cheque has arrived of course.

This is becoming a case study in how to lose a previously-loyal customer.

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

@graphicguy I have an old Seth Thomas mantel clock.. might be right up your alley. It's definitely pre-1900, I think.

Ooohhh...yeah, Mantel clocks are what I look for, mostly. They were mostly known for those big hall clocks in and around that era. I love those but just don't have room for them. I also look for are what they call "banjo clocks".

Seth Thomas made watches, too. Aren't many of those around, but I keep a lookout for them.

graphicguy

fintail...I should have pulled out the old clay bar. I was in a hurry (actually, the clay bar would have taken less time).

Antique clocks are what I look for. Every once in a while I'll buy an art deco clock from the early 1900s if it strikes my fancy.

Kind of like buying used cars. I don't like basket cases, but won't shy away from an older one. I clean them up (leaving as much "patina" as I can). Re-attach broken wood. Make sure they run. I have "a guy" who does mechanicals. That said, if you get too deep with having to fabricating metal parts, it takes away from originality and hurts value.

Come to think of it, it's a LOT like getting old cars.

I buy, sell, swap, barter. It's a hobby. I don't make a bunch of money from it. I'm more active in the winter time when I don't have outside activities.

stickguy

Bradd, a little early for me, but I do like those clown shoes. A non-m is fine too, as long as it is a stick!

fintail

Cool stuff. I like old things with mechanical complications, and have some clocks too. I go to local estate and yard sales occasionally, and as I get out early and compete with the pickers, things come up. I found a few art deco marble mantle clocks at a hoarder estate sale last year, and the year before I found an ~1880s (patent 1878) Seth Thomas shelf clock, in a very plain unusual gambrel shaped case. I see other clocks at sales, but I keep these on a budget - I am hesitant to pay more than about $30 for one, as repairs can be expensive (and I rarely go that far). They are more of decorative objects. One I am fond of is a Victorian style Junghans shelf clock, a typical period piece with finials and domed top etc - but it is a very small size, I have never seen another so small. That's one I had repaired.

graphicguy said:

fintail...I should have pulled out the old clay bar. I was in a hurry (actually, the clay bar would have taken less time).

Antique clocks are what I look for. Every once in a while I'll buy an art deco clock from the early 1900s if it strikes my fancy.

Kind of like buying used cars. I don't like basket cases, but won't shy away from an older one. I clean them up (leaving as much "patina" as I can). Re-attach broken wood. Make sure they run. I have "a guy" who does mechanicals. That said, if you get too deep with having to fabricating metal parts, it takes away from originality and hurts value.

Come to think of it, it's a LOT like getting old cars.

I buy, sell, swap, barter. It's a hobby. I don't make a bunch of money from it. I'm more active in the winter time when I don't have outside activities.

graphicguy

@fintail......those smaller clocks can be a money hole. First, parts for old antique clocks are nearly non-existent. Any broken parts have to be custom fabricated. I'll do it (or have it done) if I like the clock a lot. Some I just have sitting on a shelf because I like them, and they don't work. On occasion I'll hear or see of someone who has parts, but that's rare.

If you have to fabricate tiny parts (like gears or springs), that's VERY specialized, and VERY expensive. Add to that, I like antique French, German, Italian clocks, which are even more specialized, and I have to remind myself not to carry a lot of cash with me when shopping.

I've paid as much as 5 figures for a mantel clock. Hall clocks can go much higher than that, though. Mostly I'm in and around that $100-$250 range, though.

There are quite a few dealers in and around SW Ohio. They even have so called "antique malls". Those are mainly swap meets, though.....very little in the way of real antiques.

corvette

The podcast S-town is really good and features a clock restorer... Just thought I'd throw that in there. 

fintail

Yeah, I am not going to spend hundreds to have a clock restored. I don't think I've spent more than $50 or so to purchase a clock, and that was for a marble clock with matching garnitures. It even runs, but doesn't keep perfect time. They all make good shelf warmers. I think I spent $100 or so at a local shop to have the small shelf clock serviced, and that was just because I liked it.

There used to be tons of antique malls here, but by the turn of the century, ebay drove most of them out of business - they are now much less common. My parents were hobbyist antique dealers and sold out of a mall (which is long gone now), which is likely where I get the desire to go look for things - I was into the "thrill of the hunt" when I was younger, and I made a little money on the side from it. These days though, it needs to be something special to get me out of bed early on a Saturday morning. I wouldn't want to do it for income.

graphicguy said:

@fintail......those smaller clocks can be a money hole. First, parts for old antique clocks are nearly non-existent. Any broken parts have to be custom fabricated. I'll do it (or have it done) if I like the clock a lot. Some I just have sitting on a shelf because I like them, and they don't work. On occasion I'll hear or see of someone who has parts, but that's rare.

If you have to fabricate tiny parts (like gears or springs), that's VERY specialized, and VERY expensive. Add to that, I like antique French, German, Italian clocks, which are even more specialized, and I have to remind myself not to carry a lot of cash with me when shopping.

I've paid as much as 5 figures for a mantel clock. Hall clocks can go much higher than that, though. Mostly I'm in and around that $100-$250 range, though.

There are quite a few dealers in and around SW Ohio. They even have so called "antique malls". Those are mainly swap meets, though.....very little in the way of real antiques.

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

Segueing into being somewhat OCD, I had parked the Acura in a tree lined neighborhood last night to look at some antiques a lady advertised in the local weekly. I'm an antique clock fanatic and she had some old ones, not antiques, so it was a wasted trip. Anyway, after parking in front of her house for about 30 minutes and coming home, I noticed several "globs" of tree sap on my roof and on the sides of the car......argghhhhh! I proceed to go to work for removal. This stuff was tuff. I used ⅓ a bottle of organic Goo Gone (the stuff that's supposed to be made of citrus). Took a whole lot of it, but after about 45 minutes I got rid of most of it. Then, I had to wash off that side of the car. Then I had to re-wax that side of the car. Then, I had to put a sealant on top of that. What started out as an estimated 15 minute job, took me about an hour and a half all totaled. Then, it started raining.....HARD! Regarding Alphas......dang do I like them. I've liked them since they last sold the Spiders here in this country. I remember seeing them on campus when I was going to college. All the "cool" profs drove them. But, I've never....and I mean NEVER....have heard one owner say they enjoyed the ownership experience. The new Alphas are no different it seems. This has to be a corporate decision. They choose to build unreliable cars. That's the only way I can explain it. It's not like they haven't been in business long enough that they don't know how to build cars. Heck, they've been building vehicles for over 100 years. And Fiat has culpability in this, too. It has to be a conscious decision to build unreliable cars. Shame really.....I'd sure like to drive/own one. But, not with this continuing reliability (lack of) concerns.

My ALFA (please note the spelling! ;b) Spider was always reliable in my 10 yrs of ownership. 

kyfdx

Generally, it takes about $189 to service your typical antique mantel clock, that's worth maybe $150-$250.

They look nice, but if you want to keep them running, it's frustrating. @graphicguy I used to go to the guy up Reading Road, when I worked in Blue Ash. You know that one?

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

Generally, it takes about $189 to service your typical antique mantel clock, that's worth maybe $150-$250.

They look nice, but if you want to keep them running, it's frustrating. @graphicguy I used to go to the guy up Reading Road, when I worked in Blue Ash. You know that one?

Don't remember ever doing business on Reading Rd. What's the name? I have one guy in Lebanon, OH and another in Mason, OH. They both work out of their homes, though.

Agree with your pricing assessment. People are surprised some of these old clocks cost $200 to repair when they only paid $75.

In short, buy what you like. If you're looking for an investment piece, be ready to pull out plenty of Benjamins to buy and spend even more to fix them, and find that exact right person that likes it as much as you do.

Most antique clock people that do it for profit are looking for that $50 gem that they can sell for $500 with just a little polish.

stickguy

Accord released. So far, liking what I am reading and seeing. Can't wait to get the full equipment list to compare trim levels.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/accord/2018/2018-honda-accord-first-look-lower-wider-shorter/

iluvmysephia1

Fin, it's funny that the guy's Craigslist ad leaves out the front view of the car. Spose he has so many spare parts he doesn't feel like the front needs accenting quite so much. Love this little sparkplug!

The seller bought this '68 Datsun 411 at an OKC auction in 2016 for $3,100. The outfit in St.Louis that was trying to sell it before it went to auction was asking $12,900, and he points that out in his ad for the car. He wants $4,000 for it.

Wouldn't need A/C in upstate NY. Might prefer AWD, however!

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

Generally, it takes about $189 to service your typical antique mantel clock, that's worth maybe $150-$250.

They look nice, but if you want to keep them running, it's frustrating. @graphicguy I used to go to the guy up Reading Road, when I worked in Blue Ash. You know that one?

Don't remember ever doing business on Reading Rd. What's the name? I have one guy in Lebanon, OH and another in Mason, OH. They both work out of their homes, though.

Agree with your pricing assessment. People are surprised some of these old clocks cost $200 to repair when they only paid $75.

In short, buy what you like. If you're looking for an investment piece, be ready to pull out plenty of Benjamins to buy and spend even more to fix them, and find that exact right person that likes it as much as you do.

Most antique clock people that do it for profit are looking for that $50 gem that they can sell for $500 with just a little polish.

Actually, on 42, not Reading Rd. Near Butler-Warren Rd. It's called ProClock