Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

Oh, you are WRONG about the cooling system!

The cooling system was serviced 2 months ago with new OEM thermostat and coolant flush

Don't you worry your pretty little head about the original pump, radiator, overflow bottle, and fan, any of which can result in a catastrophe.

roadburner

Buying an E39 M5 is a calculated risk even if it is pristine and has a full service history. A car like that one is only good for parting out...

corvette

You know, I didn't bother to read the ad that close, but it's full of some nice gems:

"The interior is in amazing condition...the driver's seat has a little bit of wear. ...wrapped in 3M 1080 Brushed Titanium Vinyl."

"All electronics on the car work flawlessly. The car's gauge cluster has the common issue of bleeding LCD screen."

"[Wheels] were originally black and coated in Plastidip Real Aluminum."

"...the emergency brake shoes are worn and render the emergency brake useless."
"The car's Titanium Silver Metallic exterior is in generally good condition..." HA!

Mr_Shiftright

CARFAX shows a mileage of 133,000 in 2011!

Also, isn't the E39 the one with the KABOOM V-8 engine? Some sort of cylinder bore defect?

@qbrozen said:
There is just SO much wrong here.

How the hell did you determine the mileage?

Hey, a tape to aux adapter?! Way to sweeten the deal!

My biggest query: Why does it have a temp tag??! I'm thinking he bought it to resell it. But, man, better have been darned cheap to justify the tax and DMV fees you are throwing away.

BTW, wheels are terrible and those seat skins are looser than grandma's neck skin.

Mr_Shiftright

@MrShift@Edmunds said:
CARFAX shows a mileage of 133,000 in 2011!

And shows the car with a recent lien/loan

And show vehicle service as "quick lube" (omg)

Also, isn't the E39 the one with the KABOOM V-8 engine? Some sort of cylinder bore defect?

qbrozen

Shifty, you may be thinking of the Nakisil linings issue on the V8s (I think I'm getting that right). But its not really an issue at this point because they have all either been fixed or scrapped by now. I also believe it was on vehicles older than that one.

Mr_Shiftright

yes, that's what I was thinking of. Sad story. But yeah, you are right, of course--none of those engines would have made it this far. BTW, I reported the mileage discrepancy to eBay.

isellhondas

And , that BMW lives in the Bronx!

Mr_Shiftright

not exactly a Garden of Eden for old BMWs. I've seen enough of these old tuner cars to know that some are real nice but many of them are worn out roaches with a new coat of paint.

laurasdada

Hello: Has anyone here ever been to the Greenwich (CT) Concours d'Elegance? I'm thinking of finally going. I believe it began well after I moved to MA. I used to know my way around Fairfield County, but it's been over 22 years since I drove around back home...

Bradd? Explorer?

stickguy

Maybe you will run into Wayne Carrini.

nyccarguy

@laurasdada‌

I've been a few times. It is a 2 day event. American Cars on Saturday and Imported cars on Sunday. The cars are unreal. Bentleys and Alfa Romeos from the 20s and 30s with leather straps holding the hoods down along with some gorgeous Ferraris. I could walk around the "General Parking Lot" for hours and be happy watching the cars blast on and off 95. I've never been to the Saturday show with the American Cars. From what I remember, it is somewhere around $25 per person, per day to get in. If you do decide to attend, the show is literally right off of I-95 Exit 3.

laurasdada

@nyccarguy said:
laurasdada‌

Thanks, I worked in Greenwich for a year. Putnam Ave, just down the street from Sportchester. Trying to remember the parking situation around RS Park...

My college roomate is from Portland, CT. He ain't a car guy in the least, so he never mentioned Wayne/F40 to me.

Maybe I'll cash in some Marriott points, stay in Stamford, eat at Bobby Vs, go to Stew Leonard's and the Concours. Hit Mohegan Sun on the way home, recoup all my expenses at the Blackjack table. Now, that would be a good weekend!

stickguy

Wish I needed a car. With the monsoon today anyone willing to go out for last day of month might score a heck of a deal.

laurasdada

@stickguy said:
Wish I needed a car. With the monsoon today anyone willing to go out for last day of month might score a heck of a deal.

Worked for me on New Year's Eve! No monsoon, though...

stever

Get fun car from '90s with tax refund - even for just a year (Detroit News)

stickguy

sounds like what I did last year with my Integra. kept it about 7 months, and sold it for what I paid.

stever

This year I screwed up and actually got a $1,000 refund. Usually I have to pay a little (hate loaning Uncle money).

I could buy another beater Quest with that refund.

brian125

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Get fun car from '90s with tax refund - even for just a year (Detroit News)

I think dave is out of his mind with his car picks and 3k price tag. I always wanted to drive a old 3k deville with dash board malfunctions and 140k miles on it thats been beaten to death.. or better yet a Explorer from the early 90's getting 12 mpg......... .lol...... Its hard to find that diamond in the ruff sometimes.

My luck buying one of these vehicle would be having to replace the trans or something major while I owned it............. That would be my luck..

stever

Yeah, but an old Miata would be fun.

Michaell

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Yeah, but an old Miata would be fun.

Kinda hard to transport the canoe on one of those.

Steve, have you looked at either the Forester or the Jeep Patriot? Both seem to have the interior space you require.

stickguy

for some reason, my daughter loves the looks of the patriot. Always points them out when we see one. Not sure she would still want one if she sat in or drove it!

nyccarguy

I hear those old Preludes can be pretty fun to drive

brian125

@stickguy said:
for some reason, my daughter loves the looks of the patriot. Always points them out when we see one. Not sure she would still want one if she sat in or drove it!

Jeep patriot.

Steer clear of this vehicle. It would be a terrible choice. With disappointing acceleration, fuel and crash test scores---- not to mention noisy/ rough ride makes this one of the worst vehicles to ever consider. Resale value is beyond awful after 3 years.

stever

The ground clearance would be nice to have on either of those Michael. My wife hasn't been especially thrilled with the Outback but maybe I can get her to a dealer. I like my sister's '05 Forester better than my wife does too, and the cargo is better than most of our other options right now. Don't really need the AWD but the EPA is okay.

Have to look at the Patriot a bit closer. Edmunds isn't wild about it, but the owners like it. (Brian was composing as I was - the offset scores aren't too hot).

On the table this week are looks at the Soul, another xB (manual, hopefully) and maybe a Mazda5 and if we still have energy, a Jetta Sportswagen.

We're still debating the canoe; may just sell it and "retire" from that sport.

nyccarguy

@roadburner‌

I know you've toyed with the idea of replacing your Speed 3 with a Focus ST. What are your thoughts on the Focus ST?

breld

Well, crossing my fingers, we have a buyer for the BMW wagon. Someone from the Boston area called yesterday very interested, had a long detailed conversation about the car, had me take some video of the car with my iPhone, and then agreed on price. He sent a deposit via Paypal last night and we'll deal with title and shipping next week or so.

Of course, just as I was on the phone with him yesterday, another person texted me with genuine interest. And then the same thing happened this morning when I was again on the phone with this buyer - another interested party from Connecticut left me a voicemail. He was very disappointed when I told him a sale was pending.

4 BMW sales this year - only one local!

Now I need to find a BMW to buy!

breld

I'm also checking out that '01 Prelude this afternoon. And a 2008 Civic Si that's in the same area.

nyccarguy

Dumb question for the board - If I'm offered $7,000 for my Prelude do I take it? or do I keep my beloved Honda?

isellhondas

Will you regret selling it?

Those are pretty rare cars especially the SH models. I would ask 8500.00 and hope the right buyer can't resist it.

Some cars, you just ignore what the books say.

Just know you are playing to a very limited market which is what killed the Prelude in the first place.

stickguy

Keep it unless desperate for money. You will regret it and beat yourself up over it, and eventually go out looking for a replacement toy. So keep the one you know. Not really going to depreciate much more at this point.

graphicguy

NYC....boy, that seems like a very. strong number on your Prelude. Isell makes very good points, though. What's it cost to keep it? Do you. Need the money? And, WILL YOU MISS IT?

nyccarguy

I'm not actively trying to sell it. Someone I know who owns a restaurant has a worker looking to spend $7,000 on a car. Forget it, not selling. I also don't want to be greedy. The car is rare, but does also have 151,000 miles and while it doesn't show its age, it is far from perfect.

Always desperate for money with 3 kids, not that desperate though:)

yes I would miss it. I know it is a strong number.

fintail

Keep it. It can't cost much to keep around, and you love it, and have some sentimental attachment too.

laurasdada

Bradd, I agree with the replies. If it means something to you, you can afford to keep it and it doesn't cause any family issues, keep the Qualude. Somewhat still regretfully I traded my XK, as life pulled a bit of a UE on me.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
roadburner‌

I know you've toyed with the idea of replacing your Speed 3 with a Focus ST. What are your thoughts on the Focus ST?

I started out thinking about the Focus ST but came to prefer the Fiesta ST, as it is smaller, lighter, more nimble, and it received glowing reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. That said, I think that the Focus ST is a very nice hot hatch- I just couldn't wrap my head around spending over $25k for a car with an open diff that was at best equal in performance to my MS3. The only thing that the Focus had that I covet was heated seats...

nyccarguy

@roadburner‌

I got a $1000 Eco Boost Challenge certificate from Ford that expires in July. Prompted me to check out the Focus ST on their website. Base model stickers for around $24K and change. I'm thinking it could be bought for around $21.5? $22K? That's a sweet ride for not a lot of money. It performed exceedingly well in its 12 months/20,000 miles with edmunds

Michaell

@nyccarguy said:
roadburner‌

I got a $1000 Eco Boost Challenge certificate from Ford that expires in July. Prompted me to check out the Focus ST on their website. Base model stickers for around $24K and change. I'm thinking it could be bought for around $21.5? $22K? That's a sweet ride for not a lot of money. It performed exceedingly well in its 12 months/20,000 miles with edmunds

You'll want to see if the car seats fit in the back seat.

roadburner

@nyccarguy said:
roadburner‌

I got a $1000 Eco Boost Challenge certificate from Ford that expires in July. Prompted me to check out the Focus ST on their website. Base model stickers for around $24K and change. I'm thinking it could be bought for around $21.5? $22K? That's a sweet ride for not a lot of money. It performed exceedingly well in its 12 months/20,000 miles with edmunds

I don't think it would be a bad choice- although I'd be tempted to wait for the 2015 GTI mit der Performance Pack- but you won't nab one of those puppies for anywhere close to $21k.

xwesx

One of the primary requirements I took with me while looking at sub-compacts was the ability for me to fit comfortably in the back seat of the car... including head room! Surprisingly, many of the current offerings failed in this regard, most notably the Mazda2. However, the Fiesta had a surprising amount of head room. In fact, it's overall passenger space is quite similar to the Focus (which is supposed to be a bigger car).

Now, I don't really plan on riding in the back of my own car any time soon. I do, however, figure that the kids are growing awfully fast and there could come a day when I need give a tall person a ride.

Turns out, that instance came up earlier this week! A couple of executives at my office needed a ride to a meeting because both of their trucks were undergoing service, so they asked me, Mr. Tiny Car, for a ride. Happily, I didn't leave either of them with a poor impression of my budget ride since it has a nice interior (they're fans of luxury, so leather seating was a big plus there), ample head room, and sufficient leg space.

I'm still fighting with the idea of replacing this car with an ST version. I just can't overcome inertia when it comes to watching my last 10K of debt quickly ticking away.

nyccarguy

More on the Focus ST:

Yes @Michaell@Edmunds‌ , the car seats should fit in the back. The high back boosters fit in my Prelude for cryin' out loud.

I did a quick search on autotrader. I'm not going to post links from my iPad, because they aren't going to work:). Here are 2 interesting finds:

Private Party in Watham, MA is selling his Tangerine Scream 2013 Focus ST with only 8,031 miles. Seller wants to keep his SUV & just got a leased car through his job. Asking $19,900.

Apple Ford in Columbia, MD has a brand new 2014 Focus ST (base model, no moonroof or recaros) with an MSRP of $24,450 selling for $19,971 plus a $200 processing fee (why don't they just make the car $20,171?). Performance Blue.

breld

Keeping with the spirit of the Prelude discussion...

I got a chance to take a look at the prelude I've been stalking on craigslist. So, again, 2001 silver non-SH manual trannie. 62k miles. All in all, probably one of the nicer examples around. There's been some minor body work to fix up some dents and scrapes here and there, but at the end of the day, looked good for a 13 year old car. Drove nice. The interior is in excellent shape. No mods other than an aftermarket stereo.

I liked it, and would be tempted at around $5-$5,500, but he's asking $7,200, said he's turned down $6,300, and would take $6,900.

That said, I liked my next test drive better....

breld

2008 Civic Si, blue coupe, 47k miles, nav, one owner.

Compared to the prelude, the Si feels much roomier from the drivers seat, and had more usable space in the backseat. Power felt substantially better, though perhaps I wasn't pushing the prelude enough. Steering feel is great. Running to the 8k redline is a blast. Very entertaining drive, while maintaining a surprising amount of comfort.

This particular one is in outstanding shape. I would guess the one owner was a "mature" owner, or at least one who really respected their car and maintained it well.

With the standard rear spoiler, it does seem a little too boy- racerish, but I can't help but like it. Listed for about $15,500, which actually seems pretty fair given the condition and the rare navigation. Somewhat tempted to offer $14k and see what they say. I could have fun with it, put another 10-20k miles on it, and probably not lose too much in the process.

breld

Or for a list price of $14,500, I also looked at a 2011 CR-Z EX, manual, with 35k miles.

Nice car for the money. A little more unique, but the lack of rear seats at all really limits the times I could actually drive it.

Can you tell I'm on a Honda kick these days?

breld

On a different note, as you know, I've been wishing I had purchased a better equipped Passat model. That's led me to entertain the thought of trading it for a nicer one, but obviously there's a depreciation loss that's difficult to swallow.

Of course, looking at used models does mitigate the loss.

So my current obsessions include a lightly used 2013 CC. That would give me some nicer features and a more distinctive ride. And the pricing on those are attractive. The downsides are a smaller backseat and worse gas mileage.

Can't remember - who here just leased a CC recently?

corvette

@breld said:
Can't remember - who here just leased a CC recently?

28firefighter leased a 2013 CC in September of 2013. I really like the styling on those. It's an older design than the current Passat, but it was designed to be a more upscale version of the old Passat, which itself was more upscale than the current one in a lot of ways.

Michaell

OK folks ... looking for some constructive feedback.

My sister is about ready to pull the trigger on a new (to her) car.

2010 Infiniti G37 coupe. Graphite / Graphite, 41K, premium and nav.

They are asking $25K on it and she wants to go in tomorrow and close the deal.

I'm thinking she should start negotiating at $23K .. what say you?

http://www.hoehninfiniti.com/used/Infiniti/2010-Infiniti-G37-a2dbe02a0a0a00de63937097fd5c4826.htm

fezo

"Now, I don't really plan on riding in the back of my own car any time soon. I do, however, figure that the kids are growing awfully fast and there could come a day when I need give a tall person a ride."

xwesx - you've hit a sore point here. Back in December of 99 we test drove a lot of cars in the rush to rid ourselves of the dreaded Windstall. A Passat wagon that would have been the winner, but my previous Rabbit memories just wouldn't let me pull the trigger. Kills me to this day. Next favorite was a Subaru Legacy wagon. The older kids were then 10 and 7 and the Legacy was smaller than the Accord sedan eventually bought. The theory was that the kids would grow. Had I known that the kids would top out at 5'2" I'd have the Legacy. That said, 14 years and 310K later we still have the Accord. Since my daughter took it over it looks like hell but it works as her everyday driver.

nyc - man, if I were in the market now I'd be on the road to Maryland for that Focus ST even as it would pain me to lose the Reacaros and the moonroof.

breid - I love hearing how you're shopping! Good taste in cars. How's VW done by you? (Anyone with a recent VW feel free to answer). That old Rabbit could of had an old Lucas electrical system for how well it worked. It was a great car when it ran. That just wasn't often enough. It was and will forever remain the one car I got rid of before the payments expired. Fortunately my uncle was in a bit of a bind at the time and my dad bought the car from me and gave it to him. Dad was that kind of guy. My uncle was the funniest man I ever met and he had a few spectacular electrical issues (including a nice little fire) and the way he'd describe what happened would leave you breathless with laughter.

stickguy

you people must be nice and skinny to fit in those recaros. Not designed for people that have "spread out"

I had the same issue with the kids. Both ended up much shorter than I expected. No idea why.

stickguy

I'm not a big fan of the G coupe, but hey, not my car.

Now I can't remember where, but I did recently see a 2011 G25 journey, 12K on it, for 19,995