Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

au1994 said:

28firefighter said:

I'm supposed to keep a car long enough for my wife to be a passenger in it?

How’s the Viggen doing these days? Back from the trip to the mechanic I presume?

It is back! The car definitely is not as responsive when it is cold which I think is mostly just personality of the car, but once warmed up, the thing pulls like you can't believe since the fuel pump replacement. I'm having to re-learn how to engage the clutch to manage the torque steer in first gear, which wasn't really all that present until now.

kyfdx

Viggen is Swedish for torque steer...

28firefighter

I have to say, it is quite fun. I can only imagine what I'm doing to my tires.

Sam has taken to sitting in the back seat yelling "zooom!"

stickguy

Teaching the kid right at least!

stickguy

On this ZHP, does that exhaust swap include removing the cats?

kyfdx

stickguy said:

On this ZHP, does that exhaust swap include removing the cats?

Usually, it's just a CAT-back swap. Original CATs are likely still in place

stickguy

Most torque steer I ever had was the 1998 maxima 5 speed. First time I nailed it in a low gear I learned to watch out for that after heading for the shoulder.

ab348

tifighter said:

Some say he has never actually heard of the words "license" and "plate" used together...

"..and that the words "registration renewal" cause a severe primal reaction that causes him to rush to a new car dealer. All we know is he's called @breld ."

tifighter

Well played, sir.

henryn

stickguy said:

Most torque steer I ever had was the 1998 maxima 5 speed. First time I nailed it in a low gear I learned to watch out for that after heading for the shoulder.

Back in 1985, my wife purchased a new Dodge Lancer with the 2.2L 4 cylinder turbo and 5 speed manual transmission. That thing was very quick, and truly taught me the meaning of "torque steer".

Mr_Shiftright

roadburner said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

28firefighter said:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-bmw-330i-zhp-15/

I really want this. Well, not this exact car, but one like it.

Alas, that would never pass California smog testing.

Why do people mess with cars like this? Ok, ok, I know...because they CAN.

As long as the exhaust didn't drone the modifications wouldn't bother me at all. A Dinan tune and intake would probably be something I would have added anyway.

I probably wouldn't buy a car with mods because it's a devil to fix if you don't know exactly what was done. I presume Dinan would be quite helpful but when folks just start bolting on parts and the Money Light goes on under my stewardship, I'm not going to be happy sorting it out.

Of course, BMW engineers make compromises because they have to, but they don't really leave too much on the table these days. They are very smart people.

You can actually ruin a car by modding it without thinking things through.

qbrozen

breld said:

Gee...no one was clamoring over taking over the Civic Type R earlier this year.

Maybe because we are all adults here? ;b

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

breld said:

Gee...no one was clamoring over taking over the Civic Type R earlier this year.

Maybe because we are all adults here? ;b

Shots fired!

breld

qbrozen

y'all may need to stop me from doing something stupid. I checked my Ford buyout at it is $32,300. A couple of weeks ago, Vroom offered me $32k for it. I just resubmitted for another appraisal with my current miles. I might just let it go and use the minivan for a while. If a killer lease deal drops in my lap, maybe I'd pick it up. But I did prepay on the Ford quite a bit, so, on one hand, I'd be tossing money away. On the other hand, I drive so little now that continuing to make the remaining payments and insurance on it seems silly, too. Does any of this make sense?

28firefighter

How much did you pay upfront?

pensfan83

stickguy

Doesn’t matter. Sunk cost.

Right now, simple decision. Is the $xxx per month payment worth the use? If not, can save the money.

At least for the week until he pulls something off Honcker.

28firefighter

It is sunk money yes, but still factors into overall cost of the lease. Longer you make payments, longer the amortization of the upfront cost.

I understand if you plan to downsize and cut off an insurance payment. Makes less sense to me if going to just replace it soon with a lease transfer or Honckr deal.

Then again, since when do any of us need a reason other than "I want to" to make a move?

qbrozen

OH, I'd rather not say. LOL. But my lease payment is $150/mo, if that gives you any clue.

stickguy

Might amortize longer, but still going to cost more real money if he keeps making payments.

stickguy

And yeah, that’s the only reason needed. On a lease, if you can walk early, great!

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

OH, I'd rather not say. LOL. But my lease payment is $150/mo, if that gives you any clue.

I should have come to you for a HELOC. Maybe you could have given me a better rate than Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

Michaell

Speaking of paying ahead, I've been talking with my daughter regarding the MINI. According to the loan documents, she has 21 payments left, and the outstanding balance seems to show that.

However, she says she's been "paying ahead", and that her payments show $0 due. I suggested to her once that she uses the extra money as "additional principal", but I don't think she has done that.

She thinks she will be done with the loan 13 months early. Is this true?

stickguy

$150? Well, that changes the calculation since won’t be saving all that much.

28firefighter

Does her online account reflect a credit waiting to be deducted against the balance?

stickguy

Don’t they have to count it as prepaid principal not advanced payments? If not she’s getting screwed.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

y'all may need to stop me from doing something stupid. I checked my Ford buyout at it is $32,300. A couple of weeks ago, Vroom offered me $32k for it. I just resubmitted for another appraisal with my current miles. I might just let it go and use the minivan for a while. If a killer lease deal drops in my lap, maybe I'd pick it up. But I did prepay on the Ford quite a bit, so, on one hand, I'd be tossing money away. On the other hand, I drive so little now that continuing to make the remaining payments and insurance on it seems silly, too. Does any of this make sense?

Yes, BUT.... if you decide to do this, then decide how long you are willing to go without replacing it. Personally, I would set six months (am I reaching too far?). Then, consider just how much you are saving over that six months, and use that as your benchmark for how much cents it makes.

xwesx

Michaell said:

Speaking of paying ahead, I've been talking with my daughter regarding the MINI. According to the loan documents, she has 21 payments left, and the outstanding balance seems to show that.

However, she says she's been "paying ahead", and that her payments show $0 due. I suggested to her once that she uses the extra money as "additional principal", but I don't think she has done that.

She thinks she will be done with the loan 13 months early. Is this true?

Have her set up an amortization sheet that reflects her actual payment history. That will give her the answer she needs!

For example, my Q7 loan is 60 months, but I pay $300 every two weeks against it. By my schedule, I will have it paid off in a total of 42 months if I stick to this schedule. My FI says that my balance due is zero, and my next payment due is in February of 2019. So, I could NOT make another payment until then, but then I lose that six months of "extra payments" to accumulated interest charges. No thank you!

Even if you take your monthly rate and divide it in half, then pay that bimonthly, you'll still knock months off your loan.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

Does her online account reflect a credit waiting to be deducted against the balance?

I don't have access to the on-line account, so can't answer that.

stickguy said:

Don’t they have to count it as prepaid principal not advanced payments? If not she’s getting screwed.

I don't know, and that's what worries me.

pensfan83

I know my company allows you to configure, in your online banking portal, whether you want the extra money to accumulate toward your next payment be put directly on the principal.

qbrozen

xwesx said:

y'all may need to stop me from doing something stupid. I checked my Ford buyout at it is $32,300. A couple of weeks ago, Vroom offered me $32k for it. I just resubmitted for another appraisal with my current miles. I might just let it go and use the minivan for a while. If a killer lease deal drops in my lap, maybe I'd pick it up. But I did prepay on the Ford quite a bit, so, on one hand, I'd be tossing money away. On the other hand, I drive so little now that continuing to make the remaining payments and insurance on it seems silly, too. Does any of this make sense?

Yes, BUT.... if you decide to do this, then decide how long you are willing to go without replacing it. Personally, I would set six months (am I reaching too far?). Then, consider just how much you are saving over that six months, and use that as your benchmark for how much cents it makes.

That is a fair idea. Set a personal goal. Something maybe like I have to pay off XYZ before I allow myself another vehicle.

Michaell

pensfan83 said:

I know my company allows you to configure, in your online banking portal, whether you want the extra money to accumulate toward your next payment be put directly on the principal.

Her loan is through BMWFS (DBA MINI FS).

mjfloyd1

Ok. Never own a twin turbo European car without a warranty

mjfloyd1

qbrozen said:

xwesx said:

qbrozen said:

y'all may need to stop me from doing something stupid. I checked my Ford buyout at it is $32,300. A couple of weeks ago, Vroom offered me $32k for it. I just resubmitted for another appraisal with my current miles. I might just let it go and use the minivan for a while. If a killer lease deal drops in my lap, maybe I'd pick it up. But I did prepay on the Ford quite a bit, so, on one hand, I'd be tossing money away. On the other hand, I drive so little now that continuing to make the remaining payments and insurance on it seems silly, too. Does any of this make sense?

Yes, BUT.... if you decide to do this, then decide how long you are willing to go without replacing it. Personally, I would set six months (am I reaching too far?). Then, consider just how much you are saving over that six months, and use that as your benchmark for how much cents it makes.

That is a fair idea. Set a personal goal. Something maybe like I have to pay off XYZ before I allow myself another vehicle.

Wait a minute. This is chronic car buyers anonymous

qbrozen

appraisal came back at the same $32k. I don't think I'll make a move. If they offered anything above my payoff, I probably would jump. Yeah, its only a few hundred bucks, but it doesn't feel right paying money to get out of such a cheap lease on such a nice vehicle. I may reassess in a few months before Xmas.

henryn

I have to agree, $150 a month is a really really cheap payment for something as nice as that truck.

Think about it this way. For most of us, if someone offered us the use of a vehicle that nice, for the next year, at $150 a month, with NOTHING up front, we would jump all over it, right?

stickguy

I would.

breld

I'd do it.

breld

I agree mostly with what @stickguy said regarding the cost being "sunk."

But it's not really the amount of cash you've laid out thus far that's sunk - it just so happens that what you've paid so far approximates the car's depreciation to date, right? The depreciation is the sunk cost, and you're in a good position that it just so happens the obligation is paid down accordingly. That's certainly a nice place to be and not always the case by any means.

So whether you trade out now, 6 months from now or a year from now, you're not recovering any of that depreciation. But...you do get to spread it out over more months, which is a reasonable thing to do.

stickguy

well, the total amount is going to increase every month too.

really need to look at it like a swapalease. Is the car at the payment worth it to you? if so keep it. if not, don't.

stickguy

about to leave to get the kids new Jetta. hope it goes according to plan. Until the papers are on the table with the expected numbers I always remain skeptical.

at least I get my car back now. I missed having one.

kyfdx

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

Does her online account reflect a credit waiting to be deducted against the balance?

I don't have access to the on-line account, so can't answer that.

stickguy said:

Don’t they have to count it as prepaid principal not advanced payments? If not she’s getting screwed.

I don't know, and that's what worries me.

The most she can lose is the extra interest, if they haven't been crediting it to the balance, until the payment is due. If she has made 8 extra payments, they will show up.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

breld said:

Gee...no one was clamoring over taking over the Civic Type R earlier this year.

Maybe because we are all adults here? ;b

Touche. This is what happens when you tangle with the fastest sword in all of Edmunds.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

roadburner said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

28firefighter said:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-bmw-330i-zhp-15/

I really want this. Well, not this exact car, but one like it.

Alas, that would never pass California smog testing.

Why do people mess with cars like this? Ok, ok, I know...because they CAN.

As long as the exhaust didn't drone the modifications wouldn't bother me at all. A Dinan tune and intake would probably be something I would have added anyway.

I probably wouldn't buy a car with mods because it's a devil to fix if you don't know exactly what was done. I presume Dinan would be quite helpful but when folks just start bolting on parts and the Money Light goes on under my stewardship, I'm not going to be happy sorting it out.

Of course, BMW engineers make compromises because they have to, but they don't really leave too much on the table these days. They are very smart people.

You can actually ruin a car by modding it without thinking things through.

I put a Dinan chip in my E24 M6, a Turner/Conforti chip in the ti, and a Mazdaspeed(AEM) cold air intake and a Hypertech tune on the Mazdaspeed 3. Not one of those cars had any sort of issue as a result of those minor modifications, so the issue of a "fix" never arose. It's not like someone flashed that ZHP with some homebrew tune; I wouldn't think twice about those minor tweaks if I was looking at that car.

Mr_Shiftright

It really depends on my confidence level as to the engineering that went into the mod, and what effect this mod had on the car. For instance, would we give up 5 mpg for 20 more HP? Some would, some wouldn't. Or noise levels perhaps? Or the type of fuel you have to use. Or the effect on longevity. Blah blah.

You always trade something away with a mod. You've changed the overall equation.

roadburner

If I traded anything with respect to all three of my modded vehicles I sure didn't notice it.
And what about the M Performance Power and Sound Kit? BMW installs it on every M240i and offers it on most all of their other cars with the B58 engine. It adds 35 hp and 39 lb-ft of torque(the MPPK that every M235i received boasts similar numbers). There's no effect on warranty(including CPO) and no fuel economy penalty.
Ditto for the Mountune kits available for the Fiesta ST and Focus ST- and Ford Racing also lists some warranty safe tunes as well. Again, no downside-aside from cost...

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

28firefighter said:

Does her online account reflect a credit waiting to be deducted against the balance?

I don't have access to the on-line account, so can't answer that.

stickguy said:

Don’t they have to count it as prepaid principal not advanced payments? If not she’s getting screwed.

I don't know, and that's what worries me.

The most she can lose is the extra interest, if they haven't been crediting it to the balance, until the payment is due. If she has made 8 extra payments, they will show up.

OK, so at some point, the "pay ahead" payments will show up on her balance, when she makes enough of them to accrue a balance equal to the remaining amount of the loan.

What you said makes sense, that these extra payments are in some sort of escrow account, waiting to be applied to a future payment.

henryn

I financed the new F150 with Ford Credit ($750 kick back for doing so). Amount financed, slightly over $14k. When the first payment came due, I sent them $10k. The second month, the payment slip said I only owed $4k.

The payment due notice should show a "payoff balance".

Sandman6472

It only pays to turn in the lease early if one of the other vehicles in the fleet sits for most of the month without being used. I'd hate to have a third or fourth vehicle just sitting in the garage/driveway and not being used properly. Add to that the saved insurance costs and the saved petrol costs and it just might make sense to let it go. But then, I tend to be a bit conservative when it comes to $ and like to have some in the bank.
An example, right now the total hospital bill came to almost $149,000 without the doctors/rehab expenses. My insurance paid 85% and said I'm responsible for the other 15% until I meet something like $7500 out of pocket on just myself. Called the hospital and they'll neither eat the part I owe or take a percentage right now. They will let me pay it off at $125/month for almost three years, my 15% came to just over $4200. So deciding what to do here as I just spent almost that much on the new a/c unit. Could just write them a check now but my savings would take another hit, something I don't want. Yesterday the wife said go ahead and do it, tonight, pay it off tomorrow...so no help there.
So just decide if the extra money saved is worth more to ya then having the truck and the minivan sitting at home. I know what I'd do in your situation, but I'm not you. Oh, and one last thing folks, try and stay healthy. Haven't been in the hospital since the early 80's and my situation in May really threw me for a loop and has turned out to be quite expensive. And also have some funds in the emergency account to pay for such stuff. It really is that important!!

The Sandman