Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

Called the number, the guy answers, we chat. He says, "I'll be honest. I've had a lot of folks contact me saying they were going to come look at it, and very few have actually showed up." After telling me he'd hate for us to drive all that way and him not have the car, I clarified that we were WEST of him (he was in the Cleveland area) and were headed to the EAST of him... literally, he was no more than a mile or two off our planned route anyway.

So, he gives us his address, I told him we would call about an hour out to get a status update, and he said, "Great; maybe you can do a bidding war with the four other people who say they're coming this afternoon!" We get there, and he's quite happy to see us: Nobody else has shown up that day. We chat about Alaska, all that good stuff, my son takes the car for a run. He comes back and says, "I like it! Except, it sounds like it has a second motor running, but one I can't control..." Uh-oh. I take for a quick spin, maybe two minutes, and come back to declare that a wheel bearing is bad. Seller is bummed.

Another couple shows up, wants to buy it for $4K just to get out of there (haven't looked at it or driven it yet). I ask my son what he wants to do, and he offers the guy full ask: $4,500. Other couple bows out and leaves, they shake on it, and it's a done deal except the details. Of course, us being 5,000 miles from home doesn't do wonders for having easy funds on hand, but they decide to take a personal check from me after another half hour of chatting.

Ultimately, it worked out really well for both parties, and all because we went to get those tires and look at the Indiana car.

Without further ado:

Wow, you got someone to take a personal out of town check? You must have an honest face. Sounds like you got a good deal. $4500 for any car that runs is doing good.

roadburner

@xwesx said:
He already got his parts and we spent some time replacing the wheel bearing, plus the other side's bearing, plus the front brake calipers and rotors! Even though the car started out here and ended up here (for the sale), this car spent most of its life in Colorado. As such, the subframes and body actually look really good (better than the Crosstrek, TBH). However, the brake calipers were heavily rusted and the pistons were somewhat sticky on the driver side. For the cost of replacements, I felt like it was worthwhile to just replace it all while we had it off the car anyway. So, I paid for half of the parts cost to encourage him to do it (job was about $550 total in parts).

I showed him what needed to be done, and, aside from bleeding the new brakes and some lended muscle when it came time to break those bearings loose, he did all of the work himself. About four hours. Car looks, sounds, and functions much better now!

Strong work!

corvette

That Forester would probably be $9,500 on a dealer lot here, even pre-repair. Sounds like he did very well!

nyccarguy

Excellent job @xwesx! With the car AND with your son!

jmonroe1

@xwesx said:
He already got his parts and we spent some time replacing the wheel bearing, plus the other side's bearing, plus the front brake calipers and rotors! Even though the car started out here and ended up here (for the sale), this car spent most of its life in Colorado. As such, the subframes and body actually look really good (better than the Crosstrek, TBH). However, the brake calipers were heavily rusted and the pistons were somewhat sticky on the driver side. For the cost of replacements, I felt like it was worthwhile to just replace it all while we had it off the car anyway. So, I paid for half of the parts cost to encourage him to do it (job was about $550 total in parts).

I showed him what needed to be done, and, aside from bleeding the new brakes and some lended muscle when it came time to break those bearings loose, he did all of the work himself. About four hours. Car looks, sounds, and functions much better now!

————————————————-
Gee, what a way to take advantage of your son. Actually had him do some work on a car that was his. With the way some kids are today he could have tried to have you arrested. You’re never going to have a true father son relationship acting like that. I really feel sorry for you.

jmonroe

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

Wow, you got someone to take a personal out of town check? You must have an honest face. Sounds like you got a good deal. $4500 for any car that runs is doing good.

Hahah; and, that's basically the truth of it, too. Of course, this all went down on a Sunday, so no banking that day, but we offered up a variety of options for them. The wife is an accountant, so when she found out what I do for a living and I showed her that I had the funds on-hand, she went back in the house for a few minutes, came back out, and said, "sure, we'll take a check. I trust that you are good for it."

I wrote it, put the VIN on the memo to stand in for a bill of sale since they didn't want to do a proper one, and then my son paid me back via Venmo. All sorts of roundabout, but it got the job done, and we took the car home that afternoon without the need for an extra trip to the south of Cleveland (about 75 miles / 70 minutes from our house).

I think it probably helped that we showed up in the Audi (which looks newish/nice, even if it does have 135,000 miles on it!), looked over the Subaru thoughtfully, knew it like an old glove, and didn't haggle or talk payments or any of that.

mjfloyd1

@roadburner - this has what you want except has a hole in the roof

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1952211

Ugh. Just noticed minor damage on carfax and no note of M service early

oldfarmer50

mjfloyd1 said:

@roadburner - this has what you want except has a hole in the roof

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1952211

Ugh. Just noticed minor damage on carfax and no note of M service early

The blemish is only noticeable if you’re looking at it according to the seller, so just drive with your eyes closed.😔

Michaell

Member needs help with a used truck

mjfloyd1

@oldfarmer50 said:
The blemish is only noticeable if you’re looking at it according to the seller, so just drive with your eyes closed.😔

Weird that he showed the nick on the front bumper but not the “pitting” on the hood

tifighter

@mjfloyd1 said:
@roadburner - this has what you want except has a hole in the roof

https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1952211

Ugh. Just noticed minor damage on carfax and no note of M service early

This makes me feel good.

andres3

xwesx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Wow, you got someone to take a personal out of town check? You must have an honest face. Sounds like you got a good deal. $4500 for any car that runs is doing good.

Hahah; and, that's basically the truth of it, too. Of course, this all went down on a Sunday, so no banking that day, but we offered up a variety of options for them. The wife is an accountant, so when she found out what I do for a living and I showed her that I had the funds on-hand, she went back in the house for a few minutes, came back out, and said, "sure, we'll take a check. I trust that you are good for it."

I wrote it, put the VIN on the memo to stand in for a bill of sale since they didn't want to do a proper one, and then my son paid me back via Venmo. All sorts of roundabout, but it got the job done, and we took the car home that afternoon without the need for an extra trip to the south of Cleveland (about 75 miles / 70 minutes from our house).

I think it probably helped that we showed up in the Audi (which looks newish/nice, even if it does have 135,000 miles on it!), looked over the Subaru thoughtfully, knew it like an old glove, and didn't haggle or talk payments or any of that.

Showing up in an Audi wouldn't work on me. The guy that hit and ruined my first S4 was driving a recent Model Lexus RX SUV and had a lowly $10,000 limit on his property damage coverage, and wouldn't chip in more. Not even $100 more; dead beat said what his insurance giveth, is what I taketh.

Luckily I had un/under insured coverage; the only coverage you really need if you don't drive around ramming people/objects, or have issues with stolen property. OK, so you need comprehensive and un/under insured coverage.

I'm still mad and sour the State Dept. of Insurance lets companies get away with making the "deductible waiver" you pay extra for only good for uninsured claims only.... if they are under insured, tough luck, pay your deductible! It's the only distinction in the entire policy contract between the two coverages. Buried in the print. 99% of people probably assume (reasonably in my opinion for many reasons) they have waivers on both, like I did, until a claim arises and they get zilch for that extra coverage they paid extra for.

andres3

I have a problem with used M2's costing sticker. I suppose the Competitions '19+ /newer had larger MSRP's originally? I'm not enough of a fan boy to pay the premium of 0% depreciation.

breld

Others can chime in, but I'm pretty sure M2 Comps were low $60k's for MSRP. So yes, they're pretty much going for original MSRP and then some right now.

But there's no new M2 available right now...as maligned as the new 2-series is in some circles, I'm gonna guess that when the new M2 is released, presumably for an MSRP that starts with a "6," the used prices may relax a little, in spite of the nostalgia that will surround them.

nyccarguy

I know everyone here has their car reviewers they like. Has anyone ever watched Rati's Rides? He. Is. SUPER. Annoying. His reviews are nothing more than reading the press material. Every time I see a video of his pop up, I get mad because he makes money reviewing cars. UGH!

corvette

Dumb question for those who know more about EVs than I do... Some of the fast charging networks, such as Electrify America, charge a "per minute" fee based on kWh. Is that based on the hypothetical number of kWh your vehicle can accept, or its actual draw (which is going to decrease as the battery becomes fully charged)? The pricing seems to roughly double at the 90 kWh mark, so it might be advantageous if one could change a setting on their EV to temporarily cap the charge rate at 89 kWh.

28firefighter

@nyccarguy said:
I know everyone here has their car reviewers they like. Has anyone ever watched Rati's Rides? He. Is. SUPER. Annoying. His reviews are nothing more than reading the press material. Every time I see a video of his pop up, I get mad because he makes money reviewing cars. UGH!

So so so annoying. I clicked once. Never ever again.

stickguy

I found the perfect new truck for old farmer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3457815094449361/

breld

28firefighter said:

@nyccarguy said:

I know everyone here has their car reviewers they like. Has anyone ever watched Rati's Rides? He. Is. SUPER. Annoying. His reviews are nothing more than reading the press material. Every time I see a video of his pop up, I get mad because he makes money reviewing cars. UGH!

So so so annoying. I clicked once. Never ever again.

Agreed 100%.

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

@nyccarguy said:

I know everyone here has their car reviewers they like. Has anyone ever watched Rati's Rides? He. Is. SUPER. Annoying. His reviews are nothing more than reading the press material. Every time I see a video of his pop up, I get mad because he makes money reviewing cars. UGH!

So so so annoying. I clicked once. Never ever again.

I did too. Every now and then he pops up in my FB reels feed. I seriously can't stand him!

xwesx

stickguy said:

I found the perfect new truck for old farmer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3457815094449361/

Crazy stuff! I wonder if the bed is actually functional. Not shown, of course, but seems like maybe it isn't looking at that cover and spoiler on it. Might actually be a fun vehicle until the novelty wore off!

mjfloyd1

xwesx said:

stickguy said:

I found the perfect new truck for old farmer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3457815094449361/

Crazy stuff! I wonder if the bed is actually functional. Not shown, of course, but seems like maybe it isn't looking at that cover and spoiler on it. Might actually be a fun vehicle until the novelty wore off!

Looks like a hearse cut off to make a pickup

stickguy

Just a flower car. They are built that way, not a hack job. But that’s basically what it is!

xwesx

stickguy said:

Just a flower car. They are built that way, not a hack job. But that’s basically what it is!

Huh. I'd never heard of them before now.

tjc78

I was gonna say is this a Northeast thing?

sda

For Funerals flower cars are common in New Orleans.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I found the perfect new truck for old farmer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3457815094449361/

You’re joking but I came close to buying one of those flower car/el caminos a few years back. It was a Lincoln Continental 4.6L Intec engine with about 40k miles. $3500.

If it weren’t for my wife asking “what would you ever do with THAT?” I might be holding funerals in my back yard.😢

xwesx

Missed opportunity! Your son could use it in his Uber driving. He could have a slogan like, "The only ride you need for your ultimate destination!"

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

I found the perfect new truck for old farmer!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3457815094449361/

You’re joking but I came close to buying one of those flower car/el caminos a few years back. It was a Lincoln Continental 4.6L Intec engine with about 40k miles. $3500.

If it weren’t for my wife asking “what would you ever do with THAT?” I might be holding funerals in my back yard.😢

————————————————
Yep, it’s in their DNA to be kill-joys.

jmonroe

ronsteve

So with 2 days left on the RDX offer and 3 days left on the Jetta offer, I’m leaning toward the status quo.

The Benz wagon is old enough that replacing the RDX would leave us two quite old European cars once I pay it off. Any new generation RDX that I’d want (20 or 21 SH-AWD Tech) would be knocking on the top of my budget. Outback XTs are hard to come by.

On the Jetta side, I’m actually a bit unimpressed (on paper) with the new generation Jetta, given that it’s less powerful than the one we have now. About the best idea I have there might be a 18-19 TLX with the 2.4, for the better mileage and chain driven cams.

The RDX will almost certainly hit 100k on Saturday, the timing belt is done, and zero car payment in 2023 has a certain anti CCB allure.

Michaell

ronsteve said:

So with 2 days left on the RDX offer and 3 days left on the Jetta offer, I’m leaning toward the status quo.

The Benz wagon is old enough that replacing the RDX would leave us two quite old European cars once I pay it off. Any new generation RDX that I’d want (20 or 21 SH-AWD Tech) would be knocking on the top of my budget. Outback XTs are hard to come by.

On the Jetta side, I’m actually a bit unimpressed (on paper) with the new generation Jetta, given that it’s less powerful than the one we have now. About the best idea I have there might be a 18-19 TLX with the 2.4, for the better mileage and chain driven cams.

The RDX will almost certainly hit 100k on Saturday, the timing belt is done, and zero car payment in 2023 has a certain anti CCB allure.

Heretic!

But, we have that in common - no car payment.

stickguy

I’m looking forward to dropping 2 very large payments in a few years. Good thing they are almost all principal (0 and .9%) otherwise they would be paid off already.

nyccarguy

The RDX will almost certainly hit 100k on Saturday, the timing belt is done, and zero car payment in 2023 has a certain anti CCB allure.

In this market, enjoy!

tjc78

Could always go retro and just get an old Hearse. Some may recognize this one.

corvette

@tjc78 - Claire Fisher’s hearse on Six Feet Under. I loved that show!

Michaell

corvette said:

@tjc78 - Claire Fisher’s hearse on Six Feet Under. I loved that show!

That show had the best series finale episode I’ve ever seen.

mjfloyd1

2023 Lexus RX with same gaping maw

https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g41095696/2023-lexus-rx-drive-gallery/

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

Missed opportunity! Your son could use it in his Uber driving. He could have a slogan like, "The only ride you need for your ultimate destination!"

That more true than you think. He was out driving the other day and picked up the father of a 14 year old who was gunned down and killed in an ongoing drug war in our area. My son is a sensitive person and was very empathetic for the guy.

oldfarmer50

Here’s a recent addition to the cars up for sale at the Saratoga car auction later this month. I wonder if I can afford it.

https://www.saratogaautoauction.org/vehicles/2166/2021-audi-r8

xwesx

mjfloyd1 said:

2023 Lexus RX with same gaping maw

https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g41095696/2023-lexus-rx-drive-gallery/

Haha!

This image reminds me of the scene in The Matrix when Neo says, "I want my phone call," and Smith replies with, "Tell me, Mr. Anderson: What good is a phone call if you have no mouth with which to speak?" Queue image:

xwesx

Gah. My mistake.

Sorry about the too-close correlation with that rider, old farmer!

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

Gah. My mistake.

Sorry about the too-close correlation with that rider, old farmer!

No problem, that’s not even close to the strangest fare he’s had.

au1994

mjfloyd1 said:

2023 Lexus RX with same gaping maw

https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g41095696/2023-lexus-rx-drive-gallery/

Guess I am becoming desensitized to it now. I actually don’t find it too bad anymore.

ab348

Speaking of gaping maws, here's the new 2023 Buick GL8 Century minivan, thankfully only for the Chinese market:

tifighter

They finally held still long enough for a photo. Siblings….

sda

au1994 said:

mjfloyd1 said:

2023 Lexus RX with same gaping maw

https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g41095696/2023-lexus-rx-drive-gallery/

Guess I am becoming desensitized to it now. I actually don’t find it too bad anymore.

Quick! Get the smelling salts!!

stickguy

I’ll take the firebird.

stickguy

Man, the Z4 really looks lower.

Speaking of, a 1970 Chevelle was behind me today (in the Maverick). The top of the roof was barely higher than my tailgate. For a big car it seemed really low.

qbrozen

Is that a 2-door classic Range Rover back there?

stickguy

You want it since the steering wheel is on the wrong side!