Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

I only ever noticed the "NRVOUS" on the faux ferrari.

stickguy

4 figure price a plus. Miles a bit high (hmm, maybe a correlation there?). But nice looking car in a great color combo. If condition checks out, and you aren’t planning to put a lot of miles on it (say, 5k/year tops) probably worse options for the money.

It is sharp looking!

https://www.lovevwautos.com/inventory/used-2013-mercedes-benz-c-class-c-300-4matic®-4d-sedan-wddgf8ab2da806004/?utm_source=cars.com

fintail

Ferris's mom's car was a K-Car Chrysler Town and Country, probably an 84-85. Don't recall the plate.

Dad's plate, on a red Audi 5000 (MY 1985, I believe) was "MMOM" - that one stuck with me, as he isn't the mom. Not sure what it signifies, maybe someone on the crew.

Rooney had a Reliant (maybe another 1985 car, it was pretty new), don't recall the plate other than I think a short alphanumeric sequence.

And as mentioned "NRVOUS" is unforgettable. Hughes was brilliant at casting cars, and using plates.

Michaell said:

Car trivia time!

Name the cars driven by the following characters:

Ferris Bueller's dad
Ferris Bueller's mom
Edward Rooney

Bonus points if you can recite the license plates.

Extra special bonus if you know - or think you know - the meaning behind those plates.

(no Googling!)

stickguy

Mister mom reference?

Michaell

fintail said:

Ferris's mom's car was a K-Car Chrysler Town and Country, probably an 84-85. Don't recall the plate.

Dad's plate, on a red Audi 5000 (MY 1985, I believe) was "MMOM" - that one stuck with me, as he isn't the mom. Not sure what it signifies, maybe someone on the crew.

Rooney had a Reliant (maybe another 1985 car, it was pretty new), don't recall the plate other than I think a short alphanumeric sequence.

And as mentioned "NRVOUS" is unforgettable. Hughes was brilliant at casting cars, and using plates.

Michaell said:

Car trivia time!

Name the cars driven by the following characters:

Ferris Bueller's dad
Ferris Bueller's mom
Edward Rooney

Bonus points if you can recite the license plates.

Extra special bonus if you know - or think you know - the meaning behind those plates.

(no Googling!)

OK, if @fintail isn't aware, then I'll share.

MMOM on the Audi was for the John Hughes Movie Mr. Mom

The plate on Rooney's K-car was 4FBDO - For Ferris Bueller's Day Off

On the wagon, the plate was VCTN - National Lampoon's Vacation

This, and lots of other tidbits about the movie, can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOaa3Znh75w

fintail

I was just thinking of that. I bet that's it.

In "Sixteen Candles", Samantha's dad's A-Body Buick Century has the plate "V58", a reference to "Vacation '58", the basis for the Vacation franchise.

In that one, the mom's car is also a Town and Country, a late 70s model. Hughes had a thing for faux woodies (remember Planes, Trains, and Automobiles).

stickguy said:

Mister mom reference?

Michaell

fintail said:

I was just thinking of that. I bet that's it.

In "Sixteen Candles", Samantha's dad's A-Body Buick Century has the plate "V58", a reference to "Vacation '58", the basis for the Vacation franchise.

In that one, the mom's car is also a Town and Country, a late 70s model. Hughes had a thing for faux woodies (remember Planes, Trains, and Automobiles).

stickguy said:

Mister mom reference?

And the plate on Jake's 944 was "21850", which was John Hughes' birth date.

fintail

Fun stuff, I never put those together, I'll have to check that out. I wonder how much it was done for other movies, I don't recall too many other special plates other than "ROMAN 1" on the 560SEL in The Great Outdoors, or "GARY" and "WYATT". I'll have to look up some others.

Michaell said:

OK, if @fintail isn't aware, then I'll share.

MMOM on the Audi was for the John Hughes Movie Mr. Mom

The plate on Rooney's K-car was 4FBDO - For Ferris Bueller's Day Off

On the wagon, the plate was VCTN - National Lampoon's Vacation

tjc78

Wow that’s pretty cool. I’ve seen that movie dozens of times and other than the Ferrari never noticed the plates.

ab348

fintail said:

There's a late model/current style Optima of all things, a new arrival to my parking garage, with a fart can. I almost suspected the car either lost its exhaust or had the cat stolen etc, but by the dark (maybe illegal) window tint, dark license plate cover, etc, that it is intentional. Sounds pretty awful, I don't know why someone would do it to a normal family sedan.

I saw a bone-stock Sentra sedan the other day with one of those obnoxious-sounding things. The world is going crazy.

fintail

The tribute at the end was pretty awesome too, glad I watched that. I guess one might have to be of a certain age to enjoy those movies, some of them are just unbeatable to me.

tjc78 said:

Wow that’s pretty cool. I’ve seen that movie dozens of times and other than the Ferrari never noticed the plates.

fintail

I remember when it was a thing in the 90s, especially with modified Civics and the like, But now with otherwise stock commuter appliance cars, does not compute. Especially with a droning automatic, does not sound good.

ab348 said:

I saw a bone-stock Sentra sedan the other day with one of those obnoxious-sounding things. The world is going crazy.

pensfan83

The Prelude has an aftermarket exhaust system but I wouldn't put it in the "fart can" category. Appearance wise it matches the stock look and adds some volume without sounding buzzy or cheap, although I would revert back to stock if replacement were needed as it has attracted some unwanted attention.

mb_enthusiast

mjfloyd1 said:

mb_enthusiast said:

mjfloyd1 said:

mb_enthusiast said:

corvette said:

mb_enthusiast said:

This car has been at the dealer service center 5 times (across two dealerships) in the past several months for this issue that results in an extended crank time after sitting for several hours.

@mb_enthusiast How have you been? How's your dad?

As to the problem with the Cayenne - how long does it take to turn over when that happens?

I've been generally ok. I had the good fortune of kidney trouble just as the lockdown got underway. That meant that I had a very painful stent for three months. I just had it removed last week. So much more comfortable. But, I am now a opiate addict, and withdrawal from Tramadol, hydrocodone, and oxycodone has been hard on my mood.

My dad got a hip replacement and was in acute rehab for a while. They tried to get him to move in with me. But, it was quickly established that my house was incompatible with his needs. He moved to a sub-acute facility a couple of weeks back. Really hoping that he continues to recover and picks up steam.

This is how it is when it hesitates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYIWvOHm2FU

Kidney stone or ureteral obstruction from some other cause?

My wife just passed her 13th kidney stone. Only took rapidflo and ketorolac. She is one tough cookie

I've had a problem with stones since the first one passed when I was 19. Genuinely thought that I was going to die. Since then, I've passed a handful. But, these were simply far too large to pass. I had a 9mm stone removed, and I had lithotripsy to remove the largest stones (also over 8mm) still in the kidney. Fingers crossed that I've moved past it. But, of course, the risk of producing more is more likely than not.

You need to keep a stone and have it analyzed and do a 23 hour urine analysis to determine if there is a medication that will prevent stones. Trust me, I’m a doctor 🙃

LOL. I've had multiple of them analyzed. My aunt's a urologist. My mom was a general surgeon. My dad is an internist and geriatrician. My cousin is emergency physician/medical toxicologist. I'm not a doctor; I work in health care real estate. I'm surrounded by advice.

mjfloyd1

And what was their advice? Chlorthalidone?

andres3

mb_enthusiast said:

Mini rant: Not understanding how on Earth Porsche can be considered a highly reliable brand when my 2017 Cayenne S with 27k miles seems to lose fuel pressure on a 1/4 tank. This car has been at the dealer service center 5 times (across two dealerships) in the past several months for this issue that results in an extended crank time after sitting for several hours. The fuel pumps have been replaced multiple times. This past weekend, I was given the car back with the rear bench clips broken (like I wouldn't notice). The seat now makes a metal on metal sound when driving over rougher roads. The dealer is very apologetic. But come on, just get this car fixed. :@

SUV's aren't REAL Porsche's.

andres3

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

I live in a pretty average, but new-ish, neighborhood. However, someone around the corner from me has money (or, knows someone who does).

AM Rapide parked on the street. Wow, is that thing gorgeous.

I'll try to get pix the next time I see it.

Speaking of used Volvos, I found a 2010 V50 T5 AWD with a 6-speed manual. 80k, give or take, for $11,995.

It's at Volvo of Manhattan.

That’s a great car. Budget S3!

Not quite, more like a budget GTI

mb_enthusiast

andres3 said:

mb_enthusiast said:

Mini rant: Not understanding how on Earth Porsche can be considered a highly reliable brand when my 2017 Cayenne S with 27k miles seems to lose fuel pressure on a 1/4 tank. This car has been at the dealer service center 5 times (across two dealerships) in the past several months for this issue that results in an extended crank time after sitting for several hours. The fuel pumps have been replaced multiple times. This past weekend, I was given the car back with the rear bench clips broken (like I wouldn't notice). The seat now makes a metal on metal sound when driving over rougher roads. The dealer is very apologetic. But come on, just get this car fixed. :@

SUV's aren't REAL Porsche's.

At this point, I'd imagine most Porsches are SUVs/crossovers.

mb_enthusiast

I've found this thread at Rennlist pretty interesting: https://rennlist.com/forums/cayenne-958-2011-2018/1184978-new-owner-and-highest-mile-gts.html

A guy bought a very high mileage Cayenne GTS and has been restoring and modding it at seemingly great expense.

xwesx

corvette said:

Tires - my parents got a warranty adjustment on a five year old set of Michelins on their Honda Element because they had weather cracking and the tires were becoming unstable in the rain. It’s garage kept in an attached garage, and rarely sees extreme temperatures or direct sunlight. Go figure!

Are the Michelins the "GreenX" compound tire? There are several different model names that use that compound, and, honestly, it's junk. If you are a high-mileage driver, then they are likely good enough, but the set I have on my 2008 Forester also started weather cracking at around 4-5 years. They are 2013 manufactured tires, and they look as old as the 23-year-old tires on my C20 (not considering tread wear).

xwesx

@mb_enthusiast - Interesting about the delay on your Cayenne starting. Sounded like it did not take too long to get rolling, though it was a little longer than it should. I'm curious if it behaves this exact same way if, when you get in, you push the button to turn the vehicle on (without pressing the brake to start it), wait a second or two, then press to start.

corvette

xwesx said:

corvette said:

Tires - my parents got a warranty adjustment on a five year old set of Michelins on their Honda Element because they had weather cracking and the tires were becoming unstable in the rain. It’s garage kept in an attached garage, and rarely sees extreme temperatures or direct sunlight. Go figure!

Are the Michelins the "GreenX" compound tire? There are several different model names that use that compound, and, honestly, it's junk. If you are a high-mileage driver, then they are likely good enough, but the set I have on my 2008 Forester also started weather cracking at around 4-5 years. They are 2013 manufactured tires, and they look as old as the 23-year-old tires on my C20 (not considering tread wear).

Not sure. I think they are LTX M/S 2s, or whatever is one notch below the high end truck tire Michelin has. Discount Tire took good care of them, regardless.

andres3

speaking of tires, I took the TTS with Cup 2's into Discount Tires today as I knew the rear left was leaking pretty bad (15 psi is a sure-fire leak). Turned out it had a big nail or screw in the middle, repairable, barely, as it has low tread depths as extreme performance tires tend to have.

Then he shows me a staple in the outside block of the rear right tire, which for all I know, inserted itself on the way to the tire store (no sensor indication of low pressure on that tire).

We ply it out, as it wasn't fully inserted yet, and it was on the outside shoulder tread block, and it's a long staple, hear the air coming out for a second, end of that tire's life. Fortunately, I had an extra Cup 2 from a rigorous track weekend that I kept for exactly this potentiality!!! We'd of replaced the repairable tire, as that one was the most worn , but since the right rear was irreparable, had to replace that one to avoid spending more than $25 for a simple remount/re-balance.

Hopefully this gets me through the Summer, and then in the fall I can look at new rubber.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

There's a late model/current style Optima of all things, a new arrival to my parking garage, with a fart can. I almost suspected the car either lost its exhaust or had the cat stolen etc, but by the dark (maybe illegal) window tint, dark license plate cover, etc, that it is intentional. Sounds pretty awful, I don't know why someone would do it to a normal family sedan.

Wife wouldn’t let him get a Stinger.

andres3

mb_enthusiast said:

andres3 said:

mb_enthusiast said:

Mini rant: Not understanding how on Earth Porsche can be considered a highly reliable brand when my 2017 Cayenne S with 27k miles seems to lose fuel pressure on a 1/4 tank. This car has been at the dealer service center 5 times (across two dealerships) in the past several months for this issue that results in an extended crank time after sitting for several hours. The fuel pumps have been replaced multiple times. This past weekend, I was given the car back with the rear bench clips broken (like I wouldn't notice). The seat now makes a metal on metal sound when driving over rougher roads. The dealer is very apologetic. But come on, just get this car fixed. :@

SUV's aren't REAL Porsche's.

At this point, I'd imagine most Porsches are SUVs/crossovers.

I think that goes for Audi's too, for sure, SUV's keep the lights on at the dealerships.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

JRgo has his latest hooptie, a 2007 M6 v10. Best feature, it has side skirt trim added, which turned out to be strips of vinyl house siding.

Makes you wonder what corners were cut on the expensive mechanicals. Already determined to need bearings (crank?). I’m sure there is more.

Makes me feel better about repair the whole in the floor of my Corolla with a spare house shingle. Actually worked great!

Fancy, I’ve replaced floor pans with plywood.

xwesx

corvette said:

Not sure. I think they are LTX M/S 2s, or whatever is one notch below the high end truck tire Michelin has. Discount Tire took good care of them, regardless.

Yeah, that is a "GreenX" tire. I swear that compound just doesn't hold up well to UV radiation.

tjc78

fintail said:

The tribute at the end was pretty awesome too, glad I watched that. I guess one might have to be of a certain age to enjoy those movies, some of them are just unbeatable to me.

tjc78 said:

Wow that’s pretty cool. I’ve seen that movie dozens of times and other than the Ferrari never noticed the plates.

Yes certain age groups for sure. My wife is younger than me and doesn’t get many of the 80s movies I still go crazy for. FB is certainly one of them.

Added the video above to the list of stuff I need watch. No time today.

corvette

xwesx said:

corvette said:

Not sure. I think they are LTX M/S 2s, or whatever is one notch below the high end truck tire Michelin has. Discount Tire took good care of them, regardless.

Yeah, that is a "GreenX" tire. I swear that compound just doesn't hold up well to being mounted on a wheel.

Given that it was garage kept, fixed the above.

Sandman6472

Drove a Volvo S60 today and see why they are so popular. Fun to drive, peppy with a decent sound system. Just too big for my needs.
Saw an XC40 in the showroom. Almost $42K which gave me cause as I thought they would be about $32K to start. Isn't that Volvo's entry level vehicle? Also, they looked it up and it's 174.2" which might just be a bit too long for my side of the garage. Shame to as I liked it.
As I recall, the Buick Encore GX is 172" and that's really the max length I'd like to go. When I sat in the couple I did sit in, the ingress/egress was almost perfect for me to slide right in/out. Think if I could get the one I like in the dark gray with the lighter interior and the Bose audio system, think it would work to be honest. But first, need to drive one and see if I could be happy in one. I'd be putting minimal mileage on it, just did the math for working my 3 days/week and even for 52 weeks/year gives me a ridiculously low amount of miles. Add to that just regular driving, doubt I'd even put 5K/year on it.
Paying devil's advocate here, is it really worth it to buy something new right now for that kind of mileage each year? Might just be worth it to keep the Golf another couple of years and just pay the repair of the front axle boots when they get worse and start leaking on the garage floor? Figure for that repair and any other little things, maybe cost about $1200, give or take. Just don't know if something new is a good thing or not right now. My devil side side says hell ya, just go for it while the opposite angel side is telling Sandy to stay the course and let the logic shine through. I really hate this going back and forth and think I might be getting on others nerves here.
So, first things first. Let me just do some test drives and see what I really could live with. Maybe there are some demos out there where I could get into a nicer model with a few thousand miles on it that's never been titled. Maybe a lease is the way to go here, maybe a cheap lease for a few years. Really need to test drive the Encore GX first as I might just not like it. And also curious about the Mazda CX-30 even though it's got that ridiculous audio system control knob on the center console. They both have Bose audio systems, something I really would like!

stickguy

Sandy, just do what makes you happy. Really pretty simple.

And of course, test drive whatever you are considering.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Sandy, just do what makes you happy. Really pretty simple.

And of course, test drive whatever you are considering.

Agreed he should get what makes him happy. Remember, he test drives for a living.

corvette

@mb_enthusiast - Hoovie should've bought that Cayman, if it was the cheapest in the country!

cdnpinhead

stickguy said:

Sandy, just do what makes you happy. Really pretty simple.

Nothing is simple in Sandy's world. Maybe it's a Florida thing.

benjaminh

@Sandman6472 : I think your idea of getting a Toyota Corolla Hatchback was good! Although the styling is on the strong side, everyone agrees that the engineering of Toyotas is excellent. The reliability of those cars probably can't be beat. And the price is only a little bit more than Hyundai. I was just reading about how Toyotas, even Corollas, have engines with both port and direct injection, making them free from the carbon build up that can hit most other cars (which only have direct injection) as they age. Or what about a Toyota Corolla sedan? Probably not small enough, but those cars are really good deals....And these days all Toyotas come with the first two years of maintenance included for free with the car.


https://www.oxmoortoyota.com/inventory/new-2020-toyota-corolla-le-fwd-4d-sedan-jtdeprae2lj116895

corvette

benjaminh said:

And these days all Toyotas come with the first two years of maintenance included for free with the car.

Free, except at Oxmoor Toyota, apparently... I'm amazed at how hatchbacks are smaller, yet cost a decent bit more than the sedan versions - I think it's the same with the Civic, Corolla, Golf, and the Hyundai/Kia ones. It definitely steered me away from the GTI and towards a GLI in 2013.

laurasdada

Vacationing in NH, car related: Saw a Nissan Murano CrossCabrio. And an Audi R8 being loaded onto a flatbed in a parking lot in front of Lake Winnipesaukee.
DRiving the GFs CX-5; while I still prefer to sit lower to the road, (although my rapidly aging body appreciates not lowering into the drivers seat!) it's a nice drive. Really handles well, think I"m scaring the GF a bit on some of the twisties around the lake (and it's been raining constantly, a given as we're on vacation). Enough power, but of course could use more. Comfy seat, quality controls.

stickguy

I saw a cross cab last weekend. Top down and everything.

corvette

@laurasdada - is the CX-5 the turbo? I can’t remember.

laurasdada

corvette said:

@laurasdada - is the CX-5 the turbo? I can’t remember.

Hers, unfortunately, no. The extra hp/tq would be appreciated (not by her, of course!).

qbrozen

Michaell said:

fintail said:

Ferris's mom's car was a K-Car Chrysler Town and Country, probably an 84-85. Don't recall the plate.

Dad's plate, on a red Audi 5000 (MY 1985, I believe) was "MMOM" - that one stuck with me, as he isn't the mom. Not sure what it signifies, maybe someone on the crew.

Rooney had a Reliant (maybe another 1985 car, it was pretty new), don't recall the plate other than I think a short alphanumeric sequence.

And as mentioned "NRVOUS" is unforgettable. Hughes was brilliant at casting cars, and using plates.

Michaell said:

Car trivia time!

Name the cars driven by the following characters:

Ferris Bueller's dad
Ferris Bueller's mom
Edward Rooney

Bonus points if you can recite the license plates.

Extra special bonus if you know - or think you know - the meaning behind those plates.

(no Googling!)

OK, if @fintail isn't aware, then I'll share.

MMOM on the Audi was for the John Hughes Movie Mr. Mom

The plate on Rooney's K-car was 4FBDO - For Ferris Bueller's Day Off

On the wagon, the plate was VCTN - National Lampoon's Vacation

This, and lots of other tidbits about the movie, can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOaa3Znh75w

Wow. Thank you for posting that. I very much enjoyed it.
Still chokes me up to think of those we lost too early, like Hughes and Candy.

Sandman6472

Pinhead, think you're right about that. Tend to over think too much stuff. Think it comes from wanting to be a pleaser, like everything consistent and to work correctly. Not much on change...never have been really. Don't want any flack from the wife either, but definitely shouldn't let that get in the way here. Need to do what makes "me" happy! Guess I'm just not wanting to repeat "the Tucson disaster" as we like to call it. I knew within a few minutes that the Golf would be my next vehicle and guessing, once I do start test driving, the same thing will happen. After testing out the audio system, I'll just turn it off and drive. I'll know pretty quickly if it all works...or not. I just need to start the process and see where the chips fall. Start with my short list and drive 'em all like back to back if possible. Then, if none of them really work, try a few more. And if nothing really floats my boat, just wait a bit.
But yeah, need to put this all in perspective already and just do it, like the commercial says! So guys, thank for the reality check here. Think I just needed to understand that my happiness is what matters here, whether I buy, lease or just stay the course for awhile longer.
So, thanks guys!!

Michaell

BMW aficianados....

X1, X2, X3, X4 --- which of these share a common platform?

kyfdx

Michaell said:

BMW aficianados....

X1, X2, X3, X4 --- which of these share a common platform?

1/2 and 3/4

tjc78

I saw an X4 the other day. Didn’t even know it existed.

fintail

The out-niche-ing contest between BMW and MB is hilarious, also awful as it spawns more than a couple unpretty vehicles.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Michaell said:

BMW aficianados....

X1, X2, X3, X4 --- which of these share a common platform?

1/2 and 3/4

Thanks!

I knew the X1 was the same platform as the new MINI Countryman, just wasn't sure about the different SAV's from BMW.

stickguy

The 2 and 4 are basically just chopped roof versions of the odd number cars.

rayainsw

I really began my infatuation with BMWs in the early 1970s.
This would have been one I lusted after...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-bmw-3-0csi-8/

- Ray
Still consider it beautifully styled - inside & out.

stickguy

Now that is a pretty car. Classic BMW. But the amount of rust scares me. I suspect if you strip it down will find a lot.