Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

kyfdx · January 4

My friend left for 3 months, today. So, this afternoon, once it gets up above 20 F, I'm moving the Cayman over to his garage, so I can move the GTI into my garage. Supposedly, some major winter weather moving in tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Also, I think I'm sympatico with Mrs. @breld
I'm driving her old GTI, and we have the same color Cayman.

Michaell · January 4

kyfdx said:
My friend left for 3 months, today. So, this afternoon, once it gets up above 20 F, I'm moving the Cayman over to his garage, so I can move the GTI into my garage. Supposedly, some major winter weather moving in tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Also, I think I'm sympatico with Mrs. @breld
I'm driving her old GTI, and we have the same color Cayman.

We talked about your GTI whilst driving the Cayman, yesterday.

If you decide you want to sell it, let me know; I'd be happy to bring it back to CO.

breld · January 4

That was seriously the perfect GTI. SE w/sunroof but with the plaid seats. Iron Blue (or whatever they called it).

stickguy · January 4

it was perfect. also the 2018 so 6 year warranty, right?

that and the white 2 series manual were the 2 Breld mobiles I remember that I really wanted to buy

kyfdx · January 4

breld said:
That was seriously the perfect GTI. SE w/sunroof but with the plaid seats. Iron Blue (or whatever they called it).

It still is..

Bought it in February 2020 with 13,800 miles
It now has 41,XXX on it. (7 years old)

At this rate, I'll need a new car in about 7 or 8 years.

Michaell · January 4

stickguy said:
it was perfect. also the 2018 so 6 year warranty, right?

that and the white 2 series manual were the 2 Breld mobiles I remember that I really wanted to buy

I was offered the opportunity to by the 2-series from @breld, for what he was getting as trade value (a shockingly good deal, even if it was RWD).

Alas, it was not meant to be.

kyfdx · January 4

stickguy said:
it was perfect. also the 2018 so 6 year warranty, right?

that and the white 2 series manual were the 2 Breld mobiles I remember that I really wanted to buy

Correct, warranty didn't run out until last February.

When we got to @breld 's house and the 2-series was sitting there (which I didn't know about), I felt like I'd been duped.

anonymousposts2025 · January 4

A local VW dealer is offering a new ID.4 standard with $999 at signing for $149 / mo. Somewhat tempting, but we’d probably want another Pro S and that wouldn’t be $149 / mo.

Crossed 1,000 miles in the Si. Averaging 37 mpg, handles great, manual is amazing. I don’t remember our last Si (20 years ago) being this hard to get in and out of. Age is undefeated.

ab348 · January 5

So, last night as I was browsing these forums it suddenly occurred to me that CCBA was not to be found on my list of subscriptions. I scrolled down and only found the closed original (sort of) version that got shut down late last year because of Vanilla issues. The last post on there directed readers to this place. I clicked that link and the first post and some of those thereafter were familiar, so I had been there. But I wasn't subscribed. I remembered there was a problem with subscribing when the C&C board got replaced and I suspect that is what happened here as well. As of last night my sub seems to have finally stuck so I'm back, baby! Even if not a CCBA'er, I still enjoy reading about the schemes and shenanigans of others.

ab348 · January 5

akangl said:
Long time no drop in for me. You guys have been busy! I guess I’ve been rather busy too. Let’s see, in the past year and a half we sold everything except the house in Alaska. We moved to Costa Rica after the mister retired in July of 2022. We bought a house in June of 2023 and moved in July of 2023. Sold my beloved 2023 Audi and his 2019 Chevy Silverado 3500 plus the RV. Sold all of our household stuff except for a few things that we brought with us on the plane. Bought a 2018 Nissan Frontier crew cab diesel 2wd 6-spd manual truck here from its original owner, wonderful little truck that has been so darn reliable. Found an amazing Montessori school for the kid and he is thriving.

Sadly we will have to return to the US in July next year because I have become too sick for it to be safe for me to stay in Costa Rica. We are heartbroken. For now we will return to Alaska but who knows where the journey will take us next. Going to have to punch the card again since we sold the 2007 Honda Pilot that we had in Alaska for the rare trips we made there, sweet reliable little bugger that looked terrible but best $2800 we could have spent.

That’s the latest on my crazy life. It’s an adventure for sure. Costa Rica has been amazing and we wouldn’t trade our time here for anything.

These guys come in to our back yard, this picture was taken behind our outdoor kitchen.

I'm sorry to hear all this, Jolie. To have done all that you have over the last couple of years and now having to roll it all back is sad. I hope you can get your health issues under control. I always enjoyed reading about your Alaska adventures and hope you come by here a bit more often. All the best to you and yours.

Sandman6472 · January 6

Rented a black Corolla Cross this morning from Enterprise for a couple of days. Golf went into mechanics to have some issues taken care of so I can feel safer driving it. Got a great rate being an employee of the company. Now, I'll be able to pull it into the garage to see how it would fit if I do end up getting one. It drives nicely except I can definitely feel the CVT tranny...something I'd need to get used to. The other half liked it to but says it's definitely a larger vehicle then what we currently have now, something I need to be cognizant about. So, I'll enjoy it for a couple of days and go from there. Now, I can put off buying until the 2026 models come out as long as nothing bad happens with the Golf. Honestly, buying a C C right now wouldn't make sense as really need to try the new GTI and see how much I like it...or not. Taking some more time here is the best thing to do as I am ready to move on now. Into what is the big question. Still need to test the Encore GX and a few other vehicles out there including the Honda Civic. Since I'm not in a rush now, might as well throw my line into a bigger pond to see what's out there!

explorerx4 · January 6

At the end of the year I sold some underwater mutual fund shares to offset capital gains for 2024.
That means I have some capital to buy something.
Based on the rumors that CDJR is going to do some downward major price adjustments, I am going to wait.

stickguy · January 6

planning to buy Stelantis stock, or a vehicle from CDJR?

explorerx4 · January 6

I'm hoping the projected CDJR price cuts affect other brands to do the same.

corvette · January 6

Sandman6472 · January 7

Great news. Golf just needed more freon added to the system, since it had never been serviced in over 10 years. New coolant was indeed needed, hadn't been done till just before 36K under warranty. And since the brake fluid hadn't been done in awhile, that was all that was needed. Mechanic insisted the pads were all fine all around with half good pads left, 5 mm at least, and didn't think it was necessary to change them when I pushed back. Guess my car just has a lower brake pedal ten other cars I've been driving. Under $400 and we're back on the road. Brought the rental back by 4:10, so was only charged one day. Plus added 1 gallon of petrol and even that was a bit too much as we only drove it to the store. Needless to say, am very pleased with how things turned out.

tjc78 · January 7

@stickguy said:
planning to buy Stelantis stock, or a vehicle from CDJR?

Unless CDJR all of a sudden has a blue oval

oldfarmer50 · January 7

explorerx4 said:
At the end of the year I sold some underwater mutual fund shares to offset capital gains for 2024.
That means I have some capital to buy something.
Based on the rumors that CDJR is going to do some downward major price adjustments, I am going to wait.

What mutual fund was a loser in 2024? Did you hire the broker who advised me which individual stocks to buy years ago? He had an uncanny knack of picking all losers in a bull market.

kyfdx · January 7

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:
At the end of the year I sold some underwater mutual fund shares to offset capital gains for 2024.
That means I have some capital to buy something.
Based on the rumors that CDJR is going to do some downward major price adjustments, I am going to wait.
What mutual fund was a loser in 2024? Did you hire the broker who advised me which individual stocks to buy years ago? He had an uncanny knack of picking all losers in a bull market.

3X Short S&P 500 fund.

oldfarmer50 · January 7

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:
At the end of the year I sold some underwater mutual fund shares to offset capital gains for 2024.
That means I have some capital to buy something.
Based on the rumors that CDJR is going to do some downward major price adjustments, I am going to wait.
What mutual fund was a loser in 2024? Did you hire the broker who advised me which individual stocks to buy years ago? He had an uncanny knack of picking all losers in a bull market.
3X Short S&P 500 fund.

Yep, that would do it.🤣🤣🤣🤣

explorerx4 · January 7

@oldfarmer50,
Funds were not losers in 2024 but still haven't technically broken even with the price paid per share with reinvested dividends and capital gains.
Bought the funds starting in 2021.

suydam · January 7

Saw this outside the furniture store we were going into the other day. It was parked right next to the entrance so I couldn’t get it all in one shot. The rear view is beautiful but I don’t want to show the license plate.

explorerx4 · January 7

Someone put a lot of effort into it but the Ferarri sticker ruins it.
With high rise dual quads on it, the engine is definitely not from a Ferarri.

suydam · January 7

My friend who loves vintage cars says it’s a 250 coupe.

explorerx4 · January 7

The front fenders look like a Ferarri but the middle of the car looks like a Studebaker.
You can get front and rear kits to make a car look like somthing else.

suydam · January 7

Rear view.

oldfarmer50 · January 7

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
Funds were not losers in 2024 but still haven't technically broken even with the price paid per share with reinvested dividends and capital gains.
Bought the funds starting in 2021.

I have one Europac fund that did well in 2024 but it is still down from my initial investment from several years ago. I also bought Lucent at about $20 only to see it go down to 50 cents or something. That’s when I stopped trying to pick individual stocks.

The only investment strategy that I’ve learned is that when the gurus say something is an incredible buy….run.

oldfarmer50 · January 7

suydam said:

Rear view.

Looks like a Plymouth Barracuda.

explorerx4 · January 7

Maybe a Fauxrarri. HA HA.
Door handles are definitey wrong, are from a domestic car.
Nobody would take a real one and do that to it.

fintail · January 7

Back in the 80s a Ferrari like that wasn't worth a lot, esp if it had engine problems. I can imagine a period conversion. Looks like a 250 GTE.

corvette · January 7

@Sandman6472 - it sounds like you have an honest mechanic, hope they stick around!

Michaell · January 7

Member needs help evaluating a car with a rebuilt title

sb55 · January 9

My brother in Hickory, NC called me this morning to tell me that he leased a Hyundai Ionic 5. I won't tell him, but I think that he overpaid! $650.00/month. He was proud to tell me that was after $16K in incentives and tax credits. And it's a 2024, not a 2025. It was shipped from Ohio equipped how he wanted it. It is not an "N" version and I didn't press him, but I assume it's a limited trim.

Michaell · January 9

Somebody help @Kirstie_H out with this member

graphicguy · January 9

sb55 said:
My brother in Hickory, NC called me this morning to tell me that he leased a Hyundai Ionic 5. I won't tell him, but I think that he overpaid! $650.00/month. He was proud to tell me that was after $16K in incentives and tax credits. And it's a 2024, not a 2025. It was shipped from Ohio equipped how he wanted it. It is not an "N" version and I didn't press him, but I assume it's a limited trim.

ooooweeeee...that's a hefty number. He left about $200-$250/month in the dealer's pockets. Maybe he packed in some mileage overages to the monthly? What's his tax rate?

jmonroe1 · January 9

Michaell said:
Somebody help @Kirstie_H out with this member

————————————————
I just tried to help.

jmonroe

Sandman6472 · January 9

Yep, I'm very happy with him & the work he does. Doesn't throw parts at a problem and is very honest as to what I need or don't need. I really thought he'd keep it overnight so I rented a vehicle for a couple of days. So, just cost me under $34 for the one day plus a gallon of petrol. Think Lyft/Uber would've been almost that much if not more with tip. Hate not having my vehicle to use and just glad it's running fine.

kyfdx · January 10

Don’t know how well this will show up, but it’s amazing how my wife’s car changes shade, depending on the lighting.

kyfdx · January 10

Ignore the deer.. lol

xwesx · January 10

yeah, wow! I can't even see it in a couple of those photos! It's a chameleon!

au1994 · January 11

Quickly becoming one of my favorite colors!

kyfdx · January 11

au1994 said:
Quickly becoming one of my favorite colors!

It's Chalk. Looks great in the snow, particularly, I think

oldfarmer50 · January 11

kyfdx said:
Don’t know how well this will show up, but it’s amazing how my wife’s car changes shade, depending on the lighting.

That’s interesting. My Mustang does that also, looks burgundy on a cloudy day but cherry red in the sun.

I see you like deer. I have about a dozen in my back yard that I can give you.

kyfdx · January 11

Those were in my friend's driveway. He left for Florida for three months, and I moved the Cayman over to his empty garage, last Saturday. The thicket they are in, is where they moved to, when I pulled down the drive.

This is only 3 miles from downtown Cincinnati.

laurasdada · January 11

For the Macan, how's the get up and go of the turbo 4?
MPG?
Handling?
Back seat/luggage room?

I've read often it handles like a sedan, do you find that to be true?
Curious as to real world owner thoughts.

kyfdx · January 11

laurasdada said:
For the Macan, how's the get up and go of the turbo 4?
MPG?
Handling?
Back seat/luggage room?

I've read often it handles like a sedan, do you find that to be true?
Curious as to real world owner thoughts.

261 HP.. compared to the X3 with 248 HP. It's not neck snapping, but plenty for normal driving.

The handling is really nice. It handles way better than the average sedan. Tracks really straight, and better weight balance than most crossovers. I never feel the higher center of gravity, compared to a sedan. The PDK 7-speed is really nice. I thought it might be rough or jumpy, but it's very smooth.

@stickguy asked if it was like the RDX vs. the TL. In a way, it might be.. But, instead of a TL, your comparison would be a Panamera? Not really a smaller sedan for Porsche.

It's a little smaller, front to rear than an X3. Just as wide, I think. Luggage seems decent, but the rear slopes a lot more than an X3. Back seat is definitely a little smaller. Of course, fold down seats, if no one in the rear. I'd compare it more to an Alfa Stelvio in size, than an X3 (though maybe a little bigger than the Alfa).

MPG? Not great. About 19 mpg around town vs. 21-22 mpg with the X3. No idea what it gets on the road. We haven't been that far in it.

laurasdada · January 11

Thanks, @kyfdx.
Yes, if the Porsche itch is to be scratched (and of course I'll test drive 'em both) it would be Macan vs. Panamera. Or batten down the hatches, full speed ahead, don't fire until you see the whites of their headlights, move from the M240 to a 911!
Whoa Nellie! Reel it in, Laurasdada. Could I really part with Estoril Blue? Is it possible to have a deep, meaningful relationship with a car color? I think I'm in love and I can't get enough...

The Dr. will see me now.

qbrozen · January 11

Speaking of Macans, I found myself staring at this ad for a while the other day.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/link/398786214

roadburner · January 11

I was browsing on YouTube and this Throttle House video popped up; it's responsible for me taking a second look at the C43. I did of course, and the rest is history. Check it out from the 5:14 point on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2rDHzCfNM&t=761s

jmonroe1 · January 11

kyfdx said:
Don’t know how well this will show up, but it’s amazing how my wife’s car changes shade, depending on the lighting.

————————————————
Yeah, I can see what you mean. But the woods seems to be pretty consistent.

jmonroe

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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