Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

au1994

tifighter said:

I like this.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3LEqJQE0/1996-ford-f-150-eddie-bauer-4x4

Dang! Talk about a unicorn. Reg cab Eddie Bauer is unusual enough but the 5spd 4wd has got to be extremely rare. Great color combo too.

nyccarguy

My Dad's 2018 Yukon (96,000 miles - ish) has had a check engine light on and off for the past 4,000 miles. He took it to Auto Zone and had the code read. Misfire in Cylinder #3. The injector needs to be replaced. As I have said last week, I think my indie mechanic is either in the hospital or dead. So he dropped his truck off at the dealership to see what the damage would be. The dealership said they need to replace all 8 spark plugs, then road test the truck, and see if the code still comes up. $854 to replace the spark plugs. He needs the truck tomorrow, so is paying for the diagnostic fee and will bring it back. Grrrr.

henryn

nyccarguy said:

My Dad's 2018 Yukon (96,000 miles - ish) has had a check engine light on and off for the past 4,000 miles. He took it to Auto Zone and had the code read. Misfire in Cylinder #3. The injector needs to be replaced. As I have said last week, I think my indie mechanic is either in the hospital or dead. So he dropped his truck off at the dealership to see what the damage would be. The dealership said they need to replace all 8 spark plugs, then road test the truck, and see if the code still comes up. $854 to replace the spark plugs. He needs the truck tomorrow, so is paying for the diagnostic fee and will bring it back. Grrrr.

You need to find another indie mechanic.

henryn

au1994 said:

tifighter said:

I like this.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3LEqJQE0/1996-ford-f-150-eddie-bauer-4x4

Dang! Talk about a unicorn. Reg cab Eddie Bauer is unusual enough but the 5spd 4wd has got to be extremely rare. Great color combo too.

I had a 1990 F150 that looked very similar to that particular truck. Mine wasn't Eddie Bauer, but it was the same color, and had the 5 speed. V8 instead of 6 cylinder, and super cab, but it did look a lot like those pictures.

henryn

I filled up the truck this morning, $4.89 for RUG at a Mobil station. The bottom line was $91.70, and if memory serves, that is the most I have ever paid for a tank of gasoline.

tjc78

@au1994 said:
Dang! Talk about a unicorn. Reg cab Eddie Bauer is unusual enough but the 5spd 4wd has got to be extremely rare. Great color combo too.

Beat me to it. The 300 and manual hubs on an Eddie is also rare. That had to have been special ordered.

stickguy

Next month I’m driving a UHaul with a load to the new house. By the end probably looking at about 30 gallons of RUG. That is going to hurt. Wonder if I can do it in one pour? Or will CC max out?

stickguy

I love that truck. Even has the indestructible L6.

greg128

stickguy said:

I love that truck. Even has the indestructible L6.

Years ago our business had 2 of them. A '92 and a '94 both with 5spd manual and the inline 6. They run forever. I knew the people we sold them to and they got many more years and miles out of them.
We also had a Chevy Astro that went 320K miles after we sold it.

I don't think we will see that kind of longevity in the new Ford ecoboost and GM AFM engines, or any of the new small turbo motors.

ab348

nyccarguy said:

What is amazing to me is how the car market has shifted since then. Those Diamond Star Triplets were EVERYWHERE. They made a flavor for everyone. FWD, AWD, Stick, Automatic, Naturally Aspirated, Turbo Charged... Eagle, Plymouth, & Mitsubishi

I remember seeing the Plymouth Laser version on the showroom floor of the local friendly Plymouth dealer, a mid-blue metallic, pretty loaded up. I don't remember the price but do recall it was out of my range at the time. I imagine buying it would have been a huge mistake, but I had a bad case of the lusts for a while.

corvette

henryn said:

nyccarguy said:

My Dad's 2018 Yukon (96,000 miles - ish) has had a check engine light on and off for the past 4,000 miles...

You need to find another indie mechanic.

Ditto, especially if you are still short on free time. If you did have the time, I think injector replacement on an LS engine is pretty straightforward.

qbrozen

My sister is pondering making a change because dealers are offering $18k for the Kia Soul she bought a couple years back for $15k. Of course, as you know, the challenge is a replacement.

xwesx

jpp75 said:

kyfdx said:

4-6 weeks for a title in KY.

That was more the norm in Colorado pre-Covid from what I remember. I'm hopeful the Rivian title arrives a little sooner than 3 months but we'll see.

That just seems nuts to me. The hardest part here is just fitting the DMV appointment in to my schedule. Once done, I go in, wait five to ten minutes, spend five minutes at the counter, and walk out with a title (if I don't have a lien), registration/tags, and plates. Simple.

Michaell

xwesx said:

jpp75 said:

kyfdx said:

4-6 weeks for a title in KY.

That was more the norm in Colorado pre-Covid from what I remember. I'm hopeful the Rivian title arrives a little sooner than 3 months but we'll see.

That just seems nuts to me. The hardest part here is just fitting the DMV appointment in to my schedule. Once done, I go in, wait five to ten minutes, spend five minutes at the counter, and walk out with a title (if I don't have a lien), registration/tags, and plates. Simple.

I would think that the volume of business at the Alaska DMV offices is a fraction of that in Colorado.

xwesx

ab348 said:

They did some Camry assembly under contract from Toyota until 2016 when that was phased out. Just Subie products coming out of there now.

Yes, they built the plant thinking ahead, and, by the mid 00's, their numbers still weren't where they wanted them, so they leased space to Toyota for Camrys. Then 2009 happened, and they've never looked back. They were chomping at the bit to get Toyota out of there so they could expand capacity. I think they even added (or are adding) more space.

ronsteve

@xwesx said:
Yes, they built the plant thinking ahead, and, by the mid 00's, their numbers still weren't where they wanted them, so they leased space to Toyota for Camrys. Then 2009 happened, and they've never looked back. They were chomping at the bit to get Toyota out of there so they could expand capacity. I think they even added (or are adding) more space.

I was thinking 2010 when the Outback became more SUV than wagon, is when everything changed.

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

My Dad's 2018 Yukon (96,000 miles - ish) has had a check engine light on and off for the past 4,000 miles. He took it to Auto Zone and had the code read. Misfire in Cylinder #3. The injector needs to be replaced. As I have said last week, I think my indie mechanic is either in the hospital or dead. So he dropped his truck off at the dealership to see what the damage would be. The dealership said they need to replace all 8 spark plugs, then road test the truck, and see if the code still comes up. $854 to replace the spark plugs. He needs the truck tomorrow, so is paying for the diagnostic fee and will bring it back. Grrrr.

Why don’t you just switch injectors/plug between two different pistons and see if the misfire moves? My kid’s car had a cyl. misfire code and it turned out to be a bad valve. Throwing parts at a problem is never cheap.

jmonroe1

@oldfarmer50 said:
Why don’t you just switch injectors/plug between two different pistons and see if the misfire moves? My kid’s car had a cyl. misfire code and it turned out to be a bad valve. Throwing parts at a problem is never cheap.

————————————————
BUT it is what a lot of dealers try because most owners don’t know much more about their cars than finding the wiper knob and where the gas cap is. Unfortunately, some don’t even know that.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

tifighter said:

I like this.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3LEqJQE0/1996-ford-f-150-eddie-bauer-4x4

I had an ‘85 with the old 5.0L. You can probably get 200k miles out of that truck. I bet it ends up selling for more than it’s original sticker of $21,000.

cdnpinhead

nyccarguy said:

Very interesting about the 1st Gen TSX. While they are widely known for their old school honda performance and durability and availability of a 6-speed manual (currently driven by our very own @cdnpinhead ), I'm not sure if the value has caught up to the coupes of the era (Prelude, Integra, Civic Si).

Thanks for remembering. The car is up to 188K miles and actually required some non-routine maintenance recently. Late last summer I started hearing a low rumble from the right rear which I wrote off to tire wear noise, but when it continued after I put on the winter tires, I was pretty sure it was a wheel bearing -- road speed dependent, not engine speed. Anyway, it wasn't too bad, and it's awkward to schedule maintenance at the indy I use for these things, in among my visits down to the valley from up here.

I finally got it fixed a few weeks ago, and it was definitely the bearing. Apparently there's a hub assembly involved, so replacing the bearing isn't the old-school deal of driving or pressing the bearing off the spindle and out of the hub, so it was done more quickly than I expected. However, the part was $345. The car deserves some expensive work from time to time at this point in its life, much like its owner. Still gets over 30 mpg (year-to-date actual pump/odometer numbers, 8.5% lower than the "trip computer" fiction). Wonderful car, but at least it looks like Honda has a decent replacement if it gets totaled somehow.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

My Dad's 2018 Yukon (96,000 miles - ish) has had a check engine light on and off for the past 4,000 miles. He took it to Auto Zone and had the code read. Misfire in Cylinder #3. The injector needs to be replaced. As I have said last week, I think my indie mechanic is either in the hospital or dead. So he dropped his truck off at the dealership to see what the damage would be. The dealership said they need to replace all 8 spark plugs, then road test the truck, and see if the code still comes up. $854 to replace the spark plugs. He needs the truck tomorrow, so is paying for the diagnostic fee and will bring it back. Grrrr.

Why don’t you just switch injectors/plug between two different pistons and see if the misfire moves? My kid’s car had a cyl. misfire code and it turned out to be a bad valve. Throwing parts at a problem is never cheap.

Routine maintenance on the Chevy 5.3 used to call for spark plugs at 100k miles anyway, so with 96k why not just replace the plugs? You or any half-competent shade tree mechanic should be able to replace the plugs in a couple of hours. I've never done injectors on that engine, but my understanding is they're fairly easy as well, and you usually only replace the one on the cylinder showing the misfire.

xwesx

ronsteve said:

I was thinking 2010 when the Outback became more SUV than wagon, is when everything changed.

Well, 2009, with the Forester, was the beginning of Subaru's change of fortunes. Their later improvements to the Outback certainly continued that trend and were what prompted them to need the extra capacity in Indiana (Forester and Impreza were imported). Forester was their best-selling model and beat its own sales records for many years starting in with the 2009 model year.

xwesx

Michaell said:

I would think that the volume of business at the Alaska DMV offices is a fraction of that in Colorado.

Maybe, but we also have very few offices. Hahaha Our DMV offices are always a zoo.... or were, before they wised up and went exclusively with an appointment process rather than 99% walk-in.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

tjc78 said:

@nyccarguy said:

What is amazing to me is how the car market has shifted since then. Those Diamond Star Triplets were EVERYWHERE. They made a flavor for everyone. FWD, AWD, Stick, Automatic, Naturally Aspirated, Turbo Charged... Eagle, Plymouth, & Mitsubishi

Different times. People still liked cars then. I’m too lazy to look it up but SUVs and trucks must make up well over 75% of the market now. Back then it was probably much less

So true. Just like today where every car company has different flavors of SUVs or (I really hate this term) Crossovers, back then manufacturers had different coupes.

A guy on an automotive blog I follow calls them "Comb overs."

graphicguy

nyccarguy said:

Just built an Integra A-Spec 6MT on the Acura website and it comes out to $37,395 including destination. I then priced out a WRX Premium for $34,975. Styling aside, the WRX has got to slaughter the Integra in every single performance metric.

True. But, material quality, NVH, build quality are all worlds better in the Integra. In fairness, it’s probably been 3 years since I’ve been in a WRX, and the updates since then may have addressed those shortcomings. Perhaps my posterior is getting too soft, but the WRX felt crude, and I’m being kind.

tifighter

stickguy said:

I love that truck. Even has the indestructible L6.

Yeah, had I not just done the Montero thing, I'd be sorely tempted.

ronsteve

xwesx said:

ronsteve said:

I was thinking 2010 when the Outback became more SUV than wagon, is when everything changed.

Well, 2009, with the Forester, was the beginning of Subaru's change of fortunes. Their later improvements to the Outback certainly continued that trend and were what prompted them to need the extra capacity in Indiana (Forester and Impreza were imported). Forester was their best-selling model and beat its own sales records for many years starting in with the 2009 model year.

Not sure I'd call the 4th gen Outback an "improvement" but it sure did sell.

That being said, the Outback is probably the most wagon-ish of the crop of SUVs (or crossovers if you insist, but hardly anything is body-on-frame to meet the classic definition of SUV) and I do like the XT. If there were any on the ground locally last month when my trade value was sky-high, I'd probably be driving one right now.

stickguy

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

Just built an Integra A-Spec 6MT on the Acura website and it comes out to $37,395 including destination. I then priced out a WRX Premium for $34,975. Styling aside, the WRX has got to slaughter the Integra in every single performance metric.

True. But, material quality, NVH, build quality are all worlds better in the Integra. In fairness, it’s probably been 3 years since I’ve been in a WRX, and the updates since then may have addressed those shortcomings. Perhaps my posterior is getting too soft, but the WRX felt crude, and I’m being kind.

A few years ago, before I got the Elantra sport, I test drove a WRX and Jetta GLI back to back. That was my impression of the WRX. like driving a tractor.

kyfdx

I had an '08 Impreza. Naturally, not the power of the WRX. But, I hated it.

au1994

kyfdx said:

I had an '08 Impreza. Naturally, not the power of the WRX. But, I hated it.

Yeah but you got a heck of a deal on it if I recall

henryn

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

I would think that the volume of business at the Alaska DMV offices is a fraction of that in Colorado.

Maybe, but we also have very few offices. Hahaha Our DMV offices are always a zoo.... or were, before they wised up and went exclusively with an appointment process rather than 99% walk-in.

Going back 20 years, I can remember waiting in line for hours at the tax office to register a newly purchased used vehicle. This was in Harris County, Houston. Then I moved out to the country, Austin County. There were 19,000 people in the entire county, and the tax office was so unbusy the ladies working there would engage you in conversation just to relieve the boredom.

Now I'm back in Houston, and last year when I had to transfer the title on this used pickup, I dreaded the trip to the tax office. But in actuality, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. The line was fairly short, only took about 30 minutes in and out.

The state of Texas used to take about 2 months to send you the title, but that's now down to about 1 month, so not too bad. If you purchase from a dealer, it can take 4 to 6 weeks to get the plates, and 2 months or longer to get the actual paper title. But that's actually the fault of the dealer. You get the plates as soon as the file the paperwork at the tax office, so the further delay is because the dealers stall around for weeks before they send someone to the tax office. And even when the dealer has the new plates in hand, they may not notify you immediately.

I have observed that car dealerships can be very lax about any of their business practices which do not show a direct profit.

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

I had an '08 Impreza. Naturally, not the power of the WRX. But, I hated it.

The one glaring thing that I really hated on my 2015 Legacy was the lackluster acceleration. I would think Subaru has engineered some of the WRX's inherent crudeness with this current new generation. That's something I'd only be able to decipher on a thorough test drive. My benchmark for ride crudeness would be my Tacoma on the rough side and our Highlander on the smooth side (with the Wrangler 4Xe a very close second).

@qbrozen - I know you have the previous generation, but what are your thoughts on your WRX? How many miles do you have on it?

jpp75

dad23 said:

Since it's local to you, are you able to do any type of inspection if you wanted to bid on it?

I probably could but right now I'm not a serious bidder, just intrigued.

laurasdada

Big fan of Mitsu, family owned a few: Parents had a Gallant, a couple of Diamantes. I had the '85 Mirage Turbo. Always wanted one of the DiamondStar triplets and I almost bought a Starion post-Mirage. But, being an avid skier at the time, FWD practicality ruled and I bought '88 Acura Integra instead.
Heartbreaking in what Mitsu has become, almost as much as the late, lamented Saab.

Michaell

I took a cursory look at the Diamante, before I picked up the '03 Saturn L300.

kyfdx

au1994 said:

kyfdx said:

I had an '08 Impreza. Naturally, not the power of the WRX. But, I hated it.

Yeah but you got a heck of a deal on it if I recall

It was a cheap two year lease. But, I was still sorry.

ab348

stickguy said:

graphicguy said:

nyccarguy said:

Just built an Integra A-Spec 6MT on the Acura website and it comes out to $37,395 including destination. I then priced out a WRX Premium for $34,975. Styling aside, the WRX has got to slaughter the Integra in every single performance metric.

True. But, material quality, NVH, build quality are all worlds better in the Integra. In fairness, it’s probably been 3 years since I’ve been in a WRX, and the updates since then may have addressed those shortcomings. Perhaps my posterior is getting too soft, but the WRX felt crude, and I’m being kind.

A few years ago, before I got the Elantra sport, I test drove a WRX and Jetta GLI back to back. That was my impression of the WRX. like driving a tractor.

That's the same analogy I was going to use.

qbrozen

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen - I know you have the previous generation, but what are your thoughts on your WRX? How many miles do you have on it?

Just over 1k on it now. It is pretty much what I was looking for. The handling is outstanding. Still not a fan of the clutch, even after removing the helper spring. It is a very fun car. Anything negative is a result of me being older now. More comfort, nicer interior, a quick-shifting auto (I know! I know!) would be welcome.

Ideal car? Handle like the WRX, comfort of the Volvo, Volvo's T6 paired to a ZF 8-sp, under 3500 lb.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen - I know you have the previous generation, but what are your thoughts on your WRX? How many miles do you have on it?

Just over 1k on it now. It is pretty much what I was looking for. The handling is outstanding. Still not a fan of the clutch, even after removing the helper spring. It is a very fun car. Anything negative is a result of me being older now. More comfort, nicer interior, a quick-shifting auto (I know! I know!) would be welcome.

Ideal car? Handle like the WRX, comfort of the Volvo, Volvo's T6 paired to a ZF 8-sp, under 3500 lb.

Right? If you were 25 or 30, it would be perfect!

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
Just over 1k on it now. It is pretty much what I was looking for. The handling is outstanding. Still not a fan of the clutch, even after removing the helper spring. It is a very fun car. Anything negative is a result of me being older now. More comfort, nicer interior, a quick-shifting auto (I know! I know!) would be welcome.

Ideal car? Handle like the WRX, comfort of the Volvo, Volvo's T6 paired to a ZF 8-sp, under 3500 lb.

I absolutely love the T6 configuration. You would never know it’s a 4cyl.

xwesx

ronsteve said:

Not sure I'd call the 4th gen Outback an "improvement" but it sure did sell.

That being said, the Outback is probably the most wagon-ish of the crop of SUVs (or crossovers if you insist, but hardly anything is body-on-frame to meet the classic definition of SUV) and I do like the XT. If there were any on the ground locally last month when my trade value was sky-high, I'd probably be driving one right now.

I completely agree about that! I hated the 4th gen Outback. It lost 99% of its prior character with that generation and was straight up ugly on top of it. However, passenger space was vastly improved, and that was the hook for the majority of buyers. However, the third gen Forester, starting in 2009 MY, was almost all improvement (aside from the loss of a manual with the XT), and it shot Subaru to stardom at a time when all other manufacturers were suffering a significant contraction of sales, restructuring, etc.

xwesx

henryn said:

that's actually the fault of the dealer. You get the plates as soon as the file the paperwork at the tax office, so the further delay is because the dealers stall around for weeks before they send someone to the tax office. And even when the dealer has the new plates in hand, they may not notify you immediately.

I have observed that car dealerships can be very lax about any of their business practices which do not show a direct profit.

AMEN!

nyccarguy

xwesx said:

ronsteve said:

Not sure I'd call the 4th gen Outback an "improvement" but it sure did sell.

That being said, the Outback is probably the most wagon-ish of the crop of SUVs (or crossovers if you insist, but hardly anything is body-on-frame to meet the classic definition of SUV) and I do like the XT. If there were any on the ground locally last month when my trade value was sky-high, I'd probably be driving one right now.

I completely agree about that! I hated the 4th gen Outback. It lost 99% of its prior character with that generation and was straight up ugly on top of it. However, passenger space was vastly improved, and that was the hook for the majority of buyers. However, the third gen Forester, starting in 2009 MY, was almost all improvement (aside from the loss of a manual with the XT), and it shot Subaru to stardom at a time when all other manufacturers were suffering a significant contraction of sales, restructuring, etc.

I saw one of those Outback Wilderness Editions last night. Jacked up, skinny tires, lots of cladding... not my cup of tea

au1994

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:

ronsteve said:

Not sure I'd call the 4th gen Outback an "improvement" but it sure did sell.

That being said, the Outback is probably the most wagon-ish of the crop of SUVs (or crossovers if you insist, but hardly anything is body-on-frame to meet the classic definition of SUV) and I do like the XT. If there were any on the ground locally last month when my trade value was sky-high, I'd probably be driving one right now.

I completely agree about that! I hated the 4th gen Outback. It lost 99% of its prior character with that generation and was straight up ugly on top of it. However, passenger space was vastly improved, and that was the hook for the majority of buyers. However, the third gen Forester, starting in 2009 MY, was almost all improvement (aside from the loss of a manual with the XT), and it shot Subaru to stardom at a time when all other manufacturers were suffering a significant contraction of sales, restructuring, etc.

I saw one of those Outback Wilderness Editions last night. Jacked up, skinny tires, lots of cladding... not my cup of tea

Yeah, its…interesting and I’ll leave it at that.

Subaru does a lot right for the money. The Forester really seems to hit the bang for the buck very well if the size works for you. I too was disappointed that the Legacy couldn’t get something with more get up and go. Its a nice looking sedan.

Michaell

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:

ronsteve said:

Not sure I'd call the 4th gen Outback an "improvement" but it sure did sell.

That being said, the Outback is probably the most wagon-ish of the crop of SUVs (or crossovers if you insist, but hardly anything is body-on-frame to meet the classic definition of SUV) and I do like the XT. If there were any on the ground locally last month when my trade value was sky-high, I'd probably be driving one right now.

I completely agree about that! I hated the 4th gen Outback. It lost 99% of its prior character with that generation and was straight up ugly on top of it. However, passenger space was vastly improved, and that was the hook for the majority of buyers. However, the third gen Forester, starting in 2009 MY, was almost all improvement (aside from the loss of a manual with the XT), and it shot Subaru to stardom at a time when all other manufacturers were suffering a significant contraction of sales, restructuring, etc.

I saw one of those Outback Wilderness Editions last night. Jacked up, skinny tires, lots of cladding... not my cup of tea

Yeah, I struggle with the awkwardness of the profile. Mine is completely stock.

qbrozen

Seriously pondering bidding on another Gloria while the first one is still 9 days from port. I see a '94 white one with good report, 40k miles, and the VG30 mill. I feel like the dealer market has not caught on to these yet, especially considering what the 2.0 with far more miles just did at C&B.

tjc78

It’s only money

qbrozen

I bid on 2 last night. Not Gloria but bid on a Nissan Rasheen and a Mitsu Delica. I was short by $400 on each, so at least I know I'm in the neighborhood. Today, I've put in numbers on that Gloria and on a Daihatsu Atrai Van. Yeah, that 2nd one is an oddity, but it is a kind of rare AWD/AC/automatic model and only 40k'ish miles. I'm throwing $900 at it. I figure, worst case, that will be our Myrtle Beach golf cart. lol.

explorerx4

I just watched a Ben Hardy review of the R1T, He said resale prices were around 120k on the low end.

tjc78

“ I figure, worst case, that will be our Myrtle Beach golf cart”

Please don’t say golf cart. Wife is hot on one for the shore. I’m trying to hold out this year. Of course the neighbor just got a beautiful new red on black six seat Icon…. Not helping the cause at all