Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Mr_Shiftright

Okay so you need 1999 and up Miatas?

How 'bout something like this? It's miled up, but it's a Miata, and the price seems right. Mechanic owned for what that's worth:

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/4513012820.html

qbrozen

Red one

Red with hardtop

snazzied up silver

EDIT: whoops. was posting before I saw the latest request. Well, the silver one fits the bill. The yellow one by me is a first gen. Did the trunk really grow that much?

Mr_Shiftright

Silver one looks good. I suppose a roll bar is a good thing in a rollover, but you have to really try hard to flip a Miata. Roll bar really restricts visability---I presume it's a bolt on?

kyfdx

@roadburner said:
I had some Family Court assignments(Oh joy!) in Northern KY, so last night I stopped by the local VW dealer. The two guys I talked to seemed to actually know what they were talking about and indicated that there would be no problem ordering a GTI to my specifications. My wife had suggested that I should see if they would offer a larger discount if I bought 2(one for RB Jr. and one for me) but I quickly nixed that idea- I'm more than content with the MS3 and if I flip it the Mazda's successor will almost certainly be RWD. That said, I'll probably give them a shot at getting my business- if that's the way my son wants to go.

Kerry in Florence? They always seem like good guys, when I've been in there.

Subbing for Judge Bramlage?

stickguy

The red hardtop sounds nice. Pricey.nnsilver well equipped.

I had a 2001 but base, not the SE. Some of these make me tempted, though if I didn't fit 10 years ago, I sure won't fit now!

nyccarguy

@kyfdx‌

I think your email has been hacked good buddy

kyfdx

@nyccarguy said:
kyfdx‌

I think your email has been hacked good buddy

You know... I fixed my email.. but, now they have the contact list... So, they send the emails to my contact list from some other sucker's email. If you look, it's an earthlink account that's not even mine. My co-worker showed me, this morning.

It sucks, but I can't do anything about it. I've re-claimed that email account, and strengthened the password, but the contact list is out there in the ether, and I can't fix that.. Sorry, and please don't click on anything.

Mr_Shiftright

I had a great buy on a special edition some years ago, well equipped, right colors--but I just could not fit in the darn thing--my knees jammed into the steering wheel as I tried to shift.

28firefighter

Update on the Mazda3: Dealer called yesterday and said it was a bad cell in the battery. Mazda covered 25% of the replacement cost (Full replacement if it fails Year 1, 50% in Year 2, and 25% in Year 3).

I'm hoping that is truly it. Her last Mazda3 had this identical issue and quickly went through 3 batteries and an alternator with no resolution before it was traded.

fezo

I was thinking that about the rollbar. Who the heck flips a Miata?

I'll gladly take shock and spring upgrade ideas for the 6. Any suspension ideas. Performance tires maybe come fall. Depends on the tread left on the Primacys on it now.

I like the 6 a lot. I may think that the trunk space in the Miata is something I can be flexible on (yes, they did grow that much by the second generation).

I'm still mulling. I miss the convertible a little bit but like the 6 a lot. A 6cyl and stick shift plus basic Mazda dynamics is a very nice thing.

qbrozen

well, for track/autocross duty in most states, a rollbar is required in a convertible.

xwesx

A guy used to live here in Fairbanks and owned a silver Miata that was the spittin' image of that one! Curious if it is one in the same, or simply a doppleganger (via convergent evolution - LOL).

fezo

Beginning to think a first generation Miata might work. I'm upgrading the 6. It will carry anything I need. We'll see.

Mr_Shiftright

They made a LOT of Miatas!

roadburner

@kyfdx said:
Subbing for Judge Bramlage?

Yes; she had an all day custody hearing today so I covered her juvenile and divorce motion dockets. Yesterday I was subbing for Judge Woeste in Campbell.

stickguy

Fezo, the clubs are no problem. Strap them into the passenger seat. Yes, it works!

fezo

Other than the seller's attitude what's the verdict here? - http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=08050&endYear=2015&vehicleStyleCodes=CONVERT&modelCode1=MIATA&showcaseOwnerId=7338345&startYear=1981&makeCode1=MAZDA&firstRecord=26&transmissionCode=MAN&transmissionCodes=MAN&searchRadius=100&mmt=[MAZDA[MIATA[]][]]&listingId=370915645&Log=0

stickguy

I have a phobia about DIY turbos. I think that package (the Flyin) is well regarded, but who knows how it was installed, and if all the other upgrades needed were done right.

qbrozen

Yeah, I don't know what the heck that is. A non-mazdaspeed turbo would concern me. We don't know what version or options were installed nor by whom.

kyfdx

@roadburner said:

Linda was a high school classmate

stickguy

Well, he said it was a Flyin Miata. I have even heard of them. But with any kit, the devil is in the installation details.

Not at all cheap either.

http://flyinmiata.com/turbos/index.php

Heck, if I was going to mess around to get it over powered (not the nature of a Miata) just go ahead and do one of the Ford 302 conversions, and have some real fun! I liked this one when I saw the episode.

roadburner

@kyfdx said:
Linda was a high school classmate

I like her. She has the right attitude, IMNSHO, anyways...

rayainsw

A bunch of new car sales detail - that I find interesting:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/

stever

Looks like the Soul is leading the percentage growth race (not counting the Prius plugin).

graphicguy

@roadburner said:
she had an all day custody hearing

Oh man....I'm imagining the only thing worse than that would be to have your fingernails pulled out with pliers.

graphicguy

@rayainsw said:
A bunch of new car sales detail - that I find interesting:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/

So, I'll assume those sales figures included the previous ten car being sold to rental agencies?

Kind of misleading with the Genesis....the coupe competes in a whole other arena than the Genesis sedan does.

Interesting nonetheless....thanks!

qbrozen

Damn. Seems like a lot of car for the money. Turns out it is just an OK asking price. Could even knock $500 off for a fair deal

fezo

Dang! It's even in Jersey....

nyccarguy

i like that. minus the grey guts!

qbrozen

better than black!

nyccarguy

I like black! All 3 of my cars have black interiors. They hide dirt very easily.

qbrozen

oh, I can't stand black. Its just awful in the summer, it doesn't age well, and I beg to differ about the dirt. The black carpets in my stang look clean for all of about 5 mins after cleaning.

corvette

@qbrozen said:
Damn. Seems like a lot of car for the money. Turns out it is just an OK asking price. Could even knock $500 off for a fair deal

First model year of the new model, which would scare me. I forgot those still had spare tires!

henryn

The black carpets in my stang look clean for all of about 5 mins after cleaning.

+1 on that. I have the black interior in my '08 Passat, impossible to keep the floor boards / carpets / floor mats clean.

qbrozen

First model year of the new model, which would scare me.

Would it? I mean, it is the same powertrain and probably many other mechanicals as the E39.

corvette

@qbrozen said:
Would it? I mean, it is the same powertrain and probably many other mechanicals as the E39.

You're right that the engine is a carryover, but it's also the first year of iDrive in a 5-series. If that's not enough to scare you off, it's also the first application of a six-speed automatic in the 5-series.

nyccarguy

the car in question has a 6-speed manual

stickguy

I dislike black interiors too. Gray works for me.

I want that car. Perfect price for my plan. If only my daughter drove stick. Though if she did, would still have my accord.

I suppose I can teach her again?

fintail

Wow look at Equus, surely those can't be normal retail sales.

@rayainsw said:
A bunch of new car sales detail - that I find interesting:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/

kyfdx

@qbrozen said:
First model year of the new model, which would scare me.

Would it? I mean, it is the same powertrain and probably many other mechanicals as the E39.

184 HP is not a lot for that model... Bigger and heavier than the E39, with the same engine from an E46 325i

nyccarguy

It is a 530i.

ab348

Black interiors are on the bottom of any list of preferences I make. Almost as bad are what many mfrs are now doing, calling an interior a color - red, saddle, even white - when in reality is is just the standard black interior with a few color accents in spots. That is still a black interior in my book.

With gray interiors you have to be careful. Dark grays often look even worse than black. Note the one used in the previous-gen Impala for an example. However light grays can looks very good. And my favorite, "oyster" is almost white but not quite and very appealing, if you can find it.

kyfdx

@nyccarguy said:
It is a 530i.

Well sure... never mind..

roadburner

@graphicguy said:
Oh man....I'm imagining the only thing worse than that would be to have your fingernails pulled out with pliers.

Yes, pretty much. Excruciating is another appropriate description...

Mr_Shiftright

April 2011---"Accident reported
Involving right front impact
with another motor vehicle
Right front primarily damaged
Vehicle towed" CARFAX

HOWEVER --it is a one owner car.

Pardon my heresy, but wouldn't the manual 6-speed give you a bargaining chip here for this model?

stickguy

well, around here, they are super rare hot items that command a premium when a dealer is saying it. Yet they are a pariah that they lowball like heck if you want to trade it in, since no one wants a stick.

stickguy

Shifty, where did you see the accident report? Did you run a carfax?

Mr_Shiftright

Yes I did stick.

My bias has always been "the bigger the car, the more you deduct for a manual transmission".

I'd certainly grind on a 5-series BMW on that point. The dealer can keep his precious 3-pedals if he thinks they're so great as to demand a premium.

breld

I had a 6-speed manual E60 (2007 530xi) - I thought the power was adequate, but certainly not thrill inducing. Having also had the manual E39 530i sport, I'd say that may command a premium, but the E60 - not so much.

kyfdx

Your 2007 model had the 255 HP engine, though, I think.. The 2004 model had the older 225 HP engine.

That 255 HP engine, while not terribly fuel-efficient, was a hoss.... we had that engine in an X3 and a Z4.