Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

OK. I remember the 3. Quite an upgrade there.

rayainsw

28firefighter -
Congrats of the punch !
- Ray
Ex-GTI driver ...

28firefighter

New ride on the showroom floor!

nyccarguy

Gorgeous!  Love it!  Congrats & best of luck to you with it!

fintail

Classic color for it, nice.

roadburner

I went and looked at the 2015 STI yesterday,; the sales guy seemed willing to deal. The dealer has lopped another $250 off the price so the car has dropped $2,000 since it was placed on sale on 9/1. My wife really likes it and for $34,744 it really looks to be an outstanding deal. Our salesman was very nice and low pressure. I guess that I'll see what kind of deal they can put together.

I love the looks and attitude of the Challenger SRT8, but I think I'd soon tire of the car's size and bulk. I like the handling of the 1LE but it is also too porky for my tastes. There are no new/used BMW's within $10k dollars that I could actually see myself enjoying. As for the Mustang, a GT equipped the way I'd want would run at least $4k more; I really would love a GT, but not for $4k more.

More news at it develops...

stever

iluvmysephia1 said:

Mitsubishi and Kia and I believe VW are in the same place in Las Cruces. Treated me well for '08 Lancer GTS service there. Popped out a dent in the front valance after I hit a coyote on Highway 70 eastbound by the Border Patrol one night. No charge for doing that, either. Could not believe it!

Nice service. VW/Mitsu are Sisbarro dealers and Kia is Jack Key. The Kia dealer doesn't have a great rep, at least with a couple of people I know and trust here.

stickguy

love the car. but I still think the wheels are too big (and tires too thin!) for my taste. Not sure why VW always goes with such an open design on the GTI?

Would be perfect with the 17" wheels off my Jetta Sport!

stickguy

OK, while searching for that image of the wheels, I discovered that the used VW market must also be in free fall. There are a ton of Jettas for sale, cheap. a bunch of 2015 1.8T SEs, some at VW dealers, listed with miles in the teens for less than $13,000. That is a good deal.

plus a real hard sell. Brand new 2015 2.0S manual. MSRP ~18,700, listed at ~12,900. Almost 5 grand off. If you need a local station/beater car, and want it under warranty, nice discount!

heck, one of the 2015 Jettas (with 12-14K) for $12,995 could be cheap to keep assuming VW rebounds. Could easily drive it for another 3 years and sell it for close to 10K. Not going to be much depreciation on that one.

Sandman6472

Stick, my wheels are very similar to those but without any of the black, they came off a 2015 Jetta SEL and look very unique on a regular Golf...have gotten a few compliments about how nice they look. The other choice they gave me was from a Jetta Wagon, a TDI as I recall, with the 5 dual spokes design. Since they only gave me five minutes to decide, it was a hard decision but know I made the right choice.
28, welcome to the VW club, love mine though would've liked the infotainment system that the 2016's have, the android one. Though I really liked the lighting package, didn't want to spring for the extra cost for it which in hindsight, might've been a mistake. Whatever, I still love my blue Golf SE and plan on keeping it for the forseeable future. Now, if the wife decides to trade the A3 earlier than I would like, might have to take it off her hands and trade the Golf but we'll see how things go on that.
Stever, I've been using the spray that the Broten garage door folks gave me with the new door, they said it's the same as WD-40.

The Sandman

stever

Interesting, WD-40 is more of a water displacer and not a lube.

houdini1

stickguy said:

OK, while searching for that image of the wheels, I discovered that the used VW market must also be in free fall. There are a ton of Jettas for sale, cheap. a bunch of 2015 1.8T SEs, some at VW dealers, listed with miles in the teens for less than $13,000. That is a good deal.

plus a real hard sell. Brand new 2015 2.0S manual. MSRP ~18,700, listed at ~12,900. Almost 5 grand off. If you need a local station/beater car, and want it under warranty, nice discount!

heck, one of the 2015 Jettas (with 12-14K) for $12,995 could be cheap to keep assuming VW rebounds. Could easily drive it for another 3 years and sell it for close to 10K. Not going to be much depreciation on that one.

Dieselgate hit in Sept. and Total VW Of America sales for Oct. (not counting Audi) was a shade over 30,000 units. Up a shade over 2014, but still up over last year. So looks like sales are holding up so far.

28firefighter

stickguy said:

OK, while searching for that image of the wheels, I discovered that the used VW market must also be in free fall. There are a ton of Jettas for sale, cheap. a bunch of 2015 1.8T SEs, some at VW dealers, listed with miles in the teens for less than $13,000. That is a good deal. plus a real hard sell. Brand new 2015 2.0S manual. MSRP ~18,700, listed at ~12,900. Almost 5 grand off. If you need a local station/beater car, and want it under warranty, nice discount! heck, one of the 2015 Jettas (with 12-14K) for $12,995 could be cheap to keep assuming VW rebounds. Could easily drive it for another 3 years and sell it for close to 10K. Not going to be much depreciation on that one.

That's a very safe, well equipped car for not a lot of money.  I think VW will rebound so it wouldn't scare me. 

Heck, even if they didn't rebound it's still a great car. 

Sandman6472

The new rollers are self-lubricating according to the garage door guy. We'll see how it goes and hoping this opener lasts until we've sold the house,maybe 6 or so years down the road. If not, will look into a belt driven unit next time. Just glad that we can still get both vehicles into the garage at night as we've purged a lot of our outdoor junk over time. Would really love to have the floors redone with a smoother finish so it just looks better. Right now it's got that gray concrete paint on it with a few stains but it has lasted over 15 years since I did put on the last coat. Think it needs a new finish to brighten up the place a bit.


The Sandman

stever

Ah, that makes sense. Mine are the older, open ball-bearings kind. And I really like my epoxy garage floor.

@28firefighter, I wonder if you can get a couple of big flower pots in the back of the new Golf?

corvette

Nice looking GTI. My neighbor has a white Golf with GTI wheels and a lowered suspension, so it looks a lot like yours!

I've always used 3-in-1 oil to lubricate hinges and rollers on my garage doors. Both of the houses I bought, I did all of them when I moved in, as a preventative. After that, I usually only do it when one is squeaking.

28firefighter

Thank you everyone for the well wishes!  I'll keep you all posted with my thoughts as I put on the miles. 

I have promised my wife 3 years, at least with this car. Of course, her lease is up in 18 months so I think I'll still be able to keep my CCBA card. 

Sandman6472

Have seen some GTI wheels that weren't black at all on ebay and they looked very nice. But the wheels I really want and like are from the first generation CC, they just look great and would look great on my Golf. But since I'm content with what they let me choose, all is good.

The Sandman

iluvmysephia1

Nice service. VW/Mitsu are Sisbarro dealers and Kia is Jack Key. The Kia dealer doesn't have a great rep, at least with a couple of people I know and trust here.

That's it - the Kia dealer was not good for used Kia Soul's. The El Paso Kia dealer we bought our Soul at, Viva Kia, was hands down the better dealer. But Sisbarro was sound and things went well with service on the Lancer GTS from them.

stever

Okay, make that three people now. The El Paso dealer was good on our short test drive, but they didn't have anything but base models in (nor does the local dealer carry much selection).

@corvette, my tracks are a bit grungy. I bet the prior owner lubed them and you aren't supposed to. Will try some Citrosol or something on them.

henryn

stever said:

Interesting, WD-40 is more of a water displacer and not a lube.

WD-40 is the best thing I have found for removing road tar / asphalt from your car. Buy the Wal-Mart branded equivalent, about half the price.

imidazol97

henryn said:

WD-40 is the best thing I have found for removing road tar / asphalt from your car. Buy the Wal-Mart branded equivalent, about half the price.

@henryn Thanks for the tip.

stever

I usually have a can around to use as a solvent but ran out in the UP. Just eyeballed the tracks again and they really aren't crusted over as bad as I thought. Must have been thinking of the tracks in the UP. The bearings seem to have plenty of grease too and there's no squeaking. It's been a week or 10 days since the door has hung up so I think I'll continue with the deferred maintenance plan for the time being.

Also checked the local VW inventory. One Golf R - pricey. And a couple of Sportwagens, one in white. Funny how they describe the climate stuff as "Manual Air Conditioning". That brings up a vision of rolling the windows down and waving a fan at the red lights. Wouldn't fly here, lol.

Mr_Shiftright

I love it that Audi offers a "Warm Weather Package" now. Clever marketing. And an $800 pop.

Mr_Shiftright

I am now on the hunt for one of these:

The 996s are getting cheaper and cheaper. (and riskier and riskier)

fintail

Just get a Turbo.

I like the Targas.

slorenzen

Mr_Shiftright said:

I am now on the hunt for one of these:

The 996s are getting cheaper and cheaper. (and riskier and riskier)

Beautiful car, but did you win the lotto?

Those aren't cheap to keep...

Mr_Shiftright

No, really they are CHEAP. I've seen clean 2002s for $15K--$16K. As for upkeep, well, that's why it takes months and months to find just the right car, and why one has to spend maybe a thousand bucks having pre purchase inspections done 3 or 4 times. Also I'm not so afraid of high miles on a Porsche--they are good for 250K easy AND the dreaded intermediate shaft bearing failure occurs more often on low mileage cars. Has to be black or dark blue---cabriolet not required but manual transmission is.

Turbo Version---that I can't afford.

Sandman6472

Drove a Jeep Cherokee, 2015, earlier and was quite impressed. Liked it more as the miles ticked by and pushing the accelerator put this huge grin on my face. A nicer driver than my Tucson and about the same size...not sure why I never checked these out in November of 2013 but maybe, they weren't in the dealerships yet. Impressive to say the least. Got up close to the new Renegade and really liked what I saw, more of the size I would be interested in and if it drives anything like the Cherokee I drove earlier, Jeep will have a hit on their hands! While at the Honda store today, saw a couple CR-V's today, one in white, the other red. Much nicer in the dark gray to be honest though would take the white. At Lauderdale airport, saw a beautiful new red Encore and wow, a real looker. To be honest, if I had pushed back my original search for a new vehicle a couple years back, to now, definitely know I'd not have bought the Tucson as I like the drivability of the Cherokee better but the looks of the Encore best of all right now. Not sure I'd even have looked at the Golf...only looked at one since the wife got the Audi which opened the door to me going German also.
Funny what a couple of years can do!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

The auto show is in Miami now and we discussed going this coming weekend though really a waste since we're not in the market. As the discussion went further, the wife kind of went off on me about buying the Golf last year even though at the time she said to do what I felt best. Turns out she's not pleased that I did it even though it didn't disrupt the family finances one bit. Think I would've done it anyways even if she had had a problem with it last year as the mileage on the Tucson was not very good with all the driving I was doing then. Funny how this all came up and out yesterday but hey, such is life. Did what I had to do and no regrets here. Hell, if I had enough money that I'd never have to worry about it ever again, think I'd have another vehicle as a fun car and have one practical vehicle. Would definitely keep my vehicles for a shorter period of time!!

The Sandman

breld

sandman_6472 said:

The auto show is in Miami now and we discussed going this coming weekend though really a waste since we're not in the market.

 Whaaa??!?!!? 

berri

Drove a Jeep Cherokee, 2015, earlier and was quite impressed

We actually had a 2014 a few months back as a rental. It had 40K on it with clunks and rattles everywhere, grinding noises when you turned and a slipping drivetrain. Not thinking that particular one had a long prosperous life ahead

stickguy

I started going to the philly show when we first moved down this way in 1987. Have not missed a year since. Though a few were iffy, but hey, if you gotta get off the death bed for something, the car show is it!

a few times I went more than once. One year I even went 2 times in the same day (first trip was by myself, then my son wanted to go so we want back later in the day).

doesn't matter if in the market. Think of it like going to the movies or a broadway show!

Sandman6472

Just not feeling too good right now so doubt I could climb in and out of many vehicles...just too painful! Luckily, I get to drive so many different vehicles at work, feel like I'm at a car show every day!!!

The Sandman

tjc78

stickguy said:

I started going to the philly show when we first moved down this way in 1987. Have not missed a year since. Though a few were iffy, but hey, if you gotta get off the death bed for something, the car show is it!

a few times I went more than once. One year I even went 2 times in the same day (first trip was by myself, then my son wanted to go so we want back later in the day).

doesn't matter if in the market. Think of it like going to the movies or a broadway show!

I've missed the last two years... I really want to go this year. My wife (who isn't really into cars) actually enjoys it as well.

Michaell

I've been going to the Denver auto show pretty regularly for a bunch of years.. I've missed one here and there, but lately have been going on my own. Keep trying to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. @breld, but can't seem to work out our schedules.

Speaking of which, @breld, now that you're back in town, it's probably time to do lunch again.

iluvmysephia1

Michaell - that '16 Scion iA at Mountain States Scion in Frost color is still there, retailing for $15,470. 6-speed manual and Scion's Pure Pricing. Wow, that's it. I'm not looking for any other options - you just pick your color and your tranny and go haggle...I...mean no haggling required.

I've joined the Scion iA forum and started participating - seeing what guys like and don't like. Most, like me, have made friends with the gaping maw in front. I really have - I love the look! Is it sort of a Pontiac Aztek kind of thing?

I'll see what more I can learn, but, this dealer has the best price for the 6-speed stick all around my region. Wichita can't match it, Oklahoma City can't match it, even Kansas City, MO, can't come close. It's 388 miles west to Mountain States Scion. Would have to batton down the hatches in the apartment and make sure the puppies and kittens have enough to eat and a pad ta pee on. Mrs.iluvmysephia1 is traveling east to Chicago on the Amtrak this Sunday coming up and won't be back until the following Sunday afternoon and I have that Thursday - Friday - Saturday and Sunday off. The stage is set. Zoom - zoom! The car is the 2016 Mazda 2 sedan with a Scion-fed gaping maw out in front and Scion emblems and blue-shade stitching on the seats.

It's been getting good driving reviews for it's handling and steering, light weight and fun ta drive factor. Early owners of the 2016 Scion iA are getting 39-46 mpg, too. Probably the best thing about the new subcompact. I need to compare the Kia Soul's dimensions to the Scion iA's - that ought ta be interesting. Might be too small for us two. The Kia Soul is not too small - it fits us just right.

28firefighter

I've gone to the Philly Auto Show every year with my Dad for as long as I can remember, with only a few exceptions - most being back when I was in college. I still fly in from Seattle to go with him, though lately its overlapped with a yearly conference I have in New York.

My Dad has the Chronic Car bug and it has definitely worn off on me over the years.

breld

Michaell said:

I've been going to the Denver auto show pretty regularly for a bunch of years.. I've missed one here and there, but lately have been going on my own. Keep trying to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. @breld, but can't seem to work out our schedules.

Speaking of which, @breld, now that you're back in town, it's probably time to do lunch again.

Definitely up for lunch. Sounds like your house projects are slowing down too, so it's time!

breld

iluvmysephia1 said:

Michaell - that '16 Scion iA at Mountain States Scion in Frost color is still there, retailing for $15,470. 6-speed manual and Scion's Pure Pricing. Wow, that's it. I'm not looking for any other options - you just pick your color and your tranny and go haggle...I...mean no haggling required.

I've joined the Scion iA forum and started participating - seeing what guys like and don't like. Most, like me, have made friends with the gaping maw in front. I really have - I love the look! Is it sort of a Pontiac Aztek kind of thing?

I'll see what more I can learn, but, this dealer has the best price for the 6-speed stick all around my region. Wichita can't match it, Oklahoma City can't match it, even Kansas City, MO, can't come close. It's 388 miles west to Mountain States Scion. Would have to batton down the hatches in the apartment and make sure the puppies and kittens have enough to eat and a pad ta pee on. Mrs.iluvmysephia1 is traveling east to Chicago on the Amtrak this Sunday coming up and won't be back until the following Sunday afternoon and I have that Thursday - Friday - Saturday and Sunday off. The stage is set. Zoom - zoom! The car is the 2016 Mazda 2 sedan with a Scion-fed gaping maw out in front and Scion emblems and blue-shade stitching on the seats.

It's been getting good driving reviews for it's handling and steering, light weight and fun ta drive factor. Early owners of the 2016 Scion iA are getting 39-46 mpg, too. Probably the best thing about the new subcompact. I need to compare the Kia Soul's dimensions to the Scion iA's - that ought ta be interesting. Might be too small for us two. The Kia Soul is not too small - it fits us just right.

Mountain States is up in my neck of the woods. I've only been there a couple of times, generally looking at used cars - I believe they're a "Sonic" dealership so they have a one-price approach that's pretty reasonable. It's just a bit north of I-70 - so a straight shot west for you!

iluvmysephia1

Yep, they are a Sonic dealership and, so far, the only one on the Great Plains and a bit west that is holding to the Scion business plan. No haggling and, a loan ta fit your particular need. I would need a very cooperative trade value for the Soul, and a fair interest rate that would keep the payment somewhat near the Soul's payment.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

I've been going to the Denver auto show pretty regularly for a bunch of years.. I've missed one here and there, but lately have been going on my own. Keep trying to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. @breld, but can't seem to work out our schedules.

Speaking of which, @breld, now that you're back in town, it's probably time to do lunch again.

Definitely up for lunch. Sounds like your house projects are slowing down too, so it's time!

Well, about the house stuff ....

We've been in our house now 7 weeks ... have spent pretty much every weekend on projects of small and medium sizes. New light fixtures, swapping out switched outlets for motion detectors, new accessories and small furniture pieces.

Only in the last week or two have I not had multiple cardboard boxes to break down and take to the curb for trash or recycling.

We were finally starting to feel like we were moved in...

Then a pipe burst in the basement Sunday morning. Intake pipe to the water heater failed spectacularly. Most of the basement is tile and there is a drain that took care of most of the water, but the daughter's bedroom carpet was soaked. Will require a new carpet pad and some new baseboards. Luckily, no drywall to replace.

Had the water removal folks out to vacuum what water there was and set up fans and dehumidifiers. Plumber also out on Sunday to repair and replace the failed parts. Fortunately, we have a 1 year home warranty that should cover the damage and repairs.

Fingers crossed.

kyfdx

We usually hit the show in Cincinnati every year. It's mostly disappointing and takes less and less time to go through, each year.

Plus, the more I contemplate retirement, the more my desire wanes, to drop $30K on another car, if that means I have to work another year.

Michaell

iluvmysephia1 said:

Michaell - that '16 Scion iA at Mountain States Scion in Frost color is still there, retailing for $15,470. 6-speed manual and Scion's Pure Pricing. Wow, that's it. I'm not looking for any other options - you just pick your color and your tranny and go haggle...I...mean no haggling required.

I've joined the Scion iA forum and started participating - seeing what guys like and don't like. Most, like me, have made friends with the gaping maw in front. I really have - I love the look! Is it sort of a Pontiac Aztek kind of thing?

I'll see what more I can learn, but, this dealer has the best price for the 6-speed stick all around my region. Wichita can't match it, Oklahoma City can't match it, even Kansas City, MO, can't come close. It's 388 miles west to Mountain States Scion. Would have to batton down the hatches in the apartment and make sure the puppies and kittens have enough to eat and a pad ta pee on. Mrs.iluvmysephia1 is traveling east to Chicago on the Amtrak this Sunday coming up and won't be back until the following Sunday afternoon and I have that Thursday - Friday - Saturday and Sunday off. The stage is set. Zoom - zoom! The car is the 2016 Mazda 2 sedan with a Scion-fed gaping maw out in front and Scion emblems and blue-shade stitching on the seats.

It's been getting good driving reviews for it's handling and steering, light weight and fun ta drive factor. Early owners of the 2016 Scion iA are getting 39-46 mpg, too. Probably the best thing about the new subcompact. I need to compare the Kia Soul's dimensions to the Scion iA's - that ought ta be interesting. Might be too small for us two. The Kia Soul is not too small - it fits us just right.

I just built one on the Scion website ... I chose the "Abyss" blue but otherwise same as you with the 6-speed. At the moment, the lease terms would be $850 due at signing (bank fee and first payment), and $200/mo + tax for 36/15. Right in my wheelhouse. Just have to see if I fit and that its easy to get into and out of.

qbrozen

Michaell said:

Well, about the house stuff ....

We've been in our house now 7 weeks ... have spent pretty much every weekend on projects of small and medium sizes. New light fixtures, swapping out switched outlets for motion detectors, new accessories and small furniture pieces.

Only in the last week or two have I not had multiple cardboard boxes to break down and take to the curb for trash or recycling.

We were finally starting to feel like we were moved in...

Then a pipe burst in the basement Sunday morning. Intake pipe to the water heater failed spectacularly. Most of the basement is tile and there is a drain that took care of most of the water, but the daughter's bedroom carpet was soaked. Will require a new carpet pad and some new baseboards. Luckily, no drywall to replace.

Had the water removal folks out to vacuum what water there was and set up fans and dehumidifiers. Plumber also out on Sunday to repair and replace the failed parts. Fortunately, we have a 1 year home warranty that should cover the damage and repairs.

Fingers crossed.

Sorry to hear that. Chasing bugs around the house sucks. Here I thought we were buying a house that needed nothing, but that has not been the case. Oh well. Let me know how that warranty works out. What company did you use?

Michaell

qbrozen said:

Michaell said:

Well, about the house stuff ....

We've been in our house now 7 weeks ... have spent pretty much every weekend on projects of small and medium sizes. New light fixtures, swapping out switched outlets for motion detectors, new accessories and small furniture pieces.

Only in the last week or two have I not had multiple cardboard boxes to break down and take to the curb for trash or recycling.

We were finally starting to feel like we were moved in...

Then a pipe burst in the basement Sunday morning. Intake pipe to the water heater failed spectacularly. Most of the basement is tile and there is a drain that took care of most of the water, but the daughter's bedroom carpet was soaked. Will require a new carpet pad and some new baseboards. Luckily, no drywall to replace.

Had the water removal folks out to vacuum what water there was and set up fans and dehumidifiers. Plumber also out on Sunday to repair and replace the failed parts. Fortunately, we have a 1 year home warranty that should cover the damage and repairs.

Fingers crossed.

Sorry to hear that. Chasing bugs around the house sucks. Here I thought we were buying a house that needed nothing, but that has not been the case. Oh well. Let me know how that warranty works out. What company did you use?

The sellers paid for the warranty through a company called Blue Ribbon. I believe they are local to CO.

slorenzen

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

I've been going to the Denver auto show pretty regularly for a bunch of years.. I've missed one here and there, but lately have been going on my own. Keep trying to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. @breld, but can't seem to work out our schedules.

Speaking of which, @breld, now that you're back in town, it's probably time to do lunch again.

Definitely up for lunch. Sounds like your house projects are slowing down too, so it's time!

Well, about the house stuff ....

We've been in our house now 7 weeks ... have spent pretty much every weekend on projects of small and medium sizes. New light fixtures, swapping out switched outlets for motion detectors, new accessories and small furniture pieces.

Only in the last week or two have I not had multiple cardboard boxes to break down and take to the curb for trash or recycling.

We were finally starting to feel like we were moved in...

Then a pipe burst in the basement Sunday morning. Intake pipe to the water heater failed spectacularly. Most of the basement is tile and there is a drain that took care of most of the water, but the daughter's bedroom carpet was soaked. Will require a new carpet pad and some new baseboards. Luckily, no drywall to replace.

Had the water removal folks out to vacuum what water there was and set up fans and dehumidifiers. Plumber also out on Sunday to repair and replace the failed parts. Fortunately, we have a 1 year home warranty that should cover the damage and repairs.

Fingers crossed.

Back in the 80s I bought my first home, and it was required to buy the 1 year warranty. Really glad I did.

at 11 months, the gas water heater died, and at 11.5 months, the furnace died.

The warranty cost $300, but it saved me at least 10 times that amount.

xwesx

stever said:

Interesting, WD-40 is more of a water displacer and not a lube.

I use some really nice lubricant called Sil Glyde on a variety of things including sporting equipment, the ball hitch on my clothes dryer, wheel lugs, you name it. It is great stuff, though it will collect dust (as it is tacky) over time, so I'm sure something like a garage door track would require periodic cleaning and reapplication.

stever

You aren't supposed to lube the tracks at all. I did clean them - maybe the Citrosol smell attracted the snake that settled in the garage.

We've been in our house here just over a year now. Besides the garage door flaking out occasionally, we replaced the water heater and I had to take the fan out of the ice maker and tweak it. Got a couple of poorly fitting doors on the to-do list and the timers on the radiant floors in the bathrooms are dead and need replacing. And the roofer is scheduled for a tune up sometime "soon" for some general maintenance (the weather kills roofs here). And I have one rotting latilla in the front courtyard that needs replacing (basically a 6" diameter pole).

Not too bad considering.

laurasdada

Auto show is an annual event for me. Started in the late '60s with Dad, NYC Coliseum, later The Javits. Moved to Boston, much less of a show at the Bayside Expo, now the Convention Center. The cars, the SWAG and the models, er, spokespersons. A nice way to spend a usually cold January day!

But, now $15! I'm gonna have to double or triple up on the SWAG....