Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

you converting your side yard into a car barn?

as of this AM you were still winning both cars and bids auctions too!

LS looks nice. If you want one. 12 YO tires, might be time for new ones. seems to have just had a bunch of well deferred maintenance at least.

that car has some of the best seats I ever sat in.

qbrozen

I've been outbid on the mazda by a wide margin.

stickguy

I really love this. for the most part. Noting the amount of rust known, on top of rust repair 20 years ago, sounds expensive.

at $7K, not really cheap and who knows where it ends up.

but I would not kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-volvo-240-6/

benjaminh

I like that Olds 88....

benjaminh

At first I wondered why this 66 Olds Toronado sold for only 12k, but then I saw the bits of rust. But I'll show the pix without the rust.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I'll take one of each, please.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1953-oldsmobile-88/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1949-chevrolet-pickup-19/

Seems a shame that the truck has an auto tranny.

corvette

qbrozen said:

Daaaayummmm... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1999-lexus-ls400/

wonder what that will bring.

I like that one. The paint is amazingly shiny for something that age.

tjc78

That LS is nice except for the exterior color. Couldn’t do it !

stickguy

this seems to have been pretty well bought. Would have tempted me at the price if local. Hard to go wrong at that price point.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9QPQJBbx/1997-bmw-z3-roadster

stickguy

this is nice. A real BMW. but does the front clip look like a totally different color? Kinda curious how high this will go.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9ayPDoVA/1988-bmw-325is-coupe

nyccarguy

sda

The go carts are tremendous fun!

stickguy

that spare tire does not appear to help rear visibility much.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

this is nice. A real BMW. but does the front clip look like a totally different color? Kinda curious how high this will go.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9ayPDoVA/1988-bmw-325is-coupe

I agree, different paint forward of the doors.

The 325iS is the one you want. We had an ‘87.

stickguy

oh, if it was and not too expensive I would go for one. Problem is that most likely you will get one or the other of those, but not both, in the same car.

nyccarguy

Back from my trip to the Jersey Shore. I’ve got an 8:00 AM appointment to get the Pilot’s Oil Change & Tires Rotated.

Michaell

The MINI has an 11am appointment tomorrow at the dealer for service. No idea what it needs; the service light comes on, and I'm told to make the appointment.

I do have a loaner reserved.

benjaminh

For those with an interest in Oldsmobile I recommend this 1997 book, which is long out of print but available at used booksellers through abebooks for about $10. It's an epic history of the brand, with all sort of insider stories and photos, clearly made with full access to the files of GM. I think the book was part of the ill-fated attempt to bring Oldsmobile back in the late 1990s by reminding people of its long history.



For those with an interest in Honda I recommend this book, which I've just started listening to, which has all sorts of inside stories about Soichiro Honda and his brand. One of the stories is that in the post-World War II ruins in Japan one day Honda's wife comes back from riding her bike around for hours trying to find rice for the family. She comes home and sees her husband daydreaming about engineering, and says next time maybe he should take the bike and try to find rice. He says that instead he will make for her a motorized bicycle, and soon after that is making motorcycles. An earlier story in the book says that as a teenager Soichiro Honda was captivated when he saw a Ford Model T driving by, which began his passion for motorized vehicles.

ronsteve

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

this is nice. A real BMW. but does the front clip look like a totally different color? Kinda curious how high this will go.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9ayPDoVA/1988-bmw-325is-coupe

I agree, different paint forward of the doors.

The 325iS is the one you want. We had an ‘87.

It is the Bimmer-est of Bimmers.

ab348

benjaminh said:

For those with an interest in Oldsmobile I recommend this 1997 book, which is long out of print but available at used booksellers through abebooks for about $10. It's an epic history of the brand, with all sort of insider stories and photos, clearly made with full access to the files of GM. I think the book was part of the ill-fated attempt to bring Oldsmobile back in the late 1990s by reminding people of its long history.

The Oldsmobile book was produced to mark the brand's 100th anniversary in 1997. Helen Jones Earley was Oldsmobile's longtime company archivist and historian. Prior to the Centennial events in Lansing in 1997 (which were quite elaborate and went on for the better part of a week in combination with the Olds Club of America's annual Nationals), each member of the OCA received their own copy of the book by mail from Oldsmobile along with a letter from the GM of the division at the time, a nice surprise. The book is very well done. The events that week included various receptions and dinners, special tours (I got to visit the now long-gone Olds Main assembly plant, which was a real eye-opener), the usual vehicle display and swap meet that occurs at an OCA national meet (I seem to recall something like 800 vehicles entered), and was capped off by a large parade through downtown Lansing with vehicles from each of Oldsmobile's 100 years. OCA members who attended also received a rather substantial wood and metal plaque marking their participation. It was quite the week.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

this is nice. A real BMW. but does the front clip look like a totally different color? Kinda curious how high this will go.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9ayPDoVA/1988-bmw-325is-coupe

It admits that in the description. Sounds like a bad paint job too.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

The MINI has an 11am appointment tomorrow at the dealer for service. No idea what it needs; the service light comes on, and I'm told to make the appointment.

I do have a loaner reserved.

Can you read what service is required with a scan tool or is that just designed to scare you into spending money at the dealer?

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

Michaell said:

The MINI has an 11am appointment tomorrow at the dealer for service. No idea what it needs; the service light comes on, and I'm told to make the appointment.

I do have a loaner reserved.

Can you read what service is required with a scan tool or is that just designed to scare you into spending money at the dealer?

They actually use the key fob to determine what services need to be done.

The dealer is good about giving us the option of having things done. Likely an oil change, is all - I hope.

stickguy

Acura is good. Their maintenance indicator has codes. A or B (not sure why, only difference is asking for an oil filter and I’ve never had a dealer not change that or even mention the option). And numbers 1-6, corresponding to extra occasional stuff. 1 is oil, then stuff like differential fluid, with 6 being a big one (plugs, etc. I think). But it’s all in the manual some when the service due light comes on, you know in advance what the dealer will tell you it needs.

pensfan83

I'm at 15% oil life remaining. I'm not going out of my way to get an oil change done at this point, already had to spend $$$ to get an emissions test done that benefits me for all of 2 months.

stickguy

I am going to hit 12 months well before 15%, so my 3rd oil change will be due right around lease end. Guess which car is going back with the counter at probably 50%?

graphicguy

benjaminh said:

The 272 hp in the regular 2021 TLX is more than I need, but here are the figures for the Type S. I saw a test on youtube that seemed to show that Honda and Acura are understating their figures by a bit.

"The 2021 Acura TLX Type S's 3.0-liter V-6 will make 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. That horsepower figure edges the Audi S4's 349, but falls shy of the BMW M340i's 382 horsepower."

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-acura-tlx-type-s-horsepower-torque-figures-revealed/

Well...certainly better than the 3.5 V6 I had in my TLX, but still not as much as the Stinger. So, I'm probably not a customer. Nice update, though!

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I am going to hit 12 months well before 15%, so my 3rd oil change will be due right around lease end. Guess which car is going back with the counter at probably 50%?

One of my cars just counts down the days and lights up after a year. I put so little mileage on it that this year I’m going to wait until next spring to change it. Probably won’t have put 3000 miles on the oil by then.

My Kia hasn’t told me I needed a change yet so I just change it with full synthetic about every 5000 miles.

ab348

Saw a black TLX today completely blinged out with aftermarket chrome on it everywhere, even around the lip of the trunk lid, all the trailing edges of the doors, and it even had a double pinstripe along the upper body in gold. One of a kind!

benjaminh

stickguy said:

Acura is good. Their maintenance indicator has codes. A or B (not sure why, only difference is asking for an oil filter and I’ve never had a dealer not change that or even mention the option). And numbers 1-6, corresponding to extra occasional stuff. 1 is oil, then stuff like differential fluid, with 6 being a big one (plugs, etc. I think). But it’s all in the manual some when the service due light comes on, you know in advance what the dealer will tell you it needs.

tifighter

This conversation forced me to take a look at the official language-


and



Our Model 3 hits the two year mark next month.

andres3

graphicguy said:

benjaminh said:

The 272 hp in the regular 2021 TLX is more than I need, but here are the figures for the Type S. I saw a test on youtube that seemed to show that Honda and Acura are understating their figures by a bit.

"The 2021 Acura TLX Type S's 3.0-liter V-6 will make 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. That horsepower figure edges the Audi S4's 349, but falls shy of the BMW M340i's 382 horsepower."

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-acura-tlx-type-s-horsepower-torque-figures-revealed/

Well...certainly better than the 3.5 V6 I had in my TLX, but still not as much as the Stinger. So, I'm probably not a customer. Nice update, though!

Let's see where the 0-60 time ends up before concluding based on "reported" HP.

andres3

tjc78 said:

That LS is nice except for the exterior color. Couldn’t do it !

Wrap it!!!!

[Deleted User]

Do you any of you gents have any experience with dash cams? I've been contemplating getting a few to not only monitor the crew's driving but possibly cover our backsides in case something happens that wasn't their/our fault. Any you like, dislike, just starting to do some homework, thanks in advance!

stickguy

Fintail is your man!

pensfan83

I'm kind of curious now as well. The truck has a Go Pro mount and I've thought of getting a dash cam at times but never @corvette does your Tundra have one?

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Can you read what service is required with a scan tool or is that just designed to scare you into spending money at the dealer?

Nope, they just do a key read and advise what is suggested.

fintail

There are a number of decent cams on the market now. I've always used BlackVue, as back in the day they were generally considered to the most reliable, and I am now used to the interface. I run a front and rear cam, and it is hard-wired in with a backup battery, as visible wires will drive me nuts in no time.

Probably anything here will be fine:

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/

I have yet to capture anything very exciting, just the usual dopey local "drivers", but the cam is also good for scenery, obscure cars, and peace of mind in case of a dispute.

xwesx

benjaminh said:

At first I wondered why this 66 Olds Toronado sold for only 12k, but then I saw the bits of rust. But I'll show the pix without the rust.

Ugh! Get rid of that air cleaner box and let that poor engine breathe!

stickguy

How does recording work? Does it have a SIM card that it loop records onto? And that you need to download from if you want to save any footage? And how many hours does it record before getting full?

xwesx

dad23 said:

Do you any of you gents have any experience with dash cams? I've been contemplating getting a few to not only monitor the crew's driving but possibly cover our backsides in case something happens that wasn't their/our fault. Any you like, dislike, just starting to do some homework, thanks in advance!

Like! They are good for this purpose. We have a Blackvue 750 in my wife's Forester, and it is excellent. Install wasn't too bad... about 2-3 hours tearing the car apart and whatnot. Two years in.... no issues, works great in all weather. However, we discovered that the card needs formatting every once in a while or it will sometimes just fail to overrwrite old stuff that it considers important (e.g., the card slowly fills with those "important" clips, and then has no space left to overwrite).

These units are expensive (~$450), but they are also excellent for a permanent install.

andres3

dad23 said:

Do you any of you gents have any experience with dash cams? I've been contemplating getting a few to not only monitor the crew's driving but possibly cover our backsides in case something happens that wasn't their/our fault. Any you like, dislike, just starting to do some homework, thanks in advance!

I only had a forward facing dash cam, apparently you need multi-directions because there are still idiotic arbitration companies out there that can't logically process a video when it's the sole video. Just got this email from USAA:

"The claim file was settled in arbitration. Arbitration is final and binding. USAA offered 90/10 at one point, but the arbitration decision is the final work. USAA does not owe you an additional $100."\

Keep in mind this is a "under the table" inter-insurance company hired by Progressive and USAA and their MO is to always find comparative fault and negligence because that helps the insurance industries bottom line by creating disputes and litigation on claims that should have none, and be open and shut.

I will look into if this "behind closed doors" Arbitration is binding on me as a 3rd party, considering I had no say and didn't sign anything.

ab348

xwesx said:

Ugh! Get rid of that air cleaner box and let that poor engine breathe!

No. Toros have a unique low-profile intake and air cleaner because of space limitations under the hood created by the FWD driveline. Most chrome catalog ones likely won't fit and all are guaranteed to look tacky. (In case you haven't noticed, aftermarket catalog chrome junk under the hood is a pet peeve)

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

dad23 said:

Do you any of you gents have any experience with dash cams? I've been contemplating getting a few to not only monitor the crew's driving but possibly cover our backsides in case something happens that wasn't their/our fault. Any you like, dislike, just starting to do some homework, thanks in advance!

Like! They are good for this purpose. We have a Blackvue 750 in my wife's Forester, and it is excellent. Install wasn't too bad... about 2-3 hours tearing the car apart and whatnot. Two years in.... no issues, works great in all weather. However, we discovered that the card needs formatting every once in a while or it will sometimes just fail to overrwrite old stuff that it considers important (e.g., the card slowly fills with those "important" clips, and then has no space left to overwrite).

These units are expensive (~$450), but they are also excellent for a permanent install.

Does that $450 include installation?

andres3

Is that Oldsmobile book in the "Ancient History" section of the bookstore? *snicker snicker*

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

this is nice. A real BMW. but does the front clip look like a totally different color? Kinda curious how high this will go.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9ayPDoVA/1988-bmw-325is-coupe

It admits that in the description. Sounds like a bad paint job too.

Apparently red isn't an easy color to match; should be automatically totaled when crashed into..

Michaell

So, the daughter's MINI is at the dealer for service.

Got a text message from them, with a link of "recommended" services, and prices. Simply click "yes" or "no", then submit.

The car is a 2014 MINI Cooper Countryman S ALL4 with 44,000 miles on it.

Yay or Nay?

Direct Injection Fuel Service - $265
AC Evac & Recharge - $190
Coolant Flush - $170
ALL4 Fluid Flush - $400

kyfdx

Michaell said:

So, the daughter's MINI is at the dealer for service.

Got a text message from them, with a link of "recommended" services, and prices. Simply click "yes" or "no", then submit.

The car is a 2014 MINI Cooper Countryman S ALL4 with 44,000 miles on it.

Yay or Nay?

Direct Injection Fuel Service - $265
AC Evac & Recharge - $190
Coolant Flush - $170
ALL4 Fluid Flush - $400

Is it running well?
Does the A/C work well?
Is it due for Coolant change?
Is the transfer case due for service?

Those answers will provide the answers above.

Michaell

I'll admit that watching the JRGo videos has given me a better understanding of how engines work, so when I get the service items from the dealer, I know what they want to do.

Especially his latest videos on the injector cleaning of the Camaro V6. That car has over 100K on it, so I know the DI systems need maintenance. Not so sure on a 44K mile MINI.

qbrozen

Michaell said:

Direct Injection Fuel Service - $265
AC Evac & Recharge - $190
Coolant Flush - $170
ALL4 Fluid Flush - $400

I have NEVER heard of preventative evacuation&recharge of AC. That's gotta be up there on the all-time "padding the bill" top 10.