Stories from the Sales Frontlines

imidazol97

Richard,

I'm really glad and relieved to see you're back. Thanks for the kind words. Being in the Spotlight was a different experience for me: I usually am in the background.

Seeing Richard64 back makes this a sterling day.

imidazol97

>That's when cars were cars and, well, men were men......

And gasoline disappears at 8 miles per gallon!

isellhondas

If I really BABIED my '65 Riviera I could coax 12 MPG out of it.

But, that wasn't much fun given it's desire to run so 9-10 MPG was more the norm when I bothered to check it.

Jump on it hard and all bets were off. I could go through 1/8th of a tank with one show off of it's abilities.

Oh, and it demanded 100 plus octane gas too!

snakeweasel

The video states that it senses the vehicle in front of you, not the vehicle in front of them. So from what I can see it can only sense the accident in front of the vehicle in front of you only when the vehicle in front of you reacts.

oldfarmer50

"...the 1989 is a disgrace..."

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel. And this from a man who had a vinyl roof!

oldfarmer50

"...demanded 100 octane..."

A friend has a 1965 t-bird and he has to buy special octane booster after filling with 93. An extra $8 a tankful. He had the 390 motor modified for more power.
I think he gets 10 mpg if he goes easy.

bwia

I appreciate so much all of your kind posts regarding my absence.

Welcome back RichardSterlingdog. For a moment there I thought you were caught in the 60-mile Beijing traffic jam.

So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent.

I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to watch the NFL season opener, and from then on I'm going to need a lot of help.

Stay Blessed my friend.

stickguy

Farmer, that 2nd link is like my TL. Other than being black instead of blue, and that one has 4K more on the clock. And fewer scratches.

but $4,995? wow. I'll sell you mine for $4k, and figure out later how to tell my son he has to walk to work now.

houdini1

We bought that car in 1972 when I was 29 years old. We both worked back then and the boattail was my wife's daily driver as I traveled and had a company car. It was my duty to take it out on the interstate at every chance I got to "blow the soot out of it".

Ten or twelve mpg, but gas was only about 40 cents a gal back then.

riley3

I ordered a 1989 Buick Riv in a special blue color and a grey interior. Loved the car and kept it for 8 yrs. A smooth ride, great for highway cruising, not a screamer. It was my first car with computer dash. Plug in the miles to your destination and a little car would move across the screen.

isellhondas

Actually, some of the cars from the 60's just didn't look right unless they had a vinyl roof. We laugh at them now and for good reason but that black vinyl top on that beautiful yellow Riviera was a looker.

Can you imagine a 60's Coupe De Ville without a vinyl roof?

I'm not talking about those garish thick padded roofs either!

isellhondas

In 1989, I bought a brand new 1989 Le Sabre T Type/ White with black leather.

I just couldn't get my arms around those stubby Rivieras.

You are very lucky that troublesome and primitive touch screen computer dash didn't give you any trouble as they often did.

Recently I had a 1990 Reatta with that same dash. Mine had been replaced so it worked O.K.

kyfdx

Just thinking back to displacements.... GM did make a 425 engine. My parents had it in either a '72 or '74 DeVille.

mako1a

Agreed kyfdx. This link> http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofeng.htm
seems to have all the answers about cubic inches and lists a 425.

Before reading I was sure someone had confused the 427 which would make the car worth buying for the 427 alone as they're expensive if you can find one.

Here's a good one on big block vs small block engines> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Big-Block_engine

lemko

In 1972-74 Cadillac offered either a 472 cid or 500 cid V-8 engine. The downsized 1977-79 Cadillac DeVilles/Fleetwoods had a 425 V-8.

mako1a

Oldfarmer, I found a good car for you and it's not in Florida. It's not a junker either. In fact it's one of the finest luxury cars you never heard of. I have driven these and they are smooooth.

Compared to the Aurora, a Sedan Deville will feel like a pickup truck. They're that nice. And it's not on craigslist (that site gives me the creeps). And it's only one state away. Go for it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-Oldsmobile-Aurora-LOW-MILES-CLEAN-/251333426- 229?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a84a3bc35

isellhondas

That's correct, and the 77-79 425 Cadillac engine was a excellent engine.

But, then things went downhill quickly.

Some 1980's had a wheezy V-6 in them. Some had those ill fated diesels that were the rage back in those regrettable years.

Then 1981 came along with the one year only 4-6-8 engines.

Followed in 1982 with the trashy 4100's that cost Cadillac a huge number of previously very loyal customers.

They didn't get it right until 1988 but, the damage was done.

Then we got the Northstars that had some very expensive problems including a 5000.00 to fix massive oil leak.

Cadillac had the luxury market....and blew it!

graphicguy

Let's get the important stuff out of the way, first.

RICHARD, WELCOME BACK!

oldfarmer....I'm an Acura fan as most of you know. But, that's a strong number on that craigslist posting. I'm thinking $3,500 should snag it.

isellhondas and driver....those boat tail Buicks were just a wee bit ahead of my time, but I do remember seeing them used.

My favorite Riv were the ones from the mid-late '90s, with the S/C 3.8L motors. If I could have convinced my (then) wife, I would have bought one. Those were some pretty cars.

roadburner

Ditto!!!
Welcome Back!!!

roadburner

In 1979 I bought a 1967 Riviera for $5. It took @$50 to get it running. I drove it all summer and then donated it to the local Buick Club ...

stickguy

Darn. I actually like that Aurora. Looks much newer than 2001, other than the old school tape deck! At the right price, could be a nice piece to have. even has a moonroof.

only about 20-25 minutes from me too. 4 hours or so from Oldfarmer though.

isellhondas

" Old school tape deck"

Hey....HEY!!! My 2003 CRV still has one of those in addition to it's six disc CD Changer and I actually have some tapes from the old days!!

I did, however, tearfully throw away my box of 8 tracks a couple of years ago.

graphicguy

Oldfarmer....I've been nonshalantly looking for a 2nd car to drive back and forth to the airport. At lunch today, my Acura salesperson (who knew of my quest) gave me a call to come take a look at a candidate. Just in on trade...
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685771303/][img]http://farm4.sta- - ticflickr.com/3822/9685771303_88323e71c2.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685771303/]IMG_1454[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/97396424@N08/]graphicguy1[/url], on Flickr
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685772735/][img]http://farm3.sta- - ticflickr.com/2857/9685772735_c3398a3f20.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685772735/]IMG_1455[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/97396424@N08/]graphicguy1[/url], on Flickr
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685772735/][img]http://farm3.sta- - ticflickr.com/2857/9685772735_c3398a3f20.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/97396424@N08/9685772735/]IMG_1455[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/97396424@N08/]graphicguy1[/url], on Flickr

~170K miles...serviced by the dealer. I drove it. Drives nice...not even any squeaks and rattles. Everything works. Never been wrecked, as far as I could tell. Quite a few paint chips on the hood, and tires only have about 15K miles of tread left. But, all-in-all, an honest, well cared for car that should net another 75K-100K miles for someone.

$3,000 buys it (which I might do).

If you're interested, let me know.

PS....clearly, Edmunds won't let me post pics from flikr, so take my word that it's a nice car.

roadburner

I stll have two cars with cassette decks: the '95 BMW and the 1999 Wrangler. Believe it or not, Mazda offered a kit to retrofit a tape deck into the Mazda 3.
I'll bet those flew off the shelves...

isellhondas

So, what is it? Your links falied.

sterlingdog

Thanks! "...how this would affect your Edmunds check in or username?"

Since my old email account was dead, I figured that in order to receive mail from Edmunds I would have to register again with my new email address and a new password.

"...sterlingdog"?

I chose that because our beloved dog for 14 years was named Sterling.

Richard

sterlingdog

LOL! Thanks!

sterlingdog

Thanks so much! I'll email you.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks for bailing me out of jail. I really didn't steal the MB, the BMW, the RR, or the F150.

Richard

sterlingdog

You are an excellent detective with a great memory for details. As I have known for a long time, you are also one of the nicest young people on this planet. Thanks for going to all of that trouble to locate me. On our next trip to New York, I owe you a steak dinner with all of the trimmings.

Richard

robr2

I stll have two cars with cassette decks: the '95 BMW and the 1999 Wrangler.

My 2005 Passat has a cassette deck. I have a tape adapter with a headphone jack for my iPhone. Not great but it works.

It's branded Monsoon but AFAIK, it was made by Delphi/GM. IIRC, VW was under a court order to buy GM components after if was found guilty of corporate espionage when it poached J. Ignacio Lopez from GM who brought confidential purchasing information with him.

sterlingdog

Thanks! It is good to see that you have kept the home fires burning. Thanks also for telling nyccarguy the town where we live. I'll try to post more often.

Richard

sterlingdog

It's really nice to see you posting again. I had missed you even before I had to leave. I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I know exactly how you feel. At least we have the wonderful memories of those good years. I hope that you'll post more often. Do you still have the Sebring convertible? When my great nephew spent this summer with us, he drove ours nearly every day with the top down. I had planned to give it to him for his 16th birthday in June, but then the news came that they were moving to Dubai. It's hard to believe that it's 5 years old. It seems like only yesterday that we bought it. It only has 36k on it.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks. Nice to be back.

Richard

sterlingdog

Missed you too, and thanks!

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks old friend!

Richard

sterlingdog

Love that sunshine. Thanks!

Richard

sterlingdog

Love that post about the NFL! Thanks and I hope that you stay blessed as well.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks! I always love your posts.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks RB!

Richard

graphicguy

Craig...yeah, not sure what happened with the links.

Anyway, it's a one owner 2000 Acura TL 3.2. Everything on it except for Nav. One owner, bought and serviced by the original dealer. 170K miles. Odo shows 155K miles. But, that's because the original dash went out and the owner took their time to get it fixed.. They have the paperwork on it. Everything checks out.

I drove it. It drives like it has 70K miles on it, not 170K. Not even a squeak. Body is straight as an arrow. Quick look underneath, no leaks and no sign of body work in the seams, trunk or under the hood. Runs strong.

See if this works...
http://www.superioracurastore.com/used/Acura/2000-Acura-TL-e26ca1d90a0a00e001924- 0a4ae1a7e15.htm

I know I can buy it for about $3,500. Give me a little time and I'm betting I can buy it for $3K.

Really nice 2nd car.

cdnpinhead

It's so nice to have you back again. For whatever it's worth my post appears to be the one that set much of this off. Glad we got you back.

In due course we'll be expecting to hear more of the details of those very active months.

isellhondas

Aren't Hondas/Acuras amazing? At 170K it still runs and drives like a 70K car!

Our store would have wholesaled it. We just couldn't give away miled up cars even when they were near perfect. People just can't believe that a well maintained car can be a better car at 170K than a neglected one at 80K.

That said, for 3500.00, it's a lot of car but FIND OUT FOR SURE if the timing belt has been done recently. If not, it's due for it's second replacement a 700.00 job at least. Also, once in awhile a V-6 Honda can lose a transmission.

Put it in reverse and back up quickly if it has a loud clunk, it's shot. Make sure it shifts crisply and the fluid looks clean. It's probably fine but once in awhile those would go bad around 100K.

" Give me a little time"

Be careful...a lot of buyers aren't afraid of miles and it could get snapped up.

Our store never was able to find that type of buyer though.

graphicguy

[i]" Give me a little time"

Be careful...a lot of buyers aren't afraid of miles and it could get snapped up.

Our store never was able to find that type of buyer though.[/i]

Thanks, Craig. I tried the trans already. No clunk. Only thing I could find are the tires probably only have another 10-12 months of life left.

Dealer had a big file of all the service history, including the fix for the Speedo/odo.

Good catch on the timing belt. I'll have to ask them about it.

At $3,000, I'm a buyer...maybe even go a little above that.

After driving it, I feel it's good for another 100K. Not even a tear or crack in the seats or dash. Cold air. Bose stereo that sounds just fine (with a CD player, no less). Just an really nice, really honest car.

Will probably go do a 2nd look tomorrow a.m.

Thanks for the "look/see" items.

Will let you know how that turns out.

isellhondas

You do realize that even with the documentation (which is a good thing!) that that odometer issue makes that car a TMU - True Mileage Unknown car and they will probably have to disclose that to you and have you sign that off.

As innocent as this probably is, who knows if the owner drove it for a year with the odometer not working hence the TMU. It probably has a "branded title" because of that but maybe not.

Now, having said that...given the age, history and value of that car, it probably wouldn't bother many people or devalue the car too much. On a late model, high value car, it's a killer and it drops the value (and potential buyers) like a rock.

Might be worth mentioning when working your deal. Ask if it has a Branded Title.

stickguy

other than color, exactly the same as my TL. a 2000, 1 owner (well, same family since it started with my sister). just hitting 171K. always dealer serviced. Just a bit more "loved" body wise (a few dents and a bunch of scratches).

But, like that one, after having the plugs and 3 coil packs replaced a few months ago, the darned thing does run like it has 70K on it.

oldfarmer50

"...Olds Aurora..."

That's not a bad price for a car that new but 3 days left gives lots of time for the bid to bump. I hear that some people use a program that automatically outbids you by a dollar at the last minute so I've always been leery of E-Bay.

A guy at work had one that he bought new for $30k+. He loved it but it developed a bunch of expensive oil leaks at about the same milage. He'd traded it in on a Mazda6 4cyl. lease. Yikes!

oldfarmer50

"...they didn't get it right until 1988..."

My 1993 Devile has the 4.9L which is a real smooth motor. It's a hoot to drive because it's so big (I can't imagine what those 60s monsters were like ) and the ride is so smooth.

I don't trust anything with the Northstar before about 2002. I can't believe GM walked away from responsibility for that head bolt design defect. The 4.6 Northstar was such a superior engine in every way but reliability. It could go 200k without a problem or blow up in 50k. Really ruined Caddy's reputation.

oldfarmer50

"...if you're interested..."

I don't think I could be interested in ANY car with 170k miles on it. Too many worries. Am I assuming correctly that this is a 3.2L TL?

This is my main problem with cars like the TL. They go for way too much money for me. Yeah, they may be better than the equivalent Detroit car but the perception that they are WAY better drives the price up to where I don't see the value.

I think I rather have an old Riviera with 70k miles than a TL with 170k miles for the same $3000. That's just me and I've been known to be wrong...once or twice.

oldfarmer50

"...odo shows 155k..."

The ads misrepresents the milage. They say 159k but you know it you be 170k. What else aren't they telling?