Me too, I hate pain. Today was miserable, I was really hoping it wouldn't be worse today, but it was. Received a phone call from my insurance company and the insurance company of the middle driver, but haven't spoken to the insurance company of the at-fault driver yet.
My insurance company says that after the Pilot is repaired I should be able to file a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance company for diminished value, I hope so. I know that this accident tanked the value of the Pilot, especially with it being so new.
The whole thing just makes me sad. On the bright side, it made me thankful I have a safe car like the Pilot.
Sorry to hear ... back injuries are so difficult to heal up from
I can't remember if you said you are currently working, but if so, does the job give you time off for this kind of thing?
Thankfully not working, its too hard with my daughter's illness. She likes mom to be around and its nice that we can afford to do that.
I ended up going back to the dr today for different painkillers, the ones they gave me were making me sick. Needless to say I've been pretty darn miserable the past couple days. The dr thinks I have a bit of whiplash in addition to the back injury, I've had a headache since shortly after the accident that I can't seem to shake. Hubby has had the same issue.
Insurance adjuster is coming tomorrow to do an estimate on the Pilot, so at least we'll get that fixed and done with. My injury claim is going to be a bit more drawn out since they are waiting to see how it turns out. The at-fault driver's insurance is being pretty good about the whole thing, nobody is disputing who was at fault for the accident.
Diminished value aside, I'll be keeping my Pilot, it showed me its safe and will protect me in an accident. Really great car, even the cops and emts were saying that it was impressive it took such a hit and did so well. The bumper took the brunt of the impact as well as the hitch and rear liftgate.
Whiplash, that happened to me back in 2005 with my on the job truck injury...really sucks because it's still affecting me today & am miserable because of the chronic pain. Really tired of this chronic pain after all these years. The pain meds help, along with the implanted stimulator, but always feel like crap. Going through another round of epidurals as we speak but thank G-d for workers comp, they've paid all the bills. Will be seeing a change in my work status soon, as my leave ends the end of this month. Will hopefully find out what happens next before the end of April. Wish me luck y'all!!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
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?..................
I know I've slowed down, big-time. I think a lot of it is simply that vehicle demographics are changing. A lot of those big 60's and 70's and early 80's boats that I like aren't cheap and plentiful like they used to be. Suddenly those cars I went for are 30-40 years old, if not older. They're not so easy to find parts for anymore, and when they break down, if it's something I can't fix, they're not so easy to find mechanics that are willing to work on them anymore, either.
And for the most part, the current crop of 10-20 year old cars just really doesn't excite me.
In the 1990's I acquired... 1957 DeSoto (1990) 1968 Dart (1992) 1969 Bonneville (1992) 1982 Cutlass Supreme (1993) 1967 Catalina (1994) 1988 LeBaron (1995) 1979 Newport (1996) 1986 Monte Carlo (1998) 1989 Gran Fury (1998) 1985 LeSabre (1999) 1967 Newport (1999) 2000 Intrepid (1999)
In the '00's I acquired: 1979 New Yorker 5th Ave (2001) 1985 Silverado (2002) 1976 LeMans (2005) 1979 New Yorker (2007) 2000 Park Ave (2009)
So, that's a count of 12 in the 90's, and down to 5 in the '00's.
My driving dynamics have changed a lot as well. I used to live about 13 miles from work, and delivered pizzas part time, so I would use up a car quicker, especially if it was one that was a bit tired to begin with. But now, I live about 2.5 miles from work, and that pizza delivery job is ancient history.
I never was the CCB that a lot of people on this site are, but I'm really slacking off, even from my relatively modest level!
My brother never put more than maintenance into either of those Saabs. The old 99 was another story.
I'd love to have someone else build a similarly priced competitor in a convertible. I'm not seeing it - unless you count Audi which is an out of the frying pan into the fire situation.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Our son got rear ended several years ago in his one month old Accord.
As much as I despise personal injury lawyers in retrospect, he really should have hired one. After going through therapy and feeling better, he signed a release. The other driver's insurance company was as nice as can be so our son kinda let his guard down. It's not our nature to sue people or look for something we don't deserve.
He still gets neck pain and migranes today that never were a problem before the accident.
So, I guess my advise would be to really watch out for yourself.
Anyone else see a pattern here? You must have been itchy to buy in 2002.
So, if the pattern holds true, what are we looking at for 2011?
Actually, I'm gonna try holding off as long as possible! But, you never know!
My purchases in the '00's were kind of random. I really missed my '79 Newport, and happened to find the '79 5th Ave, same basic car but a bigger engine and more luxurious, on eBay, and ended up buying it.
The '85 Silverado was my Granddad's. He had passed away in 1990. Grandmom held onto it for a few years, and my uncle or me would drive it every once in awhile, but eventually she gave it to my Mom. She bought a new F150 in 2002 passed the Silverado on to me.
The '76 LeMans came about soon after I sold my condo and, momentarily at least, felt rich. I'd always liked those, since I was a little kid, happened to find this one on eBay too, and bought it.
I ran across the other New Yorker in Pennsylvania when I went up there for a car show with Grbeck and Lemko. Grbeck had mentioned that there was a car at a gas station he wanted to show me, and I thought it was going to be something like a Pacer or Gremlin, so I was really shocked when I saw it was this New Yorker! Well, he got me the number for the gas station, I called them and they said yeah, the owner was interested in selling it, and about a month later I was the proud owner of a $500 New Yorker.
Then, the Park Ave came into my life a few weeks after my Intrepid got totaled. With the exception of the Park Ave, none of the others were really necessary purchases...more like toys I guess. Although the truck comes in handy for hauling stuff, spare car duty, etc.
At this point, I think I'll only get another car if I NEED to. The Buick only has about 69,000 miles on it, so should have plenty of life left. The truck has around 135,000, and mechanically is sound, although the body is rusting. Frame, suspension, etc is still pretty solid though. So I'm hoping for a few more years. And the other cars...DeSoto, Catalina, LeMans, and two New Yorkers, really don't need to be replaced if something happened to any of them. I've had that DeSoto for roughly half of my life now, though, so if something happened to it, I'm sure I'd feel a big void!
Yeah, back when I had the 99 (which was my brother's as well) the local Saab dealership had badly trained chimps running their service department. I was having a problem with it that I diagnosed as a thermostat that was stuck open. They insisted that wasn't it and kept replacing other things. (I don't remember why I didn't just a buy a thermostat and put it in myself - maybe I assumed that, being a Saab, the thermostat was in some bizarre, unreachable location.)
After getting nowhere I looked in the phone book and found an independent garage near work who specialized in European makes and named Saab as one he knew. I brought it into him and explained my story. He calls that afternoon. Everything's fine. I replaced the thermostat.
Unfortunately he moved to Colorado....
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Just changed a stuck open thermostat in the wife's 9-3. While not unreachable, it is the most difficult thermostat I've ever personally done. It is on the rear of the head rather than the front, for some reason, and requires removing several things to get to it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
but I felt compelled to go on the auto trader website and look up Park Aves in my area. Found this low mileage '98 Park Ave for $5981. Nice, low mileage car, although that's still a lot of money for something that's 13 model years old! Plus, isn't that the era of 3.8 that tended to have intake manifold issues? One thing that really struck me about this car is how basic it is. I had to do a double-take when I saw it has cloth seats! I didn't even know the final-generation Park Ave even OFFERED cloth seats!
After getting used to the supercharged 3.8 in my 2000 Park Ave Ultra, I guess the regular 205 hp 3.8 would be a bit of a letdown? I hear it's actually not bad in the LeSabre, but the Park Ave is probably pushing the limits, weight-wise.
Back from the shop today. Took them a little extra time due to difficulty in finding parts and they had to chase a problem in the system that was still causing a low brake pedal. Total bill was $450 which included the master cylinder, bleeding the brakes, an oil change, switching a tire off a steel wheel to an alloy, and replacing the serpentine belt. All told including the purchase price, winter tires, an alloy wheel, and the repairs, I'm in the car $1625 and its mechanically sound and safe.
Insurance adjuster came to the house today to do an estimate on the Pilot, needless to say I'm NOT happy with how they want to fix it. They want to pull the dents out of the rear hatch, fill, and repaint it, same with the bumper, he said that's so they can save $$$. I spoke with the body shop that I plan on using and they disagree, they said the rear hatch needs to be replaced. So we'll see who wins in the end.
My back is not really improving much, but the headaches I've been having are the worst though. I rarely get headaches and I've had one almost non-stop since Sunday. My chiropractor says its from the strain in my neck due to whiplash. He adjusted me today and it helped some, but its going to take time.
I actually prefer cloth, myself, especially if it's a nice, upscale pattern. I'll admit though, I got used to the leather, and the nice, toasty bum-warmers in my Park Ave Ultra.
With cloth seats though, I think a car should have matching inserts on the door panel, otherwise I think it looks a bit cheap. And the Park Ave has too much cheap looking plastic. Even a lot of the soft-touch stuff looks a bit low-rent...it fools you into thinking it's just hard plastic until you actually touch it and then it's a pleasant surprise. Just not a good first impression. The car almost needs the leather seats to help offset the other bargain-bin bits!
I think Buick has done a better job on the Lucerne. The base model with cloth seats doesn't have cloth on the door panels, but all the plastic, switchgear, etc looks to be of higher quality. Although in the Lucerne's case, some of the stuff that looks soft-touch is actually hard!
The non-supercharged models had intake manifold gasket issues. I think most of the base Park Avenues had the optional leather. There are quite a few base model LeSabres out there, though. I think it was a popular rental model.
As far as the interior, be very careful where you use harsh cleaners. Apparently, some of the plastic bits are painted. One of my favorite cleaning tools for solid plastic is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, which is slightly abrasive. I remember trying to clean a spot on the passenger airbag cover on my late grandfather's Park Ave, and when I used the eraser, the spot kept getting bigger (I was rubbing the paint off of it). The material underneath was a different color.
What years of 3.8 had that intake manifold issue, anyway? Wasn't it something like 1997-2002? Or did it span more years?
I was thankful when I found out that the supercharged 3.8 was beefed up enough to not have the issue. On the flip side, I hear that it's common for the supercharger to give out around 100,000 miles, to the tune of $1000+. But, the main reason for that is you're supposed to change the oil in the supercharger every 60,000, and most people forget to do that. I did mine around 59,000, so hopefully I'm covered there!
And thanks for the tip on not using too harsh of a cleaner. The interior is actually holding up pretty well so far, except for the steering wheel. I think the previous owner wore rings or something, because there's a gouge in the rubber part, on the left side. There's also a tear in the carpet to the right of the gas pedal, almost as if she drove with her foot half on the pedal, and half rubbing the carpet.
Was there to get my kids oil change done and sat in a few cars. The new Elantra...simply fantastic job & can't wait to test drive one already...a GLS with the Preferred Package...great combo. The Eqqus was simply amazing with wonderful "thrones" in perforated leather. Loved the Sonata & that small cute ute. Great lineup Hyundai...you've got our vote!!
They also had a few cool used cars also. The ES350's were amazing, I could get used to one of these. They also had a Lancer sport wagon which was pretty cool...comfortable cloth seats with great visibility but not so sure how the mpg's would be, as I've heard Mitsu cars don't shine in that department. The sleeper I saw...an '06 BMW 335C coupe was, well "absofrickinlutely the best" with it's power seats and leather. It's a low step in which would never work for me and didn't like the frameless windows which made horrible noises when closing the doors...felt like they could shatter with enough force. But overall guys...spectacular, though the long doors were a bit heavy & hard to close for me. But I'd deal believe me, the only thing better would be a convertible, especially in sunny South Florida...a natural!
So, an interesting morning for sure. loved the Elantra and if I was to buy myself a car right now, it'd be the Elantra GLS in the titanium color hands down. Just hit all the right buttons!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
A little late, but, here's what I've owned (including spouse's cars) since I got my license in 1988:
'85 Chrysler Laser (the turbo model with a whopping 130 hp) '90 Honda Civic Si '93 Prelude Si '94 Acura Integra '98 Subaru Legacy GT '99 Infiniti G20 '00 Toyota 4Runner '00 VW Passat '03 MDX '04 Acura TSX '07 BMW 530xi '07 Highlander '10 CX-9 (current) '09 Miata (current) '10 Insight '08 BMW 328xi (current)
On average, I was keeping cars on average about 3-5 years, but that has gone down over the past few years. That G20 and, more recently, the Insight have the most shameful turnarounds. My fiance (getting married in 3 weeks) shares my passion for cars, which is mostly a great thing, but she also doesn't do much to provide resistance either.
We really like our CX-9 and 328 and are confident we will hold on to those for a respectable time. And I'm starting to enjoy the Miata once again with Spring coming on (60's in Denver today!), but that "fun car slot" may be the one to feed our CCB urges now and again.
The new Elantra...simply fantastic job & can't wait to test drive one already...a GLS with the Preferred Package...great combo.
Check out the Kia Optima as well, very beautiful car with great seats. I looked at one while hubby was checking out the Sportage. I think Kia and Hyundai have done a fantastic job with the new line up.
I'm kind of wishing for a low step in height these days, getting in and out of the Pilot is painful. If the Escort was an automatic I'd drive it for now, but there's no way I can push in a clutch.
My chiropractor is seeing me twice a week, he said expect at least 6 weeks before I'm out of pain. Fast Forward button anyone?
On another note, what's a good way to prove diminished value short of trading the Pilot in?
The Elantra is the typical econo-car ride - lots of road and engine noise - wrapped in a lot of attractive (to some) icing. I think I would prefer something else like the new 2012 Focus, the Cruze, or even the VW Golf. Substantial cars with more refinement. The Walmart-shopper ethos of Hyundai or Kia will take a long time to wear off.
Well, I went there to get my kids '08 Accent an oil change & if I had to, I'd drive one as a dd. The "Walmart shopper ethos" comment seems to be some kinda put down but if doing that kinda stuff floats your boat dude, knock yourself out! This "ethos" you talk about won't happen as we are not to proud to drive a car such as a Hyundai or a Kia! Obviously you find something wrong with driving one of these brands.
Not even sure why you responded to my post in the 1st place. We would never buy a German car and we'll test drive the Focus, but again, doubt the wife would ever consider a Ford. We prefer GM products or used to & look forward to test the Verano. We just have certain reasons we won't buy a VW or Ford which is really no one's business.
Still don't get the Walmart ethos comment, but obviously I'm not as smart or droll as you seem to be.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
All I meant was that Hyundai/Kia have an image as a cheap entry-level car that will take them a long time to shake. Like a lot of Walmart products, they come in at a low price and appear to offer good value. But you don't get something for nothing and the overall long-term quality is still a question.
Yeah, the M3 makes me a bit nervous from a maintenance and cost perspective, but that's not speaking from experience. 40k miles is pretty good though.
The E46 M3 is a pretty durable track toy. The S54 motor is close to bulletproof. There are reasonably priced quality alternatives to the pricey OEM pads and rotors. I STILL kick myself for passing on the perfect track M3 a couple of years ago; a Sterling Gray 2003 with Coral Red leather. The only options were Xenons and Harmon-Kardon sound. No power seats, and no hole in the roof. Perfect.
Speaking of M cars, look what I found on my dealer's lot:
It's a 2000 with a full service history but it has a lot of miles- 118,000. They are asking $14,950- way too high, methinks. I'd buy it in a heartbeat for $10,000 or so... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I hope you have more faith in chiropractors than I do
I agree with you, most chiropractors are horrible, but if you can find a good one they really can help.
As for diminished value, I'm not sure what to think or how to figure it out. I mean if I was to trade the Pilot in or sell it I'm sure that nobody will pay close to what they would have prior to the accident. Most used car managers turn up their nose at a car that's been in an accident.
I guess I'll find out eventually how bad of a hit on value I'm going to take. I'm going to keep a file with pictures, both before and after, as well as all the paperwork from the repair.
just finished reading the latest issue of CR (the annual auto issue). It made me sad to see that my newest car (a 2005) is now the oldest model included in the reliability ratings chart.
which means, starting next year, I will be "flying blind". Must mean it is time for new wheels, otherwise how will I know what to worry about, right?
Isellhondas..... have you seen the new 2012 CR-V? I can't seem to find a pic that looks realistic.
I'm kinda toying with the idea of trading the '07 for a '12. The current CR-V has been fantastic but has 40,000 miles now with almost another 40,000 of towing.
Mark156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
I'm kinda toying with the idea of trading the '07 for a '12. The current CR-V has been fantastic but has 40,000 miles now with almost another 40,000 of towing.
I've always wanted to know ... does the odometer in the CR-V read 40K or 80K?
I've known people who have bought Hyundais and Kias over the years, and really can't remember anyone having any problems with one, unless you go back to the Excel era! One of my grandmother's friends even bought one of the first Sonatas. Traded her Cimarron in on it! I don't remember the Sonata having any issues, but her next car was a used Benz C-class!
I do remember one of my college buddies taking an Elantra out for a test drive around 1991-92, and I went with him. That car felt like crap, he agreed, and he ended up with a '92 Corolla.
I certainly wouldn't be ashamed to drive one of the more recent Hyundais or Kias. However, I do know that to a lot of people, they have a stigma about them. But, to a lot of people, a Dodge has a stigma attached, and so does a Buick or Chevy, Pontiac, or Chrysler. Heck, a DeSoto might even still have a stigma attached to it! :P
Hey Michaell, no, the odometer doesn't register while towing. All I do is start the vehicle, start in Park, then go to R, N, D, 2, 1, pausing in each gear then back to up neutral and stop. I then turn the key to the the accessory mode to turn off the engine leaving the steering wheel free and the car is ready to tow.
Mark156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Thanks Isellhondas, the spy photo I saw has a caption underneath that says "2012 Honda CR-V" but the car has a Ford emblem on the grill! LOL!
I know there is a lot of life left in the Honda as my sister-in-law's '07 CR-V has 88,000 miles. She has it for sale as she bought an '06 VW Bug diesel with only 9,800 miles. I think she's getting 38 mpg's on her daily route. They live in the country and she works in the city, hence, the high mileage on the Honda.
The only reservation I have replacing the Honda with another is that it will get rock chips from towing even though I have a front mask/cover. When I clean up the '07, it looks new again! I keep a good wax on it so I have the most round, symmetrical water beads (from the wax advertisement) LOL!
Mark156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Isellhondas..... have you seen the new 2012 CR-V? I can't seem to find a pic that looks realistic.
My guess is that the '12 CR-V should be all-new - the current generation is 5 years old - but no company is as good as Honda when it comes to keeping the new stuff under wraps.
Right, my spinal issues are so bad I can't go to one as they're not equipped to handle chronic pain. Only a pain management doc can help me with that & luckily I've found a great one! The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Comments
Me too, I hate pain. Today was miserable, I was really hoping it wouldn't be worse today, but it was. Received a phone call from my insurance company and the insurance company of the middle driver, but haven't spoken to the insurance company of the at-fault driver yet.
My insurance company says that after the Pilot is repaired I should be able to file a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance company for diminished value, I hope so. I know that this accident tanked the value of the Pilot, especially with it being so new.
The whole thing just makes me sad. On the bright side, it made me thankful I have a safe car like the Pilot.
I can't remember if you said you are currently working, but if so, does the job give you time off for this kind of thing?
I can't remember if you said you are currently working, but if so, does the job give you time off for this kind of thing?
Thankfully not working, its too hard with my daughter's illness. She likes mom to be around and its nice that we can afford to do that.
I ended up going back to the dr today for different painkillers, the ones they gave me were making me sick. Needless to say I've been pretty darn miserable the past couple days. The dr thinks I have a bit of whiplash in addition to the back injury, I've had a headache since shortly after the accident that I can't seem to shake. Hubby has had the same issue.
Insurance adjuster is coming tomorrow to do an estimate on the Pilot, so at least we'll get that fixed and done with. My injury claim is going to be a bit more drawn out since they are waiting to see how it turns out. The at-fault driver's insurance is being pretty good about the whole thing, nobody is disputing who was at fault for the accident.
Diminished value aside, I'll be keeping my Pilot, it showed me its safe and will protect me in an accident. Really great car, even the cops and emts were saying that it was impressive it took such a hit and did so well. The bumper took the brunt of the impact as well as the hitch and rear liftgate.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
I know I've slowed down, big-time. I think a lot of it is simply that vehicle demographics are changing. A lot of those big 60's and 70's and early 80's boats that I like aren't cheap and plentiful like they used to be. Suddenly those cars I went for are 30-40 years old, if not older. They're not so easy to find parts for anymore, and when they break down, if it's something I can't fix, they're not so easy to find mechanics that are willing to work on them anymore, either.
And for the most part, the current crop of 10-20 year old cars just really doesn't excite me.
In the 1990's I acquired...
1957 DeSoto (1990)
1968 Dart (1992)
1969 Bonneville (1992)
1982 Cutlass Supreme (1993)
1967 Catalina (1994)
1988 LeBaron (1995)
1979 Newport (1996)
1986 Monte Carlo (1998)
1989 Gran Fury (1998)
1985 LeSabre (1999)
1967 Newport (1999)
2000 Intrepid (1999)
In the '00's I acquired:
1979 New Yorker 5th Ave (2001)
1985 Silverado (2002)
1976 LeMans (2005)
1979 New Yorker (2007)
2000 Park Ave (2009)
So, that's a count of 12 in the 90's, and down to 5 in the '00's.
My driving dynamics have changed a lot as well. I used to live about 13 miles from work, and delivered pizzas part time, so I would use up a car quicker, especially if it was one that was a bit tired to begin with. But now, I live about 2.5 miles from work, and that pizza delivery job is ancient history.
I never was the CCB that a lot of people on this site are, but I'm really slacking off, even from my relatively modest level!
Yeah, but how many of those cars do you still own?
You're more of a CCK (Chronic Car Keeper).
Seven. The 5 I got in the 2000's, plus the DeSoto and the Catalina.
If I had waited just a few more weeks before buying the Park Ave (bought it on 12/12/09), then the 2000's would have looked really barren for me!
Try to have a different thought.
My brother never put more than maintenance into either of those Saabs. The old 99 was another story.
I'd love to have someone else build a similarly priced competitor in a convertible. I'm not seeing it - unless you count Audi which is an out of the frying pan into the fire situation.
As much as I despise personal injury lawyers in retrospect, he really should have hired one. After going through therapy and feeling better, he signed a release. The other driver's insurance company was as nice as can be so our son kinda let his guard down. It's not our nature to sue people or look for something we don't deserve.
He still gets neck pain and migranes today that never were a problem before the accident.
So, I guess my advise would be to really watch out for yourself.
I'm glad you weren't in the middle car!
Hope you start feeling better Jolie.
Audi is a different story along with Volvos. Next to Land Rovers I can't think of more troublesome cars.
1979 New Yorker 5th Ave (2001)
1985 Silverado (2002)
1976 LeMans (2005)
1979 New Yorker (2007)
2000 Park Ave (2009)
Anyone else see a pattern here? You must have been itchy to buy in 2002.
So, if the pattern holds true, what are we looking at for 2011?
So, if the pattern holds true, what are we looking at for 2011?
Actually, I'm gonna try holding off as long as possible! But, you never know!
My purchases in the '00's were kind of random. I really missed my '79 Newport, and happened to find the '79 5th Ave, same basic car but a bigger engine and more luxurious, on eBay, and ended up buying it.
The '85 Silverado was my Granddad's. He had passed away in 1990. Grandmom held onto it for a few years, and my uncle or me would drive it every once in awhile, but eventually she gave it to my Mom. She bought a new F150 in 2002 passed the Silverado on to me.
The '76 LeMans came about soon after I sold my condo and, momentarily at least, felt rich. I'd always liked those, since I was a little kid, happened to find this one on eBay too, and bought it.
I ran across the other New Yorker in Pennsylvania when I went up there for a car show with Grbeck and Lemko. Grbeck had mentioned that there was a car at a gas station he wanted to show me, and I thought it was going to be something like a Pacer or Gremlin, so I was really shocked when I saw it was this New Yorker! Well, he got me the number for the gas station, I called them and they said yeah, the owner was interested in selling it, and about a month later I was the proud owner of a $500 New Yorker.
Then, the Park Ave came into my life a few weeks after my Intrepid got totaled. With the exception of the Park Ave, none of the others were really necessary purchases...more like toys I guess. Although the truck comes in handy for hauling stuff, spare car duty, etc.
At this point, I think I'll only get another car if I NEED to. The Buick only has about 69,000 miles on it, so should have plenty of life left. The truck has around 135,000, and mechanically is sound, although the body is rusting. Frame, suspension, etc is still pretty solid though. So I'm hoping for a few more years. And the other cars...DeSoto, Catalina, LeMans, and two New Yorkers, really don't need to be replaced if something happened to any of them. I've had that DeSoto for roughly half of my life now, though, so if something happened to it, I'm sure I'd feel a big void!
After getting nowhere I looked in the phone book and found an independent garage near work who specialized in European makes and named Saab as one he knew. I brought it into him and explained my story. He calls that afternoon. Everything's fine. I replaced the thermostat.
Unfortunately he moved to Colorado....
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
What year is yours again?
Nice, low mileage car, although that's still a lot of money for something that's 13 model years old! Plus, isn't that the era of 3.8 that tended to have intake manifold issues? One thing that really struck me about this car is how basic it is. I had to do a double-take when I saw it has cloth seats! I didn't even know the final-generation Park Ave even OFFERED cloth seats!
After getting used to the supercharged 3.8 in my 2000 Park Ave Ultra, I guess the regular 205 hp 3.8 would be a bit of a letdown? I hear it's actually not bad in the LeSabre, but the Park Ave is probably pushing the limits, weight-wise.
Insurance adjuster came to the house today to do an estimate on the Pilot, needless to say I'm NOT happy with how they want to fix it. They want to pull the dents out of the rear hatch, fill, and repaint it, same with the bumper, he said that's so they can save $$$. I spoke with the body shop that I plan on using and they disagree, they said the rear hatch needs to be replaced. So we'll see who wins in the end.
My back is not really improving much, but the headaches I've been having are the worst though. I rarely get headaches and I've had one almost non-stop since Sunday. My chiropractor says its from the strain in my neck due to whiplash. He adjusted me today and it helped some, but its going to take time.
I never want to go through this again. :sick:
With cloth seats though, I think a car should have matching inserts on the door panel, otherwise I think it looks a bit cheap. And the Park Ave has too much cheap looking plastic. Even a lot of the soft-touch stuff looks a bit low-rent...it fools you into thinking it's just hard plastic until you actually touch it and then it's a pleasant surprise. Just not a good first impression. The car almost needs the leather seats to help offset the other bargain-bin bits!
I think Buick has done a better job on the Lucerne. The base model with cloth seats doesn't have cloth on the door panels, but all the plastic, switchgear, etc looks to be of higher quality. Although in the Lucerne's case, some of the stuff that looks soft-touch is actually hard!
As far as the interior, be very careful where you use harsh cleaners. Apparently, some of the plastic bits are painted. One of my favorite cleaning tools for solid plastic is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, which is slightly abrasive. I remember trying to clean a spot on the passenger airbag cover on my late grandfather's Park Ave, and when I used the eraser, the spot kept getting bigger (I was rubbing the paint off of it). The material underneath was a different color.
I was thankful when I found out that the supercharged 3.8 was beefed up enough to not have the issue. On the flip side, I hear that it's common for the supercharger to give out around 100,000 miles, to the tune of $1000+. But, the main reason for that is you're supposed to change the oil in the supercharger every 60,000, and most people forget to do that. I did mine around 59,000, so hopefully I'm covered there!
And thanks for the tip on not using too harsh of a cleaner. The interior is actually holding up pretty well so far, except for the steering wheel. I think the previous owner wore rings or something, because there's a gouge in the rubber part, on the left side. There's also a tear in the carpet to the right of the gas pedal, almost as if she drove with her foot half on the pedal, and half rubbing the carpet.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
They also had a few cool used cars also. The ES350's were amazing, I could get used to one of these. They also had a Lancer sport wagon which was pretty cool...comfortable cloth seats with great visibility but not so sure how the mpg's would be, as I've heard Mitsu cars don't shine in that department. The sleeper I saw...an '06 BMW 335C coupe was, well "absofrickinlutely the best" with it's power seats and leather. It's a low step in which would never work for me and didn't like the frameless windows which made horrible noises when closing the doors...felt like they could shatter with enough force. But overall guys...spectacular, though the long doors were a bit heavy & hard to close for me. But I'd deal believe me, the only thing better would be a convertible, especially in sunny South Florida...a natural!
So, an interesting morning for sure. loved the Elantra and if I was to buy myself a car right now, it'd be the Elantra GLS in the titanium color hands down. Just hit all the right buttons!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
'85 Chrysler Laser (the turbo model with a whopping 130 hp)
'90 Honda Civic Si
'93 Prelude Si
'94 Acura Integra
'98 Subaru Legacy GT
'99 Infiniti G20
'00 Toyota 4Runner
'00 VW Passat
'03 MDX
'04 Acura TSX
'07 BMW 530xi
'07 Highlander
'10 CX-9 (current)
'09 Miata (current)
'10 Insight
'08 BMW 328xi (current)
On average, I was keeping cars on average about 3-5 years, but that has gone down over the past few years. That G20 and, more recently, the Insight have the most shameful turnarounds. My fiance (getting married in 3 weeks) shares my passion for cars, which is mostly a great thing, but she also doesn't do much to provide resistance either.
We really like our CX-9 and 328 and are confident we will hold on to those for a respectable time. And I'm starting to enjoy the Miata once again with Spring coming on (60's in Denver today!), but that "fun car slot" may be the one to feed our CCB urges now and again.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
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2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
Would be fun for the track days out at High Plains!
BTW, are you planning on attending the Denver Auto Show?
I am definitely planning on the Denver Auto Show, just not sure what day yet. It's the first week of April this year, right?
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
Check out the Kia Optima as well, very beautiful car with great seats. I looked at one while hubby was checking out the Sportage. I think Kia and Hyundai have done a fantastic job with the new line up.
I'm kind of wishing for a low step in height these days, getting in and out of the Pilot is painful. If the Escort was an automatic I'd drive it for now, but there's no way I can push in a clutch.
My chiropractor is seeing me twice a week, he said expect at least 6 weeks before I'm out of pain. Fast Forward button anyone?
On another note, what's a good way to prove diminished value short of trading the Pilot in?
Here is the website for more info .. if I go, I think it'll be on Saturday morning.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Not even sure why you responded to my post in the 1st place. We would never buy a German car and we'll test drive the Focus, but again, doubt the wife would ever consider a Ford. We prefer GM products or used to & look forward to test the Verano. We just have certain reasons we won't buy a VW or Ford which is really no one's business.
Still don't get the Walmart ethos comment, but obviously I'm not as smart or droll as you seem to be.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I hope you have more faith in chiropractors than I do. I don't know why they call themselves "doctors" because they aren't. Not even close.
The E46 M3 is a pretty durable track toy. The S54 motor is close to bulletproof. There are reasonably priced quality alternatives to the pricey OEM pads and rotors. I STILL kick myself for passing on the perfect track M3 a couple of years ago; a Sterling Gray 2003 with Coral Red leather. The only options were Xenons and Harmon-Kardon sound. No power seats, and no hole in the roof. Perfect.
Speaking of M cars, look what I found on my dealer's lot:
It's a 2000 with a full service history but it has a lot of miles- 118,000. They are asking $14,950- way too high, methinks. I'd buy it in a heartbeat for $10,000 or so... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I hope you have more faith in chiropractors than I do
I agree with you, most chiropractors are horrible, but if you can find a good one they really can help.
As for diminished value, I'm not sure what to think or how to figure it out. I mean if I was to trade the Pilot in or sell it I'm sure that nobody will pay close to what they would have prior to the accident. Most used car managers turn up their nose at a car that's been in an accident.
I guess I'll find out eventually how bad of a hit on value I'm going to take. I'm going to keep a file with pictures, both before and after, as well as all the paperwork from the repair.
which means, starting next year, I will be "flying blind". Must mean it is time for new wheels, otherwise how will I know what to worry about, right?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Exactly! Got to keep that economy humming .. I did my share, what about you?
I'm kinda toying with the idea of trading the '07 for a '12. The current CR-V has been fantastic but has 40,000 miles now with almost another 40,000 of towing.
Mark156
I've always wanted to know ... does the odometer in the CR-V read 40K or 80K?
With those miles, your 2007 is still an infant.
I do remember one of my college buddies taking an Elantra out for a test drive around 1991-92, and I went with him. That car felt like crap, he agreed, and he ended up with a '92 Corolla.
I certainly wouldn't be ashamed to drive one of the more recent Hyundais or Kias. However, I do know that to a lot of people, they have a stigma about them. But, to a lot of people, a Dodge has a stigma attached, and so does a Buick or Chevy, Pontiac, or Chrysler. Heck, a DeSoto might even still have a stigma attached to it! :P
Mark156
I know there is a lot of life left in the Honda as my sister-in-law's '07 CR-V has 88,000 miles. She has it for sale as she bought an '06 VW Bug diesel with only 9,800 miles. I think she's getting 38 mpg's on her daily route. They live in the country and she works in the city, hence, the high mileage on the Honda.
The only reservation I have replacing the Honda with another is that it will get rock chips from towing even though I have a front mask/cover. When I clean up the '07, it looks new again! I keep a good wax on it so I have the most round, symmetrical water beads (from the wax advertisement) LOL!
Mark156
I haven't waxed our 2003 CRV in probably three years yet it shines as much as our 2011 does!
Now, I feel guilty!
"An accident" on a Car Fax will scare away some buyers but others won't care once they find out what the extent of the damages were.
Having those pictures is an excellent idea especially if some used car manager tries to make too big of a deal about it.
My guess is that the '12 CR-V should be all-new - the current generation is 5 years old - but no company is as good as Honda when it comes to keeping the new stuff under wraps.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)