Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

jayrider

Cars are as good a way as any to spend money. Some folks are restless about their drives and are always looking for the next new[used] ride. That characteristic put food on your table for years,Craig. If you look at it from that perspective, CCBA makes perfect sense. It all depends on what side of the table your chair is on.

Sandman6472

My point exactly...I read all these lists & laugh knowing if I did have the funds, probably would do the same thing! Have always said that I want a 7 car garage with a car per day of the week...now that would be fun! But I get to lurk in here & that's o k by me. A win/win for everyone!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

roadburner

Cars are as good a way as any to spend money.

Yep; cars and bikes are my hobby- along with home theater design/installation. I don't hunt, golf, own a boat, etc. No country club dues either. My wife and I like to take a family vacation once a year and we continue to remodel our 37 year old house by concentrating on one or two rooms per year.
My only real regret about all my car trading was the sale of my 1988 M6. I sure wish I still had it:

qbrozen

I regret that you didn't sell it to me.

isellhondas

When I was in college I bought a 1940 Oldsmobile from the little old lady (really!) that bought it new and kept it for nearly 30 years. THAT is the car I wish I still owned. It was a beautiful car that would glide down the road.

I can't believe I used to take it on L.A. freeways but I did!

And my beautiful 1962 Chevy Impala SS. 327/300 HP Powerglide, Factory Air and Power windows. White with blue interior. I loved that car!

Sandman6472

Sweet!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jpp75

Same for me, I spend my money on cars. Is it the best investment? Nope, but I don't spend a lot on clothes, furniture, travel, etc. I like cars and that's what I choose to spend my discretionary income on, so I don't feel bad about it.

As for my history, I'll go back to the beginning:

1992 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, good performance but horrible quality
1996 Honda Accord LX 4 cyl, great car but hated the image, would have run forever and that's part of why I got rid of it
2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4X4, by far my favorite out of all I've owned, had some quality issues but I loved the vehicle and miss it
2000 Toyota Avalon, bought from a friend, used it as a work vehicle when I was in sales. Bought it with 80,000 miles on it, drove it for 60,000 miles in 2 years. Great car for road trips and that much driving, next to the Pathfinder my favorite car.
2006 BWM 330i Worst decision I ever made car wise. I had just turned 30 and the Pathfinder was giving me problems so I dumped it for the 330. Great car for what it is, but wasn't me at all. Hated every day I drove it, sold it for a loss but worth it.
2006 Toyota 4Runner - Leased this to replace the 330, still had the Avalon for work. Liked it, didn't love it but it worked.
Sold the Avalon, moved to Chicago and only needed one car, so I kept the 4Runner. Never drove in the city so decided to dump the 4Runner before the end of lease, broke even and bought..
2003 Maxima SE with 92,000 miles on it. I had always liked these cars, for a car anyway, needed a city beater and since they depreciate heavily it was worth it. Had a love/hate relationship with this car, served me well, but I just wasn't a car guy and a few mechanical issues made me regret buying it. Did a LOT of searching in early 2009, drove the Pilot, Touareg, IS250, 4Runner, Acadia, Murano and probably some I forgot. Couldn't find anything I loved so I bought a 2008 4Runner because I was sick of looking, got a great deal on it and just wanted to be done.
So now, 2 years later I have the 4Runner, never loved it, just bought it because it was the "right" thing do to (great deal, quality, etc) and once again I learned not to buy for those reasons. I did that with the Accord and hated every day of it.
So now my 2011 Explorer will arrive later this month, it will be something new, it won't be perfect, but I'll enjoy it. I leased so hopefully I can keep it for 39 months, and we'll see what happens next.

To echo others, I'd love to have Mark's budget. I know money doesn't buy happiness, but at least you could buy lots of cars.

stickguy

yeah, everyone has a luxury.

My BIL has plenty of money, nice house, all that. Likes to travel, stays in nice places, and buys expensive bottles of wine. gives me the shakes to think of spending $50 on 1 bottle (liquor store price, not a restaurant).

But, he could care less about cars. Kept a mid-80s Olds 88 (bought used from an uncle) forever, to the point is was dangerous. Funny actually, for a while it was parked (no brakes) in front of his house in a tony DC burb, until the neighbors complained and tried to have it towed as derelict!

I believe they finally junked it after the brakes went (rusted out I think) on the parkway. But even then, I think it took threats by his wife.

He now has a strange affection for a 2000ish Malibu. Base model. hideous car.

fezo

I regret that you didn't sell it to me.

No you don't. You'd have turned around and sold it again in six months tops. :P

Craig - on the tale of break even cars I present my old 56 Buick that I bought as something to play around with in 1974 or 75. Paid $600 for it and tooled around with it for a year or better but then decided to go to grad school. Sold it to my brother for $600. After maybe 6 months he sold it to my dad for $600. Several months later dad sold it to someone who answered an ad in teh paper - for $600.

js06gv

Love it! I'm really more of a GM guy and originally set out to get a new Camaro but the interior style/quality totally turned me off. Nice car otherwise and I still prefer the exterior look over the Mustang, but overall the Mustang has more advantages and I believe is a superior package. Plus, I was able to do better $-wise on a 2011 Mustang vs. a leftover 2010 Camaro.

mako1a

The new Camaro just doesn't do it for me. It is too wide to fit in the garage and the door swing would make it hard to park in a public lot.

I'm leaning toward a 11 or 12 Mustang. Mostly because I like the seats in Ford vehicles (except for the forward leaning headrests).

Sure wish they'd shrink the Mustang again. 01 to 04 were the perfect size for me although a little underpowered.

mako1a

Cars I've Owned 1967-Present Rating Remarks Owned
1955 Studebaker President 327 V-8 auto 1 6 volt electrical system battery always dead 12 months
1962 Renault Dauphine 4 cyl stick 1 no power always in shop skipped college classes to fix 12 months
1957 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 excellent car much fun John and I had fun in this car 2-3 years
1956 MGA Convertible 4 cyl 4 speed 9 bought for parts for 57 MGA 2-3 years
1963 Triumph Spitfire Conv 4 cyl 4 speed 2 blew up on Pa Turnpike drove NJ to Pa many times 2 years
1962 Ford T-Bird 390 V-8 auto 8 Owned in Navy Many going to/from Pa miles Nice 2 years
1964 Pontiac Grand Prix V-8 auto 6 bought from grandad totaled while parked at dentist 2-3 years
1965 Ford Mustang Conv 6 cyl stick 7 nice car ran good small eng bought from Gary Stewart 3 years
*1971 Olds Cutlass Conv Rocket V-8 auto 10 Best Car to this date Most Power Fun 5-6 years
1977 Pontiac Firebird V-8 auto 4 First Brand New Car Not as good as Olds 6 months
1974 Toyota Celica 4 cyl auto 3 received on trade for Firebird totaled in snow storm 6 days
1968 Ford Mustang 6 cyl auto 8 2nd car to AZ Got hit in rear. Traded for pickup 2-3 years
1972 Jeep Wagoneer Big V-8 4WD auto 6 Drove to Arizona used as camper 2 years
1962 Chevy Pickup with camper V-8 stick 4 AZ truck no rust drove it to Va Bch sold to Jim Gallentine 1 year
1972 Ford Mustang V-8 auto good runner 9 Excellent car very fast Most comfortable car to date 1 year
1976 Dodge Van 225 slant six auto 2 Nice Looking, had interior done piece of junk to drive 1 year
1973 Chevy Caprice Classic 400 ci V-8 auto 9 First Luxury car with A/C and cloth interior 6-7 years
1971 Chevy Camaro (Z-28) 350 V-8 4 speed 9 Fast car Had racing stripes, dual mufflers, air shocks 5-6 years
1984 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 8 Had etched windows. Nice Ran Good 3-4 years
1965 Ford Mustang 6 cyl stick 5 Auction Car Looked nice ran fair Dad stole it from me 1 year
1982 Olds Station Wagon V-6 auto 6 Auction car ran good many accessories 3-4 years
1978 Chevy pickup V-8 4WD auto (old blue) 6 Old Blue bought from Sam Heavy Duty truck 4-5 years
1973 Chevy Corvette Conv V-8 auto 5 Black car without A/C no good in Va 6 months
1978 Pontiac Trans Am V-8 auto 4 Shaker Hood was nice looking but blew con rod bearing 6 months
1984 Olds Cutlass V-6 auto 4 door 6 Many trips to work in this car very reliable 5 years
1986 Cadillac Brougham V-8 auto 8 First leather seat car Extreme Luxury for a 7 yr old car 3-4 years
1986 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto 4WD 6 White Blazer only had it a short time 1 year
1996 Dodge Dakota Sport V-8 auto 4WD 4 Faulty trans shift points. Nice, new, but didn't like it 1 year
1990 GMC Z-71 pickup V-8 auto 4WD 8 Traded Dakota for non-Dodge Excellent GMC 9 years
1989 Chevy Blazer V-8 auto Lifted High 6 White Dolphin 38 in tires Lifted Big Tall Truck Won Trophy 1 year
1994 Ford Explorer Ltd V-6 auto 9 Beautiful Truck Ran great Comfortable seats 130k mis 3-4 years
2000 Chevy Z-71 V-8 auto 4WD 9 First Really expensive vehicle ($31k) Heated seats loaded 3 years
1989 Cadillac Allante V-8 auto 9 Way expensive to fix ABS. Nice car too expensive to keep 6 months
*1998 Ford Mustang GT V-8 auto 10 Best Car Super Sound System Comfortable seats Power! 14 months
*1998 Chevy Corvette V-8 auto Bright Red 10 Bought from Hall Chev. low miles (19k) sold to retire NICE 12 months
2003 Toyota 4 Runner Sport 4WD 9 Bought Dec, 2003 for trip to Wisconsin. Traded Mustang 2 1/2 years
1970 Mustang Mach 1 with Shaker Hood 351 7 Dad gave it to me for work done. 4 spd Not my cup of tea sold$8500
1990 Toyota 4Runner 4WD SR5 V6 5 Bought for work miles Retired and sold it next day at a loss 3 Months
1999 Tahoe for Debi Traded 90 PU 8 Debi sure likes it. Rides nice. All Options 14 months
2006 Toyota Solara SLE V6 9 Nice luxury car Very comfy seats 30 MPG 160MPH Speedo 4 years
*1967 Camaro SS 350 4 speed from Dad 10 Very nice original 67k miles pure factory condition sold $25k
*1938 Bantam Roadster perfect from Dad 10 Perfectly restored Bantam Roadster 4 cyl 22 hp very cute sold $12k
1991 Camaro Z28 Convertible Automatic 7 Complete rebuild 420HP A/C Auto Fast Car Stroker Motor sold $5k
2001 GMC Yukon Denali 9 Traded 99 Tahoe so as to have 6L engine, HID lights etc. current
2002 GMC Safari Van ebay $2100 8 Bought off ebay cheap, quick fixes and drive it all the time 1 1/2 years
2010 Toyota Avalon Limited 10 Traded Solara at Ramey. Needed 4 door for Mom. sold to dlr
1998 Ford Explorer 2 door 4WD 6 Traded van for this. Owned 6 weeks and traded for Escape 6 weeks
2007 Ford Escape 4 door 4WD 10 Traded Explorer. Great stereo, 4WD 4 door Red Nice current
BIKES
1967 Benelli 125cc Motorcycle (2 stroke) 5 First Bike. Kind of small, but ran ok. Dumped it once. 3-4 years
1971 Kawasaki 500cc street bike (2 stroke) 7 Really fast. Traded for even faster bike. Wrecked once. 2 years
1974 Kawasaki 750cc street bike (2 stroke) 8 Extremely fast bike. Never wrecked, but scared many times. 4 years
1975 Kawasaki 250 dirt bike (2 stroke) 8 Got dirt bike to keep from getting killed on street bike. 2 years

kyfdx

We go through an amazing amount of money, each month.. with little to show for it but a bigger waistline...

So... like the old saying... I spend most of my money on cars and craft beers... and, the rest of it is wasted..

nyccarguy

To buy a Corvette. Chevy has 0% financing for 72 months!

Sandman6472

We've cut back, on some things, since mid October when I was sent home! The wife's still spending like usual...told her she needs to rein it in. There are some "issues" with my current status so she's "acting out" a bit with spending. Things will be sorted out by the end of May. Personally I've found that I really don't need much to be happy...my internet, some books, cable & a nice dependable car in the garage. Eating 99% of my meals here is great...you control the portions so I've even lost a few. If the chronic pain was gone...perfect world!!

Am seriously thinking of keeping a monthly ledger to track all my spending. And lastly, the Civic's been sittin' 90% of the time...last time I feed it, gas was $3.07.9...really need to get it out on the turnpike to blow out all the crap in the engine. I'm getting embarrassed to say how far I've driven these past four and 1/2 months. Bottom line though...I am saving $...yay!!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fezo

Back in the 70s a friend of mine decided to write down every penny he spent because he couldn't believe how quickly he went through money. Afterward he said it turned out he spent a lot of it on beer and wasn't going to change that but at least now he knew.

isellhondas

I've noticed you can tell what part of the country a person lives in by what they call freeways. On the west coast, we say freeway. Other parts of the country they say "highway" expressway" or "turnpike".

One night I had a guy from England who, despite my warnings insisted on driving too fast. When he got pulled over, he referred to the cop as "bloody filth". That's what they call them in the U.K.

Sandman6472

"Knowledge is power" so I really want to know. A shame I can't have the check book where my check gets directly deposited into...this way I could really see which that I seek. But the wife has "this obsession" that it must be with her at all times even though she has her business checkbook which I am not on/have no access to. But, she's looking to make her practice an "LLC" to protect our assets just in case. I do understand that but I'd still like to see where the money's going. She finally told me that she paid off another large portion of the boy's loans so there's maybe $16k or so for him to pay. Understand her motivation, but he really wants to do it himself...and I respect him for wanting to do that. He will NOT BE HAPPY with her. And I was really hoping we'd tweak the kitchen a bit. Oh well...!

Enjoy those shows on CNBC about debt that Gail lady...a very intelligent woman. She gets people to finally understand "their finances" and the stupid choices they have made with it. Paying like 50% interest on certain things is just ludicrous to me, I just don't get it. But right now, anything dealing with finances is exciting for me...CNBC, Cramer & certain books/publications are helping me try to navigate what to do with my/our savings & retirements so we can live out our days comfortably where $ will never be an issue. And also, I do have all this free time so why not. Deep down, I always figured it would take about a year to get back into the work force with a part time gig...so right on schedule here.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl

I won't even bother to try to list what I've had since 1993, I've done it before and it took me 2 hours to think of all of them.

While I'm not 100% happy with the Pilot, its comfortable, reliable, and does its job well. I doubt I'll get rid of it any time soon. I can't stomach the loss I'll take so I will just drive it. Funny I never used to think of that when I traded cars, guess I've changed some.

Hubby is the same way about the Civic, not 100% thrilled with it, but it does its job well and after what he found out it was worth........he figures he'll drive it into the ground. He told me he wants to see how many miles he can get out of that car........I told him the car will outlast him! The battery issue with the Civic seems to have disappeared so who knows what that was.

The Escort is still in the shop waiting on parts, should have it back on Monday. At least they were nice enough to just leave it inside until then.

The F-250 continues to do its job as a yard ornament, if that status stays the same I'll probably sell it come fall time. Its expensive to insure 4 vehicles and that would cut $300 from our insurance bill. Nobody wants to drive the truck because its such a pig, then again, I suppose that status would not help sell it either.

jayrider

When I see the lists of vehicles folks have owned, it makes my buys over the last 43 years pale in comparison. I have kept the msrp stickers on all the new ones since 1980. The older ones were glued to the windows and shredded easily.

Sandman6472

What color is the Pilot and how many miles do y'all want the Civic to go? We're shooting for 100k on the Mazda, as we've always sold around 80k, got 87 and change now. Figure either Labor Day or the Thanksgiving period of 2012 unless something major goes wrong with it. Who knows, by that time the boy is gonna need something also, so...?

Read another good article about the Elantra & it also gave nods to the Focus, which both seem to dominate the best of class right now.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

akangl

What color is the Pilot and how many miles do y'all want the Civic to go?

The Pilot is polished metal metallic (medium grey) with black leather. As for the Civic...hubby is shooting for 200k, he's at 71k now. He runs about 30k/year so he should hit the 200k mark around the time the car is 6 1/2 years old, so 4 more years of driving it roughly. I have no doubt the car can do it.

On another note, the battery issue is back yet again, silly car! At least everywhere it dies there's a battery charger/jump box available.

corvette

This is way off topic, but as far as investments go, you should check out the Vanguard Diehards message board. In addition to the board, they have a list of book recommendations.

Tracking expenses is pretty straightforward with Quicken.

Sandman6472

And yes, this is way off topic & I do apologize to everyone for this discretion. I switched everything over to Fidelity a few years ago to consolidate but looking back now, I should've gone with Vanguard due to their lower costs. Their returns have been pretty close though. Also, the wife uses them also so it does simplify things if down the road something happens to either of us. I've been mulling around the thought of just selling all the mutual funds & just buying the equivalent Vanguard funds down the road. Figured a Vanguard rep could do all that. If not, there's a new Fidelity office near us which I need to go over to and have a sit down with an advisor to go over things. Is there really a Vanguard place in Edmunds?

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stever

There's this:

The Stock Market and Investing

Sandman6472

Been there about 1000 posts ago...very interesting folks there but wayyyy out of my league there. Finally stopped posting as I just don't know enough nor do I have the assets those guys do. Sorta like me going to a Mensa meeting...oil & water, so I just read some posts every so often. Polite, real nice guys there but always felt like I was an annoyance with my questions and I always felt like they were rolling their eyes whenever I posted a question...never really taking me seriously. But I belong at the kids table anyways!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

stever

You have to be careful where you pick up stock tips too. 'nough said.

roadburner

Too bad the owner set the price while smoking crack-
It's eBay item number 160553925042
:surprise:

Sandman6472

That's a given actually. Pretty conservative guy here and have finally figured out, with Cramer's help, that pigs indeed do get slaughtered! That original rush from when I made that initial killing has worn off and I'm o k now with to sit back with a few nice dividend payers I've chosen for the long haul...and that's working out fine.

I do appreciate the warning though...thanks!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

corvette

The Vanguard message board I was talking about is at www.bogleheads.org. Fidelity is a good, low cost company, as well.

corvette

You can probably get an E60 in that price range (if not an M5, maybe a 545i or 550i).

ronsteve

Too bad the owner set the price while smoking crack-

Probably the same stuff that everyone selling a late-model Outback is smoking. Then again, with so many of those asking more than what the cars rolled off the lot for new, that '09 XT I posted about last week looks like a bargain!

ronsteve

I will never understand this kind of stuff...seems like since I've been on this website, maybe since 2001, it's always the same and I'd bet y'all have had, what, 30 vehicles in that time? I'm just dumbfounded with this kind of track record...

I'll admit I'm just a wannabe-CCB...

7/91-6/93: 1982 Pontiac Grand Prix
6/93-8/95: 1993 Pontiac Sunbird
8/95-5/99: 1994 Saturn SL2
5/99-7/02: 1999 Toyota Corolla
7/02-5/07: 2002 Honda Accord V6 Coupe
5/07-now: 2006 Volvo V70 2.5T

The last 2 actually got paid off, and the allure of no car payment gets to be pretty strong, so I might get my CCB card pulled.

andre1969

We all choose to spend (or save) our money differently.

At the moment, I live in a house that would be considered small for 3 adults (1600 sq. ft.). But, it works for us and keeps our mortgage payments low, allowing us to buy a new car from time to time.

I think the key point is that if you're going to spend money, make sure you can actually AFFORD to spend that money.

Personally, I don't care if someone buys a house that's twice the size of what they need, or trades their cars every 15 minutes and takes a huge loss every time...as long as they get some enjoyment out of what they do AND they're not going deep into debt and ruining their lives for it.

I have some friends who like to go out to eat all the time, go to the bar, etc, and can easily blow $25-30 per person or more on a modest meal at some trendy place, and then God-knows-how-much more at the bar. And then they whine about being broke!

With car buying, I think one problem is that there's a bit of a rush you get when you first bring that new baby home. It's new, exciting, and different from what you had before. But then that rush wears off, and you realize it's not really that new, exciting, and different anymore. So, there's the urge to run out and get that rush again.

I'll confess, I've gotten bored with my Park Ave from time to time, and I've only had it about 15 months! And there was a few times when I had my Intrepid, that I was tempted into buying something else. One good thing about having a car that depreciates fast is that, if you're adverse to debt, it encourages you to hold onto it longer, rather than trade when you're still upside-down!

When the '02 Altima came out, I thought about buying one, but they were only going to give me about $6500 trade on my Intrepid, which was only about 2 1/2 years old at the time, but had around 58,000 miles on it. I still owed around $11K. Once it was all said and done, that ~$21-22K Altima was going to set me back around $28,000 out the door, and about $460 per month! Suddenly the Intrepid, with its $347/mo payment, and only ~30 months left to do, looked really good!

andre1969

7/91-6/93: 1982 Pontiac Grand Prix

Just out of curiosity, how did that one work out for you? I've always liked the '81-87 Grand Prix. I think in '82 though, the engine choices were limited to a 110 hp 231 V-6 or a 125 hp 252 V-6. I believe the only V-8 offered that year was the dreaded Olds 350 Diesel.

I had an '82 Cutlass Supreme with the 231 V-6 that I bought used, in 7/93, for $800. Dumped it for $400 a year later, when the engine was on its last legs. It only had around 73,000 miles on it, but there were metal shavings galore in the oil, to the point it chewed the gears in the oil pump up. A friend replaced the pump gears for me, but said that it was probably going to die soon. Years later, I found out that a likely culprit might have been the nylon/mesh timing gear.

Even though the car was a piece of junk, I still liked it. Roomy, comfortable, good looking. It was a dog from 0-60, but once you got up to higher speeds it wasn't bad. Nice highway cruiser. And, at the time at least, I thought it got good fuel economy. 15-16 local, 22-23 on the highway. But at the time my other car wasa 1968 Dart with a 318 that got around 12-13 local, and it almost took an act of God to break 17 on the highway!

ab348

Didn't they offer the little 267/4.4L Pontiac V-8 that year? I know you could still get a 305 in the Grand LeMans wagon but I dunno if they offered that in the GP.

GMs engine choices around that time were really complex and often made little sense.

andre1969

I kept thinking you could still get that Pontiac engine (265 CID actually, 267 was the Chevy engine) in 1982, but according to my auto encyclopedia, 1981 was its last year. 1981 was also the last year for the 301, and even then it was being phased out, as more Catalinas and Bonnevilles were getting the Olds 307 instead.

Things might have been different in Canada, but in the US, according to this book, in 1981 you could get a 301 in the LeMans wagon, but in the coupe/sedan you were limited to the 231 or 265. The book doesn't show the 305 as being offered in any LeMans that year. I just looked up the stats on the EPA's website, and they're not even showing the 305 in California LeManses. Pontiac V-8's got banned from California in 1977, but maybe by 1981 they had been cleaned up enough to be allowed back in?

In 1980, the EPA's website shows the California LeMans offering only the 231 or 305, while the rest of the US offered a 229, 265, or 301. I wonder if the Chevy 229 was considered too dirty for CA as well, that they'd put 231's in the Cali cars? And in '78-79, the LeMans used the 231, so I wonder why they switched to the 229?

For 1982, in the US, the LeMans was replaced by the Bonneville G, but in Canada, didn't they still call it LeMans for another year or two?

I always thought the '81 LeMans was a looker, with that front-end that faintly resembled the '77-78 Trans Am.

Also, I should mention that my old car book has been wrong before. I remember one year going to the junkyard to look for a grille for my '82 Cutlass. I had broken out one side, so the car looked a bit ghetto. Found an '82 Cutlass Supreme Brougham, and got both sections...had to, since the Brougham and the base model used a different style, and I wanted it to match. I remember that junkyard Cutlass had a Chevy V-8 under the hood, and the sticker under the hood actually said "Chevrolet 4.4/267" or something to that degree. But my old car book doesn't show the 267 being used in a Cutlass that year.

roadburner

You can probably get an E60 in that price range (if not an M5, maybe a 545i or 550i).

Exactly; you can find 550i Sports all day long for @$36,000.

lilengineerboy

And, they always have an excuse. they never say.." I just got tired of it" or "The novality wore off". Tehre is alwasy some REASON they just have to buy something different.

I used to be a bt guilty of this myself until I did the math and realized how much money we were wasting.

As someone who has been driving a boring as snot '07 Accord EX around for 3 years, I am realizing as an automotive enthusiast life is too short to drive around in a car you don't like. So I am not "wasting" any money but I am pretty unhappy if a car that does nothing for me. It never had any novelty. I wish I has held on to the '93 Accord.

I am definitely not saying the '07 is a bad car, it can hold a child seat in the middle and 2 normal people can sit in the two outboard positions and the car which is used almost exclusively on the highway, gives 30-34 mpg at 70-80 mpg. Its just nothing that gets my enthusiast heart pumping.

fezo

Just for future reference.....

My brother is talking about the possibility of getting a Ford Escape hybrid. If he does he'll likely sell his 01 Saab 9-3 convertible with 70K on it and a stick shift.

If anything is going to set me on the let's buy a car path this could well be it....

akangl

My day did not go as planned. Found a nearly new set of snow tires for the Escort on craigslist, so went and got those. While heading home, traffic in front of me came to a sudden stop from 45-50 mph. I stopped and the Expedition behind me stopped, but the 2000 Honda Odyessey behind them didn't stop. I got slammed into by the Expedition hard enough to push the Pilot forward a ways while my foot as on the brake. The jolt was enough to re-injure my back which had finally healed enough that I was back to normal. So, may be back to square one, will have to wait and see what morning brings. The ER dr said no driving, bending, or lifting for at least a week and we'll go from there.

As for the Pilot, it did really well, the bumper and rear liftgate have a bit of damage, not sure how much, but its going to need some body work. I'm more upset about my back than I am the car, the car can be fixed easy enough, not so easy for my back.

The Expedition had damage to the front and rear bumpers, the Odyssey was totaled. :sick:

stever

Oh jeeze, that's too bad. Hope the back doesn't flare up too bad. :sick:

ronsteve

That 1982 GP had the Buick 231 V-6, and was a similar pain to your Cutlass. When all was said and done, it served its purpose for my last 2 years in college, but I was thankful that my mechanically inclined brother lived across town.

The oil pump was a familiar refrain with the 231. Apparently, that GP had an oil pump replaced a few months before I bought it, and would have a problem once more about a month before I got the Sunbird. Not sure of the circumstances of the first failure, but the second one, a piece of metal had gotten deep enough in the gears of the pump to seize it, and in turn it broke the tab off the distributor shaft that turned it.

It's probably a wonder that the guts of that engine held up (I had it from 107K to 130K) between the two oil pump failures and a weird tranny problem. Something broke in the vacuum modulator, but the first sign was some smoke out the tailpipe and valve noise on any hard acceleration. Further investigation revealed a seemingly overfilled crankcase, dropping trans fluid levels, and tranny fluid up in the air cleaner. What was happening is that ATF was being sucked through a vacuum line and ending up in the engine and out the tailpipe. I was in the process of buying the Sunbird when that happened... gave the GP to my brother, who fixed it and actually kept that car on the road for another year or two.

jayrider

With a good lawyer, you might be able to afford the vehicle of your dreams and pay cash.

rayainsw

OUCH!
Hope you back is better SOON!
Sorry to hear - that sucks!
- Ray
Been there, hurt that.....

Kirstie_H

If you recently purchased a car and got a better loan than you expected, please email pr@edmunds.com to talk with a reporter about it. Please respond with your daytime contact information no later than Tuesday, March 8, 2011.
Thanks,
Jeannine
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

stever

The old Ford is definitely worth checking out.

Forgot my camera again but saw the '69 Ford ad again this morning. Only one "tab" has been torn off the ad. Guess no one else believes the 37k miles on it.

Here's a '79 Ford F-100 in Boise that's up for sale for $5,200! 47k original miles on it.

roadburner

Hope your back heals up. That really sucks.

nippononly

Are y'all serious? I will never understand this kind of stuff...seems like since I've been on this website, maybe since 2001, it's always the same and I'd bet y'all have had, what, 30 vehicles in that time?

In the period 2000-2009, I bought 5 new ones and 5 used, of which I still have one of each (I don't THINK I'm forgetting any there, but it is possible).

As I see it, that was an average of 1 per year for me, but I have finally broken the cycle - didn't buy anything in 2010, and am looking to avoid buying anything this year too. Plus my total number of purchases from 2000-2009 were down from the period 1990-1999. So maybe I am finally cured?..................

lilengineerboy

So maybe I am finally cured?..................

I think the term is "in remission."