Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

I'm trying to make sense of this.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-ford-f-350-3/

Oh come on!

stickguy

too rich for your blood OF?

jmonroe1

@stickguy said:
too rich for your blood OF?

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Typical farmer crying “woe is me”. He’s waiting for the township to give him the right tax break, then he’ll turn his homestead into a swanky mall.

jmonroe

stickguy

No worries. I found his dream low mile cream puff work truck.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3645011665729702/

stickguy

au1994

explorerx4 said:

I'm trying to make sense of this.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-ford-f-350-3/

You can’t. A fool an his money….

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

too rich for your blood OF?

Too rich for Bill Gates’ blood.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

No worries. I found his dream low mile cream puff work truck.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1674050486159173/permalink/3645011665729702/

That link takes you to a rain gutter advertisement.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Oh good, you posted the ad.

The only red flag I see is the “needs brake lines”. That’s an indication that the underside is rotted out as by the time brake lines rust out everything else already has. My cargo van blew out a brake line from rust last year and you’ve see pictures of how rusty that is.

You’d need to crawl under there with a flashlight and check the frame.

tjc78

That’s what I thought too. If it needs brake lines … it is crusty down under.

stickguy

usually, unless it is because it sat for a long time and any water in there would rot them from the inside, out.

not great pictures but the body does not look rusty, a good sign.

up here, only a fool would buy a truck without crawling underneath with a flashlight, magnet and small screwdriver (to poke for holes). even a 2015 is likely a crusty mess already. If I seriously wanted a used truck I would take a vacation down to NC or SC, and shop local and drive it back!

imidazol97

I'd suggest an inspection underneath. The brake line corrosion may be a
specific problem not necessarily indicating frame corrosion. I recall several
Buicks had brake lines corrode that were built during that year 2000 period.

breld

Had a nice time at the auto show with @jpp75 and @michaell (and Mrs. Breld) last night, with dinner beforehand.

So many manufacturers absent these days at the shows…BMW, MB, Subaru, Acura among them. Gone are the days when we get anything approaching concept cars in Denver. Though they did have the upcoming Mustang Dark Horse, which was sharp. And they had what seems to be the one manual Supra around.

But still fun to poke around, especially on a snowy Friday evening with low attendance.

The only thing I saw that feel I must have was the new Z, even knowing the underpinnings may be outdated and it isn’t setting any standards…but those taillights…

Michaell

I'll add to what @breld said ... there was a small Mazda display, and they did have a new CX-90 available to sit in.

This was the top of the line model - sticker price north of $60K. Pretty sharp car, inside and out. Interesting choice of some of the interior materials. Difficult to describe what it was, but some sort of fabric feel to it.

Audi - an A6 allroad, an RSQ8, and a bunch of etrons.

Lexus had a nice mix of cars and SUVs; we spent some time inspecting the GX (@jpp75 is interested in them). I sat in the UX hybrid, which, while on the small side, was pretty well equipped.

Hyundai - I'll continue to envy the Elantra N that @28firefighter has; I don't fit in the highly bolstered seat. Finally had a chance to look at and sit in the Santa Cruz - it's much bigger than you think (more Ranger than Maverick sized). Nice package.

Everybody had an EV of some sort - Lexus, Chevy, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota. Jeep had several GC 4xe's on the floor; turns out the base (Limited) model is pretty well equipped for around $60K (before tax credits and incentives).

As noted, a lot of brands weren't represented, which was a shame, but still enough there to keep us occupied for a couple of hours.

qbrozen

Calling Roadburner. I just took this 1992 325i for a spin. It feels way more powerful than it should. Definitely far more than our 1987 had. The exhaust certainly sounds deeper and louder than I would imagine it was stock. I am wondering what else if anything may have been done to it. The engine also looks rather large for a 2.5. Any markings to look for?

kyfdx

@qbrozen Looks stock to me

I think the E36 had 189 hp vs. 168 hp for the E30.

kyfdx

E36 engine guide

explorerx4

That red Prelude on BAT went for just under 20K.

qbrozen

apparently that is how the 2.5 looks. Must be typical BMW excess making the top look so massive. lol.

I wonder about the exhaust. Guess maybe I'll get a better look when I put it on the lift. Tell ya what, this thing is solid, tight, and really moves and handles very very well. Spins the tires pretty spunkily on takeoff, too. Only thing I found... well, maybe things... 1 is the ABS light is on (wasn't on before, so maybe just an ECU reset needed since the battery was flat dead) and, 2, and this could be nothing since I don't know what I'm supposed to look for, there does not seem to be any dash indicator letting me know which transmission mode is selected. I could feel it change when I flipped the Sport/Eco/Winter switch, but nothing telling me which mode I was in.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

apparently that is how the 2.5 looks. Must be typical BMW excess making the top look so massive. lol.

I wonder about the exhaust. Guess maybe I'll get a better look when I put it on the lift. Tell ya what, this thing is solid, tight, and really moves and handles very very well. Spins the tires pretty spunkily on takeoff, too. Only thing I found... well, maybe things... 1 is the ABS light is on (wasn't on before, so maybe just an ECU reset needed since the battery was flat dead) and, 2, and this could be nothing since I don't know what I'm supposed to look for, there does not seem to be any dash indicator letting me know which transmission mode is selected. I could feel it change when I flipped the Sport/Eco/Winter switch, but nothing telling me which mode I was in.

No telling on the exhaust, though it's certainly been replaced, at least once in 30 years. Though, I doubt that would make a big difference in power (but, sound... sure)

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

That red Prelude on BAT went for just under 20K.

Isn’t it funny how that last minute of the auction can go on for half an hour?

ab348

Michaell said:

I'll add to what @breld said ... there was a small Mazda display, and they did have a new CX-90 available to sit in.

This was the top of the line model - sticker price north of $60K. Pretty sharp car, inside and out. Interesting choice of some of the interior materials. Difficult to describe what it was, but some sort of fabric feel to it.

I know that Mazda has set a goal to move upmarket and differentiate themselves in terms of price points from the Nissans and Hyundais of the world, but I continue to wonder if it is realistic to expect a SUV with a Mazda badge to command that kind of price. I gather that it is nicely done but does the brand have enough cachet among the general public familiar with CX-5s and the like? I’m not sure.

Michaell

ab348 said:

Michaell said:

I'll add to what @breld said ... there was a small Mazda display, and they did have a new CX-90 available to sit in.

This was the top of the line model - sticker price north of $60K. Pretty sharp car, inside and out. Interesting choice of some of the interior materials. Difficult to describe what it was, but some sort of fabric feel to it.

I know that Mazda has set a goal to move upmarket and differentiate themselves in terms of price points from the Nissans and Hyundais of the world, but I continue to wonder if it is realistic to expect a SUV with a Mazda badge to command that kind of price. I gather that it is nicely done but does the brand have enough cachet among the general public familiar with CX-5s and the like? I’m not sure.

That’s the discussion the three of us were having last night.

Maybe Amati shouldn’t have been DOA in the 90’s

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

That red Prelude on BAT went for just under 20K.

Isn’t it funny how that last minute of the auction can go on for half an hour?

BaT extends the auction by 2 minutes, each time a bid is made in the last two minutes. Keeps people from sniping, like they used to do on eBay.

Michaell

And one minute added for C&B.

jmonroe1

imidazol97 said:

I'd suggest an inspection underneath. The brake line corrosion may be a
specific problem not necessarily indicating frame corrosion. I recall several
Buicks had brake lines corrode that were built during that year 2000 period.

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Sure…Buicks are built by GM.

jmonroe

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
BaT extends the auction by 2 minutes, each time a bid is made in the last two minutes. Keeps people from sniping, like they used to do on eBay.

And draws the bids higher 😀

stickguy

Santa Cruz is about 6" shorter than a Maverick, and I think about the same height. I suspect it is a few inches wider though (Mav is pretty skinny).

the Hyundai I think just looks bulkier because of the styling. Mav to me looks smaller than it really is.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

Calling Roadburner. I just took this 1992 325i for a spin. It feels way more powerful than it should. Definitely far more than our 1987 had. The exhaust certainly sounds deeper and louder than I would imagine it was stock. I am wondering what else if anything may have been done to it. The engine also looks rather large for a 2.5. Any markings to look for?

The E36 325i was relatively quick for its time. I remember driving a couple at the 1991 BMW CCA Oktoberfest. The manuals could chirp the tires on the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts without much effort.
Having said all that, it could have an aftermarket chip in the ECU. Dinan claims a 15 hp bump while Turner(Conforti) claims a 20 hp gain.

qbrozen

I’m high bid on another Maserati with 90 mins to go. No way it will stick but always nice to dream. Lol.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

I’m high bid on another Maserati with 90 mins to go. No way it will stick but always nice to dream. Lol.

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I think I’m going to out bid you on it. Then we’ll see just how much you really want it.

jmonroe

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
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I think I’m going to out bid you on it. Then we’ll see just how much you really want it.

jmonroe

I DOUBLE DOG DARE you. ;b

qbrozen

My first wrap job. I’m fairly chuffed with it.

Michaell

Member needs help buying a Porsche

I know y'all are going to have opinions on this - please make sure you post them in that thread rather than here.

tjc78

Wow Q. Looks perfect.

xwesx

Yes, the wrap looks really nice with the stock coloring!

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

Yes, the wrap looks really nice with the stock coloring!

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I agree but there is no real proof that he’s the one that did it.

jmonroe

stickguy

an interesting review/comparison test on the CX90 vs. the Germans. Since that was discussed recently. Came surprisingly close for 1/3 less money (Canadian prices in this case).

also ran it against a Palisades that was almost the exact same price and it seemed a step up from that. Comparing it to the Volvo XC60 and the Acura MDX would be very interesting since the prices are close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWviCsf6afQ

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
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I agree but there is no real proof that he’s the one that did it.

jmonroe

Wanna see some closeups of imperfections?

stickguy

I might get a new car sooner than expected. Ford showing my truck as shipped on 4/15 only 2 days after built. Estimated delivery to dealer 4/30-5/13.

qbrozen

I won't do it (most likely), but this makes a very compelling car/dollar proposition.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

I won't do it (most likely), but this makes a very compelling car/dollar proposition.

Didn't even know they made a coupe.

stickguy

so, did you win the Maserati?

stickguy

I found Farmers truck. real close to work too! looks amazingly clean for a 2009 up here (pending crawling underneath, but usually you would see problems in the bed fender lips and rear bumper by now)

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/6443763665635707/?ref=product_details&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

qbrozen

stickguy said:

so, did you win the Maserati?

not even close.
went for 50% more.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-maserati-coupe-cambiocorsa/

stickguy

I kinda like those but hate the transmission. One of the Wichita Youtube crowd has one with a true manual. Some parts, like the clutch, are brutally expensive. Though this example looks very tidy so you have a chance of staying above water!

man, last owner took a serious bath on that in just a year, losing about $20K on it. At $19 sold here, lot of unique car for the money.

ab348

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

so, did you win the Maserati?

not even close.
went for 50% more.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-maserati-coupe-cambiocorsa/

Dodged a bullet there.

ab348

qbrozen said:

I won't do it (most likely), but this makes a very compelling car/dollar proposition.

The coupes are beautiful-looking cars. The few times I see one on the road they always turn my head. The black/black color combo on that is unfortunate IMO but I know there are some who like that for some strange reason. That is as close to a base model as they made and is light on the options. Ridiculously low miles. Seems like a good deal.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

@jmonroe1 said:

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I agree but there is no real proof that he’s the one that did it.

jmonroe

Wanna see some closeups of imperfections?

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Do you think we have enough time?

jmonroe

qbrozen

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

so, did you win the Maserati?

not even close.
went for 50% more.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-maserati-coupe-cambiocorsa/

Dodged a bullet there.

That's why I'd only do it if cheap enough.

Within that auction chat, we talked about the previous coupe that went for far less. But I could not bring myself to live with the awful color combo (gold over tan). Good enough for some plebian sedans, but on an Italian sports coupe? Hell no.