Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

nyccarguy said:

@stickguy said:

It’s actually about $30 more to do it local. But they might do a better job. Ford farms it out to a supplier near the plant who seems to go for speed not top quality work! Drop in liners are more from Ford. If they could be had.

Stick - if you are looking for a cheap bed liner, get some cardboard and cut it into 2 pieces roughly the size of the bed. It will save the paint from scratching. You definitely need a tonneau cover.

I may be frugal, but I ain’t that cheap! Though with a tonneau on, spreading out some moving blankets could work! I just hate seeing scratches in the bed.

I will probably break down and pay for the spray option. Definitely can’t transfer that though! I don’t have to do it immediately. Still searching for a cover that I will have the liner place throw on when they are done because I’m feeling lazy.

In the old days we used sheets of plywood.

stickguy

one problem with that is there are tie down hooks on the bed floor. so anything that goes in has to accommodate those. Plus if you just do the bed the sides get all nicked up.

corvette

It's irritating, for sure, but I doubt it will affect resale that much, since the dealer you trade it in to can just spray a liner over top of the scratches, or throw in a drop-in to cover them up, both for about the same cost.

ab348

We should start a poll here on who thinks @stickguy will flip the Maverick he currently has or if he will fall in love with it and keep it. Put me in the latter group.

stickguy

I hope I don't have to pick a side...

Sandman6472

My co-workers new 2022 Nissan Frontier due in now by mid-January. He was told by the 25th, then the 3rd and now it's mi-January. He got black over black cloth and looks nice as we a few at work today just off the trailer. They had black, white, grey & red...the red looked great but the grey was nice to. He got the 4-door and he's pretty excited for it to come in. He's been car-less since mid-March after selling his Nissan Versa base model to Carvana. It's been a hassle but his mom drives him around a lot or he takes her car. I was driving him home at night as he lives somewhat close but now, not so much. He'd always throw some cash my way which I really didn't want to accept but he somehow put it in my car where I'd find it later. He just felt bad which I told him was silly as he'd do the same for me if I were in that same position.

Sandman6472

Already am tapped to work next Sunday which is fine with me, the extra $ is nice to get and makes up some of the difference of the income I was getting from Toyota. Still was the right decision to leave, just more that I had anticipated truthfully. I knew I could do it & showed them that even a partially disabled older guy can still get it done. But so much happier since I left as never felt like I fit in. Luckily, my Enterprise gig is so great and all could ever want from a part tie job! And now getting that fourth day is just perfect I'd say. So glad I didn't take the lead driver job as I just want to drop of the cars & not have to take any kind of heavier work than that.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

one problem with that is there are tie down hooks on the bed floor. so anything that goes in has to accommodate those. Plus if you just do the bed the sides get all nicked up.

What are you planning, hauling bricks to the country club?

jmonroe1

@stickguy said:
one problem with that is there are tie down hooks on the bed floor. so anything that goes in has to accommodate those. Plus if you just do the bed the sides get all nicked up.

I remember the days when only guys in the trades drove pick up trucks. They were economical and got the job done. They would just throw a concrete block in it and never look back. Today, “oh damn, my truck bed has a scratch”. Those were also the days when guys in the trades wore jeans. They too were economical and got the job done.

Today jeans are a fashion statement for a lot of folks that like to sit up high and drive a truck using the excuse that they can see the road better. When in fact if they got their heads out of their you know what, they’d be able to see the road just fine. The result is that pick up trucks are some of the most expensive vehicles on the road today and jeans ain’t so cheap either.

Oh how we love the new world we created.

EDIT: If I saw @oldfarmer50’s post above, I could have responded to it.

jmonroe

Michaell

My dad used his ‘70 Chevy C-10 as a real pickup. He worked construction as a side gig from his FD job, so he was always hauling tools and lumber in it.

I remember once we drove to Santa Barbara airport to pick up some fresh king crab legs flown in from Alaska. Two big boxes for an event he was planning at the Elks Club.

He owned a 17’ bass boat and towed it to the lake on his days off during the week.

And, of course, we kids got to ride in the back on occasion.

That bed was scratched up quite a bit.

nyccarguy

Speaking of pickups, I just got a $750 loyalty email from Toyota in my email. Expires 4/4/2022 -

stickguy

will the Jeep dealer take it?

Any update on the Wrangler? Did the damage get fixed or is a new one on the way?

xwesx

Michaell said:

My dad used his ‘70 Chevy C-10 as a real pickup. He worked construction as a side gig from his FD job, so he was always hauling tools and lumber in it.

I remember once we drove to Santa Barbara airport to pick up some fresh king crab legs flown in from Alaska. Two big boxes for an event he was planning at the Elks Club.

He owned a 17’ bass boat and towed it to the lake on his days off during the week.

And, of course, we kids got to ride in the back on occasion.

That bed was scratched up quite a bit.

That's the truth, too! I've used my '69 C20 harder than any dozen trucks combined, and one might never even know it just by looking at it. Trucks were (and still are, as much as I hate to admit it with all their creature comforts included) built to work hard and keep on working. I want to keep mine in the best reasonable shape, but I also think it is a little bit of a shame to finally retire it from the working life it has known for the past 24 years (prior to that, it was strictly an RV for its first couple years, then a lawn ornament until 1997).

sb55

@stickguy
Make yourself a template from paper or cardboard, then transfer the pattern to a piece of plywood or heavy rubber/plastic carpet protector (usually sold in rolls at home centers). Probably lighter weight than the heavy duty ones, so probably best used under a cover.

explorerx4

Truck are more fun when they are beat up a bit.
Back in the 80's we picked up a 100 lb block of ice for a party.
When going around a corner it slid and banged around in the bed.
Decided to do a few more corners, so the ice was about 80 lbs by the time we arrived at the party.

benjaminh

I personally wouldn't worry about a few scratches in the bed of a Maverick. Trucks are made for work. In this market a few scratches in the bed of a truck won't affect resale value imho. What might you be moving that would scratch it particularly anyway? You could always just put a blanket or tarp down when you're moving things that might scratch, and then tie the stuff down.

[Deleted User]

I used some extra carpet turned upside down when hauling stuff around, don't recall ever scratching the sides of the bed.

On a truck related note, one of the boys reminded me that we got the Tacoma a year ago today. It's hard to believe we still haven't made it to the first oil change, still under 5,000 miles...

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

@stickguy said:

one problem with that is there are tie down hooks on the bed floor. so anything that goes in has to accommodate those. Plus if you just do the bed the sides get all nicked up.

I remember the days when only guys in the trades drove pick up trucks. They were economical and got the job done. They would just throw a concrete block in it and never look back. Today, “oh damn, my truck bed has a scratch”. Those were also the days when guys in the trades wore jeans. They too were economical and got the job done.

Today jeans are a fashion statement for a lot of folks that like to sit up high and drive a truck using the excuse that they can see the road better. When in fact if they got their heads out of their you know what, they’d be able to see the road just fine. The result is that pick up trucks are some of the most expensive vehicles on the road today and jeans ain’t so cheap either.

Oh how we love the new world we created.

EDIT: If I saw @oldfarmer50’s post above, I could have responded to it.

jmonroe

My pick ups were always work trucks and we’re never babied. My F-150 was beat up when I bought it and went down hill from there. No wash, no wax no cleaning until it was full of trash.

I did get a bed liner installed on my Toyota that I bought new because the metal was so thin I was afraid it would puncture if I threw something heavy in there. As it turned out, the truck rusted so badly that eventually the bed liner was the only thing left.

stickguy

Well, I didn’t by an F250 brodozer. Or a gas guzzler. So I don’t feel guilty. And I didn’t get it to be a work truck.

I assume you wouldn’t throw loose tools in the back seat of your new sedan and scratch up all the panels or the seats. Why do it go the cargo area?

jmonroe1

@explorerx4 said:
Truck are more fun when they are beat up a bit.
Back in the 80's we picked up a 100 lb block of ice for a party.
When going around a corner it slid and banged around in the bed.
Decided to do a few more corners, so the ice was about 80 lbs by the time we arrived at the party.

Good idea. I never thought of using a pickup as an ice chipper but yeah I guess you could do that. Easier to get the ice out with a shovel than lifting a heavy piece of ice that has to be chipped up anyway to cool down the party beer.

I’d like to see a pickup truck builder do a commercial showing that as another use for their pickup. Might even win the Super Bowl commercial runoff.

jmonroe

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Well, I didn’t by an F250 brodozer. Or a gas guzzler. So I don’t feel guilty. And I didn’t get it to be a work truck.

I assume you wouldn’t throw loose tools in the back seat of your new sedan and scratch up all the panels or the seats. Why do it go the cargo area?

Not only that, pickup trucks used to only have two doors.

I use my phone for directions now, even though I used to use a map.

jmonroe1

@kyfdx said:
Not only that, pickup trucks used to only have two doors.

I use my phone for directions now, even though I used to use a map.

If I had to bet, when manufacturers started to build 4 door pickups so that companies could get a few more people to the job site, that’s when millennials got the idea that buying a pickup was cool.

Just the other day I saw a guy in the parking lot of Home Depot who was loading up his 2 door pickup. I kidded with him that he was out of touch today with a 2 door pickup. He replied, “I need the bed more than 2 more doors”. Where did he come from?

jmonroe

qbrozen

Not exactly a looker. But RWD with a turbo V6 is pretty darned cool 25 years ago.

Oh... wow. I'm actually quite surprised at that price given what similar japanese performance cars of this generation go for.

xwesx

stickguy said:

I assume you wouldn’t throw loose tools in the back seat of your new sedan and scratch up all the panels or the seats. Why do it go the cargo area?

I think that must be a trick question....

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

Good idea. I never thought of using a pickup as an ice chipper but yeah I guess you could do that. Easier to get the ice out with a shovel than lifting a heavy piece of ice that has to be chipped up anyway to cool down the party beer.

I’d like to see a pickup truck builder do a commercial showing that as another use for their pickup. Might even win the Super Bowl commercial runoff.

jmonroe

Even better, if you have one of those trucks with the ice cooler in a bin under the bed, you can just sweep all the flaked ice in there after you stop. It's like an ice chipper and cooler in one!

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

Just the other day I saw a guy in the parking lot of Home Depot who was loading up his 2 door pickup. I kidded with him that he was out of touch today with a 2 door pickup. He replied, “I need the bed more than 2 more doors”. Where did he come from?

jmonroe

I was on grand jury for the last two weeks of December, and one of the jury members had a 2000 Ford F150 that was in more of a historically-standard configuration. I think it was a "king" cab long bed, but, again, definitely stood out from the pickups of today. While not perfect, it was in very good condition for the year and, as he told it, only has around 80,000 miles on it.

He was surprised that I asked about it and offered him a compliment; he said that it seems like the truck is still in that awkward period where it registers to most people as an old vehicle that needs replacing versus conserving.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Not exactly a looker. But RWD with a turbo V6 is pretty darned cool 25 years ago.

Oh... wow. I'm actually quite surprised at that price given what similar japanese performance cars of this generation go for.

Good picks. What is that Nissan... equivalent to the same generation Maxima? The Maxima was still a nice car at that point in terms of comfort and performance. You're right, though, it's a look only a mama could love.

qbrozen

xwesx said:

Good picks. What is that Nissan... equivalent to the same generation Maxima? The Maxima was still a nice car at that point in terms of comfort and performance. You're right, though, it's a look only a mama could love.

Max was FWD, though.

Wife approved me buying that WRX. Someone tell me I'm nuts.

corvette

The Nissan appears to be the RHD version of the first generation Infiniti M45. I love that color!

@dad23 - be sure to use at least one of the free oil changes from ToyotaCare before 24 months / 25,999 miles.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

@kyfdx said:

Not only that, pickup trucks used to only have two doors.

I use my phone for directions now, even though I used to use a map.

If I had to bet, when manufacturers started to build 4 door pickups so that companies could get a few more people to the job site, that’s when millennials got the idea that buying a pickup was cool.

Just the other day I saw a guy in the parking lot of Home Depot who was loading up his 2 door pickup. I kidded with him that he was out of touch today with a 2 door pickup. He replied, “I need the bed more than 2 more doors”. Where did he come from?

jmonroe

You might have been talking to me.

[Deleted User]

Yes, @corvette, I plan on taking it in next week. We've had discussions of trading it, but only rumors for now!

nyccarguy

This morning's commute was interesting. I pulled out of my driveway and the rear wheels started to spin. I let off the gas & put my truck in 4WD. It didn't seem that cold out, but I looked down and saw it was 29 degrees. The entire blacktop surface of the road was black ice. I continued to drive uphill and realized that it would be a smart move to take 95 (the interstate) instead of the Merritt Parkway. As I'm driving down a hill, I see a FRESH DIRECT delivery truck struggling to go sideways up the hill. At this point I'm about a 1/2 mile away from my house. I decide to turn around. I get about 1/2 way back (so now I'm a quarter mile away from my house). I decide I don't want to go back down the hill to get home. I pulled into a school parking lot and walked the rest of the way. It was THAT bad.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Not exactly a looker. But RWD with a turbo V6 is pretty darned cool 25 years ago.

Oh... wow. I'm actually quite surprised at that price given what similar japanese performance cars of this generation go for.

That Ultima might make a good mail delivery vehicle with those low miles but the Subie would be outside my range. $14,995? 80k miles is about the limit of my comfort zone but all the cars I’ve bought with that mileage were that price minus the 5.

stickguy

Cedric does nothing for me. Especially with an AT.

WRX, seems like something to get in LHD

qbrozen

stickguy said:

WRX, seems like something to get in LHD

Find me one. ;b

xwesx

qbrozen said:

xwesx said:

Good picks. What is that Nissan... equivalent to the same generation Maxima? The Maxima was still a nice car at that point in terms of comfort and performance. You're right, though, it's a look only a mama could love.

Max was FWD, though.

Wife approved me buying that WRX. Someone tell me I'm nuts.

Oh, I didn't notice that this JDM was RWD. That's a bonus, IMO.

You already know you're nuts, so just buy it!

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

This morning's commute was interesting. I pulled out of my driveway and the rear wheels started to spin. I let off the gas & put my truck in 4WD. It didn't seem that cold out, but I looked down and saw it was 29 degrees. The entire blacktop surface of the road was black ice. I continued to drive uphill and realized that it would be a smart move to take 95 (the interstate) instead of the Merritt Parkway. As I'm driving down a hill, I see a FRESH DIRECT delivery truck struggling to go sideways up the hill. At this point I'm about a 1/2 mile away from my house. I decide to turn around. I get about 1/2 way back (so now I'm a quarter mile away from my house). I decide I don't want to go back down the hill to get home. I pulled into a school parking lot and walked the rest of the way. It was THAT bad.

In those conditions, often times, even if you *could* make it, you have to consider everyone else that's out there making it just that much more treacherous for everyone! Glad you made it home in one piece!

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Find me one. ;b

When was the first WRX offered state-side? 2002, I think? Those were the "bug-eye" units, if I recall correctly.

I remember seeing plenty of the body style presented here, but they were all naturally aspirated (while still retaining the looks-only hood scoop). I think the sportiest offering from Subaru was the Impreza hatch "RS" model. A friend of mine had one, and it was a blast to drive for the era.

explorerx4

nyc,
This could have been you this morning. You might have to watch a commercial first.
https://www.wfsb.com/news/dot-offers-explanation-of-why-it-was-so-difficult-to-pretreat-roads-ahead-of-this/article_2e4467ba-6e1e-11ec-86b1-330ea2505588.html?block_id=994091

rayainsw

qbrozen -
'Someone tell me I'm nuts. "
Happy to comply:
You are definitely nuts.
But in such a good [ CCBA ] way!
- Ray
You're welcome...

qbrozen

xwesx said:

When was the first WRX offered state-side? 2002, I think? Those were the "bug-eye" units, if I recall correctly.

I remember seeing plenty of the body style presented here, but they were all naturally aspirated (while still retaining the looks-only hood scoop). I think the sportiest offering from Subaru was the Impreza hatch "RS" model. A friend of mine had one, and it was a blast to drive for the era.

yes, all correct. I can't even find a used US WRX wagon anywhere at the moment.

I'm back to pondering just getting a new one. Even if I go with their current lease "deal." It isn't a good lease deal by any means, but the RV is ridiculously low. I guesstimate it would leave me with $5k-$8k equity at the end. So putting $15k into payments over 3 yrs would be half refunded at the end. Biggest issue is that it ain't a wagon. But at least covered by warranty and probably way comfier than a '96.

andres3

graphicguy said:

@andres3 …..well dang….that sux!

Doesn’t help you, but I can commiserate. The S4 DSG SC V6 I had 10 years ago was troublesome from the get go from new. Fun when it ran right. They’re fragile. That’s for certain….especially for an alleged performance sedan.

I threw a feeler out for $15K. No bites once they researched a new engine cost. Could probably get $10-$12K for an S4 without an engine.

Instead of throwing major $$$$$ at it, have you checked what it’s worth as is?

The thing is this car is known as the Honda of Audi's. They are not fragile, but, that may be changing as all of them hit 6+ years old now. In the first 6 years, they have built a solid reputation for being stout (even handling 500+ HP without any issues). All bets are off after 6 years though. Also, most of the reported failures seem to be while not hooning the car around. It may need the Italian tune up daily.

breld

Now that the holidays and new home stuff is mostly settled, I'm returning to my car-obsessed mindset.

• I like the wife's m340i so much that it makes me long for an X5 over the XC90. Now that the PHEV version uses an I-6 paired with the electric motor, it seems very appealing. Plus it qualifies for the full $7,500 federal rebate and CO's $2,500. Essentially knocking $10k off a well-equipped version sounds like a pretty good deal to me, as long as the XC90 is part of the crazy trade value market.
  
• I also am craving a manual sporty/sports car. Inquired on an incoming Civic Si and their pricing is $2,500 over MSRP. Nope. Subaru dealership in Colorado Springs will locate/order a BRZ at MSRP. And Vroom has a beautiful 2021 Miata RF Club with the Recaro/Brembo/BBS package. It just recently dropped $2k, so is now actually below new MSRP!
  

kyfdx

@breld
Can you fit in an RF?

breld

kyfdx said:

@breld
Can you fit in an RF?

Yes. You may remember I owned for a while. But I wouldn't say it's the most comfortable position to be working a clutch.

jmonroe1

@qbrozen said:
Max was FWD, though.

Wife approved me buying that WRX. Someone tell me I'm nuts.

Do we really have to?

jmonroe

greg128

benjaminh said:

I personally wouldn't worry about a few scratches in the bed of a Maverick. Trucks are made for work. In this market a few scratches in the bed of a truck won't affect resale value imho. What might you be moving that would scratch it particularly anyway? You could always just put a blanket or tarp down when you're moving things that might scratch, and then tie the stuff down.

I see full bed liners on Amazon for $499. Not sure if it is available for Maverick but seems to be a reasonable price.

stickguy

That’s about what a spray in will cost. I probably do it because I could have this unit a long time, with the way the builds are getting scheduled. I may not get my hybrid until June, and there is a chance I get a house move in there first. In any case, into the spring, I expect to give the truck capacity some real use.

explorerx4

The first thing Line-x does is sand the paint off the bed before spraying in the liner.
You can buy a bed mat for a bit over $100. Just strap down the load if you think it will shift.

kyfdx

Why do Tacomas come with a bedliner, standard?

Because there is no actual full metal bed, underneath.