Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ab348

Not a good day for VW's top management at their annual meeting. From Automotive News:

BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group's annual meeting in Berlin on Wednesday was disrupted inside the venue by activists who claimed the automaker's plant in Xinjiang, China, builds cars with forced labor and outside by green activists who said VW is "making climate-damaging decisions."

About 10 activists, including one topless woman with 'Dirty Money' painted on her back, interrupted VW Group CEO Oliver Blume's speech. They waved banners that read: 'End Uyghur Forced Labor.'

One threw a piece of cake at Wolfgang Porsche, 80, chairman of Porsche SE, VW Group's majority shareholder, but missed, with crumbs flying in the direction of VW Group Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch.

The protestors were rapidly escorted out by security staff.

"A constructive dialogue is important. And a general meeting offers a good opportunity for this. With the exception of a few people, everyone follows the designated guidelines," a VW spokesperson said.

VW Group China chief Ralf Brandstaetter said: "We do not see any evidence of human rights abuses at the plant."

Brandstaetter visited the Xinjiang plant earlier this year and said on Wednesday: "I have no reason to doubt my impressions or the information available to me."

Still, activists including Haiyuer Kuerban of the World Uyhur Congress highlighted the reports of mass internment camps and links between VW suppliers and companies with a presence there, as well as the difficulty for locals to speak openly given the state's restrictions on free speech.

Investors reiterated their longstanding critique of Blume's dual role as head of both VW Group and Porsche, and the low valuation of Volkswagen stock, which has been in freefall for the past two years with no respite from the listing of Porsche last September.

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

@ab348 I thought so, too. When I first became aware of them, they were all $900+. Not true, now.

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You can only pass that you know what around so long. Pretty soon folks don’t fall for that you know what anymore.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

Not a good day for VW's top management at their annual meeting. From Automotive News:

BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group's annual meeting in Berlin on Wednesday was disrupted inside the venue by activists who claimed the automaker's plant in Xinjiang, China, builds cars with forced labor and outside by green activists who said VW is "making climate-damaging decisions."

About 10 activists, including one topless woman with 'Dirty Money' painted on her back, interrupted VW Group CEO Oliver Blume's speech. They waved banners that read: 'End Uyghur Forced Labor.'

One threw a piece of cake at Wolfgang Porsche, 80, chairman of Porsche SE, VW Group's majority shareholder, but missed, with crumbs flying in the direction of VW Group Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch.

The protestors were rapidly escorted out by security staff.

"A constructive dialogue is important. And a general meeting offers a good opportunity for this. With the exception of a few people, everyone follows the designated guidelines," a VW spokesperson said.

VW Group China chief Ralf Brandstaetter said: "We do not see any evidence of human rights abuses at the plant."

Brandstaetter visited the Xinjiang plant earlier this year and said on Wednesday: "I have no reason to doubt my impressions or the information available to me."

Still, activists including Haiyuer Kuerban of the World Uyhur Congress highlighted the reports of mass internment camps and links between VW suppliers and companies with a presence there, as well as the difficulty for locals to speak openly given the state's restrictions on free speech.

Investors reiterated their longstanding critique of Blume's dual role as head of both VW Group and Porsche, and the low valuation of Volkswagen stock, which has been in freefall for the past two years with no respite from the listing of Porsche last September.

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Looks to me like everyone in that pic has their clothes on.

jmonroe

explorerx4

VW sticking the same script as during the Diesel scandal, detailed in the book Faster Higher Farther.
The worst shareholder meeting they had was when they didn't serve the usual sausages.

28firefighter

A reminder for when folks complain about Musk and Tesla that none of the car companies are completely innocent of questionable business practices. They just tend to get away with more...

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

A reminder for when folks complain about Musk and Tesla that none of the car companies are completely innocent of questionable business practices. They just tend to get away with more...

I don't think that's my issue with Elon...

pensfan83

@kyfdx said:
I don't think that's my issue with Elon...

+1

cdnpinhead

jmonroe1 said:

Looks to me like everyone in that pic has their clothes on.

Thank God.

qbrozen

Looks like I may have made my first purchase from Copart. Apparently they are awaiting seller approval. Hmmm... but I was high bidder on a 2008 Mini Cooper S manual with 101k miles. Claims to have only minor dents and scratches and a clean title. It was cheap, so I'm not terribly concerned. I'm sure I'll find something to do with it.

stickguy

does it have a moonroof? Is that the 1st gen with the supercharger?

might be interested! Though the one thing I do recall from watching videos on them is that there is a very big, very expensive, required maintenance at 100K on those. And I think it includes SC oil? Or maybe the whole thing has to come off, along with the front end of the car to get access to the engine.

dents and scratches do not bother me.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Looks like I may have made my first purchase from Copart. Apparently they are awaiting seller approval. Hmmm... but I was high bidder on a 2008 Mini Cooper S manual with 101k miles. Claims to have only minor dents and scratches and a clean title. It was cheap, so I'm not terribly concerned. I'm sure I'll find something to do with it.

You are quite the busy bee

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

Looks like I may have made my first purchase from Copart. Apparently they are awaiting seller approval. Hmmm... but I was high bidder on a 2008 Mini Cooper S manual with 101k miles. Claims to have only minor dents and scratches and a clean title. It was cheap, so I'm not terribly concerned. I'm sure I'll find something to do with it.

Do you have a strategy at this point or just getting used to the systems and process?

qbrozen

Just getting used to things.

My strategy is to buy cars that interest me and where there isn't a great deal of competition.

It does have a moonroof. 2008 was the turbo

We agreed on a price and I paid. Now I gotta figure out how to pick it up. They offered transport, but $575 to get it from Baltimore is a little excessive. $100 in fuel, maybe $25 in tolls, and 6 hours of my time. $450 for 6 hrs in the car? I'll take that.

stickguy

that is cute. Helps that I like yellow (and owned 2 yellow cars when I was much younger). Curious what the market interest will be in a 15 YO 100K mile Mini with a handshaker. Lot of buyers going be be scared off by that.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen

Nice car! I really like the Yellow! Stick & a Pano Roof very sharp!

corvette

I also like the yellow and the pano roof.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

that is cute. Helps that I like yellow (and owned 2 yellow cars when I was much younger). Curious what the market interest will be in a 15 YO 100K mile Mini with a handshaker. Lot of buyers going be be scared off by that.

But it is an inexpensive toy. We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Depends what it actually needs.

stickguy

I can't wait to find out what those needs are!

jmonroe1

@qbrozen said:
But it is an inexpensive toy. We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Depends what it actually needs.

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$5K sounds good to me for a 2008 Mini.

I mentioned before that Son #1 bought his 16 year old son a 2005 Mini Cooper S with 65K miles on it for $6,500. It has a moon roof and supercharger. The PPI he had done on it said only the power steering hose (leaking) and tires needed replace. That work was done right away. However, since It has a supercharger, I just found out from my grandson over the weekend, that they changed the pulley on the supercharger to a smaller size to get more power from it. So I’ve been told, that’s a very popular mod for that era of a Mini. I thought it had pretty good power the way it was but I guess they didn’t.

Personally, I’m surprised he made the change and don’t think that was a good decision for a 16 year old’s car. I’ll let you guys know when they change their first body panel. I hope that will be the worst of it for that decision.

jmonroe

venture

qbrozen said:

Just getting used to things.

My strategy is to buy cars that interest me and where there isn't a great deal of competition.

It does have a moonroof. 2008 was the turbo

We agreed on a price and I paid. Now I gotta figure out how to pick it up. They offered transport, but $575 to get it from Baltimore is a little excessive. $100 in fuel, maybe $25 in tolls, and 6 hours of my time. $450 for 6 hrs in the car? I'll take that.

Better go get it quickly. It looks like parts are falling off of it while it sits there.

stickguy

it is a 2000's BMW basically. they are bio degradable.

28firefighter

stickguy said:

it is a 2000's BMW basically. they are bio degradable.

This one made me snort.

nyccarguy

@qbrozen

We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Sounds like a good price for a 1st car. Not too big. hmmmm

kyfdx

Seems like the perfect set of options..

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

@qbrozen

We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Sounds like a good price for a 1st car. Not too big. hmmmm

you don't want that for a first car. Besides, I asked first.

ab348

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

that is cute. Helps that I like yellow (and owned 2 yellow cars when I was much younger). Curious what the market interest will be in a 15 YO 100K mile Mini with a handshaker. Lot of buyers going be be scared off by that.

But it is an inexpensive toy. We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Depends what it actually needs.

Please please please sell it to Stick! The entertainment that results here could go on for years!!!

stickguy

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:

stickguy said:

that is cute. Helps that I like yellow (and owned 2 yellow cars when I was much younger). Curious what the market interest will be in a 15 YO 100K mile Mini with a handshaker. Lot of buyers going be be scared off by that.

But it is an inexpensive toy. We're talkin like $5k here. Probably less for the right person. Depends what it actually needs.

Please please please sell it to Stick! The entertainment that results here could go on for years!!!

that would start a chain reaction. I would not want to park the new Maverick outside, so one of the 2 good cars would have to go. Assuming it is not the wife's (lets just say that is a fair assumption) I would try to flip that for a profit and find a cheaper old truck that can park outside and be a beater.

so sounds like fun!

pensfan83

Or find a cheap garage rental.

stickguy

that would go over like a lead balloon.

explorerx4

oldfarmer50 probably has some barn space.

stickguy

so I should budget extra to replace all the chewed up wires from the mice?

xwesx

You could just get a little 20' connex unit and park the Mini inside.

stickguy

xwesx said:

You could just get a little 20' connex unit and park the Mini inside.

first I need a place to put it.

stickguy

but interesting idea!

xwesx

That's what yards are for!

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

kyfdx said:

ab348 said:

kyfdx said:

tjc78 said:

Don’t you have a kitchen to build 😝😝

What a car… great color too!

Yesterday, just dropped $1500 on fixtures for the powder room...

Geez. As a prospective Porsche owner, you shouldn't have cheaped out on those.

$550 for a toilet doesn't seem cheap. That's real US Dollars!

That sounds expensive. May I ask which toilet & fixtures you purchased?

It's this one:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/American-Standard-Townsend-White-WaterSense-Elongated-Standard-Height-Toilet-12-in-Rough-In-Size/1000303493

It fits the aesthetic she wanted. At another distributor (that sells to the public), they had a different AS that was low $400s, or a Toto for $330. Those are all including the seat. The other distributor is cheaper, generally, but she found this frame and sink she liked at the one, and they had this toilet on display. By getting the toilet there, we went over the amount for free delivery, which helps a little.

That’s funny, our plumber tried to upswell us to a new toilet for $700 installed. I turned him down as I thought that was outrageous.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

Not a good day for VW's top management at their annual meeting. From Automotive News:

BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group's annual meeting in Berlin on Wednesday was disrupted inside the venue by activists who claimed the automaker's plant in Xinjiang, China, builds cars with forced labor and outside by green activists who said VW is "making climate-damaging decisions."

About 10 activists, including one topless woman with 'Dirty Money' painted on her back, interrupted VW Group CEO Oliver Blume's speech. They waved banners that read: 'End Uyghur Forced Labor.'

One threw a piece of cake at Wolfgang Porsche, 80, chairman of Porsche SE, VW Group's majority shareholder, but missed, with crumbs flying in the direction of VW Group Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch.

The protestors were rapidly escorted out by security staff.

"A constructive dialogue is important. And a general meeting offers a good opportunity for this. With the exception of a few people, everyone follows the designated guidelines," a VW spokesperson said.

VW Group China chief Ralf Brandstaetter said: "We do not see any evidence of human rights abuses at the plant."

Brandstaetter visited the Xinjiang plant earlier this year and said on Wednesday: "I have no reason to doubt my impressions or the information available to me."

Still, activists including Haiyuer Kuerban of the World Uyhur Congress highlighted the reports of mass internment camps and links between VW suppliers and companies with a presence there, as well as the difficulty for locals to speak openly given the state's restrictions on free speech.

Investors reiterated their longstanding critique of Blume's dual role as head of both VW Group and Porsche, and the low valuation of Volkswagen stock, which has been in freefall for the past two years with no respite from the listing of Porsche last September.

He’s lucky they didn’t throw a kidney at him since there have been accusations that the Chinese have no problem with harvesting organs from Uyghur political prisoners.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

oldfarmer50 probably has some barn space.

Sorry, with four of my own, my son’s and a guest vehicle waiting the return of it’s owner from the Army, I’m already parking cars on the grass.😩

However, I could offer him a spot in the side yard near the old self-service vegetable stand.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

so I should budget extra to replace all the chewed up wires from the mice?

Mothballs and peppermint oil are your salvation. A lot of snowbirds just throw a tarp over their toys and leave them in the driveway all winter.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

However, I could offer him a spot in the side yard near the old self-service vegetable stand.

Allegedly.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

However, I could offer him a spot in the side yard near the old self-service vegetable stand.

Allegedly.

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Sure, I’d trust that group to watch my car.

BTW, I’ll bet there are no words in the book that girl is looking at, just pictures/cartoons.

jmonroe

sb55

qbrozen said:

Just getting used to things.

My strategy is to buy cars that interest me and where there isn't a great deal of competition.

It does have a moonroof. 2008 was the turbo

We agreed on a price and I paid. Now I gotta figure out how to pick it up. They offered transport, but $575 to get it from Baltimore is a little excessive. $100 in fuel, maybe $25 in tolls, and 6 hours of my time. $450 for 6 hrs in the car? I'll take that.

I thought that Copart for insurance totaled cars? Will you get a branded title?

qbrozen

@sb55 said:
I thought that Copart for insurance totaled cars? Will you get a branded title?

I thought so, too, but apparently not all. Once in the site, you can filter for clean titles, type of damage, etc. They aren’t always clear where the car comes from, but I’ve seen many now that say “donated vehicle,” for example, and that the proceeds would go to charity.

nyccarguy

The 360 degree camera in my Dad’s Tahoe makes parallel parking very easy:

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

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Looks to me like everyone in that pic has their clothes on.

jmonroe

The NY Post to the rescue (they made sure the topless part was pixelated out):

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

However, I could offer him a spot in the side yard near the old self-service vegetable stand.

Allegedly.

————————————————
Sure, I’d trust that group to watch my car.

BTW, I’ll bet there are no words in the book that girl is looking at, just pictures/cartoons.

jmonroe

Hey, those are fine Canadian citizens and as you know all the folks up there are honest and courteous.

(Although the guy on the left likes to fight).

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

jmonroe1 said:

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Looks to me like everyone in that pic has their clothes on.

jmonroe

The NY Post to the rescue (they made sure the topless part was pixelated out):

So what point was that piece of “performance art” supposed to make? If I was that actress I would begin to question the choices my agent was making when booking a gig.

stickguy

To get attention. Make people talk about a board meeting.

nyccarguy

In addition to tracking how much driving in gas & electric mode, my 4Xe also tracks how much I drive my Prelude;)-

It has been a very enjoyable couple of weeks since I got my Prelude back. I drove it last Tuesday, Friday, & Saturday as well as Sunday through Thursday this week. My wife drove the Wrangler Wednesday & Thursday.

qbrozen

DANGIT!
I found something else really interesting. I wasn't shopping for inventory because my wife is already gonna kill me. But was keeping an eye out for a Countryman for sis. In doing so, I came upon a 2011 Countryman S AWD MANUAL with under 60k. Talk about rare. Good condition report, good history (1 owner, no red flags), and they are selling [relatively] cheap (because, I assume, they don't want a manual trans on their lot). UGH!! What to do?!