Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

ab348

sda said:

I always liked the Triumph Stag. Glad I never owned one as I understand they are incredibly troublesome.

A fellow I used to know restored a TR-6, spending a good amount on it but it turned out beautifully. Emboldened by that, a couple of years later he decided to take on a Stag. He had the original engine rebuilt at huge time and money cost, but he could afford it, and while that was going on the body and interior were being redone. Finally after a long time and lots of $$$ it went back into the car and promptly blew up, literally within a couple of months. It went for another rebuild with lots more time and money expended, at a different shop. By the time it went back in again, he was afraid to drive it very far. I've lost touch, so I don't know if he still has it or if he foisted it onto some other unsuspecting fool.

xwesx

Speaking of bad noises... the front left wheel area of my Forester started making some noise last Sunday. Now, only six days later, it is REALLY making some noise! I have to guess it is either wheel bearing or CV joint in the axle, but both of these were just replaced last July, so I am feeling very angry about this failure....

cdnpinhead

Back in about '72 or '73 I was looking for a replacement for my wonderful (but worn out) '65 MGB. What I wanted was a roadster (two-seat with a drop top, for those who don't know) with independent rear suspension. Or I could (let's say pee) up a rope. The finalists were the TR6 and the 240Z. Well, those who have been paying attention know I ended up with the zed. Quite a few years later I got my first Miata, and the beat went on.

stickguy

@xwesx said:
Speaking of bad noises... the front left wheel area of my Forester started making some noise last Sunday. Now, only six days later, it is REALLY making some noise! I have to guess it is either wheel bearing or CV joint in the axle, but both of these were just replaced last July, so I am feeling very angry about this failure....

You should yell at the mechanic that did the job for such poor workmanship.

corvette

stickguy said:

You should yell at the mechanic that did the job for such poor workmanship.

Better yet, take him to small claims court!

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

Speaking of bad noises... the front left wheel area of my Forester started making some noise last Sunday. Now, only six days later, it is REALLY making some noise! I have to guess it is either wheel bearing or CV joint in the axle, but both of these were just replaced last July, so I am feeling very angry about this failure....

Brake backing plate rubbing against something?

stickguy

@corvette said:
Better yet, take him to small claims court!

Suing yourself, you have to win!

Michaell

stickguy said:

@corvette said:

Better yet, take him to small claims court!

Suing yourself, you have to win!

He didn't mention if his son did the work, or not....

stickguy

well, probably a minor, so same result.

xwesx

You guys are too funny. /sigh

I might not be able to say anything about the mechanic's work, but I can certainly question his choice of parts!

So, I thought may be I would just try the old move-the-wheel-back-and-forth trick to see if it might be the wheel bearing. And, with the car still on the ground, I could easily feel play in the bearing. Seriously! That thing must be about ready to come apart if I can feel it sitting on the ground. In. Sane.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

You guys are too funny. /sigh

I might not be able to say anything about the mechanic's work, but I can certainly question his choice of parts!

So, I thought may be I would just try the old move-the-wheel-back-and-forth trick to see if it might be the wheel bearing. And, with the car still on the ground, I could easily feel play in the bearing. Seriously! That thing must be about ready to come apart if I can feel it sitting on the ground. In. Sane.

————————————————
Whoa, feeling play without jacking it up means it has to be really bad. You’re lucky you were able to get it home. The good news is it wasn’t the CV joint.

I’m sure you’re not buying that brand again. Although at that young age it could be covered under warranty.

jmonroe

xwesx

Oh, man. It was so bad. I pulled it apart this morning and am waiting for my wife to get home so I can run to the parts store and get a new hub assembly. The good news is that it was incredibly easy to remove because I had just installed it seven months prior! I unbolted it and just pulled it out with my hand. The bad news is that there's no bothering with warranty.

I bought the original parts from RockAuto, and they're basically impossible to work with when something doesn't go as planned.

28firefighter

So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

corvette

@28firefighter - you’re asking here?

corvette

Hope I don’t jinx it, but I think the Volt is fixed. Drove it to Mount St. Francis on battery and took advantage of the free EV chargers there while I hiked the trails, got home with about six miles of EV range left and drove around near my house for a while, giving the gas engine a decent workout. Scanned the codes and it was showing 0 misfire history on all four cylinders. I’m not about to take it on a 1,000 mile trip, but I feel a lot better about driving it regularly.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

Oh, man. It was so bad. I pulled it apart this morning and am waiting for my wife to get home so I can run to the parts store and get a new hub assembly. The good news is that it was incredibly easy to remove because I had just installed it seven months prior! I unbolted it and just pulled it out with my hand. The bad news is that there's no bothering with warranty.

I bought the original parts from RockAuto, and they're basically impossible to work with when something doesn't go as planned.

————————————————
I’m surprised you had a problem with RockAuto.

Years ago when I still had my first Genny (‘09) my Son suggested that I go to RockAuto when I couldn’t find wipers at any of the local auto parts stores and I didn’t like the dealers price. They arrived pretty fast but they didn’t fit, so I called their customer service. The woman I spoke with apologized up and down and said they were going to credit my CC (and they did) but they were also going to send me the correct wipers at no charge. They showed up right away too but they also didn’t fit. I gave up and finally went to the dealer.

Sounds like they don’t operate the same way anymore but then who does?

jmonroe

stickguy

28firefighter said:

So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

well, I am always off now on used car prices (living in the past I guess!) so while it seems pricey, maybe that is the going rate out there. But functionally, it sounds like the perfect solution to your problem.

28firefighter

It’s not a problem, per se…

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

It’s not a problem, per se…

Didn't go for the high-end quartz, evidently?

28firefighter

@kyfdx said:
Didn't go for the high-end quartz, evidently?

Oh no. We did. By no means is this good timing. But since I know the car, figured I’d ask. Smarter choice would be doing winter tires for the Tesla.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

@kyfdx said:

Didn't go for the high-end quartz, evidently?

Oh no. We did. By no means is this good timing. But since I know the car, figured I’d ask. Smarter choice would be doing winter tires for the Tesla.

Hard to lose much with the Forester. If you decide to dump it, later.

stickguy

I can confirm that committing huge amounts of money puts a damper on car shopping. If we weren't building now, our recently received bonuses would have pushed me to go out looking at something nice. At least to browse!

the house, and the pending list of wedding items (nuptials in August) that we agreed to cover. Anybody else rent out an entire school for a weekend lately?

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

I can confirm that committing huge amounts of money puts a damper on car shopping. If we weren't building now, our recently received bonuses would have pushed me to go out looking at something nice. At least to browse!

the house, and the pending list of wedding items (nuptials in August) that we agreed to cover. Anybody else rent out an entire school for a weekend lately?

————————————————
Don’t they have firehalls in your new hood?

jmonroe

corvette

stickguy said:

...and the pending list of wedding items (nuptials in August) that we agreed to cover. Anybody else rent out an entire school for a weekend lately?

I assume congrats are in order... Sorry about the hole in your wallet, that may leave a mark.

qbrozen

@28firefighter said:
So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

Market says yes.

Personally, not for me. What would I get instead? No clue. If just 3 people with skis, probably something smaller and simpler.

stickguy

corvette said:

stickguy said:

...and the pending list of wedding items (nuptials in August) that we agreed to cover. Anybody else rent out an entire school for a weekend lately?

I assume congrats are in order... Sorry about the hole in your wallet, that may leave a mark.

it is our son, and others are taking a much bigger hit. the school will also include the rehearsal dinner and really was not that bad.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

stickguy said:

...and the pending list of wedding items (nuptials in August) that we agreed to cover. Anybody else rent out an entire school for a weekend lately?

I assume congrats are in order... Sorry about the hole in your wallet, that may leave a mark.

————————————————-
Like “marked” off the list of car buyers anytime soon.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

If you know it was well maintained and with low milage the only question is if it’s worth the price. What do the guides like Edmunds TMV say?

The only thing I know from recent experience is that the days of cheap bargains is over.

explorerx4

You can tell he doesn't really want it, especially for ski trips.
Needs something more bougie for the ski area.

roadburner

I took the C43 on an overnight getaway, keeping it in Comfort mode with the exception of the exhaust. The route consisted of fairy deserted two lanes, and I was able to keep it around 60-65 mph most of the time. It returned nearly 29 mpg. I have never owned a car that effectively fuses laid back cruising with superior performance capability. In many ways it reminds me of the 2007 B7 I drove to Fort Worth.

tifighter

@28firefighter said:

@kyfdx said:
Didn't go for the high-end quartz, evidently?

Oh no. We did. By no means is this good timing. But since I know the car, figured I’d ask. Smarter choice would be doing winter tires for the Tesla.

Where are you going? Stevens or Snoqualmie?

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

@28firefighter said:

So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

Market says yes.

Personally, not for me. What would I get instead? No clue. If just 3 people with skis, probably something smaller and simpler.

Smaller than a Forester for three people?

qbrozen

kyfdx said:

Smaller than a Forester for three people?

Even a Kei car can do that. My Wagon R carries 4 people, 2 dogs, and stuff for a day at the beach on the roof rack.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter said:
So, I have an opportunity to pick up a 2017 Forester XT Touring with 55k miles. One owner. Meticulously maintained for about $19k. No eyesight option.

It would be a 3rd car winter runabout now that we’re skiing almost every weekend with my son.

Worth it?

So you’ve obviously made up your mind that this is a good car, well maintained, and a fair price. I know you aren’t specifically looking for used 2017 Forester Turbos of this vintage, but how does the price compare to others in your market? You are mostly work from home & drive your son to school every day. I’m assuming you have an extra $19K in ye old bank account. How far away is the skiing from you? Is range with the Tesla an issue?

28firefighter

@tifighter Snoqualmie and Crystal primarily.

Decided to pass. The Tesla can and has been doing the job just fine and, if I really felt strongly, I could easily throw on a set of winter tires and wheels. Range isn’t an issue, space isn’t a huge issue, etc.

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

I’m surprised you had a problem with RockAuto.

Years ago when I still had my first Genny (‘09) my Son suggested that I go to RockAuto when I couldn’t find wipers at any of the local auto parts stores and I didn’t like the dealers price. They arrived pretty fast but they didn’t fit, so I called their customer service. The woman I spoke with apologized up and down and said they were going to credit my CC (and they did) but they were also going to send me the correct wipers at no charge. They showed up right away too but they also didn’t fit. I gave up and finally went to the dealer.

Sounds like they don’t operate the same way anymore but then who does?

jmonroe

I haven't had problems in the past. But, they have zero customer service now. They even say "in order to provide you with continuously low prices, we do not provide customer service." Or, something along those lines (paraphrasing).

It's good to go now, though. Here's a little summary video, for those curious:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vqll5aZiig

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

jmonroe1 said:

I’m surprised you had a problem with RockAuto.

Years ago when I still had my first Genny (‘09) my Son suggested that I go to RockAuto when I couldn’t find wipers at any of the local auto parts stores and I didn’t like the dealers price. They arrived pretty fast but they didn’t fit, so I called their customer service. The woman I spoke with apologized up and down and said they were going to credit my CC (and they did) but they were also going to send me the correct wipers at no charge. They showed up right away too but they also didn’t fit. I gave up and finally went to the dealer.

Sounds like they don’t operate the same way anymore but then who does?

jmonroe

I haven't had problems in the past. But, they have zero customer service now. They even say "in order to provide you with continuously low prices, we do not provide customer service." Or, something along those lines (paraphrasing).

It's good to go now, though. Here's a little summary video, for those curious:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vqll5aZiig

————————————————
You’re lucky the spindle wasn’t destroyed. Did you count how many roller bearings fell out?

Still a lot better than the CV joint. I’m sure you’re happy about that.

jmonroe

xwesx

I can't imagine that any bearings actually came out, as the unit didn't fall apart and it didn't have any clear openings on it. It just seemed like the bearings were starting to eat themselves, but wasn't so bad that it didn't still have hold of the internal race. If I had ignored it another week or two, though.... Who knows. Probably not good things.

And, YES. I was quite glad that it wasn't the axle. I told my son the same thing. "The cost would have been about the same, but it is a lot more work to get the axle out than the hub assembly. At least, it is after only 15,000 miles!"

corvette

@xwesx - great video, but you forgot to do the "like, share, and subscribe" self-promotion at the end.

tifighter

@28firefighter said:
@tifighter Snoqualmie and Crystal primarily.

Decided to pass. The Tesla can and has been doing the job just fine and, if I really felt strongly, I could easily throw on a set of winter tires and wheels. Range isn’t an issue, space isn’t a huge issue, etc.

Crystal is my home mountain, and was there last week. Spent this weekend with friends up at White Pass, and they drove their Y. Friends don’t let friends drive Subarus…

(I’ll make an exception for @xwesx though. We’ll get him eventually… )

28firefighter

@tifighter said:

@28firefighter said:
@tifighter Snoqualmie and Crystal primarily.

Decided to pass. The Tesla can and has been doing the job just fine and, if I really felt strongly, I could easily throw on a set of winter tires and wheels. Range isn’t an issue, space isn’t a huge issue, etc.

Crystal is my home mountain, and was there last week. Spent this weekend with friends up at White Pass, and they drove their Y. Friends don’t let friends drive Subarus…

(I’ll make an exception for @xwesx though. We’ll get him eventually… )

We were at Deer Valley last weekend and then snoqualmie this weekend for ski lessons.

I’m up to 3 days of skiing total in my life. All this year. So far so good!

breld

28firefighter said:

@tifighter Snoqualmie and Crystal primarily.

Decided to pass. The Tesla can and has been doing the job just fine and, if I really felt strongly, I could easily throw on a set of winter tires and wheels. Range isn’t an issue, space isn’t a huge issue, etc.

Very sensible decision.

Your membership is revoked. 😄

qbrozen

Which do y'all think would be more desirable here in the US?

1. '98 Toyota Progres with ~55k miles. Good: RWD, 1JZ engine. Bad: automatic
2. '98 Honda Torneo SiR-T with ~36k miles. Good: manual. Bad: FWD, hood replaced (but good inspection score so it must have been done right).

I feel like the Honda fanboys would scramble for that, but RWD 1JZ is a compelling combo in sedan guise, even with the auto. Honda has lower miles but Toyo is in better condition. I guess the Toyo is like an IS250? While the Honda is an Accord, of course, but with the Si engine (F20B; 2.0 DOHC VTEC) and has a manual.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

Which do y'all think would be more desirable here in the US?

1. '98 Toyota Progres with ~55k miles. Good: RWD, 1JZ engine. Bad: automatic
2. '98 Honda Torneo SiR-T with ~36k miles. Good: manual. Bad: FWD, hood replaced (but good inspection score so it must have been done right).

I feel like the Honda fanboys would scramble for that, but RWD 1JZ is a compelling combo in sedan guise, even with the auto. Honda has lower miles but Toyo is in better condition. I guess the Toyo is like an IS250? While the Honda is an Accord, of course, but with the Si engine (F20B; 2.0 DOHC VTEC) and has a manual.

I assume both are RHD.

As much as we love our manuals, I'm not sure there is a big market for them, if folks have to learn to shift with their left hand. I'll admit having been tempted by a nice low-mileage (kilometer-age?) JDM import, but I cannot envision myself rowing my own gears while trying to navigate from the "wrong" seat.

Therefore, I vote the Progres, as I suspect the market may be fractionally larger.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

Which do y'all think would be more desirable here in the US?

1. '98 Toyota Progres with ~55k miles. Good: RWD, 1JZ engine. Bad: automatic
2. '98 Honda Torneo SiR-T with ~36k miles. Good: manual. Bad: FWD, hood replaced (but good inspection score so it must have been done right).

I feel like the Honda fanboys would scramble for that, but RWD 1JZ is a compelling combo in sedan guise, even with the auto. Honda has lower miles but Toyo is in better condition. I guess the Toyo is like an IS250? While the Honda is an Accord, of course, but with the Si engine (F20B; 2.0 DOHC VTEC) and has a manual.

I just did a quick google search. 2 completely different cars. That Progres looks like it is much bigger than the Torneo. The IS250 you are thinking about was the Toyota Altezza in Japan.

Coming from someone who is constantly on the hunt for Honda parts from that era, I can tell you they are getting more and more difficult to find. Maybe F20B parts are more available, but it is tough to say no to a RWD 1JZ. Lots of parts & maintenance items.

xwesx

You make a compelling case for each. I suspect the Honda will be more desirable in terms of the audience size, but the Toyota will likely catch the eye of a few folks who know what you gotz!

venture

xwesx said:

You make a compelling case for each. I suspect the Honda will be more desirable in terms of the audience size, but the Toyota will likely catch the eye of a few folks who know what you gotz!

My sentiments exactly.

Get them both.

qbrozen

My wife would not support tying up $10k for a few months.

tifighter

Finally sold the original all season tires from that Pilot wheel set from last fall. So my net cost for the actual wheels was $150. Feeling pretty good about that.

qbrozen

Oh, I forgot to mention: yes, I know they are different types of vehicles. My MO is to click each manufacturer in the auction listings and then narrow to everything '99 or older with auction scores of 4+. That usually shows me less than 200 total listings a day. I quickly scan those for interesting things that aren't terribly expensive. I rarely come up with more than 3 I'd even try to bid on.