Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

Sears or Autozone would be my choice... Nothing special about Honda batteries.. Johnson Controls probably makes all of them, any way...

isellhondas

You know, I don't think I have ever looked at an older BMW where at least one warning light was on!

The sellers always seem to say the same things too...Wow...it wasn't on yesterday! and...I'm sure it's just something minor like a loose wire.

I think you can do better for the money. Heck, if I run across one here you can fly in and drive it home. Nice, West Coast creampuff!

corvette

IIRC, Consumer Reports likes the higher-end Die Hard batteries.

roadburner

Interesting. I was wondering if that "M" emblem meant anything as far as a package or such. The dealer is near my work - maybe I'll go check it out next week.

kyfdx is correct, and it does have the M Technic sport suspension. The cars are just about bulletproof if maintained by the book. My 1995 ti has almost 127k on the clock and it has only needed one set of brakes, a brake light switch, a couple of idler pulleys, a thermostat and a heater flange gasket.
Oh yeah, it also averages 32 mpg at 80 mph and 15 mpg on the track:

stever

Johnson Controls probably makes all of them, any way...

If they don't, Exide does. My last WallyWorld battery lasted 8 years. They used to use both but I heard that they only use Johnson Controls ones now.

ab348

Yeah, I had to buy a new battery last year and ended up concluding that Walmart, as much as i despise them, had by far the best deals going. Ended up with a nice Johnson Controls "Energizer" brand battery.

isellhondas

I'm not sure abouit now but not amny years ago there were three companies making car batteries. I always buy the most powerful one I can find and I replace them when they are five years old or so.

I figure, I can replace it on MY terms or risk getting stuck somewhere.

One very hot or very cold day will kill a marginal battery.

Anyone here ever seen one explode?

isellhondas

This may appeal to you.

I've seen repair bills on these and staggering can't describe them

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2473611111.html

How can it "may" need a new windshield? It either does or it doesn't!

Check Engine light on? Oh, probably something very minor.

stever

I don't mind getting stuck so much I guess. Just a couple of hours ago we were driving the minivan down an ATV trail trying to do a shortcut. Durn forest service had a gate up a mile in. Hey, it was on Google maps when I scoped it out at home, and was on my Garmin too. :-)

The problem with newer cars is that they have more electronics and those electronics are more sensitive about their power. So they don't like marginal batteries.

Never had the pleasure of seeing one explode, but I always grab some glasses before I clean a terminal or put a trickle charger on. That's another thing - newer cars don't seem to like being used as jumper vehicles and I probably won't volunteer to jump other cars if and when we do get a new ride.

isellhondas

Very nice!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/2474349272.html

fezo

Check Engine light on? Oh, probably something very minor.

Absolutely! What could possibly go wring with a 14 year old 12 cylinder BMW?

I'm sure the Safeco guy can repair what's left of the windshield...

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all the info I happened to come across a coupon from my dealer for 10% off so it made it a tad cheaper than the other stores and they threw it in for me no charge so I can't complain They even sent us out to the lot for free burgers and hot dogs

fintail

Oh, that E24 is lovely.

That E38 is the ultimate money pit, I think they are even an order worse than a V12 airmatic S-class.

isellhondas

I once took in a 12 cyl BMW as a trade in. the guy handed me a thick file folder full of receipts from that "botique" Indy BMW shop in Bellevue...you know the one.

So, I leafed through the receipts and about gagged. I am talking about HUGE, HUGE repair bills. I think about the cheapest one I saw was 700.00 and several were in the 3-4000 range.

We were afraid of it and even the wholesalers didn't want it. They knew better! Somehow, we got it to go away.

breld

As a result of my constant "manual trannie BMW" search, my wife and I test drove this today.

Z4 coupe

I did like the uniqueness of it and the styling, particularly the hatch-style back. The miles are good, but there was some minor damage to one of the front fenders - apparently the dealers mechanic lightly swiped it in the garage. It's not too bad as it is, but nevertheless they claimed they're having it repaired. Of course, they also said they'd have that "check engine" light taken care of too. I didn't point out that it was actually a "service soon" light and would certainly carry a decent bill with it.

They are a boutique-style dealer, and I thought that would come with some no-nonsense pricing, but they started with an extreme low-ball on the trade, and stuck with their advertised pricing on the Z4 (which may not be all that bad). Of course, they wanted to know what number would get a deal done today, but I politely stated that there really wasn't a number that would strike a deal today, and that I would take the next couple of days to think about it.

All in all though, the car didn't excite me that much over the Miata - while I really like the styling of the coupe, we had a lot of fun driving around with the top down today.

There's a similar 2006 Z4 3.0si convertible at another broker locally with similar miles and a bit lower price - I may check that out next week.

corvette

Never seen one explode. There seems to be a difference of opinion about replacing batteries as preventative maintenance. Some people get a really good battery that lasts 8-10 years, and some people get a bad battery that lasts 18 months. If you get a bad one, replacing them every five years won't keep you from being stranded.

I looked on Battery University's website for a failure curve, but couldn't find one.

jayrider

A lot of local dealers will meet or beat prices for tires and batteries in the St. Louis area. Free lunch is another story.

fezo

I will say that this batter I just put in the Ody is the firsy one I replaced without some sort of incident prompting it. I usually wait until a hard start or some such thing tells me to check. This time it was at the dealer who had a laundry list of "it needs.....as well. Took it to my indie guy who pretty much repeated what the dealer said word for word - including the battery testing in the replace range.

So now I' likely to let the van have another year as I did a trans empty and fill, a timing belt, new tires and battery and a few other things. Nothing wrong with it other than I'd like something else.

kyfdx

I love the Z4 coupes... but, here is the problem with them: There are at least a half-dozen Z4M coupes for sale right now.. some '06-'07 models with ultra low miles, for just 20% more than that one.. And, 330 HP...

I'd just have a hard time settling, in this instance..

Which is weird, because I'm not usually that way... :confuse:

breld

That's very good to know about the pricing of Z4 M's. Definitely gives me pause (more than I already had anyway).

I don't need any more power (certainly not, coming from a Miata), but if there's not much more of a premium...

kyfdx

So... after we drove 90 minutes each way to look at that car.... and, I offered about $300 more than I really wanted to (you know how that goes...caught up in the moment), and basically given no counter-offer... the guy calls me, yesterday.

Says he took the car to the BMW dealership (where he works), and replaced the brake light switch, and now wants to know if I'd give him $100 more than my last offer. I can understand his logic... I was willing to take the car, needing a $50-$100 repair, which has now been completed. But, when I was there, on a Saturday morning, where we would have to be at the bank by Noon, to get funds and a notary, he didn't even give an inkling that he was willing to negotiate at all. Plus, on the way home, my son and I started talking about it.... and agreed that we were glad we didn't get it for my offering price. For $300 less than that, maybe..

I was more than a little irritated, considering the four hours put into it, and to get a call after I got home. In his defense, I'd told him I had relatives in town, and he thought I might still be local at the time of the call.

Anyway..... the earliest I can get back down there, at a time when we could transfer the car would be next Saturday morning.. Assuming he doesn't sell it, I know I could get it for $2200, but really not sure I want to do that.. I'm guessing any lower offers won't fly, but of course, no way to be sure about that, unless I make one.

Too bad there aren't more to look at...

As far as the 12-cylinder 7-series.... there is a reason they are so cheap... No way a normal human could afford to maintain one.. There are plenty of 6-series to choose from, but nice ones are expensive and I don't really have a desire for one, though they are very attractive. Plus, 12 mpg doesn't really appeal to me, either..

So.. that's the latest chapter of my ongoing saga in pursuit of an E30 coupe..

isellhondas

My suggestion would be to bring 100.00 and 50.00 bills. It's amazing how a seller's eyes will light up when you pull out a roll of cash. Meeting the seller at a bank just isn't the same. I have had great success doing this.

I would think if a person had a 12 cyl 7 series in perfect mechanical condition that it would me magnificant to drive. So smooth and powerful.

But you would need to add on a spare room for "Klaus" the mechanic to live at your house!

fintail

I see them on craigslist now and then, often cheaper than their normal V8 platform siblings. As is said, there's a reason for that. Something to drive til it dies, not feasible to repair.

I will say however, if I had unlimited funds and garage space, I would probably have a pristine low mileage 90s S or CL V12 in the collection, just because I remember when they were new, I was young, and drooled over those. They also have pretty nice interiors. A couple years ago someone in my building was trying to sell a SL600, I think 1995 - average condition, had 100K or so on it, probably could have picked it up for 10K or so, if I wanted to have a zero bank balance.

kyfdx

Yeah.... I usually do that with the bills.... It was just late on Friday before I knew for sure that we were going to be able to meet... Then, too early to hit the bank before heading down..

We still would have had to go to the bank, anyway... to get the title transfer notarized (or, courthouse, or car dealer, etc..)

breld.. '08 Z4M coupe.. $32K

jayrider

Solution to the problem: buy the 7 series you want then get your friends to help swap out the engine and transmission for a big block ford or chevy V8. Replace all the electric accessories with manual stuff [hand crank windows etc] and get any service problems attended to at Pep Boys. :P

kyfdx

'07 Z4M coupe.. $32K

Lower miles on this one...

Something else to note... both of these have original warranty left... even if it's not a long time, you don't have to worry about buying something with an existing problem...

Something else to consider... these are private party, asking prices... I'd fall over if you couldn't buy one of these for $30K MAX....

kyfdx

'87 325iS pictures.. low miles

kyfdx

Also '87 325iS

isellhondas

What a roach!

What exactly is a 325 i "s" ?

What is the s for?

stever

Sucker? :-)

breld

Those M's are indeed enticing, but at $30k, it is at least $6-8k higher than the 3.0si coupe I looked at. If you're not necessarily targeting an "M", that's quite a chunk.

I know it seems like I'm all over the place (and it feels that way some times), but I'm just in that train of thought right now of looking for a fun manual trannie BMW with character. My wife has the 328xi - sport pkg, but slushbox - so we have the "mainstream" BMW; I want to compliment that with the enthusiast BMW. So I'm open to 3 coupes, Z's, 1's, maybe an e36 5.

Having said that, I like the economic sense of my Miata. It's a fun car to drive, has some nice classic style (even with the smiley face), and the maintenance is cheap. And there's no car payment.

isellhondas

Having owned two Miatas, it's hard to find fault with them. They are troublefree, fun to drive and not expensive to fix.

fintail

Now there's project car hell :shades:

On older ones it can work though, I have seen many 70s and early 80s era cars converted - not only Jags, but some Germans too.

fintail

Looks nice...for old Germans, always best to buy the nicest you can afford, not the cheapest...as for 5K you won't turn that 1K heap into the nicer car.

kyfdx

Yeah... not really considering either of those two... Just an idea of what I'm up against..

isell .. The -S- stands for Sport... Gets you the M-sport air dam in front, trunk-lip spoiler in back, M-sport suspension, 8-way adjustable sport seats (this is a big one), basketweave alloy wheels, On-board trip computer (OBC), power retractable antenna, plus probably some other stuff that escapes me (power vs. manual sunroof?).. The one I was looking at in Ft Knox for $3700 asking was a base model, that had a lot of -S- items added.

breld.. I wasn't really trying to equate $30K to $24K... agreed that is a big jump.... Just that for that amount, you could get a newer, better car, still under factory warranty... and, that made that '06 Z4 coupe not such a good value, in my book..

I think you could find plenty of interesting, fun, stick-shift cars for a lot less than $20K..

isellhondas

OK, thanks. I knew that at some point but had forgotten what was included. My 1989 was only a 325i.

Tough little car though!

rayainsw

'What exactly is a 325 i "s" ? '
' Sucker? '
That has been the reaction of some
to the fact that I have an 'iS' on order.
- Ray
335iS delivery date = 16 September....

kyfdx

In your case, the -S- stands for horSepower, doesn't it?

It's that way, any time you get the highest-priced version of a certain car... everyone always suggests you should have got the lowest-priced version of the next car up...

Get what you want!

isellhondas

September??

My customers were never that patient! They wanted their new Hondas NOW!

rayainsw

' In your case, the -S- stands for horSepower, doesn't it? '
Actually more interested in the TQ -
but yes - increased engine output is a large part
of my decision...
- Ray
TQ junkie....

rayainsw

That is dictated to a degree by my Daughter's schedule -
and mine.
That is when we could both take 1.5 weeks
away from our jobs.
- Ray
Watching the countdown clock to delivery day....

stever

hehe, in your case we'll give you "it's super". :shades:

oregonboy

My customers were never that patient! They wanted their new Hondas NOW!
Perhaps that is because Honda sell the steak and BMW sells the sizzle. :shades:

nyccarguy

If you do want to take a look at that $6500 325is, I'll pick you up at the airport, BBQ for you & even find a place to do a PPI for you. Just let me know!

kyfdx

Thanks for the offer!

I'm thinking that isn't in my budget...

michaellno

Just poking around on auto trader:

Decent miles ... and a stick!

Again, low miles and would work well in the winter

Right at the top of my budget, but not sure of the black/black combo

This looks nice, but not sure if I want a 2-seater

breld

Michael - I looked at that white Z4 in Boulder a couple of weeks ago (just casually looking on a Sunday, so no test drive). It looks real nice - seems like a decent price considering the miles.

I just got back from driving this over my lunch hour:

318ti

It was pretty nice. Since I've been looking more at recent models as a potential replacement for my Miata, I found myself needing to change my mindset for a 15 year old car that would likely be an addition to the fleet.

It took a few miles before I got used to the car - as others had pointed out when I initially posted the listing, you certainly need to keep the revs up, and maybe it's just compared to my other cars, but the clutch seemed to come out a long way before engaging. But after the first several miles, I started enjoying it quite a bit.

Condition-wise, it seems pretty nice for the age. Couple of small dings on one side, a few paint chips on the other. One of the side skirts is starting to come off on one end. The hydraulics on the hatch seem to be giving.

It drove well, the a/c was working, all the power windows and sunroof operated fine, and the interior was in nice condition - no rips or tears. Apparently the radiator and related hoses have been replaced recently.

It's on consignment at this place from some guy who has too many toys and needed to get rid of some (he also has a boat on consignment at the same place). He's probably not overly concerned about how much he gets, since this place charges a flat $1,500 for the sale, but that fee certainly digs into the negotiation.

Anyway - pretty compelling for $5-6k.

Bruce

kyfdx

Saab price seems high... though, a nice example..

Love the Quattro + droptop...

Neither of the BMWs really do it for me... though, I like the price on the 1-series...

That 318ti is really, really nice.... If you could get it for $6K, you'd have a fair deal, I think... of course, lower is better...

roadburner

The hydraulics on the hatch seem to be giving.

No big deal, most people replace them with struts from Autozone that are designed for the old S10 Blazer(IIRC).

Here's the ti I'm looking at for my son. My service adviser ran the VIN and it turns out that it was a CPO car; full service history up to 2002 when it hit 50k miles. It only picked up @22k miles since. If it checks out I'll offer $4,000 and shoot for $4,500 tops, though I may go as high as $5,000 if it is really, REALLY nice. It's been on the lot for almost 5 weeks, so maybe I have a motivated seller...

Sandman6472

Nice looking car...should be a hoot to drive it!! The seats look very new...are they cloth?

The Sandman :sick: :shades: