Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

odds are any cheap beetle is going to have plenty of needs. including a bunch of stuff you probably won't see before you buy it. rusted out exhaust and bad gas tanks, usually mean rusted body and structural pieces.

if you want a perfect car, going to pay more for that!

QB is right though, you can probably order every single part needed to make a car from scratch. including the chassis.

iluvmysephia1

I'll take my chaunces. Spelling error intentional. And you're right, parts are cheap. I'll probably learn a lot about old German engineering methods with this car. I'll need ta score an owner's manual, too. That should be available on ebay. I've already signed up to TheSamba.com, where I'll be able to ask any and every question in the book about these cars. If I have to pay $19,995 for one of these cars I'm not gonna buy one.

Period. It's not worth it to me. I'll ponder it today while we grocery shop and go about our day. One thing I'll want to do is clear out the other side of my 2-car garage. Borrow my friend's '93 Ford Ranger and get his help to haul away a bunch of boxes and old furniture to the Alamo dump. I'd like the extra room for my miniature $139.99 pool table I play pretty much daily, anyway. That was the best $139.99 I've ever spent. I've found that if I use the full-size cue stick the shots go more accurately into the pocket.

As far as VW Bug parts go, yeah, man they're all over Craigslist when I search for Bugs on there. Scads of 'em.

jmonroe1

iluvmysephia1 said:

@iluvmysephia1 , I was coming to ask what happened with that bug. So you are no linger after the grey one? Maybe you mentioned and I missed it, but why not?

gbrozen - I'm texting the owner of the grey one in NW Texas and he's showing attitude by not answering my questions. Plus, he texts me a picture of a Bug selling for $19,995 and says to me "this must be the Bug you want." IOW's, he's irritated I'm asking him so many questions and he's also thinking that I'm expecting too much Bug for $5,000. In reality, I'm not, I'm just trying to find out what I'm going to have to fix or get fixed on his Bug if I buy it. And, now, the list is like this:

1) Gas tank sloshes ghastly out indiscriminately while driving after filling up the car
2) Fuel gauge doesn't work
3) I think the speedometer/odometer works but have to guess because the guy goes in to pissy mode if I ask too many questions
4) His '71 Bug also needs a muffler job done - he said one half is broken off

He wants $5,000 for his Bug. A couple days ago I found one in NW New Mexico selling for $4,500 and the body looks straight. The owner says the body is in fair condition. The body looks cherry in the pictures. The car runs and drives well but needs a tune-up. I'll take it to this place in Alamo that I just discovered on Highway 70 that does a great job with VW's ( I read the reviews) and what does a tune-up cost these days? $150-$200 bucks? Beats the other guy's pissy attitude and his Bug needs at least 4 things done on it.

The tune-up is the only thing the Herbie Bug from New Mexico needs! The inside has kind of a yellow tint to material that lines a lot of the interior, but I can clean and/or more likely replace that material. What's cool is it doesn't look torn anywhere that I can see, anyway. The yellowed look is by no means a deal-breaker to me.

The only thing I don't like is he'll need to drive from the small town in NW New Mexico or have a friend follow him there in another rig to Albuquerque because the town he lives in is not on a Greyhound route. Alamogordo to Albuquerque is on a regularly scheduled bus route. So, we'll just have to work together a bit to get it done. The Texas bug's owner lives in an even more Oakie town called Kermit in NW Texas and he's not on a Greyhound route, either, plus he's pissy and might gripe about bringing his car to me.

The grey Beetle's owner's attitude and the fact that he wants $500 more, with his car needing at least 4 things done that I know of that I estimate will cost at least $600 to do, is eliminating him from the hunt automatically.

The winner is the white Herbie bug that's for sale in New Mexico. Here's a pic of that yellowed material lining the interior.

———————————————

Hint: Any car that “just needs a tune-up” but wasn’t done by the owner before trying to sell it probably needs more than just a tune-up. Your call.

jmonroe

stickguy

same as AC that "just needs a charge"

qbrozen

@iluvmysephia1 said: Hey, gbrozen, is that a couple hundred bucks to repro-upholster an old Bug if someone else does the work? Or if I buy the material for $200 and put the material on myself? Because we have an upholstery store for RV's and cars here in Alamogordo where they do that kind of work. Wow, $200 ain't bad at all. That will be a must - not only do I not like the way that looks, if it is indeed mold I'll be sick inside my Bug every time I drive it. I'm allergic to mold really bad! I can't tell if that's an off-white color on the door inserts or white that's gotten dirty over time. No way to tell without being there inside the car.

I was looking at this site, for example:
https://www.jbugs.com/product/43-1126-Basketweave.html

jmonroe1

@stickguy said:
same as AC that "just needs a charge"

————————————————

Yep, that’s where I was coming from alright. “Just needs a tuneup and just needs a charge” are the 2 best classic lines I can think of when buying a used car.

I’ve heard, “there’s a sucker born every minute” but maybe I heard wrong.

jmonroe

corvette

Ran when parked. Just needs a little TLC. Some cosmetic issues. Engine runs a little rough. Etc…

roadburner

My approach with buying classic/special interest cars is to buy the absolute best car that you can afford- or, better yet, find a car that the previous owner has sunk a lot of money into. And if the seller is evasive or sketchy , WALK AWAY.
And remember, at the end of the day, Craigslist is primarily useful for proving that even the mentally feeble can operate a computer.

fintail

I think now that CL is charging a nominal fee for car ads, FB Marketplace is the place proving Carlin's line about the average person.

Definitely buy the best one can afford in terms of cosmetics (body, paint, interior). That work can cost an obscene amount of money these days, where most mechanical issues can be remedied. If I had to choose between two of the same car - one a weather-beaten rust pile with a fantastic engine, one a beautifully preserved car with a big mechanical fault, I would choose the latter.

This might even hold more true for Beetles, which are pretty easy to renovate mechanically.

roadburner said:

My approach with buying classic/special interest cars is to buy the absolute best car that you can afford- or, better yet, find a car that the previous owner has sunk a lot of money into. And if the seller is evasive or sketchy , WALK AWAY.
And remember, at the end of the day, Craigslist is primarily useful for proving that even the mentally feeble can operate a computer.

roadburner

I know that I’m risking expulsion by mentioning this, but I went ahead and purchased the BMW 3 year oil change package for the M235i. M2 Comp prices aren’t dropping and I don’t see any other cars I really like better than my 2(that are in my price range). About the only issue I have with the 2 is that it has lost internet connectivity with the demise of 3G; aside from that it’s hard to beat from a performance/comfort standpoint.

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

I know that I’m risking expulsion by mentioning this, but I went ahead and purchased the BMW 3 year oil change package for the M235i. M2 Comp prices aren’t dropping and I don’t see any other cars I really like better than my 2(that are in my price range). About the only issue I have with the 2 is that it has lost internet connectivity with the demise of 3G; aside from that it’s hard to beat from a performance/comfort standpoint.

————————————————-

Given that you know your M2 and its lineage better than anyone and you can’t buy a car today without getting screwed, postponing a purchase a few years isn’t the worst thing.

See if they can oil the gizmo that’s messing with your internet connection while it’s on the rack. Can’t hurt.


jmonroe

kyfdx

roadburner said:

I know that I’m risking expulsion by mentioning this, but I went ahead and purchased the BMW 3 year oil change package for the M235i. M2 Comp prices aren’t dropping and I don’t see any other cars I really like better than my 2(that are in my price range). About the only issue I have with the 2 is that it has lost internet connectivity with the demise of 3G; aside from that it’s hard to beat from a performance/comfort standpoint.

For $199, it's hard to lose money on it.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

roadburner said:

I know that I’m risking expulsion by mentioning this, but I went ahead and purchased the BMW 3 year oil change package for the M235i. M2 Comp prices aren’t dropping and I don’t see any other cars I really like better than my 2(that are in my price range). About the only issue I have with the 2 is that it has lost internet connectivity with the demise of 3G; aside from that it’s hard to beat from a performance/comfort standpoint.

————————————————-

Given that you know your M2 and its lineage better than anyone and you can’t buy a car today without getting screwed, postponing a purchase a few years isn’t the worst thing.

See if they can oil the gizmo that’s messing with your internet connection while it’s on the rack. Can’t hurt.


jmonroe

I think you’d have better luck trying to connect to the dinosaurs than to 3g. I’d still have my cheap tracphone if Verizon supported 3g. Like the old analog OnStar they just turned it off.

I agree with RB, keep what you have and repair it rather than pay through the nose.

explorerx4

I'm pretty sure it's the government that mandated the sunsetting of 3G.

jmonroe1

@explorerx4 said:
I'm pretty sure it's the government that mandated the sunsetting of 3G.

————————————————

That’s another reason not to pay full boat taxes.

jmonroe

roadburner

@explorerx4 said:
I'm pretty sure it's the government that mandated the sunsetting of 3G.

Yep. I can’t complain too much as the car is 8 years old; I think some 2-3 year old cars were also affected.

henryn

explorerx4 said:

I'm pretty sure it's the government that mandated the sunsetting of 3G.

“The reason the carriers would like to get rid of old legacy tech is to free up that wireless spectrum,” said Ian Fogg, vice president of analysis at mobile analytics firm Opensignal. “If you switch off older tech in most markets, most countries, your spectrum license allows you to use that with newer networks like 4G and 5G.”

So no, it wasn't a government mandate, just the cellular companies wanting to reuse that wireless spectrum.

corvette

Showed the Prius a little love today and installed some generic Dynamat in the driver's door to add some sound deadening. I had some left over from another project, so the cost for this was whatever I paid for the plastic roller (which I didn't have or need for the other project). It was pretty straightforward, and the other three doors should be similar. It's hot and muggy enough here that I was able to stick the vapor barrier back on the door frame without having to lay down new RTV.

explorerx4

My sister had a couple of Prius. I drove the new at the time 'V' model and found it to be a trifecta of noise on the highway, engine, road and wind.

carnaught

I’ll take a little extra noise, great a/c and audio, with wife’s Prius for the 60 mpg with RUG.

imidazol97

jmonroe1 said:

roadburner said:

I know that I’m risking expulsion by mentioning this, but I went ahead and purchased the BMW 3 year oil change package for the M235i. M2 Comp prices aren’t dropping and I don’t see any other cars I really like better than my 2(that are in my price range). About the only issue I have with the 2 is that it has lost internet connectivity with the demise of 3G; aside from that it’s hard to beat from a performance/comfort standpoint.

————————————————-

Given that you know your M2 and its lineage better than anyone and you can’t buy a car today without getting screwed, postponing a purchase a few years isn’t the worst thing.

See if they can oil the gizmo that’s messing with your internet connection while it’s on the rack. Can’t hurt.


jmonroe

Is that like blinker fluid? Can they put in another quart of internet ether and bring your internet back?

explorerx4

@carnaught,
No way you get 60 mpg in a Prius where I live. More like mid 30's in the winter.

pensfan83

@kyfdx said:
For $199, it's hard to lose money on it.

I have that plan as well.

jmonroe1

@imidazol97 said:
Is that like blinker fluid? Can they put in another quart of internet ether and bring your internet back?

————————————————-
Yeah, somethin like that.

jmonroe

corvette

carnaught said:

I’ll take a little extra noise, great a/c and audio, with wife’s Prius for the 60 mpg with RUG.

The A/C in mine is decent, and the (JBL) audio is really good for a factory unit. Road noise is not great on the highway, but I don't think it's any worse than any other compact car from that era. In theory, the heft of the hybrid battery helps deaden the floorpan, especially in the hatch area.

nyccarguy

corvette said:

@tjc78 said:

It amazes me the manufacturers are still in this mess. Most every other industry has recovered in some way.

Call me cynical, but maybe they want the mess to continue? The dealers are grossing far more on every deal, have likely laid off a lot of sales staff due to the lower volume, and I’m assuming the manufacturers are paying out a lot less in CSI bonuses because the customers who are able to get a new car tend to be less happy with the dealer experience. Plus, to the extent they can get parts to build new cars, the manufacturers can tweak their production to build mostly higher end and more profitable trim levels, since they are selling all they can build, and don’t have to offer incentives.

Don't forget, another way the dealerships are cleaning up is not paying "floor plan" interest. Cars are being sold when they hit the lot (or before).

stickguy

Ford definitely wishes they could build more units and make more money. They easily could have moved double the number of mavericks. Probably many more.

iluvmysephia1

I was looking at this site, for example:
https://www.jbugs.com/product/43-1126-Basketweave.html

gbrozen - thanks for a link to affordable interior material. If I pull the trigger on the NW Mexico bug for $4,500 I will buy one of those insert kits in white color and install it myself. I have the time, oh do I ever have the time.

iluvmysephia1

As often happens when I do these "just for fun but could turn serious with some appreciative thought" vehicle searches, I have found myself a VW Baja Bug listed for only $600 more than the NW New Mexico Bug. This one has a paint job that fits this fun car just right. Orange/red is VW Bug: Bingo! Boingo! Bango! The poster lists the car as being in good shape. Clear title, 1641 motor - 486 ring & piston, 2 years ago the transmission was rebuilt, new front/rear suspension (for those tough New Mexico backroad bumps) and front disc brakes. 77,650 miles on it. I best move on this. The Bug is listed for $5,100 and, although the owner doesn't say "firm" in his ad, I bet he will hold to that. He might take $5,000 but much more lower and he'll blow me away with a BigFoot howl that would make Jesse Ventura's neck hair stand on end.

My first thought regarding actually buying a Baja Bug was "Me? A Baja Bug? Ya gotta be kiddin' me!" But, the more I think about all of the offroad areas that are just a mile from my house, I more I think this car would be the bee's knees.



I could sleep back here on those BigFoot hunts turned extra long!!


Fan for those hot outings - and in New Mexico and Arizona - they're all hot pert-near

Inserts are in good shape on this particular pup

I like these wheels much more than on any Bug I've looked at in the last 10 days searching


Rack for extra storage space - kayak came ta mind











Dude could sell it this afternoon or it might last a couple weeks. The Greyhound route from here takes me in to N. Texas and then over to Tucson, and takes 28 hours. I am strongly considering asking my retired buddy in healthcare if he would mind driving me over to Tucson.

I best not doddle too much - there's just a few things I want to look up first on the engine but that won't take long. The way I roll I might find another one later this morning and change plans completely, so don't hold your breath all of y'all for news on this Bug.

But, all things considered, this one would ignite all my initial burners and all necessary afterburners, too, to pull the trigger. After a test drive and check by a local Tucson mechanic, of course.

au1994

stickguy said:

Ford definitely wishes they could build more units and make more money. They easily could have moved double the number of mavericks. Probably many more.

I’m beginning to see more Mavericks in the wild. Probably 6 in the past week and 2 were in commercial trim.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

@tjc78 said:

It amazes me the manufacturers are still in this mess. Most every other industry has recovered in some way.

Call me cynical, but maybe they want the mess to continue? The dealers are grossing far more on every deal, have likely laid off a lot of sales staff due to the lower volume, and I’m assuming the manufacturers are paying out a lot less in CSI bonuses because the customers who are able to get a new car tend to be less happy with the dealer experience. Plus, to the extent they can get parts to build new cars, the manufacturers can tweak their production to build mostly higher end and more profitable trim levels, since they are selling all they can build, and don’t have to offer incentives.

Don't forget, another way the dealerships are cleaning up is not paying "floor plan" interest. Cars are being sold when they hit the lot (or before).

Those are some very valid points that are hard to argue. Only argument I can think of is volume is volume. Some of these dealers and makes are built on that and their real estate footprint supports that so thats a pretty high fixed cost they are dealing with.

I can only assume some dealers around here are mixing late model used inventory with new on the lots. Quick drive-bys look better than they did a few months ago but the online data still shows few new.

qbrozen

iluvmysephia1 said:

What is up with the pedals? Is that an automatic? Or is the skate wheel the gas pedal? Good luck fitting a human foot in there!

Bugs me (pun not totally intentional) that they drilled holes for the roof rack.

stickguy

I couldn't tell about the pedals either. thought it might be one of those awful semi automatics.

I actually like a Baja bug more than a plain one.

stickguy

au1994 said:

stickguy said:

Ford definitely wishes they could build more units and make more money. They easily could have moved double the number of mavericks. Probably many more.

I’m beginning to see more Mavericks in the wild. Probably 6 in the past week and 2 were in commercial trim.

I saw one near my house Saturday, stopped at a light as I was making a turn. we checked each other out. some old guy of course! His was a cyber orange (AKA school bus yellow) first edition with all the blackout graphics. Made a much different statement than my subdued gray one.

sda

stickguy said:

I couldn't tell about the pedals either. thought it might be one of those awful semi automatics.

I actually like a Baja bug more than a plain one.

A semi-automatic (Auto stick) had a single brake pedal and no clutch pedal. Shifting was done by lifting off the accelerator pedal and moving the shift lever slightly to select the next gear then resuming accelerating. There was some type of electrical switch incorporated in the shift lever that signaled shifts to the transmission. It was a finicky set up. A good friend's grandmother gave him her 68 Beetle Auto-Stick. I had a lot of seat time and fun in that car.

stickguy

I know how it works. I just meant I could not tell how many pedals that car had.

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

@tjc78 said:

It amazes me the manufacturers are still in this mess. Most every other industry has recovered in some way.

Call me cynical, but maybe they want the mess to continue? The dealers are grossing far more on every deal, have likely laid off a lot of sales staff due to the lower volume, and I’m assuming the manufacturers are paying out a lot less in CSI bonuses because the customers who are able to get a new car tend to be less happy with the dealer experience. Plus, to the extent they can get parts to build new cars, the manufacturers can tweak their production to build mostly higher end and more profitable trim levels, since they are selling all they can build, and don’t have to offer incentives.

Don't forget, another way the dealerships are cleaning up is not paying "floor plan" interest. Cars are being sold when they hit the lot (or before).

Had this exact conversation with a friend this weekend. This is the new way to buy cars. No floor plan for the dealers. Just a few demo cars. Order it. Wait for it to be built. Pay MSRP. Take delivery.

It may take 2-3 years for the transition, but it’s starting now.

sda

stickguy said:

I know how it works. I just meant I could not tell how many pedals that car had.

That's cool. The Auto-Stick was fairly unique and thought others who weren't familiar might like to know how it worked.

tjc78

My mom had an auto-stick Beetle with A/C. She loved that car.

tjc78

@stickguy said:
Ford definitely wishes they could build more units and make more money. They easily could have moved double the number of mavericks. Probably many more.

This. I don’t believe any of the manufacturers are happy with the current situation. Dealers may be but the manufacturers will get what they want in the end. I firmly believe we will see lots packed again with cars….

graphicguy

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a39969206/2023-nissan-z-drive/

Boy, is this tempting.

Must. Not. Test. Drive. I. Just. Bought. A. Car. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iluvmysephia1

My mom had an auto-stick Beetle with A/C. She loved that car.

tjc78 - air conditioning nonetheless! This one doesn't have it but maybe he'll leave the fan under the dash for me.

carnaught

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

@tjc78 said:

It amazes me the manufacturers are still in this mess. Most every other industry has recovered in some way.

Call me cynical, but maybe they want the mess to continue? The dealers are grossing far more on every deal, have likely laid off a lot of sales staff due to the lower volume, and I’m assuming the manufacturers are paying out a lot less in CSI bonuses because the customers who are able to get a new car tend to be less happy with the dealer experience. Plus, to the extent they can get parts to build new cars, the manufacturers can tweak their production to build mostly higher end and more profitable trim levels, since they are selling all they can build, and don’t have to offer incentives.

Don't forget, another way the dealerships are cleaning up is not paying "floor plan" interest. Cars are being sold when they hit the lot (or before).

Had this exact conversation with a friend this weekend. This is the new way to buy cars. No floor plan for the dealers. Just a few demo cars. Order it. Wait for it to be built. Pay MSRP. Take delivery.

It may take 2-3 years for the transition, but it’s starting now.


Not to mention obscene mop ‘n glows and ADM’s.

iluvmysephia1

A semi-automatic (Auto stick) had a single brake pedal and no clutch pedal. Shifting was done by lifting off the accelerator pedal and moving the shift lever slightly to select the next gear then resuming accelerating. There was some type of electrical switch incorporated in the shift lever that signaled shifts to the transmission. It was a finicky set up. A good friend's grandmother gave him her 68 Beetle Auto-Stick. I had a lot of seat time and fun in that car.

Yeah, you're describing the setup when the car has an autostick. This one is a standard transmission because it does have a clutch pedal. Having said that, that is one weird gas pedal. If I pursue this further I will get to stomp on that very circular ghastly (and now gasoline is really ghastly, cost anyway) pedal with my own set of Adidas.

Michaell

My wife had one of those semi-automatic Beetles.

My folks bought be a ‘65 Baja Bug when I was in HS, for $1500. Damn thing left me stranded quite a number of times.

My sister inherited it, and my dad and uncle converted it to a 12 volt system. No more problems!

iluvmysephia1

My sister inherited it, and my dad and uncle converted it to a 12 volt system. No more problems!

Hey, Michaell, how have ya been? Me, a long lost traveler, have returned home to Edmunds.com. I appreciate your post and I'm texting with the owner of the Baja Bug now. I'll ask if his has been converted to a 12-volt system.

He just told me the engine is strong. I have strong feelings everything in this pup is pretty strong.

ab348

graphicguy said:

Had this exact conversation with a friend this weekend. This is the new way to buy cars. No floor plan for the dealers. Just a few demo cars. Order it. Wait for it to be built. Pay MSRP. Take delivery.

It may take 2-3 years for the transition, but it’s starting now.

Sorry, not buying it.

iluvmysephia1

Hey, Michaell, how have ya been? Me, a long lost traveler, have returned home to Edmunds.com. I appreciate your post and I'm texting with the owner of the Baja Bug now. I'll ask if his has been converted to a 12-volt system.

He just told me the engine is strong. I have strong feelings everything in this pup is pretty strong.

The owner just texted back. His Baja Bug was converted to the 12-volt system and he says the engine is strong.

stickguy

I see a hybrid model continuing. Ford already was pushing reservation system for new stuff. Started with Bronco, now Maverick, Mach E, and lightning.

But still intended to have dealer inventory for spot sales. Just not as big.

Dealers might like having Ford maintain regional inventory holding lots to get quick access to units to sell. I’m sure ford prefers that dealers handle that expense! It always seemed very inefficient for every dealership to maintain a parking lot of new cars, then have to trade among themselves.

roadburner

@graphicguy said:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a39969206/2023-nissan-z-drive/

Boy, is this tempting.

Must. Not. Test. Drive. I. Just. Bought. A. Car. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was interested in the new Z as well, but I can only imagine the huge ADM stickers that will be slapped on them.