Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

corvette

@roadburner - looking back at a map I found, I think the 1994 one didn't affect my area (further south), and the one I'm remembering occurred a few years prior, which makes sense, especially given my vague recollection.

sb55

explorerx4 said:

After clearing the 10 or inches of snow we got, I feel great.
The air is clear and crisp and it felt good to get the old bones moving.

For us old Northerners, who else saw the new "data" that men over 45 shouldn't shovel snow!
Does that mean that our SO's do it, or that we hibernate until it melts? I'm over medicare age (67 this month) and I still plow my own 1/4 mile long driveway and have to shovel walkways and when it drifts in where the plow doesn't reach. I think that it's exercise, not a trip to the hospital!

nyccarguy

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

I think @stickguy asked yesterday about the status of my wife’s 4Xe Wrangler. I don’t know. The broker doesn’t know. The contact at the dealer doesn’t know. It’s being fixed by the holding lot. I couldn’t tell you if they are waiting for parts or if there is some sort of COVID related delay. I’m waiting very patiently. This is some sort of sign. I think if I take delivery this month that I get the ACQ fee waiver as well as affiliate pricing.

Are you getting any discount for them banging it up?

As far as I know, no. Since it is being handled by corporate, I've been assured nothing will show up on the Carfax. Neither my broker, nor the salesman has seen the extent of the damage. They were told both front & rear bumpers are being replaced as well as some "minor" paint work.

stickguy

good thing it is a lease.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

good thing it is a lease.

Exactly.

stickguy

also a good reason to take carfax with a grain of salt. I have heard that lots of cars need rehab work when they arrive from shipping (maybe not to this extent though) and the buyers will never really know about it.

kyfdx

@stickguy Did you see the C&D write-up on the Maverick? They liked it. AWD XLT was tested.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
Need? Huh? Want, more like it.

Forgive me, I forgot what forum I was in.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

@roadburner - looking back at a map I found, I think the 1994 one didn't affect my area (further south), and the one I'm remembering occurred a few years prior, which makes sense, especially given my vague recollection.

My recollection of the last big storm for my area was 1993 but I could be wrong. 36 inches and I was out at 3 am with a broom knocking snow off my greenhouses before they collapsed.

We’ve had plenty of two footers since then but those we hardly notice.

stickguy

kyfdx said:

@stickguy Did you see the C&D write-up on the Maverick? They liked it. AWD XLT was tested.

I did. I think all the reviews have been quite positive so far.

qbrozen

Here's a silly question: which do you think is better? A Mini S Clubman or an RX-8? I'm thinking, with snow tires, both would be quite capable in foul weather. Mini is probably slightly more practical and I think slightly quicker in a straight line with a tune (if not a JCW to begin with), BUT it is FWD, albeit probably one of the best handling FWD ever made. Which would you choose and why?

oh, and, for sake of argument, let's say $8k either one and about 65k miles either one.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

Here's a silly question: which do you think is better? A Mini S Clubman or an RX-8? I'm thinking, with snow tires, both would be quite capable in foul weather. Mini is probably slightly more practical and I think slightly quicker in a straight line with a tune (if not a JCW to begin with), BUT it is FWD, albeit probably one of the best handling FWD ever made. Which would you choose and why?

I've only driven an RX-8 one time, and that was in a parking lot (think, skid-pad test.. lol)

I'd take the MINI, all day long. The RX-8 is relatively slow, and thirsty. And, if it's a snow car, that RWD handling won't be of much use.

ab348

I would take the Mini, mostly because it is not a RX-8.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

Here's a silly question: which do you think is better? A Mini S Clubman or an RX-8? I'm thinking, with snow tires, both would be quite capable in foul weather. Mini is probably slightly more practical and I think slightly quicker in a straight line with a tune (if not a JCW to begin with), BUT it is FWD, albeit probably one of the best handling FWD ever made. Which would you choose and why?

oh, and, for sake of argument, let's say $8k either one and about 65k miles either one.

My brother had an RX7 and it was shot by 50k miles. How much better were the seals by the RX8 generation? Minis I’ve driven are more roomy than you would think but they probably have all the costs associated with a BMW.

If pushed I’d take the Mini.

qbrozen

As I'm studying these options, I had my eye on a 2011 Clubman S with 66k miles for $7500, and I thought this 1 year older with 11k more miles JCW didn't make sense. But the more I stare at it, the more I think maybe it is worth it. OK, maybe not $3k more. But what about $1500 more? I mean, the 2011 would need a tune, intake, exhaust, and suspension mods to bring it to the level of the JCW. Then it is still lacking the cool graphics and dual moonroofs. I wouldn't have to ship the JCW. Oh, and there is accident history on the 2011.

qbrozen

THEN AGAIN ... almost as many miles and almost as old as another pesky German in my stable... so what the hell am I thinking? I just really miss a lightweight manual, I think. Where's RB, my fellow speedfreak, when I need him?

xwesx

fintail said:

And knowing Denver, it was 60F 3 days later.

I have but one good travel event. Monday before Thanksgiving 2010, I was flying from Berlin to Seattle, with layovers in Frankfurt and Vancouver. Flight out of FRA was delayed due to a windstorm, and mother nature was working hard that day. Landed in YVR to the sight of snow, and the delay caused me to miss my connection. No big deal as there were a good 10 YVR-SEA flights each day. Nope, Seattle ends up getting buried in snow, SEA shuts down, stuck in Vancouver. Fortunately was put up in a hotel, back to YVR in the morning to try to get out. Got a flight to SEA that landed around noon, to the most snow I have seen at that airport. My ride home chickened out, so I had to take a taxi home, shared it with another guy as they were in short supply. The taxi slid off the road on 405 in Renton, causing real damage to the bumpers - but the driver just got out, looked it over, and got back on the road, now with extra bad noises. Departed from Berlin at 0800 local time Monday, arrived home around 1300 local time Tuesday.

Given the content of the story, the timing actually wasn't too bad. The first four times I flew across the country (west coast to east coast, and back), each trip took over 24 hours even though they were supposed to be around 12 hours. It was a recurring nightmare.

stickguy

the JCW is nice looking. Good color. but the S looks good (they claim clean carfax and autocheck says no accidents, are you saying they are lying?)

Portsmouth is not that far. Pop down, and a nice drive home over the Chesapeake bay bridge-tunnel. I used to drive down to Norfolk for business on occasion.

if it is the winter beater, does it really need to be faster than the S, which is not exactly slow to start with?

stickguy

this one though is nice. not super cheap but won't break you I guess.

https://pikacar.com/vdp/18102276/Used-1996-BMW-Z3-19-for-sale-in-T-NJ-07608

roadburner

qbrozen said:

Here's a silly question: which do you think is better? A Mini S Clubman or an RX-8? I'm thinking, with snow tires, both would be quite capable in foul weather. Mini is probably slightly more practical and I think slightly quicker in a straight line with a tune (if not a JCW to begin with), BUT it is FWD, albeit probably one of the best handling FWD ever made. Which would you choose and why?

oh, and, for sake of argument, let's say $8k either one and about 65k miles either one.

Mini; I love the RX-8 but the engine can be needy. At about 100K the Clubman will need a timing chain as well as a vacuum pump and VANOS solenoid. I bought mine right after everything but the VANOS solenoid was replaced. Since then, no issues save an oil pan gasket and a repair of sloppy workmanship from a prior shop.

xwesx

fintail said:

I've only been stuck once, but if it's really bad I'll not go out, if possible. Cat litter solved the stuck problem, which was also on a hill in a powerful RWD car with old "all season" tires.

I love going out in the inclement stuff, particularly if I think there will be opportunities to recover others when they slide off the road. Sadly, I missed most of the opportunities with this last round of snow storms because my car wasn't working and my knees were (are still) hurting so badly that I can hardly walk, let alone crawl around in the snow. Not sure what's up with the knees, but it's been nine weeks now, and I'm growing quite tired of being so hobbled.

roadburner

So I had to take my uncle to my Ford dealer to pick up his Escape(which had been the subject of a recall). Unlike my last visit a couple of people asked if they could help. I asked the last salesperson if A/Z-Plan was available on the Bronco and I was told, "Only if you order one." My wife liked the Bronco okay, but like me would rather have a two door Wrangler- bless her heart!

We next went to my BMW dealer. Sitting in the used car lot was a Hockenheim Silver M2 with a slick top, manual transmission, and Exec package. I called my salesperson and found out it belonged to one of the sales staff. Crap. They also had a new M240i xDrive, but I've seriously lost interest after learning how much it weighs and now seeing it in person.

Question of the day: According to the Ford "salesperson" I talked with, how long does it take to get your new Bronco after you have placed the order?

xwesx

sb55 said:

explorerx4 said:

After clearing the 10 or inches of snow we got, I feel great.
The air is clear and crisp and it felt good to get the old bones moving.

For us old Northerners, who else saw the new "data" that men over 45 shouldn't shovel snow!
Does that mean that our SO's do it, or that we hibernate until it melts? I'm over medicare age (67 this month) and I still plow my own 1/4 mile long driveway and have to shovel walkways and when it drifts in where the plow doesn't reach. I think that it's exercise, not a trip to the hospital!

No, that's just an excuse to buy a snowthrower.

You know you want one....!

xwesx

roadburner said:

Question of the day: According to the Ford "salesperson" I talked with, how long does it take to get your new Bronco after you have placed the order?

Five to six months?

qbrozen

@roadburner said:
Mini; I love the RX-8 but the engine can be needy. At about 100K the Clubman will need a timing chain as well as a vacuum pump and VANOS solenoid. I bought mine right after everything but the VANOS solenoid was replaced. Since then, no issues save an oil pan gasket and a repair of sloppy workmanship from a prior shop.

You need to change the timing chain?!
That alone may be reason to get the lower mile model.

qbrozen

@stickguy said:
this one though is nice. not super cheap but won't break you I guess.

https://pikacar.com/vdp/18102276/Used-1996-BMW-Z3-19-for-sale-in-T-NJ-07608

Thought I’d made it well known I hate convertibles.

qbrozen

@stickguy said:
the JCW is nice looking. Good color. but the S looks good (they claim clean carfax and autocheck says no accidents, are you saying they are lying?)

Oh, you are right. I must have confused it with all the others I was perusing.

corvette

qbrozen said:

You need to change the timing chain?!

Surely that's not a big deal for someone who has experience tearing down AMG engines!

qbrozen

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

You need to change the timing chain?!

Surely that's not a big deal for someone who has experience tearing down AMG engines!

I just recall shifty having to take the whole front clip off his mini to work on it. yikes.

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

You need to change the timing chain?!

Surely that's not a big deal for someone who has experience tearing down AMG engines!

I just recall shifty having to take the whole front clip off his mini to work on it. yikes.

This is correct - many things are on the Cooper S is engine out just due to space - bumper needs to come off, supercharger needs to come off, etc.

corvette

Found a sweet van for Mrs. @qbrozen -- I'm sure she will want to cancel the Sprinter order when she sees this!

sda

corvette said:

Found a sweet van for Mrs. @qbrozen -- I'm sure she will want to cancel the Sprinter order when she sees this!

Good grief!!

28firefighter

Looks like the first Elantra N models are en route to dealers. Lot of car for GLI pricing.

au1994

I know someone who got his kid a Veloster N. Its already totaled.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen - I’ve heard the balance of the RX8 is just superb. Besides a set of winter shoes, with a manual transmission (and zero low end torque) it might make a good south Jersey winter car. Ground clearance might become somewhat of an issue.

I know you’ve read up on these. Before you mentioned it, I would have never known to put “regular” oil in it, not synthetic.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

this one though is nice. not super cheap but won't break you I guess.

https://pikacar.com/vdp/18102276/Used-1996-BMW-Z3-19-for-sale-in-T-NJ-07608

Weren’t those kind of underpowered? I think they came with a 6cyl that had more pep.

corvette

sda said:

Good grief!!

It's "only" $17k above sticker.

The bubble may be starting to pop, the Toyota broker I used has come back down to MSRP on most of the common models except the 2022 Tundra. He also had a couple of RAV4 Primes at $2,000 over MSRP, but the window sticker he posted was a fully loaded $50k one, so not a great value.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

fintail said:

I've only been stuck once, but if it's really bad I'll not go out, if possible. Cat litter solved the stuck problem, which was also on a hill in a powerful RWD car with old "all season" tires.

I love going out in the inclement stuff, particularly if I think there will be opportunities to recover others when they slide off the road. Sadly, I missed most of the opportunities with this last round of snow storms because my car wasn't working and my knees were (are still) hurting so badly that I can hardly walk, let alone crawl around in the snow. Not sure what's up with the knees, but it's been nine weeks now, and I'm growing quite tired of being so hobbled.

Have you been checked for Lyme disease?

28firefighter

@au1994 said:
I know someone who got his kid a Veloster N. Its already totaled.

This is not surprising at all.

fintail

Got a 55K bid on the wagon from Carvana, down from 57K a few months ago. Not sure if being another model year older has to do with it (maybe only 2K miles since), or maybe not the strongest demand for 3 year old cars in a higher price range. Residual is 45K, I have about 2.5 months to go, decision time is looming.

explorerx4

OK, this is kind of nuts.
My Explorer has trailer tow and crossbars, which this one does not.
I'm at just about half the miles plus doesn't have 2 minor accidents on Carfax.
Also, I paid less unless you add taxes and fees.
https://www.familyfordinc.net/used/Ford/2020-Ford-Explorer-ab1719ef0a0e09af63592c3ce32400f9.htm

stickguy

qbrozen said:

@stickguy said:

this one though is nice. not super cheap but won't break you I guess.

https://pikacar.com/vdp/18102276/Used-1996-BMW-Z3-19-for-sale-in-T-NJ-07608

Thought I’d made it well known I hate convertibles.

Well, that was for me, not you.

28firefighter

Contemplating putting in a 4xE order via the Philly dealer because there is no deposit/obligation to take it. Basically zero risk.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

this one though is nice. not super cheap but won't break you I guess.

https://pikacar.com/vdp/18102276/Used-1996-BMW-Z3-19-for-sale-in-T-NJ-07608

Weren’t those kind of underpowered? I think they came with a 6cyl that had more pep.

It is basically the convertible version of Roadburners red Ti. Perfectly powerful enough. Zero need for the bigger 6 cyl when you have the manual trans.

stickguy

On the mini, I think they at least designed the front clip to come off easily. They call it service position or mode, something like that. Even if you don't pull the engine, taking the front end off makes it much easier to get to stuff.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
@qbrozen - I’ve heard the balance of the RX8 is just superb. Besides a set of winter shoes, with a manual transmission (and zero low end torque) it might make a good south Jersey winter car. Ground clearance might become somewhat of an issue.

I know you’ve read up on these. Before you mentioned it, I would have never known to put “regular” oil in it, not synthetic.

Exactly. Mazda rotaries use oil by design as it lubricates the apex seals. It’s counterintuitive, but cars that aren’t wound out constantly tend to wear out quicker- particularly the automatics.

stickguy

the RX8 is fun, and obviously labor intensive to own with all it's quirks. But it is about the last thing I would pick for a winter car to sit outside and get sporadic use in the cold or snow. Can't really see that doing much good for it.

roadburner

@au1994 said:
I know someone who got his kid a Veloster N. Its already totaled.

Evolution in action!

corvette

28firefighter said:

Contemplating putting in a 4xE order via the Philly dealer because there is no deposit/obligation to take it. Basically zero risk.

What's the projected delivery time on those nowadays?

qbrozen

@nyccarguy said:
@qbrozen - I’ve heard the balance of the RX8 is just superb. Besides a set of winter shoes, with a manual transmission (and zero low end torque) it might make a good south Jersey winter car. Ground clearance might become somewhat of an issue.

I know you’ve read up on these. Before you mentioned it, I would have never known to put “regular” oil in it, not synthetic.

Which is a big reason why it is so scary to buy a used one. When well cared for, a rotary can go a long way. They are RARELY well cared for.