Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

woodyww

Grand LeMans, according to the label on my file folder, altho the sales receipt & regis. info. just reads LeMans. I do know it had fake wood panels on the sides.

(Is anyone else anal enough to keep the file folders of records on various cars they've owned, even 20-30 years later)? Altho the ones for the 1990 Passat I kept for 6 months & the '79 Chevy truck with the Old's "diesel" exploding engine are missing--Maybe I had celebration bonfires after I got rid of them. The one for the '98 Range Rover I owned for only a year is FAT (not with a PH), because it's stuffed with so many repair receipts.

Is it any wonder that when I get a car I really like & is not a "disaster vehicle" (knock wood!), I hang onto it so long?

Andre would know this: what was the car Vince Vaughn had in "Swingers"? I assumed it was a (mid-late 60's) Merc convert. Comet? Not a Monterey, was it? Or am I totally off-base?

nippononly

Is anyone else anal enough to keep the file folders of records on various cars they've owned, even 20-30 years later

I do that, unless the buyer wanted the records, in which case I give them to the buyer. Usually the most the buyer wants to do is glance through them looking for key maintenance items, although every once in a while I get one who actually wants to keep them.

I've got stacks of records going back about 20 years, and every once in a while when I straighten up my records I go through them. I'ts like a trip down memory lane.

roadburner

I've got stacks of records going back about 20 years, and every once in a while when I straighten up my records I go through them. I'ts like a trip down memory lane.

It's great to know that I'm not alone...

guss

Same here, for a while I even made a habit of getting a picture of each car and putting it in the file. I love looking at some of the sportier cars I had like the '85 RX-7 or '80 Prelude. Then I see the '97 Malibu and wonder what I was thinking.

When I get the Carfax weekly subscription I always want to run the vin number to see what ever happened to them but I always forget to dig up the files. Anyone know what the Carfax report says when a car goes to the crusher ? I assume some type of salvage yard is the final owner.

andre1969

I've never heard of the movie "Swingers", but I looked it up and found this. According to the Internet Movie Car database, it's a 1964 Mercury Comet.

Oh, and I do have most of the repair receipts and junk from various cars over the years. Only problem is, I've just lumped it all into one big accordion folder, and it's in no particular order. My Granddad is really orderly though and holds onto stuff. He still has the sales papers to every car he's ever owned, going back at least to a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, which was their first new car. He let me look through it once, and it was a cool little trip down memory lane, especially looking at the old window stickers that showed you how much the options were, like $5.00 for backup lights, $2.98 for windshield washer fluid, $69.95 for a heater, etc. :surprise:

I'd have to double check, but I think the registration and title for my '76 Grand LeMans actually DO refer to it as a Grand LeMans and not just a LeMans. Probably varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, though. I wonder if a Malibu Classic would have shown up as that, or just as "Malibu"?

When I had my Grandma's '85 LeSabre, I would just call it that...an "85 LeSabre". Calling it a "1985 LeSabre Limited Collector's Edition" just seemed a bit too pretentious to say with a straight face. :P

woodyww

it's a 1964 Mercury Comet.

Aha! I'd love to have one (convert). (You should see the film if only to drool over the beautiful 60's Merc. convert). My other choice would be a mid-60's Pontiac Tempest. Not even a GTO (I couldn't afford that). Even a 6 cyl. maybe?

I don't have car records before the late-70's. I wish I had more pics & records for my 1973 Mercury Capri V6 (German Ford). First car I owned that was beautiful, new, great performance, & built like a Brick Outhouse........expensive parts tho.

boomchek

I have a file folder for all my previous cars, and took it a step further by making an Excel chart of my previously owned cars including VINS, mileage when bought, mileage when sold, etc.......

qbrozen

Wish i had done that. Although, I didn't have anything resembling Excel until about my 3rd car (6th if you count project cars).

I also often wish I had taken pics of all of them.
Anything to document them.

Karen_S

A reporter with a large national newspaper would like to speak with consumers who traded in their Volvo for another used vehicle. If you are a previous Volvo owner , please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than Thursday, August 7th.

woodyww

Don't forget the file folder for "traffic & parking tickets": I got a letter from the Mass. RMV 10 or 15 years ago claiming I hadn't paid a $400 speeding ticket years earlier. Miraculously, I had a copy of the cancelled check, went down there, & they marked it paid. (I got two $400 speeding tickets w/in 6 months of buying my E24 M6.......)

corvette

I'm feeling the itch... I've got four payments left on the Audi lease (which ends December 31).

Logically, it's probably better to wait until October to start seriously looking (especially if I'm buying used), but I think I'm in the wrong discussion group for being "logical."

kyfdx

Our three year lease is up in November.. I've been shopping for a replacement for about... oh. 2.5 years... :surprise:

stever

My decade is up in December and the van is in the shop for throwing some codes. Ordinarily I would have been shopping for two years, but I didn't think I'd get the itch at the usual ten year mark so I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention.

Spending money on maintenance is making me itchier though. May have to go drive a Versa, Forester, CR-V. Or a Prius. :shades:

boomchek

I'm getting itchy too. My Benz lease is up in October. I have plans for it, but I may just get rid of it for something else. A nice used S2000 sounds appealing to me right now.
I also wouldn't mind buying a decent running 70s domestic for a couple grand, driving it, sell it, and getting another. I don't know what I want. :confuse:

fintail

You are leasing the hexed C-class?

My E55 is about half paid for now, and I intend to ride it out til the end. I still have 2 years of warranty left, might as well.

boomchek

Yeah it's a lease, but the buyout is only $6k. It stands me about $8k now if I were to buy it out today.

I thought about the race thing option but I'm itching too much for something else right now. Thid damn CCBS (Chronic Car Buying Syndrome) is messing with my life!

fintail

I guess that's a reasonably low residual.

I like looking at cars and will sometimes go as far as sitting in them...but I guess I am getting cheap as I can't justify the additional expense over what I have now. I've noticed late model highline cars seem to be depreciating now faster than in the past....but my car has no issues and I have it in a condition where I am pleased, so I can't justify moving on.

nippononly

Seems to me like EVERYTHING in the used market has been a worse and worse deal for maybe three years now. That probably coincides with a period of increases in factory incentives on new cars, which puts pressure on the used cars.

Was messing around the other night, took my search in a completely new direction, was looking at first-gen RAV4s just because I always liked the look and the size (they are too big now). Found a '99 4WD stick with only 41K miles on it. Silver. They are asking $9995. For a 9-10 year old car (with low low miles) that sold new for maybe $17K, maybe $18K. Seems like a lot, I dunno.

kyfdx

Small quasi-SUVs that get decent gas mileage are bringing good money...

Which is why I no longer have one...

nippononly

The '99 RAV4 4WD manual was rated at a very lousy 22/25 - hardly the gas-sipper going for a premium in today's market. Or do you think it would still qualify?

kyfdx

I think anything that wears the SUV label, but has real-world gas mileage above 22 mpg is holding value... If it says Honda or Toyota on the back, that helps, too...

My CR-V.. '02 model... 106K miles.. Dealer gave me $9K for it.. Put it on his lot for $12,999..

lemmer

As far as I can tell, Joe Sixpack judges car by size.

Big Tahoe = Bad gas mileage
Medium Pathfinder = OK gas mileage
Small Mazda CX-7 = great gas mileage

In reality, all three are within a few mpg of each other.

nippononly

A 106K-mile CRV for $12,999?? No offense to your (former) CRV, but I hope it rots on his lot for months.

It almost makes me long for the days of dirt-cheap gas and an excess of overlarge SUVs. Nowadays, all the small fun cars I like are totally overpriced because gas is/was $4/gallon.

kyfdx

It will prob bring $11K-$11.5K, easily...

Or, they might even show $12.5K, with an over-allowance on the trade... :surprise:

Used Hondas bring stupid prices, which is why I don't shop them...

Most people are only shopping financing, anyway, when they buy a used car.. If the dealer can get them bought, they'll pay whatever it takes..

At least they'll have a good car..

fintail

Guzzlers are a good deal right now. Late W211 E55 AMGs seem to be depreciating at about a grand a month, and CLS55s arent far behind. Previous E55s aren't holding up well either, makes my bargain of 2 years ago seem like less so now.

nippononly

...with an over-allowance on the trade...

THAT'S the problem right now, everyone so upside down on their loans that all the asking prices for used cars get jacked way up so they can over-allow the trade and still make the sale. :-(

fintail: I'm assuming these are all cars that make maybe mid-teens for mpg around town. In which case, it's not surprising their values are dropping so fast in a market with $4 gas, but I bet their values will rebound more than those of the large SUVs come winter, when gas prices take their seasonal dip.

gouldn

I'm not finding getting good offers on my cherry used Honda (05 Accord v6 ex-l navi cpe with 20K miles). They're saying "nobody's buying cars ... we'd have to wholesale it, etc" Of course on the lots I'm seeing the same thing as nippononly; Hondas selling used for close to what they sold new.

woodyww

first-gen RAV4s.........

To be probably overly blunt: $9995, For a 9-10 year old car (with low low miles) that sold new for maybe $17K seems nuts to me. I drove one once, it seemed like a "toy" IMO. Altho I had been driving (then generation) TLC's & 4 Runners that day too, so.....

Heck, there's someone on the RWTIV board now, talking about getting only $14K for their 8 y.o. LX470 with 79K miles??? That'd be a sweet ride.

There's someone on CNBC, in the afternoon, Michelle, who's been doing segments about her search for a used SUV, & talking about how she's seeing sub-$20K prices on recent used Escalades with low miles.....she also test-drove a new 'Vette today (trust me, there are more reasons than just business news to watch CNBC).....

cccompson

Yep - just bought a '99 LX470 for 10 and it is a sweet ride indeed. It's got some miles (which doesn't seem to much hurt their value) but is in nice shape. Hard to believe it's worth the same as a RAV4 of the same vintage. Damned MSRP was $59,585 before the dealer added chrome wheels, a gold package, and window etching.

Fortunately my annual mileage is 12,000 or less so the lousy gas mileage is not a huge issue.

mark156

I have sold my 2000 Mercedes E430 (verbally) that has 39,400 miles. The new buyer is getting the money from their credit union. The loan value was $14,600 (I think) but I sold it for $13,500 as it needs new tires and I wanted a quick sale. Had the car out with a sign in the window for about a week.

I'll miss it .... but, the new one will be a cool ride! :P

Mark

corvette

(trust me, there are more reasons than just business news to watch CNBC).....

Yup... I always liked Maria Bartiromo. But, I can't stand a lot of the "ten stocks you must buy today" and other buy/sell signals--I'm more of a buy and hold investor.

A Lexus LX sounds nice, but I think I've talked myself out of a big truck. Right now, I only have a one-mile commute, but I may have a longer commute in the future.

I'm taking the Audi for its 15k service tomorrow (at least, at the rate I'm going, I won't have to do the 25k service or buy tires before the lease is up).

fintail

Congrats, you got a decent price for it, IMO.

My local Lexus dealer has a very clean 38K mile 99 E55...they are down to asking 19K for it now.

qbrozen

$13,500 with less than 40k??!
Good grief! Wish I had known about that one before I bought my G.
(although not sure I would have picked the benz in the end ... just would liked to crosshop if I knew it was a possibility)

boomchek

Are you getting an 08 or 09 E class to replace it?

qbrozen

My local Lexus dealer has a very clean 38K mile 99 E55...they are down to asking 19K for it now.

You guys are killin me.

I actually did briefly search for an E55, but found nothing even remotely close to this kind of a deal.

mark156

Boom,

I'm going to order an '09 Bentley Continental Flying Spur. I might consider the convertible version but I'm thinking the four door Mulliner edition.

M156

corvette

My uncle bought a used Mercedes CLK430 convertible. He says that, with the top up, it's just as quiet as a hardtop. I'm sure the Bentley would be similar in that regard!

Aren't you in the business/finance/accounting line of work? That is the field I should have gone into!

qbrozen

apparently, that's the field we ALL should have gone into. ;P

lemmer

I'm a CPA. What is so great about it? I wish I had chosen pharmacy - more money and less hours.

Typically you only make really big money in this line of work if you combine sales skills with your finance skills.

fintail

They are a little thirsty in town and are not cheap to maintain, so prices have fallen off. Another local dealer has an 02 with ca. 50K miles for 20K....but I haven't seen that one in person.

boomchek

Nice choice. I see a handful of them around Vancouver. Should be a comfy highway and city cruiser.

Hmmmm, I can just imagine driving one from Vancouver to LA...... :shades: One day... one day......

qbrozen

We were talking about mark156 who is ordering an '09 Bentley Flying Spur.

gouldn

I've been watching you guys for years ... and doing much the same, just not posting about it

Anyways, I've got a paid for, perfectly good, 05 Accord EX-6L Navi Coupe that provides plenty of power, is comfortable ... and only has 20K miles ... and I'm bored with it. It's fine .. nothing is wrong, it's cheap to own/maintain/drive ... so I'd better get rid of it eh?

I've got the itch to trade it on a 4 door (I've bought a dog since buying this car), and I'm vacillating between something like a 04-05 GS430 or a 06-07 G35. Both provide significantly worse mileage, but (to me anyways) seem more fun to drive. The used prices are attractive though.

Ideally I'd like to go down to one car (I also drive an older Forester with 135K on it) and find a car that provides perfect blend of the Forester's utility with the dynamics of a mild sports sedan, and >= 20 mpg, but I'm not convinced that car exists.

Care to talk me out of it??

kyfdx

How about a Subaru WRX 5-door hatchback? Great deals on the '08s, or wait a month and get the new one with 265 HP?

kyfdx

Not going to talk you out of it.... sorry..

qbrozen

This may be sacrilege from a former Subie owner, but the new Lancer EVO-light (I think its the Ralliart edition this year??) is really appealing to me. Mostly for the DSG tranny.

qbrozen

I hear tell there is an E55 for $19k with less than 40k miles.

But, seriously, if you've been reading, then you already know I made a similar swap recently (although mine was a 4-door '06 accord), so I don't see me talking you out of it. I got an '04 G35x, however. I might talk you out of getting an '06, though, only because it is the same as the '05, so no point in paying more for the same vehicle. '07 is the newer design and is much nicer looking, IMHO. BUT... '05s are such a bargain, it is tough to pass it up.

No way I could endorse a GS. If you find the Accord boring, the GS will make you think you are dead.

gouldn

Hrm ... I never thought about getting anything from Subaru except for another Forester, but that WRX hatchback looks quite nice. I also wasn't aware they're going to bump up the HP for 2009?

kyfdx

Heck... the new '09 Forester turbo is pretty neat, too... Nothing like the one you have..

Changes for 2009 Impreza?

regards,
kyfdx

woodyww

I'm more of a buy and hold investor.

I've ridden that idea into the toilet twice now--in the 3 year bear market that began in 2000, & the current one (gee--major bear markets, & financial meltdowns every 6 years--who knew?).

What are you considering for leases? Another Audi (I love audi's, way to go is lease I think)? What about a Subie, like kdyfx? Course, with a "one-mile commute", a cheap, used car or big SUV at a bargain price could be an idea????