Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

[Deleted User]

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

dad23 said:

We acquired another vehicle yesterday, mini-punch I guess. The car the boys have been working on with my Dad is now ours. It definitely needs some work, but we're in the process of making a list now.

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Good luck with whipping that Mustang into shape.

However, you better take that pic down. Given the age of that car and with only a little bit of rust showing, @oldfarmer50 will be salivating.

jmonroe

I wouldn’t mind having a fully restored Mustang as a collector’s item but I’m not so sure they make good daily drivers. Several years ago I got to drive a friend’s 66’ GT Mustang and it was something of a disappointment. Ride, handling, comfort feature were all primitive compared with anything available now.

Agree with you there for sure! No power steering, no AC and I'm cramped with the seat all the way back, but it's not for me, I'm here for moral monetary support.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

dad23 said:

We acquired another vehicle yesterday, mini-punch I guess. The car the boys have been working on with my Dad is now ours. It definitely needs some work, but we're in the process of making a list now.

———————————————
Good luck with whipping that Mustang into shape.

However, you better take that pic down. Given the age of that car and with only a little bit of rust showing, @oldfarmer50 will be salivating.

jmonroe

I wouldn’t mind having a fully restored Mustang as a collector’s item but I’m not so sure they make good daily drivers. Several years ago I got to drive a friend’s 66’ GT Mustang and it was something of a disappointment. Ride, handling, comfort feature were all primitive compared with anything available now.

I'd have to agree with you on that one. But I don't think anyone owns a 50 year old car for the driving experience, it's kinda like owning a work of art.

And, of course, you will look very cool driving around in it!

Michaell

My sisters new ride; she loved the bow:

ab348

Do the dealers retrieve the giant bow before leaving the residence?

jmonroe1

dad23 said:

qbrozen said:

@dad23 , if a labor of love, more power to ya. If value is a concern, be careful. The I6 auto hardtop is the bottom of the barrel and will never command much dough. Almost never worth restoring from a monetary perspective. Bodywork and paint alone can exceed its value. One of those vehicles that can actually be more valuable as a restomod. So v8 away if you wish!

Thanks Q! I think for now, it's just a matter of getting it street worthy, something for me and the boys to continue working on with my Dad, ony at our place now. I don't think we'll ever see it on Barrett Jackson.

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Quitter.

jmonroe

stickguy

Now that car I could probably sell my wife on!

laurasdada

Had a dentist appt. last night in the old 'hood, so after I cruised the Automile. Went to BMW to look at/drive a '20 430xi convertible, blue over beige. I didn't see it anywhere, but knew they had underground storage. Salesman said he'd retrieve it, but as I expected (as why wouldn't a convertible be displayed!), it sold Saturday. He said they basically fly off the lot.
No worries, discretionary purchase and I'm 'vert shopping in August. I'm not bright.

tifighter

stickguy said:

Ti, what are the details on that BMW? I lost track of what everybody was chasing!

This one right here.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

Do the dealers retrieve the giant bow before leaving the residence?

In my experience, they do.

qbrozen

@dad23 said:
Agree with you there for sure! No power steering, no AC and I'm cramped with the seat all the way back, but it's not for me, I'm here for moral monetary support.

I actually find the rack and pinion on that platform quite good and surprisingly easy to turn, especially with the small engine up front. As for AC, the aftermarket solutions aren’t terribly pricey.

stickguy

Very sharp. I could live with that, though the super skinny sidewalls give me agita.

au1994

A 66 Mustang convertible was my first car. It had power steering but manual drum brakes. 289 2bbl with the automatic. I’m short so the seating position wasn’t a problem. The steering was a little, ok a lot, loose despite replacing tie rods, bushings etc. Drum brakes were a little spooky as the driver front liked to grab and that taught a teenager a thing or 2 about driving!

The no emissions choked V8 was awesome. Sometimes I wondered what my parents were thinking. I know the 289 isn’t the most celebrated Ford V8 but good enough for Carroll Shelby, good enough for me. My 1st set of rear tires lasted 3 months. That was a fun conversation with Dad.

nyccarguy

@Sandman6472 - Which Audi Dealer do you bring your wife's car to? Audi of Coral Springs?

ab348

au1994 said:

A 66 Mustang convertible was my first car. It had power steering but manual drum brakes. 289 2bbl with the automatic. I’m short so the seating position wasn’t a problem. The steering was a little, ok a lot, loose despite replacing tie rods, bushings etc. Drum brakes were a little spooky as the driver front liked to grab and that taught a teenager a thing or 2 about driving!

Our '74 Maverick, on the same chassis, was exactly the same. Steering got very squirrelly over about 50mph and the brakes, which weren't great to start with, intermittently dove to the left when applied, such fun. That old Falcon platform was awful if you didn't get a perfect one, and few were.

sda

ab348 said:

au1994 said:

A 66 Mustang convertible was my first car. It had power steering but manual drum brakes. 289 2bbl with the automatic. I’m short so the seating position wasn’t a problem. The steering was a little, ok a lot, loose despite replacing tie rods, bushings etc. Drum brakes were a little spooky as the driver front liked to grab and that taught a teenager a thing or 2 about driving!

Our '74 Maverick, on the same chassis, was exactly the same. Steering got very squirrelly over about 50mph and the brakes, which weren't great to start with, intermittently dove to the left when applied, such fun. That old Falcon platform was awful if you didn't get a perfect one, and few were.

And Ford continued to use it on the Granada/Monarch/Versailles! I drove all three and while comfortable and quiet they gave me a pucker factor trying to keep them between the lines. Forget having fun on curvy roads.

oldfarmer50

dad23 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

dad23 said:

We acquired another vehicle yesterday, mini-punch I guess. The car the boys have been working on with my Dad is now ours. It definitely needs some work, but we're in the process of making a list now.

———————————————
Good luck with whipping that Mustang into shape.

However, you better take that pic down. Given the age of that car and with only a little bit of rust showing, @oldfarmer50 will be salivating.

jmonroe

I wouldn’t mind having a fully restored Mustang as a collector’s item but I’m not so sure they make good daily drivers. Several years ago I got to drive a friend’s 66’ GT Mustang and it was something of a disappointment. Ride, handling, comfort feature were all primitive compared with anything available now.

Agree with you there for sure! No power steering, no AC and I'm cramped with the seat all the way back, but it's not for me, I'm here for moral monetary support.

That definitely could be a fun project and a great learning experience. Who cares if it’s a 6 cyl. It’ll be a great Sunday cruiser.

oldfarmer50

laurasdada said:

Had a dentist appt. last night in the old 'hood, so after I cruised the Automile. Went to BMW to look at/drive a '20 430xi convertible, blue over beige. I didn't see it anywhere, but knew they had underground storage. Salesman said he'd retrieve it, but as I expected (as why wouldn't a convertible be displayed!), it sold Saturday. He said they basically fly off the lot.
No worries, discretionary purchase and I'm 'vert shopping in August. I'm not bright.

As stickguy mentioned, August-September could be the best time to shop.

Sandman6472

She bought it at Coral Springs Audi and has had most of the work done there though she had Ft. Lauderdale Audi replace her first battery under warranty and some other work but I can't remember. She works in Ft. Lauderdale 8 days each month for this guy that has an accounting business, so it's been pretty easy to drop it off at Ft. Lauderdale Audi. We're lucky in that Coral Springs Audi is at one of the entrances to our development where our house is. Could walk there if I had to as it's that close. But doubt I ever would as I know my bad spine would give out way before I got there.

explorerx4

I took a drive by of this F150 today.
Didn't like the blue color, so I didn't stop to take a close look.
It was one of the few I could find that met my minimum criteria.
Super crew 4x4, sliding rear window, 36 gallon tank, locking rear axle, tailgate step, heated seats.
https://www.mikebassford.net/inventory/new-2022-ford-f-150-xlt-4x4-supercrew®-1ftfw1e58nfa64519/
They did have 26 Ecosports! Yikes.

sda

explorerx4 said:

I took a drive by of this F150 today.
Didn't like the blue color, so I didn't stop to take a close look.
It was one of the few I could find that met my minimum criteria.
Super crew 4x4, sliding rear window, 36 gallon tank, locking rear axle, tailgate step, heated seats.
https://www.mikebassford.net/inventory/new-2022-ford-f-150-xlt-4x4-supercrew®-1ftfw1e58nfa64519/
They did have 26 Ecosports! Yikes.

Good grief, $62k and no leather, sunroof, nicely equipped but fairly basic.

explorerx4

@sda,
Didn't want the pano roof and ok with cloth, but yes eye watering MSRP.

qbrozen

either I have way higher tolerance or my Zephyr was an exception to the rule. That's the car I drove through 3 states at triple-digit speeds (well, I assume triple digits, or close to it, since the 85-mph speedo topped out around 4 o'clock and I had the needle pinned at 6 o'clock). Never once did it feel unstable to me.

Now, granted, mine was on the Fox platform, which was an update to the Falcon platform, but I don't know by how much. I can tell you that many parts (including the entire drivetrain) were a direct swap from that '79 Zephyr to our '66 Stang.

qbrozen

My signature just keeps getting longer. Need to make some sales!

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

My signature just keeps getting longer. Need to make some sales!

Well, you missed your chance to rent Hoovie’s building for your car dealership.

ab348

qbrozen said:

either I have way higher tolerance or my Zephyr was an exception to the rule. That's the car I drove through 3 states at triple-digit speeds (well, I assume triple digits, or close to it, since the 85-mph speedo topped out around 4 o'clock and I had the needle pinned at 6 o'clock). Never once did it feel unstable to me.

Now, granted, mine was on the Fox platform, which was an update to the Falcon platform, but I don't know by how much. I can tell you that many parts (including the entire drivetrain) were a direct swap from that '79 Zephyr to our '66 Stang.

About the only thing shared between the Falcon platform and the all-new Zephyr Fox platform was the engine/transmission (which remained pretty antediluvian). Suspension, steering and brakes were all late-70s high-tech, i.e. rack and pinion with front discs, MacPherson struts up front and 4-link coil spring rear. It was like going from a horse cart to a go-kart.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

either I have way higher tolerance or my Zephyr was an exception to the rule. That's the car I drove through 3 states at triple-digit speeds (well, I assume triple digits, or close to it, since the 85-mph speedo topped out around 4 o'clock and I had the needle pinned at 6 o'clock). Never once did it feel unstable to me.

Now, granted, mine was on the Fox platform, which was an update to the Falcon platform, but I don't know by how much. I can tell you that many parts (including the entire drivetrain) were a direct swap from that '79 Zephyr to our '66 Stang.

'79 Zephyr at triple digits? Seems doubtful.

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
'79 Zephyr at triple digits? Seems doubtful.

I got a 79 Continental to 105 in my young and stupider days. I was following my nutty friend in his 92 Grand Prix GTP. He was surprised I kept with him.

Engine was so clapped out it looked like fog machine out the back.

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

@kyfdx said:

'79 Zephyr at triple digits? Seems doubtful.

I got a 79 Continental to 105 in my young and stupider days. I was following my nutty friend in his 92 Grand Prix GTP. He was surprised I kept with him.

Engine was so clapped out it looked like fog machine out the back.

'77 Cobra II with a 302 V-8 topped out at 108. But, a 4-speed, so it might have had a little more legs with an automatic (or not). It had the world's tiniest 2-bbl carb.

kyfdx

My mother's '72 Lincoln would bury the 120 mph speedometer.

tjc78

Big difference between that 72 with the 460 and the incredibly anemic 400 (351M) in my 79. Even with no cats and advanced timing it was still pretty darn slow.

stickguy

Must have been spooky at that speed considering soft suspension, numb steering, iffy brakes and quiet ride tires!

tjc78

I really don’t remember. Pretty sure this was on the AC Expressway so pretty smooth and straight. As bad a shape as that car was in the front suspension was all brand new including the bushings. It was as good as new in that area. Brakes were Hydroboost and honestly I thought they were better than my 89 Town Car I also had at the time.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Big difference between that 72 with the 460 and the incredibly anemic 400 (351M) in my 79. Even with no cats and advanced timing it was still pretty darn slow.

Considering the emissions clogged motors of the time it’s a wonder the car industry survived. Imagine a 75’ 454 Corvette with only 175hp. ?

mjfloyd1

@kyfdx said:
'77 Cobra II with a 302 V-8 topped out at 108. But, a 4-speed, so it might have had a little more legs with an automatic (or not). It had the world's tiniest 2-bbl carb.

I’m not sure that I’d admit that I had a Mustang II..🤣😂

tjc78

@oldfarmer50 said:
Considering the emissions clogged motors of the time it’s a wonder the car industry survived. Imagine a 75’ 454 Corvette with only 175hp. ?

Still had tons of torque 😎

There is certainly a reason why the mid 70s through late 80s is called the Malaise era.

qbrozen

@kyfdx said:
'79 Zephyr at triple digits? Seems doubtful.

Maybe. I had no way of knowing. Pedal buried on I95 from Baltimore to NJ. Speedometer had 45 at 12 o’clock, 55 at 1, 65 at 2, 75 at 3, and 85 at 4. Needle was at 6. Math says that’s 105. But, of course, that’s a gauge vs reality, so only a cop could have told me for sure, but one never showed up that day. I was 18 at the time, FYI.

nyccarguy

Last night on my way home I saw what I think was the 1st new Integra I've seen in the wild. It was a Black A-Spec Model. I liked the way it looks a lot more in the flesh than in press photos. At $37,395, I'd really have to like the WHOLE package it offers compared to a WRX (It is certainly prettier) and the Elantra N.

stickguy

I hope to see, and maybe drive, one in a couple of weeks when I take the RDX in for service. It sounds like something I would enjoy. Based on driving a prior gen model I wouldn’t consider a WRX though the AWD might come in handy up here!

The N, could be fun but I’d probably get just as much benefit from the N line (that what they Call the old sport trim version?).

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

I really don’t remember. Pretty sure this was on the AC Expressway so pretty smooth and straight. As bad a shape as that car was in the front suspension was all brand new including the bushings. It was as good as new in that area. Brakes were Hydroboost and honestly I thought they were better than my 89 Town Car I also had at the time.

———————————————
Since you mentioned the AC Expressway, back in the Summer of 1968 I had a ‘68 Old Delta 88 Custom Coupe with the 455 CID V8. As we’re cruising down the AC Expressway, Mrs. j fell asleep so I figured nows my chance to open it up a little. I gradually stepped on it so as not to wake her by a stomp that would have down shifted the car and got it up to 105 MPH. It held the road OK but it wasn’t build for that speed, so I chickened out before she woke up and let it drop back to 70 MPH. She woke up and said, “why are you going so slow?” I said, “I’m going 70, what’s wrong with that”? Her reply was, “I guess I was dreaming because I could have sworn we were going faster than that a little while ago.” I said, “go back to sleep. We’re almost there I’ll wake you when we get there”.

Even back then she didn’t listen when I said something. She stayed wide awake for the rest of the trip into AC. I guess it was fun while it lasted. Maybe I should have stayed on it a little longer.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:

either I have way higher tolerance or my Zephyr was an exception to the rule. That's the car I drove through 3 states at triple-digit speeds (well, I assume triple digits, or close to it, since the 85-mph speedo topped out around 4 o'clock and I had the needle pinned at 6 o'clock). Never once did it feel unstable to me.

Now, granted, mine was on the Fox platform, which was an update to the Falcon platform, but I don't know by how much. I can tell you that many parts (including the entire drivetrain) were a direct swap from that '79 Zephyr to our '66 Stang.

About the only thing shared between the Falcon platform and the all-new Zephyr Fox platform was the engine/transmission (which remained pretty antediluvian). Suspension, steering and brakes were all late-70s high-tech, i.e. rack and pinion with front discs, MacPherson struts up front and 4-link coil spring rear. It was like going from a horse cart to a go-kart.

————————————————-
antediluvian?

Are you trying to impress us with your vocabulary? Knock it off. I’ll admit it; I had to look that up.

jmonroe

ab348

Don't complain, now you know a new word!

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

Don't complain, now you know a new word!

————————————————
Sounds good but if I plug that one in I’ll probably push out a word I use every day.

Thanks anyway but I’ll sit on the hand I have now.

jmonroe

laurasdada

I had stopped by CarMax to check out a '19 white/beige 430xi vert, was ignored by all in the store so I just hopped in and started checking it out. Didn't have time for a test drive, thought I'd take Friday off and arrange a test drive. It's gone.
Vroom has a (local to me) black/brown '18 440xi vert, which disappeared for a bit, but is listed again. Perhaps a 7 day return? But, I went online to look for Vroom reviews, found some horrendous reviews on BBB, who has dropped their accreditation and gives them an "F." Most complaints were the same, Vroom not following through on producing title to allow registration to DMV; cars sitting in driveways not legal to put on the road. And, horrible/non-existent customer service.
There are two nearly identical white/coral red 430xi verts in my near area but, and forgive me those that feel otherwise, I just cannot bring myself to have a coral red interior.

au1994

laurasdada said:

I had stopped by CarMax to check out a '19 white/beige 430xi vert, was ignored by all in the store so I just hopped in and started checking it out. Didn't have time for a test drive, thought I'd take Friday off and arrange a test drive. It's gone.
Vroom has a (local to me) black/brown '18 440xi vert, which disappeared for a bit, but is listed again. Perhaps a 7 day return? But, I went online to look for Vroom reviews, found some horrendous reviews on BBB, who has dropped their accreditation and gives them an "F." Most complaints were the same, Vroom not following through on producing title to allow registration to DMV; cars sitting in driveways not legal to put on the road. And, horrible/non-existent customer service.
There are two nearly identical white/coral red 430xi verts in my near area but, and forgive me those that feel otherwise, I just cannot bring myself to have a coral red interior.

I think both Vroom and Carvana have had issues with titling and customer service. Looks like you really can’t snooze in this market or at least for convertibles.

Colors are so subjective. I’d never do black again. Every single scratch just sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Now watch the Mrs fall in love with a black something or other for her next ride.

I love white over coral red. Had a 335i sedan in that combo and it was so unique.

mjfloyd1

au1994 said:

laurasdada said:

I had stopped by CarMax to check out a '19 white/beige 430xi vert, was ignored by all in the store so I just hopped in and started checking it out. Didn't have time for a test drive, thought I'd take Friday off and arrange a test drive. It's gone.
Vroom has a (local to me) black/brown '18 440xi vert, which disappeared for a bit, but is listed again. Perhaps a 7 day return? But, I went online to look for Vroom reviews, found some horrendous reviews on BBB, who has dropped their accreditation and gives them an "F." Most complaints were the same, Vroom not following through on producing title to allow registration to DMV; cars sitting in driveways not legal to put on the road. And, horrible/non-existent customer service.
There are two nearly identical white/coral red 430xi verts in my near area but, and forgive me those that feel otherwise, I just cannot bring myself to have a coral red interior.

I think both Vroom and Carvana have had issues with titling and customer service. Looks like you really can’t snooze in this market or at least for convertibles.

Colors are so subjective. I’d never do black again. Every single scratch just sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Now watch the Mrs fall in love with a black something or other for her next ride.

I love white over coral red. Had a 335i sedan in that combo and it was so unique.

I said that I’d never have a black car again after my first, second, third and fourth black vehicles.. seriously. They do look so good for those fleeting three seconds after you wash them though.

mjfloyd1

laurasdada said:

I had stopped by CarMax to check out a '19 white/beige 430xi vert, was ignored by all in the store so I just hopped in and started checking it out. Didn't have time for a test drive, thought I'd take Friday off and arrange a test drive. It's gone.
Vroom has a (local to me) black/brown '18 440xi vert, which disappeared for a bit, but is listed again. Perhaps a 7 day return? But, I went online to look for Vroom reviews, found some horrendous reviews on BBB, who has dropped their accreditation and gives them an "F." Most complaints were the same, Vroom not following through on producing title to allow registration to DMV; cars sitting in driveways not legal to put on the road. And, horrible/non-existent customer service.
There are two nearly identical white/coral red 430xi verts in my near area but, and forgive me those that feel otherwise, I just cannot bring myself to have a coral red interior.

I had the same issue with driveway.com after trading the 2020 CRV for the 2022 hybrid CRV. It took over a month and a half to get the DMV paperwork and title. I just drove it anyway.

Thankfully the lady at the DMV was an idiot and put the date that the manufacturer certificate of origin was signed as the sale date so there was no penalty to be paid

henryn

jmonroe1 said:

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:

either I have way higher tolerance or my Zephyr was an exception to the rule. That's the car I drove through 3 states at triple-digit speeds (well, I assume triple digits, or close to it, since the 85-mph speedo topped out around 4 o'clock and I had the needle pinned at 6 o'clock). Never once did it feel unstable to me.

Now, granted, mine was on the Fox platform, which was an update to the Falcon platform, but I don't know by how much. I can tell you that many parts (including the entire drivetrain) were a direct swap from that '79 Zephyr to our '66 Stang.

About the only thing shared between the Falcon platform and the all-new Zephyr Fox platform was the engine/transmission (which remained pretty antediluvian). Suspension, steering and brakes were all late-70s high-tech, i.e. rack and pinion with front discs, MacPherson struts up front and 4-link coil spring rear. It was like going from a horse cart to a go-kart.

————————————————-
antediluvian?

Are you trying to impress us with your vocabulary? Knock it off. I’ll admit it; I had to look that up.

jmonroe

I thought that I knew the meaning of that word, I would have said "very old, ancient", but looking it up gives a more precise meaning, which I was not aware of.

au1994

nyccarguy said:

Last night on my way home I saw what I think was the 1st new Integra I've seen in the wild. It was a Black A-Spec Model. I liked the way it looks a lot more in the flesh than in press photos. At $37,395, I'd really have to like the WHOLE package it offers compared to a WRX (It is certainly prettier) and the Elantra N.

I saw a white one on Monday. Quite nice. Size wise it reminded me a little of my TSX.

sda

I know dad influenced me liking darker colors. Chrome and shiny trim stood out better than white or silver. I wouldn’t consider white, silver and had black, dark blue cars. Now what do I have now? White and silver.

breld

Does seem like these ‘verts can go fast. The Long Beach Blue M240i that I posted earlier is gone. I suspect the Mineral Gray one could be sold soon too.

Speaking of white over red, the mineral white over red leather M440i xdrive that my wife ordered arrived this week. Unfortunately I think we’re gonna pass on it though it’s a bit painful to do so.