Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

rayainsw

'No, I won't let my wandering eyes get the best of me..... '

Riiiiiiiiight...

kyfdx

Who needs a plane ticket?

The color isn't as pretty... but, you can drive to see this one..

corvette

To me, "aftermarket exhaust" generally means fart can muffler.

qbrozen

tailpipe looks small enough.

qbrozen

That one is just not speaking to me... at least not enough to fly to it. Nasty looking stain on the driver's seat, looks like something spilled and dripping off passenger seat, paint blemishes (or just not cleaned well, tough to tell), and the exhaust is hanging wrong.... then there's the miles. :sick:

ateixeira

A co-worker and friend has a 9-5 and the nav screen went kaput, parts prices are so ridiculous she just drives around with it broken.

I suggested aftermarket but she wanted to keep it OEM.

ateixeira

"brazilians are passionate about cars," i think we are stupids!

I'm from Brazil and just visited in July.

The recent cut in taxes on the low end has brought some $11,000 (USD equivalent) cars to the market, but as you say they're subcompacts with little equipment (not even A/C).

Funny thing is, the roads are so incredibly congested! Traffic is horrendous.

It was almost better to have higher prices, because the traffic was not so bad.

Low cost cars and financing for everyone is creating gridlock traffic.

ateixeira

they added the 6-speed manual as an option on the Grand Touring model

Great news.

Autoweek took a bunch of those 40mpg Club cars out and only two could get a real-world 40+ mpg at highway speeds above 70mph - the TDI and 3 SkyActiv. The two cars you mention.

I hate the tiny nav screen Mazda put in there, but the rest of the package is solid.

ateixeira

Is that moonroof a factory unit? Looks fairly big...

qbrozen

Are you referring to the silver one with the "California roof rare option"? I don't know anything about it. Roadburner probably does, though. Can't say I was paying much attention to BMWs back then.

qbrozen

So my eldest son (6 years old) asks me this morning, as we are in the volvo, "Dad? Will you ever buy another BMW?"

"uhhh... well... I... ummm... if you mean a NEW one? I dunno. Probably not."

a few moments of silence.

"Don't you like your BMW?"

"Well, yeah, I like MINE. But I don't like the new new ones that are out now. You know, like if I was to go to a dealer right now... there's nothing there for me."

a few more moments go by.

"Will you EVER buy another car?"

"OF COURSE!"

"Then you'll have to sell one of yours. You have 2. And mommy has 2."

"Well, I don't plan on getting another one anytime soon. But I think the next one should be a Porsche."

"Oooooooooo!!!!!"

ateixeira

Little guy probably has his eye on your car, thinking you'll pass that down to him. :shades:

My kids protested loudly when I even mentioned getting rid of the roadster.

breld

I hate the tiny nav screen Mazda put in there, but the rest of the package is solid.

I agree. From what I've heard and read, the 2013 revisions are bringing a "proper" nav screen in the center of the dash. The "gallery" on Mazdas website doesn't seem to be updated yet, so no pictures, but no doubt it will be an improvement over the previous version.

ateixeira

Really? I'm surprised they didn't wait 'til the redo. Lemme know when it's up? I'm curious to see it.

akangl

"...chip repair with some type of wipe-on..."

See this advertised in AutoWeek all the time. Sounds too good to be true but I'd love to see the real world results:

http://www.drcolorchip.com/

I think I'm going to order some and use it on the lower part of the body. I figure I can't possibly make it any worse. They have a paint match with my truck's color code. Once I get it and try it ill post the results, good or bad.

akangl

Riiiiiiiiight...

Ok maybe my eyes wandered a little, but I had to walk by IT to get out the front door which is where hubby parked waiting to pick me up.

I have to say that was the prettiest gray I've ever seen on a truck. I paused to look at the window sticker since I noticed it was a 2500HD Duramax, it was also a Denali, so fully loaded, crew cab short bed 4x4. MSRP was only $61k. Yeah I think I'll keep my Sierra, 48k miles isn't even broke for a Duramax.

andre1969

This is kinda sad, but the one car I really wanted, as a kid, was my grandparents' '72 Impala. When I was around 8 years old,which would've been '78, I asked Granddad to hold onto it until I was old enough to drive. He just laughed and said it would be junked by then! And, as I recall, by that time, bondo-ing the lower part of the front fenders was starting to become a springtime ritual on that car.

breld

When I was a young teen, I lusted after the Mustang SVO (with the turbo and the "double" wing in the back). When I graduated high school, I ended up getting a Honda Civic Si ($9,000 new back then ), and my older brother purchased a 1990 Mustang GT around the same time.

The contrast between our ownership experiences got me off Mustangs :P .

ateixeira

I wanted an SVO and got a used Ghia instead, with the 3.3l straight six. You could almost stand in the engine bay next to it to work on it, there was so much space in there.

One Mustang was enough, though I love the sound of the new V8s.

akangl

When I was little my mom had a 68 Cougar, it was yellow with a black top, had a manual hurst shifter. She always talked about what a great car it was. My dad decided he needed a truck one day and traded her baby in while she was at work. Some young kid bought it a few days later and wrapped it around a telephone pole that night.

I'd love to have a car like that that Cougar.

dieselone

When I was a young teen, I lusted after the Mustang SVO (with the turbo and the "double" wing in the back).

Yeah that brings back memories as I lusted after those too. When I was HS the brother of a girl I dated had an '86 SVO. He let me drive it a few times and it certainly left an impression. It was a blast to drive at the time ('88 or so). That was the first car I ever drove over 100mph. I can still hear the turbo whine;)

But yeah, Honda and Ford reliability were in different universes back then.

andre1969

Back in the 80's, I think the car I lusted after the most was a Regal Grand National. Realstically though, I knew it was out of my league financially, so I figured I'd settle for a used Monte Carlo SS.

Around 1989-90, I remember calling my insurance company and asking what it would cost to insure one. That would've put me at around 19-20. For a used '86 or so, I got a quote of $3200 per year! So, that pretty much put the squash on that dream!

And to think now I could buy one, put it on my antique policy, and it would only cost six dollars per $1000 of agreed value...

fintail

A friend of mine of similar age to me (born 1977 I think) lusted after a Monte SS when he was a kid, and back around 1999-2000, found a minty 50K mile black on dark red 1985 for a good price (I think $5500), and bought it. Drove it occasionally for a couple years, then around 2002 it got t-boned by a teenage girl in a Sentra who ran a stop sign. He got an entire paint job and the damage fixed. Now he's married, wife doesn't care much for the car (cue whip cracking sound), so I think he is now actually storing it at his dad's house. I drove it once. Nice exhaust noise, fun with the leaky t-tops off, but generally iffy build quality, and imprecise brakes that are nothing like on a MB.

jayrider

Bought a brand new 72 Impala Custom Coupe. Tan with brown vinyl roof and interior. 350 V8 a/c and an am radio. Got rid of it at 85k miles for no good reason. It was a wonderful driver--smooth and composed in high speed sweeping turns. Brought my son home from the hospital in it in 1974. It was and still is my favorite car.

fezo

My dad had a 72 Impala sedan with the 350. It was a hideous brown but I loved that car!

dieselone

I drove it once. Nice exhaust noise, fun with the leaky t-tops off, but generally iffy build quality, and imprecise brakes that are nothing like on a MB.

One of my uncles had an '87 Monty SS that he bought new. He'd let me take it out on occasion. Had some fun in it, but it was pretty much a POC. Check engine lights, carb problems and performance that really wasn't anything special. Did sound good though.

I liked the Grand Nationals too, but in reality, they were a bit to much of a 1 trick pony for me. I've generally preferred cars that can turn and stop as well as they go straight. A HS friend had an '86 T-Type fast in a straight line, but the handling and braking were pretty lousy. LIke many Regals and Cutlass's of the time, it was ripped off in the mall parking lot:(

There is a car dealer down the road from me that usually has older cars on the lot. They also do some restorations. They currently have an '87 GN, an '86 T-Type and an 86 or so Monte Carlo SS. I really don't think the Monty Carlos styling of that period has held up well. IMO, it looks kind of dopey with the long front and rear overhangs. The Regal looks better today IMO anyway.

andre1969

My grandparents' Impala was a 4-door hardtop, Sequoia green with a green interior and white vinyl top. If I could ever find a nice '72 at a reasonable price, I think I'd jump on it! A convertible would be way cool, but I'd be happy with a hardtop sedan or one of the two hardtop coupes they offered.

I think my grandparents' Impala had about 100,000 miles on it when they sold it in 1982 to some friends of the family for $600. They kept it about a year, had a new vinyl roof put on, and sold it for $700.

xwesx

I think the only 1980s car that ever piqued my interest (visually) was the Fiero. Then, in 1989, I rode with my aunt in her 1984 model. That cured me of that obsession. The 1980s were a terrible time of automotive history.

Sadly, the one car I really wanted (new) as I "came of age" was a 1992 Town Car. I liked big cars back then, and the '92 reminded me of the early '70s Cadillac land yachts. It seemed visually elegant, yet powerful. My grandmother ended up buying one, so I was able to ride in it for the first time in 1993 when I visited Alaska. I certainly enjoyed riding in it (it was a night and day improvement over the model it replaced), but my first time driving it cured me of any desire to actually own one.

In the end, I put my dad's Econoline van on the road again, and used it exclusively from 1995 to 1997 when I purchased my '69 C20. Those were my only rigs through the end of that decade. Ultimately (or up to this point, anyway), I never did pull the trigger on any of those childhood obsessions.

dieselone

I think the only 1980s car that ever piqued my interest (visually) was the Fiero. Then, in 1989, I rode with my aunt in her 1984 model. That cured me of that obsession. The 1980s were a terrible time of automotive history.

LOL, Yeah for those like Andre and I who were growing up in the '70's and 80's we were subjected to a lot of horrible cars:(

a good friend of mine in HS had an '84 Fiero with a manual. God was it awful. I don't know what was worse, the 2.5 Iron Duke or the 4 speed it was attached to.

fintail

When I was a kid, the non-exotic I wanted was a MB W126, preferably a 560SEL, but I would have settled for any clean MB sedan. I guess I got that with the fintail I bought at 18, and soon after I was out of college I bought a nice W126 too. Both cars lived up to expectations. I like a few 80s cars, but most are foreign.

When was in grade school, an old couple in the area had a mint dark grey and white on red highline fintail. I remember I didn't care for it then, so bizarre compared to the clean spartan 80s MB. Last time I visited that neighborhood, the car was gone...hopefully was saved.

fintail

All of those cars look vintage today, but the Buick does seem cleaner, and blackout trim helps a lot.

Back in the day, some family friend/acquaintance had a new IROC-Z, I guess it would have been 1987 or 1988. It was blue, I thought it was pretty hot. But then in high school a friend had an 80s TransAm - not so good. Horrible ergonomics and not exactly reliable, IIRC.

andre1969

I know I've told this Fiero story before, but here goes. When I was a freshman in high school, every morning at the bus stop this hot chick in a Fiero would go by my bus stop, and the driver would always wave to me. Of course, that put thoughts into my tender young mind.

Well, one day, she slows down and, Lord have mercy, she STOPPED!! Just imagine the thoughts going through my mind! Well, it turns out, she was one of the secretaries at my school, and recognized me so that's why she always waved. And the reason she stopped? Her car chose that exact moment to break down on her, and she figured that since I went to her school, she could catch my bus in to work.

Oh well. At least she sat next to me on the bus, we chatted about meaningless things, and it made the other boys a bit jealous, and some of the girls notice me a bit more. :P

And, I guess it could have been worse. One of the vice principals also drove past my bus stop, in his beige '71-72 LeMans hardtop. And the nerdy shop teacher in his Horizon. Neither of those dirty old men so much as acknowledged my presence! But, at least neither of their cars broke down either, so I never ended up with one of them on the bus making small talk with me...

dieselone

But then in high school a friend had an 80s TransAm - not so good. Horrible ergonomics and not exactly reliable, IIRC.

In general, Pontiac interiors were a train wreck in the 80's until.. well, until they went away. The only exceptions I can think of were the Holden derived models.

dieselone

That's a great story..LOL. Fieros weren't so bad after all!

andre1969

I always thought the downfall of Pontiac's interiors started with the 1978 LeMans and Grand Prix.

I think they were trying to emulate the look of the dash used in the 1973-77 Grand Prix (and '73-75 Grand Am, '75-77 Grand LeMans, and '77.5 Can Am), but IMO it just looked a bit too bulky. And having eight little round ducts for the a/c vents, instead of four tall rectangular ones, seemed a bit much.

But, on the plus side, at least it was designed with optional full gauges in mind.

I think the 1980 Phoenix overdid it a little, as well. But, these dashes were downright tasteful compared to what would come later.

xwesx

for those like Andre and I who were growing up in the '70's and 80's we were subjected to a lot of horrible cars:(

Hahaaha! Yeah, that's true. I had to ride in them, but at least I never had to choose which one to buy! Like fintail, I could instead observe from the side. I never seriously considered buying a vehicle because I had the hand-me-down van. Since my dad owned it for longer than I was around, I had known it my whole life and had fond memories. Fond memories, free, and boat loads of work to get it up and running combined to create a long-term commitment.

The first time I ever actually went looking for a car to buy was in 2000 when my (soon-to-be) wife and I purchased our 1996 Subaru Outback. By then, I was 23. It was a great car, but I would have hated it if I wasn't so willing to turn my own wrenches.

xwesx

The first dash that ever made me take notice of it was the one in my dad's 1992 Camry. Before that, I just never paid attention to those bland, blocky things.

kyfdx

Are you referring to the silver one with the "California roof rare option"?

It's a big fabric roof.... slides back, accordion-like... It's a large opening...

Pretty neat, but I have no idea what sort of maintenance/problems they might have... I'd feel better about a normal sunroof..

dieselone

No kidding Andre, the dash from the '80 Phoenix looks a lot better than what was in store later.

ronsteve

That 525i wagon is gorgeous, in spite of the dings and scratches. Love the color and the alloy wheels, and it has Michelin tires, so it's likely that the owner took good care of it

Agreed... that car speaks to me too. Good thing it's too far away to do anything about it!

nyccarguy

Fintail & I are about the same age (I was born in '76). Growing up in the '80s, I LOVED the Z28 & IROC Z Camaro. I thought Trans Ams were awesome. I also always liked Corvettes, Datsun 280 ZX, & Nissan 300 ZX. The 1st car I obsessed over was the 1991 Mustang GT. I loved the sound of the V8 & thought the simple 5 spoke wheels just "made" the car.

akangl

Fintail & I are about the same age (I was born in '76). Growing up in the '80s, I LOVED the Z28 & IROC Z Camaro. I thought Trans Ams were awesome.

I was born in '75 so grew up in the same era. I loved all the "muscle" cars back then. However, I watched Smokey and the Bandit too much and wanted a black 78 Trans Am, black, t-tops, gold firebird. Thankfully I've grown out of that phase, I think.

dieselone

I was born in '75 so grew up in the same era. I loved all the "muscle" cars back then. However, I watched Smokey and the Bandit too much and wanted a black 78 Trans Am, black, t-tops, gold firebird. Thankfully I've grown out of that phase, I think.

Since I'm a bit older (born in '70), I remember seeing Smokey and the Bandit at the theater. I definitely wanted a black '78 TA with the screaming chicken on the hood;)

jayrider

Born in 1946 and I can vividly remember checking out a new 78 Trans Am [black and gold-t-tops] in the showroom. MSRP $8100 -- way to expensive to even dream of buying.

andre1969

I remember seeing Smokey and the Bandit in the theater as well. My Mom and Dad were split up by then, so I remember Dad taking me to see it first. There was some Herbie the Love Bug movie out at the time that I wanted to see, but Dad said I'd like this movie. I was only 7 and didn't know what a "Bandit" was, other than the dog on Jonny Quest. So, my child mind focused on the word "Smokey" and though it was about Smokey the Bear so I didn't want to see it!

Man, was I glad I let Dad talk me into it. I got Mom to take me to see it a second time, and then got my grandparents to take me a third time.

Most "normal" kids lusted after that Trans Am, but for some reason, my attention was focused on Buford T. Justice's LeMans. We had a '75 LeMans coupe at the time, which I thought was ugly with its big round headlights and garish eggcrate grille, but I thought the newer models really looked good and toughed-up, with the rectangular quad headlights and the more squared-off front-end. I wanted Mom to trade hers on a newer one soooo bad!

One of my older cousins had one of those Smokey and the Bandit Trans Ams...either a '77 or '78. I think he got it in 1985, maybe 1986. I don't know how long he had it. Not long, I don't think.

Buford's LeMans stuck with me all those years, and is the main reason I bought my '76 back in 2005. Even though it's a coupe and different color, so it's not like an exact replica or anything. Oh, and I do have to admit, when I first drove it, it was a bit of a letdown in the acceleration department. But then again, I'd imagine most 1976 cars would be. Still, it's a comfortable car that rides fairly well, and even handles better than you'd expect.

I think the main reason it disappointed me was that I was used to my '79 5th Ave, a ~2 ton beast with a 360-2bbl and all of 150 hp. Yet, for all those handicaps, it's not *that* bad. 0-60 in maybe 11-12 seconds, decent passing power, and surprisingly good highway fuel economy. I've actually broken 20 mpg a few times. The LeMans is close in weight, but has a 350-4bbl and 175 hp. It also has an aftermarket dual exhaust. I figured it should be faster than the 5th Ave, but it actually feels just a touch slower. But, thanks to the 4-bbl, highway passing power is actually better. Fuel economy is pretty bad though. I think the best I've ever gotten was maybe 17.5 on the highway.

But, I never intended to take either of these cars to the drag strip. And I'm not trying to compete with Priuses, either!

dieselone

Andre, back when I was a kid I loved semi trucks too. So in Smokey and the Bandit I loved watching Cletus haul [non-permissible content removed], run through, and over stuff in the 1973 KW 900A big rig;)

I think the main reason it disappointed me was that I was used to my '79 5th Ave, a ~2 ton beast with a 360-2bbl and all of 150 hp. Yet, for all those handicaps, it's not *that* bad. 0-60 in maybe 11-12 seconds, decent passing power, and surprisingly good highway fuel economy. I've actually broken 20 mpg a few times.

I'm sure some of those who actually bought a '78 T/A were disappointed that it couldn't replicate the smokey burnouts portrayed in the movie. I read an article a while back how that car had to be modified and the tricks they used to smoke the tires. The Turbo T/A used in Smokey in the Bandit II was even worse.

andre1969

Oh, I went through the big-rig phase myself when I was a kid! And it's still fun watching them. I'll usually enjoy any of those old big-rig movies from the 70's, even the bad ones.

As for the Trans Ams they used for Smokey and the Bandit, I've also heard that they put Pontiac 455's in them, to get them to perform better. And as for the LeManses they used, I don't think they were even real police cars...just civilian models that were dressed up. Most of the higher-speed stunts seemed to involve Dodge Coronets, although there was one scene where they got a LeMans to jump and land on the back of a flatbed semi. In the DVD commentary, Hal Needham mentions that the first time they tried that stunt the car overshot the rig and ended up rolling over, so they had to do a second take.

dieselone

Oh, I went through the big-rig phase myself when I was a kid! And it's still fun watching them. I'll usually enjoy any of those old big-rig movies from the 70's, even the bad ones.

Oh me too!! You should see the looks I get from my wife and daughters when I'm watching Convoy and singing along to CJ McCall! LOL!

oldfarmer50

"...When I was a young teen..."

My dream was a 1969 Dodge Hemi Charger. Closest I got was a 69 Plymouth Satellite which was similar but wasn't a Charger. My girlfriend bought me a 74 Charger a few years later so I married her.

Not the car but similar:

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2010/09/19/21/32/1974_dodge_charger-pic-7- 177891942253763090.jpeg

andre1969

What engine did your '74 Charger have in it? For the most part, musclecars were dead by that time but IIRC, Mopar was still putting out some pretty powerful 400's and 440's. And even the hot little 360-4bbl was pretty tough.

I wouldn't mind something like a '68-70 Satellite or '68-69 Coronet (don't like the '70 with the split grille as much) hardtop or convertible someday. And I'd be happy with something fairly mild, like a 318 or 383. Nowadays though, I imagine those things are getting snatched up and turned into Roadrunner, GTX, and Superbee clones.