Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-bmw-330ci-zhp-6-speed-14/

stickguy

pretty car. Too bad about the black leather though. Looks like it will bring a strong price.

stickguy

this is my favorite full size PU, but man, price is steep for one.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-ford-f150-30/

graphicguy

stickguy said:

another OldFarmer mobile popping up.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-1996-buick-regal-custom-used-2g4wb52kxt1512059.html

Too bad that's the one with the base engine. If memory serves, those also could be had with the 3.8L Supercharged V6. That might be a hoot!

breld

Nice ZHP for sure. I'll be curious where it sells.

We bought ours in 2015 from a private owner - '05 manual w/75k miles - 5 years ago for $15k.

Before that, we had had a 2004 non-ZHP (but sport package) convertible with an automatic. Wife and I both agreed we enjoyed that one more than the ZHP. For us, the convertible lent itself to a more fun laid back cruiser type vehicle, and thus we actually enjoyed the automatic.

For a coupe or sedan, definitely would prefer the ZHP.

28firefighter

My guess is it’ll land in the 15-17 range. ZHP Convertibles don’t bring nearly the same money it seems.

stickguy

Here’s one I randomly found poking around. Something like this, pushes a lot of buttons. Just needs light interior. I live the exterior color.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/1528234#make-it-yours

breld

So a nice low-mile ZHP sedan or coupe will fetch close to $20k these days?

28firefighter

Two lower mile ZHP manual sedans brought 23k and 24.5k recently, I believe.

breld

28firefighter said:

Two lower mile ZHP manual sedans brought 23k and 24.5k recently, I believe.

Wow! I haven't been paying much attention to that market for a while.

breld

stickguy said:

Here’s one I randomly found poking around. Something like this, pushes a lot of buttons. Just needs light interior. I live the exterior color.

https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/1528234#make-it-yours

Definitely a fan of that. They're not necessarily plentiful, but not too hard to find. For that gen, I prefer the hatchback by far, though I like the sedan in the current gen.

stickguy

The new hatch is hard to swallow.

kyfdx

If those are BaT prices, take with a big grain of salt.

28firefighter

It’s definitely influencing the non-BaT market from what I’m seeing.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

It’s definitely influencing the non-BaT market from what I’m seeing.

Yeah, Tesla stock is trading at a adjusted pre-split price of $2000/sh. I wouldn't want to be the one caught when that crashes.

breld

The auction sites certainly seem to be impacting the ability to find a gem on craigslist or otherwise.

mjfloyd1

RWD but automatic

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/indianapolis-2015-bmw-328-sport-wagon/7201756651.html

andres3

corvette said:

andres3 said:

...financing for 4 months to get that price...

I know dealerships lose the spiff the banks pay them if someone pays off a loan within a very short time period, but I would think they would have no recourse against the consumer.

This might be why they are being so stubborn elsewhere.

andres3

stickguy said:

andres3 said:

Looks like the stubbornness with a 350 tint fee, a $500 documents fee, and a $650 shipping fee (to go a lousy 300 miles; paging @graphicguy to beat that price) is stalling this new deal in it's tracks. Its bad enough they insist on financing for 4 months to get that price, then they add all these shenanigans to it.

300 miles? Drive out and drive it back. If the wife doesn't want to drive you, just rent a car 1 way and drop it off.

I don't know why I didn't think of that rental idea!!!! Thanks! That is an option. This is why these boards are so valuable for car-buying information, help, and enabling!

I did check 1-way flights and the availability even for higher priced tickets is meager.

kyfdx

The FIT is gone!

Michaell

kyfdx said:

The FIT is gone!

Congrats!

stickguy

mjfloyd1 said:

RWD but automatic

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/indianapolis-2015-bmw-328-sport-wagon/7201756651.html

I would take one of these with the automatic. It’s a nice one. Don’t like the colors or miles on this particular one though.

stickguy

kyfdx said:

The FIT is gone!

But do you still have the thrill? Or is that gone too?

kyfdx

stickguy said:

kyfdx said:

The FIT is gone!

But do you still have the thrill? Or is that gone too?

Pretty thrilled with the cash. When you get rid of one love, there is always another one..

kyfdx

Although, the quote on the landscape/drainage issue is 60% of what the landscaper paid for the FIT.

stickguy

This could be interesting. Would love to see pictures.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/818805341/overview/

graphicguy

kyfdx said:

The FIT is gone!

Yay??????? How do you feel about it being gone?

kyfdx

stickguy said:

This could be interesting. Would love to see pictures.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/818805341/overview/

325 Ci denotes coupe or convertible, regardless of that stock picture..

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

kyfdx said:

The FIT is gone!

Yay??????? How do you feel about it being gone?

I'm good with it.. Once I bought the GTI, I didn't really need it, though I liked it. My wife hates having an extra car in the driveway, so she is happy (today).

stickguy

I did not notice that. Car fax does note it as a coupe. But hey, nothing wrong with that. Just less rare!

That why I don’t trust anything in a listing if I can’t see it in a picture.

au1994

Maybe the market is calming just a bit? A friend got an offer of 11,200 from Vroom on a 16 Sonata with ~56k. Can’t remember the trim but it was loaded. On the other hand, Carvana just hit him at 13,900. Needless to say, he is intrigued by the last one.

stickguy

Carvana must have refilled their lots quickly with all the inventory they just bought. Good luck selling it all for a profit!

I just hope next year when I’m finally ready to buy again, it’s more of a buyers market, or at least neutral.

qbrozen

yeah, I've found Carvana down below auction levels recently when I've plugged in a few I found online to see if I could flip them. lol.

Sandman6472

GG, glad to see your business picking up. Sure wish I lived nearer to ya as I'd love to work doing this especially on my n/s days. But for that kind of gig, one needs to be ready whenever they call or else it's a lost opportunity. I remember starting out that way as an independent contractor way back in 2013. Had my phone on me 24/7 because they'd call at the worst times and expect me there within an hour or less. Most times I could make it but when I transferred to the West Palm place, it was tough to get there that quick. But this doesn't seem to be an issue for ya.
I just got tired of not having a schedule to be honest. And it's so much easier tax wise for me to be an employee at this juncture. Love driving newer vehicles as I get to see what I could live with...and could not also! Just so glad that your small business is taking off so well. It's really the perfect retiree gig, like 99% of the folks I work with now are just that, older retirees like myself.

Sandman6472

Guy did a great job on the four wheel alignment the other day. I'll just cancel this Thursday's appointment at my usual store as I don't want to mess with perfection! After the rotation, it showed all four corners at 7/32nds so glad their wearing evenly. Have only put like 4K miles on them and am quite happy with them. Have usually had Bridgestone or Firestone in the past. The Golf came with Continental's. Liking the Goodyear Eagle Sports a lot and really like the tread as it drives very smoothly. Was just icing on the cake that I got $160 back in a refund and a gift card. I probably could've waited a bit to replace the old ones but once I found out that the original $135 turned into $160, decided to just jump on it. Turns out it was a smart move, it went back down to the $135 the next month.
Interesting thing, not once did Goodyear or Tires Plus mention the torn right axle boot. Doubt really the alignment guy would since the tires were never off the vehicle, but the Goodyear guy had each of them off but didn't say a word. Though it kind of odd though. Planning on getting it fixed next week if he has the time to fit me in.

corvette

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

another OldFarmer mobile popping up.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-1996-buick-regal-custom-used-2g4wb52kxt1512059.html

Too bad that's the one with the base engine. If memory serves, those also could be had with the 3.8L Supercharged V6. That might be a hoot!

1997 and newer was the redesign and offered the supercharged 3800 Series II in GS trim. The 1996 is going to be a square looking one. The 1997+ GS and its platform-mate, the Grand Prix GTP, were well regarded at the time.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

stickguy said:

another OldFarmer mobile popping up.

https://www.royaleasing.com/details-1996-buick-regal-custom-used-2g4wb52kxt1512059.html

Too bad that's the one with the base engine. If memory serves, those also could be had with the 3.8L Supercharged V6. That might be a hoot!

I think many of the Regals got the 3.8 while the Century twins got the 3.1. Don’t get too excited over the supercharged version, I think it only put out about 260hp.

oldfarmer50

au1994 said:

Maybe the market is calming just a bit? A friend got an offer of 11,200 from Vroom on a 16 Sonata with ~56k. Can’t remember the trim but it was loaded. On the other hand, Carvana just hit him at 13,900. Needless to say, he is intrigued by the last one.

There must be some demand left. My company has been pounding out so many cars to dealers that we have almost no surplus inventory left. Our wholesale lots are as empty as a I’ve ever seen them. We delivered a bunch of cars to one dealer today and got checks for them all. From what I saw the prices were impressive.

If the rental companies are running out of cars to sell that can only tighten the market more.

Sandman6472

Funny you say that because our lots still have a load of Dodge Minivans just sittin' for some reason. Most of the rest are moving out nicely. Friday, we took a Nissan Altima and a Cadillac 5-door to a Nissan dealer up in Vero Beach. We used to go up to the Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce area on a regular basis before Covid-19. They have a bunch of dealers on U S 1 and it's a nice 1.5 hour drive from the Ft. Lauderdale area give or take. We have two areas we pull from, one near Ft. Lauderdale airport and the other by the West Palm Beach airport. Either way, it's a nice ride up either the turnpike or I-95, and I prefer the longer runs like I did when I was an independent contractor. Seems I finally get into the groove after about 20 minutes. Always nice to throw my flash drive in the audio system on "shuffle" and see what comes up next...having over 800 songs to choose from means never hearing the same one twice. And it's nice driving all the different vehicles as one never knows what one will own one day. Or sometimes, one even gets a special vehicle to drive, like a BMW or MB or even a Ram pick-up. The Altima I had also had the Bose audio system, something I've wanted to try for awhile. And it's definitely a worthwhile upgrade, something I might just want in my next vehicle.

stickguy

I know it isn't a GTI, but I saw this, and it would actually work perfectly for me. Thought it was a good price, especially with the miles, but not outrageous. Then I noticed it was a lemon buy back. Now that, would want to know why (and verify warranty coverage). Then slash the price some more! But if it had no issues, I love it.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/821947151/overview/

same identical car, clean title (but out of Florida, so who knows!) 2,000 more miles, $3,000 more money. So not quite a bargain, but still $5-6K off asking GTI pricing.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/822253338/overview/

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I know it isn't a GTI, but I saw this, and it would actually work perfectly for me. Thought it was a good price, especially with the miles, but not outrageous. Then I noticed it was a lemon buy back. Now that, would want to know why (and verify warranty coverage). Then slash the price some more! But if it had no issues, I love it.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/821947151/overview/

same identical car, clean title (but out of Florida, so who knows!) 2,000 more miles, $3,000 more money. So not quite a bargain, but still $5-6K off asking GTI pricing.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/822253338/overview/

I’ve come across that first store in my endless searches for the next fantasy car. They seem to specialize in cars with some quirks like lemon buy back, accident history or some other title ding. They had a ton of Fusion hybrids too with unusually low milage and below market prices. Maybe they specialize in misfit toys.

stickguy

Lemon status is not always something to avoid, since it could have been fixed perfectly fine. Just need the details. Caveat of course, is getting enough discount and wanting to keep it so long title won’t matter. I don’t think it’s that easy to get a true backstory. So on something that new and expensive, probably not taking the chance.

corvette

There is a Ford dealer in Georgia that specializes in remarks ring lemon law buybacks. One of the YouTube car guys bought his wife a Lincoln SUV there. Supposedly it had been repaired, but it continued to have the stalling problem that caused it to get bought back in the first place.

It looked like LegitStreetCars did really well on the “structural damage” Escalade he bought for his wife.

stickguy

Should be OK on the right car, as long as it was a problem that eventually could be tracked down and completely fixed. But at that point, was already bought back. I’m sure plenty of them are sent back out with a band aid and a prayer!

graphicguy

Sandman6472 said:

GG, glad to see your business picking up. Sure wish I lived nearer to ya as I'd love to work doing this especially on my n/s days. But for that kind of gig, one needs to be ready whenever they call or else it's a lost opportunity. I remember starting out that way as an independent contractor way back in 2013. Had my phone on me 24/7 because they'd call at the worst times and expect me there within an hour or less. Most times I could make it but when I transferred to the West Palm place, it was tough to get there that quick. But this doesn't seem to be an issue for ya.
I just got tired of not having a schedule to be honest. And it's so much easier tax wise for me to be an employee at this juncture. Love driving newer vehicles as I get to see what I could live with...and could not also! Just so glad that your small business is taking off so well. It's really the perfect retiree gig, like 99% of the folks I work with now are just that, older retirees like myself.

Thanks, Sandy! It keeps me out of trouble. Mentioned before, I’m not going to get rich doing it.

Love seeing what’s going on around the different dealerships in my general vicinity. I think most have paired back their staff to the point where the management questions whether they need to hire people (after the COVID thing subsides).

They are more than willing to have someone like me do their transport vs having an employee do it. Both pros and cons to that. But overall, at least most see my value. I’ve tried to get some business from the high line stores (namely BMW, Porsche, Benz, Jag, etc). But so far, those places prefer to be “high touch” with their transports. Eventually, one of them will need a quick transport and contact me. They’ll see how efficient it is to have me take the transport off their plate so they can get back to selling, managing inventory, etc.

Did a Honda transport last night, and another early this a.m. Have one slated this afternoon. I expect it will pick up even more tomorrow, which is where my retired friend will probably help.

Funny story from yesterday.....the (new) Sales Manger at my old Cadillac dealer called inquiring about my availability. Somehow, he got one of my flyers (I certainly didn’t drop it off to them). I told him how I worked, rates, etc. He seemed to be open to throwing some business my way and mentioned he could have a transport later in the day.

I called to follow up with him about it a few hours later. He answered his cell phone. He acted like he didn’t know who I was. Geez...I just talked to you 3 hours ago....

Finally, he said he didn’t need me. I asked what changed. He said....”I didn’t know you had a ‘history’ with the dealership. I laughed and told him my service was not based on that and I was available if he needed me. Not sure who told him about our little buyback fiasco, but apparently he got wind of it. No matter. I got a chuckle out of it.

graphicguy

corvette said:

There is a Ford dealer in Georgia that specializes in remarks ring lemon law buybacks. One of the YouTube car guys bought his wife a Lincoln SUV there. Supposedly it had been repaired, but it continued to have the stalling problem that caused it to get bought back in the first place.

It looked like LegitStreetCars did really well on the “structural damage” Escalade he bought for his wife.

Yeah...that was “Samcrac”. He was loving how he got a Lincoln SUV for cheap. He thought it was a cheap and easy fix. Not so. And, that’s from a guy who’s a very experienced mechanic, and car rebuilder, who couldn’t fix it. He ended up dumping it.

These car companies loath to “lemon law” a vehicle. They all act like there is no way one of their vehicles could be that bad. So, if one has actually been tagged a “lemon”, there was a very good reason.

breld

Does anyone have experience or advice on a tire inflator?

I've had to check and correct the pressure on several of our cars recently with our cold snap - I have a small pancake air compressor and the related attachments to do the job, but that's literally all I use the compressor for.

I just thought a purpose specific tire inflator would be quicker and simpler.

andres3

graphicguy said:

Sandman6472 said:

GG, glad to see your business picking up. Sure wish I lived nearer to ya as I'd love to work doing this especially on my n/s days. But for that kind of gig, one needs to be ready whenever they call or else it's a lost opportunity. I remember starting out that way as an independent contractor way back in 2013. Had my phone on me 24/7 because they'd call at the worst times and expect me there within an hour or less. Most times I could make it but when I transferred to the West Palm place, it was tough to get there that quick. But this doesn't seem to be an issue for ya.
I just got tired of not having a schedule to be honest. And it's so much easier tax wise for me to be an employee at this juncture. Love driving newer vehicles as I get to see what I could live with...and could not also! Just so glad that your small business is taking off so well. It's really the perfect retiree gig, like 99% of the folks I work with now are just that, older retirees like myself.

Thanks, Sandy! It keeps me out of trouble. Mentioned before, I’m not going to get rich doing it.

Love seeing what’s going on around the different dealerships in my general vicinity. I think most have paired back their staff to the point where the management questions whether they need to hire people (after the COVID thing subsides).

They are more than willing to have someone like me do their transport vs having an employee do it. Both pros and cons to that. But overall, at least most see my value. I’ve tried to get some business from the high line stores (namely BMW, Porsche, Benz, Jag, etc). But so far, those places prefer to be “high touch” with their transports. Eventually, one of them will need a quick transport and contact me. They’ll see how efficient it is to have me take the transport off their plate so they can get back to selling, managing inventory, etc.

Did a Honda transport last night, and another early this a.m. Have one slated this afternoon. I expect it will pick up even more tomorrow, which is where my retired friend will probably help.

Funny story from yesterday.....the (new) Sales Manger at my old Cadillac dealer called inquiring about my availability. Somehow, he got one of my flyers (I certainly didn’t drop it off to them). I told him how I worked, rates, etc. He seemed to be open to throwing some business my way and mentioned he could have a transport later in the day.

I called to follow up with him about it a few hours later. He answered his cell phone. He acted like he didn’t know who I was. Geez...I just talked to you 3 hours ago....

Finally, he said he didn’t need me. I asked what changed. He said....”I didn’t know you had a ‘history’ with the dealership. I laughed and told him my service was not based on that and I was available if he needed me. Not sure who told him about our little buyback fiasco, but apparently he got wind of it. No matter. I got a chuckle out of it.

Some horribly run businesses are in denial that they suck. They assume the problem customers are just "difficult customers" to excuse the bad service and bad product. Then when they go out of business they blame the "economy."

mjfloyd1

I bought the Griots garage inflator. Plugs into cigarette lighter

I’ve seen some that look like a power drill and you set the desired pressure and it inflates and automatically stops there

stickguy

I have a black and decker unit that can do more than tires, but that’s what it’s for primarily. Plugs into the wall outlet. Much better than a 12 volt. I highly recommend one with a digital PSI readout though. The dial, pretty useless.