I guess I'm a bit more of a masochist, though. For that kinda cash, I woulda been thinking "british." ;b Of course, I would then be working on the side of the road, duct tape in hand, as you motor happily past me in your still-working celica.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
How much cash, $3K? If it was a lot more than than, I'd get worried, maybe.
The last 3 cars I sold privately I absolutely insisted on cash. Selling prices were around $12K, $6.2K, & $2K as I recall.
The one thing weird for me, was actually counting the $12K, & $6.2K. Because selling a car is already stressful, it can get weird counting all that cash with the one or 2 buyers sitting there........you don't want to make a mistake.
OTOH, it can sometimes pay to have cash readily available for sudden private purchases. I tried to buy a used high-end keyboard from a guy once on a Sunday, cash only, he wouldn't take a deposit (?), lots of people coming to see it, etc.
This guy wants cash which means I'll be dragging $6.4K with me.
I'm thinking something like meeting in front of the police station. Can't tell I'm paranoid. huh? I expect it will be fine.
Seller swears up and down that all is as represented. I'm working on the how bad can you screw up a Celica theory. Two of my brothers already have the same car a year or so apart so we'll have three when we get together. All convertibles.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I have a guy that whenever he buys a car from me he always counts out about 9,999 dollars in petty cash form his office safe when I take the leasing papers up for him to sign.
Its almost comical now because it happens every time.
Well, I talked to the seller and I'm OK with him. He'd agree to meet someplace public if it came to that but it turns out it's his mother's car that he's selling for her (no doubt the source of the automatic....) in a development that sounds pretty harmless. I'm good with it.
Picking up the car tomorrow. Should be a perfect day for it.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I think that by that year of that generation, just about all they were selling was convertibles. Your new one looks beautiful in the pics - congrats! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Not really, had to go file a police report. Someone hit hubby's truck in the parking lot where he works. This was of course one of the few times that he drove the dually! Had it been the ford, no big deal, might have dropped the value $2, lol.
Whoever did it put about a 12" long crease starting on the fender behind the wheel well and continuing down the passenger side door. Its about 3 inches wide and fairly deep. White paint the whole way. Needless to say we aren't very happy about this! Hopefully we can find out who did it, otherwise the hip national bank is paying for the repair. Probably run about $1000 or so to fix it, grrrrr.
25% federal 16% self-employment tax (fica) 8% state..
$9999 of unclaimed income saves him almost $5000...
Illegal, naturally....
That might work with buying a car occasionally, but most people don't realize that a bank doesn't just look at transactions over $10K.. They watch for any systematic cash deposits or withdrawals that seem like they might be designed to stay under the radar.. So, a number of $9000 withdrawals or deposits in cash might get reported..
I like that it has under 100k and I believe it uses a timing chain, not a timing belt, so you don't have to go in there until the oil pump or water pump dies. Higher mileage Saturns tend to consume a little bit of oil, especially if not maintained. That is not a huge problem in itself, just have to remember to keep up on it. The SL1 has the less powerful single cam motor relative to the SL2. Both are a bit buzzy for how much power they make, but that doesn't affect the longevity or reliability of the car directly. I like that they are easy to work on, inside and out.
Agree with all those points Saturns of that era are nice solid cars. I have seen dozens of Saturns just like that with over 150,000 miles on them and seen a few with over 200,000 as well.
I have actually been waiting for a saturn like that to be traded in with a stick so I can use it to teach my wife to drive a manual.
I am now the proud sunburned owner of a red 199 Celica GT convertible. Sweet.
There's a few little things to address but nothing at all out of the ordinary for a ten year old car with 119K. Things like fixing the power outlet.
Lots of little rural roads on the way back - the kind people who aren't fron Jersey don't think exist in Jersey. Looks more like Kansas.
Once I finally got over to the Parkway there must have been a classic car convention down in AC because there was a bug eyed Sprite, a perfect old Mini (not a new Cooper - the real thing), an MGA and another Ausin Healy. Wow.
Good day for sure.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
That does sound like a great drive Fezo. I am glad it went well and you enjoyed it. I remember driving back up to San Luis Obispo from Santa Barbara after I got my Contour and taking backroads almost the whole way. Its a great season to enjoy some backroads in a convertible, enjoy it.
Looked at the Saturn. It was a bit ratty. Idled rough, shifted funny, "service engine soon" an high beam indicator were both on, doors/mirrors rattled, stuff like that. It was a kids college car, never usually a good sign.
Plus, in the receipts the guy had (father of the kid) was the last tune up (last year), which indicated a #2 and #3 miss, but they didn't seem to know why.
Needless to say, it screamed PASS.
So, looked at the Altima again (helps that it is already parked outside my house!) Now worth less, since it just clicked over to 80,002 miles! Even being closed up all day in the sun it didn't smell too bad. More just stale/air freshener (Xmas tree), AKA "it smelled like a rental car". Owner used to smoke, but doesn't anymore, so probably some residual.
Didn't bother the kid, and I took my daughter who abhors smoke smell (we have moved seats many times for her), and it didn't bother her either (she also thought it smelled like a rental!). Fired right up, idled perfect, AC cold, no funny lights, nice stereo.
Just had new drive belts, tires are good, etc. It has also been maintained by the local indy mechanic I use, so I will have the entire history to transfer. It also recently had a new drivers side control shitch module put in (windows/locks buttons).
She was asking 3k, so I will try to work out something in the mid/upper 2s to move it to my side of the street. At least she won't annoy me anymore parking it dead behind my driveway!
Not exciting, but probably the cleanest car I will find in the price range (especially with the miles, and history). And probably perfect for a teenager, as long as he understands the "no-ABS" concept.
It will need a serious detail, but time for the kid to learn that, and a complete indoctrination on car basics and maintenance checks.
Son doesn't like white, but he liked this way better than the Saturn, and he said he will learn to like it, although he did mention maybe getting some flame decals!
I have started to get addicted to looking at the local Craig's ads. Keep finding stuff for me! Mixed in with the bogus scams, etc.
yesterday there was a IIRC '88 325 convertible in there. Nice gray color, new top/tires/brakes/timing?/waterpump. Indicated to need nothing. 5 speed, 144K, asking $3,200.
Yeah "service engine soon" light is a big red flag. People say oh the light has been on for 3 years but it runs fine yada yada. That is BS, if the light is on, something is wrong. That light says an engine parameter is out of spec according to its program and ignoring can mean bad gas mileage, bad cats, bad gaskets or seals, major drivability problems, etc. The light isn't there because the manufacturer wants it there, its there because the government made them put it there, and if its on, something is wrong. Eh, er, sorry for the rant, and I realize I am likely preaching to the choir. It just bugs me when people don't take care of things and then either dump the car, or complain it costs so much to fix when they put off the repair for 3 years. This happens a lot on CL.
Check Engine Lights have gotten overly sensitive over the years though. We had a Range Rover in that kept throwing a check engine light for its passenger side O2 sensor and while I don't remember what the exact discrepancy was it was something like .0000001 off of spec. I am exaggerating a little bit but we are talking 5th or 6th level of significance here. It wasn't causing the car to drive badly, it wasn't making the gas mileage drop off and it wasn't causing a rise in emissions either.
That light would turn off then turn on then self correct then turn on again then turn itself back off and so on and so forth.
They ended up having to replace all of the exhaust on that side because something wasn't shaped just right and it created enough disturbance in the flow to throw off the O2 sensor.
Check Engine Lights have gotten overly sensitive over the years though. We had a Range Rover in that kept throwing a check engine light for its passenger side O2 sensor and while I don't remember what the exact discrepancy was it was something like .0000001 off of spec. I am exaggerating a little bit but we are talking 5th or 6th level of significance here. It wasn't causing the car to drive badly, it wasn't making the gas mileage drop off and it wasn't causing a rise in emissions either.
That light would turn off then turn on then self correct then turn on again then turn itself back off and so on and so forth.
They ended up having to replace all of the exhaust on that side because something wasn't shaped just right and it created enough disturbance in the flow to throw off the O2 sensor.
I would argue that your example still supports my case exactly - the computer algorithm was broken. I think the E36 BMWs had similar issues also. If things are high tech enough that they are dependent on software to operate, then software can definitely be part of the problem. For how much warranty work that probably spawned, I can't believe LR didn't fix it in days with a reflash in days.
most people don't realize that a bank doesn't just look at transactions over $10K.. They watch for any systematic cash deposits or withdrawals that seem like they might be designed to stay under the radar
That's how they caught the ex-Gov. of NY, I think?
All the stories of carrying large sums of cash around remind me of the original "Psycho", & look how Janet Leigh ended up in that (altho she did steal the cash). And even a very weird scene where she drives into a used car lot, pulls out a large sum of cash, & buys the first car she sees--even the salesman is suspicious.......
yesterday there was a IIRC '88 325 convertible in there. Nice gray color, new top/tires/brakes/timing?/waterpump. Indicated to need nothing. 5 speed, 144K, asking $3,200.
hmmmm... sounds interesting.
we've had ours almost a year now. our bimmer has been smacked around a bit during its life, but zero rust and zero leaks. Service history was an unknown (although just a couple of weeks ago, I came across an $1800 receipt for various work, including converting the AC to R134, from 1 year before we purchased it). ours is an automatic with only 112k when we bought it. New top and new tires. Paid $3350. I had to replace the catalytic and o2 sensor to pass inspection, and I did a full tune-up, timing belt, waterpump, and thermostat. I think it was about $600-$650. So figure right around $4k total. red on black '87 ... now, i'm not sure what was or wasn't options back then, but it does have what is considered on today's cars to be sport seats. (??)
anyhooo.... 5-speeds are tougher to come by, but if they are worth more or less is not something i'm familiar with. All depends on the buyer, I guess. If everything is done and proven, and it can pass inspection right now, and there is no rust, and the interior is decent, I'd say the asking price isn't out of line in our neck of the woods. Of course, with the miles, I would feel "better" at $2800. But I think that's more of a subjective thing. If I saw and drove the car and it felt like it had far less miles, then of course I'd be willing to turn a blind eye to the odometer.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Oh they tried several software fixes but none of them worked. They even sent an engineer out to look at the truck once but nothing he could do worked either.
The only thing that worked was replacing the entire exhaust system on that side. This was a special case though as this particular Range Rover was eventually lemon lawed for another engine problem. Land Rover took it away and I assume most likely crushed it.
Check Engine Lights have gotten overly sensitive over the years though.
The Accent threw a CEL at me for about a year, complaining about a lean a/f ratio even though the engine ran just fine. I finally got tired of looking at it, so on a lark I took the maf sensor out of its housing and hosed it down with electrical contact cleaner. The light hasn't come back on yet.
Land Rover took it away and I assume most likely crushed it.
Back when Terry used to post here, he said that Kia and Hyundai were notorious for auctioning off their lemon-lawed cars--I think they were marked on the windshield "MBB/NW" - manufacturer's buyback / no warranty. Not sure how frequently that happens today.
What did they used to call British auto electrical systems--something like, "Lord Lucas, King of the Darkside"?
My '98 Range Rover was in the shop about 6 times in the year that I owned it, mainly for electrical problems (at 2.5 years old). Beautiful, distinctive vehicles, tho.....
I have tons of great Lucas and/or Land Rover jokes but most of them can be found here.
Modern Land Rovers, 2005 and up is Modern for Land Rovers, typically don't have electrical problems since Denso and/or Bosch does all the electrics now and the entire entertainment system on new Land Rovers are fiber optics.
Well, the Altima seems to have been sold out from under me. SNooze you lose I guess. Girl that owned it must have sold it via phone and her father didn't know (I discussed with him Saturday while she was out of town).
So, next question, anyone know what struts cost for a Volvo S70?
I disagree with fezo (kind of). I didn't find a big difference in the cost of parts for my volvo compared with my hondas, mazdas, mitsubishi, etc. Struts, however, are more expensive for an S70 than an Altima ... but that's not a fair comparison. The more direct comparison would be to a Maxima.
That's a lot'o research, but pretty much jives with my impression of Volvo repair prices. And of course, unless you do your own wrenching, the labor is usually as much or more (or way more) than the parts.
When I had my early '90's saab 9000, I paid about $1000 for a factory saab exhaust system, installed by the dealer. Then A friend of mine called me, complaining about how he paid $1000 for an exhaust system for his Accord, at a local repair shop, (with an after-market exhaust).
Even bmw parts (knock wood!!), I haven't found to be too expensive, for the most part. Of course I haven't owned a 7 or 8 series, or any bmw newer than year 2000.....or any V8 version.....
You know, I guess I can't argue there. No doubt my Volvo experiences are colored by the fact that my first Volvo was the first car I bought myself and had responsibility for everything on. Add that I wasn't making much money at the time and it no doubt made repairs seem outrageous.
The second Volvo was a lemon. My own fault - didn't check it out enough. One of those where you are looking for a car in a tight budget and get tired of looking and all of a sudden something you would have rejected looks better.... Live and learn.
Still can't believe I'm up to owning two Toyotas. Until last year the last Toyota I dealt with on a regular basis was back in the 70s when my mom had a 72 Corolla. You want to talk about a small car!
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Volvo V50 wagon, current version: incredibly cheap looking interior. Way cheaper looking than an 850, or V70, plasticky, even the carpet looked bad. A current Civic interior is much nicer IMO.
BMW 2005 X5 4.4. Wow. Rode around in it (as a passenger) for an afternoon. What a beautiful vehicle. Dark grey with black interior. Seemed much "richer" inside than my E39 5-series somehow. If you can judge handling & ride as a passenger, very nice, not sure if it had the Sport Package. But I'd get a 6 cyl.
Saw an original late '60's Firebird 400 driving by someone's house near Portland ME. No FS sign. Should've stopped anyway.
Between myself & my ex, we owned 2 Toyotas. A '79 1200CC stripper Corolla, & a 1986 stripper P/U. Probably paid about $500 for the both for maintenence & repairs, over several years. You'd almost have to blow up a Toyota with dynamite to cause repair problems, I think.......
Tell that to my daughter who blew the engine in the Camry.....
It was kind of a freak thing but still could have been avoided with a better eye on things. Anyway, that one has been fine since. It should hold her long after I won't be paying for any of it.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Tell that to my daughter who blew the engine in the Camry..... It was kind of a freak thing but still could have been avoided with a better eye on things.
"What happened?" "The car made a loud noise." "What happened then?" "I turned the radio up." "What happened then?" "The car made a louder noise." "And then?" "The car quit running."
Not quite word for word but you certainly have the idea....
"well the check engine light came on but I figured that the sensor didn't work." Or something like that. She was in the left lane on the Parkway when it happened. Very fortunate she didn't kill herself. Also fortunate I didn't kill her.
Oh, well. It was a while ago. She's VERY good about her oil now and the engine has a three year warranty. She loves the car for reasons I will never understand.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I blew up the (273 V8, I think?) engine in a '67 Plymouth Barracuda, not once but twice, when I was a freshman in college, & on crazy "road trips".
Me, the 2nd time (!) driving at 100 mph in Canada: "Hey, Eddie, you smell anything funny?" Seconds later, loud catastrophic engine noises.
My Dad bailed me out, so to speak, both times, & didn't shoot me, who knows why, except the 'cuda had a long warranty? (Oh, and I left out the incident with the transmission on my first car, an early '60's Mercury.....).
Yeah, I suppose there is a bit of payback in there....
I was pretty OK on things though I can confirm that a 6 cyl 1967 Pontiac Tempest wagon was capable of going 100 mph. It did blow an engine once but that was going 40..... It was a miracle we cleared 100K on that thing (and the next guy put a lot more on). It had the annoying habit of continuing to chug after you had shut it off. The only sure way to stop it was to cover the air intake with your hand until you deprived it of oxygen.
That was actually the car I learned to drive on so despite its faults I still have a soft spot for it.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Found another live one. What do you all think of this baby, and what should be a fair price to offer?
1998 Contour SE. White, auto tranny, 4 cyl. 89,000 miles.
Looked very clean outside. Has the alloy wheels. DOes have tint on the rear windows which I hate, but I assume it can be removed.
Spoke to owner, who said it had been in the family, and just had new tires/brakes/AC refresh/tensioner and belts (might be something else too). Basically lots of the wear and maintenance done.
Claimed Never smoked in and no accidents/paintwork (that part I believe).
Overall, looks nice and clean.
Assuming drives right, what is fair private #? asking price is $2,900, TMV is ~$2,500
I believe you're right--they use the same auto transmission as the Mazda 626 4-cyl. The 626 V6 uses a different, more dependable transmission. Not sure about the Contour V6.
Mine was a V6/stick but I do believe the 4cyl/auto combo shared the auto with the 4 cylinder Mazda 626, MX6, and Probe and it didn't fare too well in any of those applications. Maintenance goes a long way, regular fluid changes help the transmission deal with heat and extend its life. The 4 cyl used a timing belt while the V6 had a chain, so there is some maintenance required for the 4 cylinder (although the V6 had plastic impeller water-pumps that failed regularly too). The other failure mode I seem to hear about with the 4 cylinder is the head gasket. Regular coolant changes and keeping the engine in tune seem to go a long way to prevent that.
Comments
Nice car. :shades:
I guess I'm a bit more of a masochist, though. For that kinda cash, I woulda been thinking "british." ;b
Of course, I would then be working on the side of the road, duct tape in hand, as you motor happily past me in your still-working celica.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The last 3 cars I sold privately I absolutely insisted on cash. Selling prices were around $12K, $6.2K, & $2K as I recall.
The one thing weird for me, was actually counting the $12K, & $6.2K. Because selling a car is already stressful, it can get weird counting all that cash with the one or 2 buyers sitting there........you don't want to make a mistake.
OTOH, it can sometimes pay to have cash readily available for sudden private purchases. I tried to buy a used high-end keyboard from a guy once on a Sunday, cash only, he wouldn't take a deposit (?), lots of people coming to see it, etc.
I'm thinking something like meeting in front of the police station. Can't tell I'm paranoid. huh? I expect it will be fine.
Seller swears up and down that all is as represented. I'm working on the how bad can you screw up a Celica theory. Two of my brothers already have the same car a year or so apart so we'll have three when we get together. All convertibles.
Its almost comical now because it happens every time.
Well, I talked to the seller and I'm OK with him. He'd agree to meet someplace public if it came to that but it turns out it's his mother's car that he's selling for her (no doubt the source of the automatic....) in a development that sounds pretty harmless. I'm good with it.
Picking up the car tomorrow. Should be a perfect day for it.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Whoever did it put about a 12" long crease starting on the fender behind the wheel well and continuing down the passenger side door. Its about 3 inches wide and fairly deep. White paint the whole way. Needless to say we aren't very happy about this! Hopefully we can find out who did it, otherwise the hip national bank is paying for the repair. Probably run about $1000 or so to fix it, grrrrr.
25% federal
16% self-employment tax (fica)
8% state..
$9999 of unclaimed income saves him almost $5000...
Illegal, naturally....
That might work with buying a car occasionally, but most people don't realize that a bank doesn't just look at transactions over $10K.. They watch for any systematic cash deposits or withdrawals that seem like they might be designed to stay under the radar.. So, a number of $9000 withdrawals or deposits in cash might get reported..
Now.. where did all my receipts go?... :confuse:
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Now that I think about it I think the last one he did he didn't put any extra money down.
EDIT:
Nope the last car he leased he just put the minimum 2,000 dollars or so of start up fees down..
1997 Saturn SL1
95,000 miles
Automatic 1.9L 4-Cylinder
4 Door
28 MPG Avg
$2600 obo
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The SL1 has the less powerful single cam motor relative to the SL2. Both are a bit buzzy for how much power they make, but that doesn't affect the longevity or reliability of the car directly.
I like that they are easy to work on, inside and out.
I have actually been waiting for a saturn like that to be traded in with a stick so I can use it to teach my wife to drive a manual.
There's a few little things to address but nothing at all out of the ordinary for a ten year old car with 119K. Things like fixing the power outlet.
Lots of little rural roads on the way back - the kind people who aren't fron Jersey don't think exist in Jersey. Looks more like Kansas.
Once I finally got over to the Parkway there must have been a classic car convention down in AC because there was a bug eyed Sprite, a perfect old Mini (not a new Cooper - the real thing), an MGA and another Ausin Healy. Wow.
Good day for sure.
Its a great season to enjoy some backroads in a convertible, enjoy it.
Looked at the Saturn. It was a bit ratty. Idled rough, shifted funny, "service engine soon" an high beam indicator were both on, doors/mirrors rattled, stuff like that. It was a kids college car, never usually a good sign.
Plus, in the receipts the guy had (father of the kid) was the last tune up (last year), which indicated a #2 and #3 miss, but they didn't seem to know why.
Needless to say, it screamed PASS.
So, looked at the Altima again (helps that it is already parked outside my house!) Now worth less, since it just clicked over to 80,002 miles! Even being closed up all day in the sun it didn't smell too bad. More just stale/air freshener (Xmas tree), AKA "it smelled like a rental car". Owner used to smoke, but doesn't anymore, so probably some residual.
Didn't bother the kid, and I took my daughter who abhors smoke smell (we have moved seats many times for her), and it didn't bother her either (she also thought it smelled like a rental!). Fired right up, idled perfect, AC cold, no funny lights, nice stereo.
Just had new drive belts, tires are good, etc. It has also been maintained by the local indy mechanic I use, so I will have the entire history to transfer. It also recently had a new drivers side control shitch module put in (windows/locks buttons).
She was asking 3k, so I will try to work out something in the mid/upper 2s to move it to my side of the street. At least she won't annoy me anymore parking it dead behind my driveway!
Not exciting, but probably the cleanest car I will find in the price range (especially with the miles, and history). And probably perfect for a teenager, as long as he understands the "no-ABS" concept.
It will need a serious detail, but time for the kid to learn that, and a complete indoctrination on car basics and maintenance checks.
Son doesn't like white, but he liked this way better than the Saturn, and he said he will learn to like it, although he did mention maybe getting some flame decals!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
yesterday there was a IIRC '88 325 convertible in there. Nice gray color, new top/tires/brakes/timing?/waterpump. Indicated to need nothing. 5 speed, 144K, asking $3,200.
Q, how does that compare to your red one?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Eh, er, sorry for the rant, and I realize I am likely preaching to the choir. It just bugs me when people don't take care of things and then either dump the car, or complain it costs so much to fix when they put off the repair for 3 years. This happens a lot on CL.
That light would turn off then turn on then self correct then turn on again then turn itself back off and so on and so forth.
They ended up having to replace all of the exhaust on that side because something wasn't shaped just right and it created enough disturbance in the flow to throw off the O2 sensor.
That light would turn off then turn on then self correct then turn on again then turn itself back off and so on and so forth.
They ended up having to replace all of the exhaust on that side because something wasn't shaped just right and it created enough disturbance in the flow to throw off the O2 sensor.
I would argue that your example still supports my case exactly - the computer algorithm was broken. I think the E36 BMWs had similar issues also. If things are high tech enough that they are dependent on software to operate, then software can definitely be part of the problem. For how much warranty work that probably spawned, I can't believe LR didn't fix it in days with a reflash in days.
That's how they caught the ex-Gov. of NY, I think?
All the stories of carrying large sums of cash around remind me of the original "Psycho", & look how Janet Leigh ended up in that (altho she did steal the cash). And even a very weird scene where she drives into a used car lot, pulls out a large sum of cash, & buys the first car she sees--even the salesman is suspicious.......
hmmmm... sounds interesting.
we've had ours almost a year now. our bimmer has been smacked around a bit during its life, but zero rust and zero leaks. Service history was an unknown (although just a couple of weeks ago, I came across an $1800 receipt for various work, including converting the AC to R134, from 1 year before we purchased it). ours is an automatic with only 112k when we bought it. New top and new tires. Paid $3350. I had to replace the catalytic and o2 sensor to pass inspection, and I did a full tune-up, timing belt, waterpump, and thermostat. I think it was about $600-$650. So figure right around $4k total. red on black '87 ... now, i'm not sure what was or wasn't options back then, but it does have what is considered on today's cars to be sport seats. (??)
anyhooo.... 5-speeds are tougher to come by, but if they are worth more or less is not something i'm familiar with. All depends on the buyer, I guess. If everything is done and proven, and it can pass inspection right now, and there is no rust, and the interior is decent, I'd say the asking price isn't out of line in our neck of the woods. Of course, with the miles, I would feel "better" at $2800. But I think that's more of a subjective thing. If I saw and drove the car and it felt like it had far less miles, then of course I'd be willing to turn a blind eye to the odometer.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The only thing that worked was replacing the entire exhaust system on that side. This was a special case though as this particular Range Rover was eventually lemon lawed for another engine problem. Land Rover took it away and I assume most likely crushed it.
The Accent threw a CEL at me for about a year, complaining about a lean a/f ratio even though the engine ran just fine. I finally got tired of looking at it, so on a lark I took the maf sensor out of its housing and hosed it down with electrical contact cleaner. The light hasn't come back on yet.
Back when Terry used to post here, he said that Kia and Hyundai were notorious for auctioning off their lemon-lawed cars--I think they were marked on the windshield "MBB/NW" - manufacturer's buyback / no warranty. Not sure how frequently that happens today.
My '98 Range Rover was in the shop about 6 times in the year that I owned it, mainly for electrical problems (at 2.5 years old). Beautiful, distinctive vehicles, tho.....
I have tons of great Lucas and/or Land Rover jokes but most of them can be found here.
Modern Land Rovers, 2005 and up is Modern for Land Rovers, typically don't have electrical problems since Denso and/or Bosch does all the electrics now and the entire entertainment system on new Land Rovers are fiber optics.
So, next question, anyone know what struts cost for a Volvo S70?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
More than an Altima....
Sorry. Don't know. My experience has been that anything on a Volvo costs more than you think. I've had two of them.
Dang... when the struts cost more than a whole car, that's steep!
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I paid 100 bucks for the bike and sold the seat alone for 125 bucks.
On the other hand I'm pretty pleased with having more cars than drivers now. Well, since the new one's top comes down.
lesseee... '98 S70 strut
$127-$224
'98 Maxima
$92-$173
volvo brake rotors
$30-$88
nissan brake rotors
$24-$66
BUT ... cheapest disc for a '98 Accord:
$56
no struts for a '98 Accord.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
When I had my early '90's saab 9000, I paid about $1000 for a factory saab exhaust system, installed by the dealer. Then A friend of mine called me, complaining about how he paid $1000 for an exhaust system for his Accord, at a local repair shop, (with an after-market exhaust).
Even bmw parts (knock wood!!), I haven't found to be too expensive, for the most part. Of course I haven't owned a 7 or 8 series, or any bmw newer than year 2000.....or any V8 version.....
The second Volvo was a lemon. My own fault - didn't check it out enough. One of those where you are looking for a car in a tight budget and get tired of looking and all of a sudden something you would have rejected looks better.... Live and learn.
Still can't believe I'm up to owning two Toyotas. Until last year the last Toyota I dealt with on a regular basis was back in the 70s when my mom had a 72 Corolla. You want to talk about a small car!
Volvo V50 wagon, current version: incredibly cheap looking interior. Way cheaper looking than an 850, or V70, plasticky, even the carpet looked bad. A current Civic interior is much nicer IMO.
BMW 2005 X5 4.4. Wow. Rode around in it (as a passenger) for an afternoon. What a beautiful vehicle. Dark grey with black interior. Seemed much "richer" inside than my E39 5-series somehow. If you can judge handling & ride as a passenger, very nice, not sure if it had the Sport Package. But I'd get a 6 cyl.
Saw an original late '60's Firebird 400 driving by someone's house near Portland ME. No FS sign. Should've stopped anyway.
It was kind of a freak thing but still could have been avoided with a better eye on things. Anyway, that one has been fine since. It should hold her long after I won't be paying for any of it.
It was kind of a freak thing but still could have been avoided with a better eye on things.
"What happened?"
"The car made a loud noise."
"What happened then?"
"I turned the radio up."
"What happened then?"
"The car made a louder noise."
"And then?"
"The car quit running."
"well the check engine light came on but I figured that the sensor didn't work." Or something like that. She was in the left lane on the Parkway when it happened. Very fortunate she didn't kill herself. Also fortunate I didn't kill her.
Oh, well. It was a while ago. She's VERY good about her oil now and the engine has a three year warranty. She loves the car for reasons I will never understand.
Me, the 2nd time (!) driving at 100 mph in Canada: "Hey, Eddie, you smell anything funny?" Seconds later, loud catastrophic engine noises.
My Dad bailed me out, so to speak, both times, & didn't shoot me, who knows why, except the 'cuda had a long warranty? (Oh, and I left out the incident with the transmission on my first car, an early '60's Mercury.....).
Those wacky teenagers....
I was pretty OK on things though I can confirm that a 6 cyl 1967 Pontiac Tempest wagon was capable of going 100 mph. It did blow an engine once but that was going 40..... It was a miracle we cleared 100K on that thing (and the next guy put a lot more on). It had the annoying habit of continuing to chug after you had shut it off. The only sure way to stop it was to cover the air intake with your hand until you deprived it of oxygen.
That was actually the car I learned to drive on so despite its faults I still have a soft spot for it.
1998 Contour SE. White, auto tranny, 4 cyl. 89,000 miles.
Looked very clean outside. Has the alloy wheels. DOes have tint on the rear windows which I hate, but I assume it can be removed.
Spoke to owner, who said it had been in the family, and just had new tires/brakes/AC refresh/tensioner and belts (might be something else too). Basically lots of the wear and maintenance done.
Claimed Never smoked in and no accidents/paintwork (that part I believe).
Overall, looks nice and clean.
Assuming drives right, what is fair private #? asking price is $2,900, TMV is ~$2,500
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Wait for engineeringboy he is the contour expert.
The 4 cyl used a timing belt while the V6 had a chain, so there is some maintenance required for the 4 cylinder (although the V6 had plastic impeller water-pumps that failed regularly too). The other failure mode I seem to hear about with the 4 cylinder is the head gasket. Regular coolant changes and keeping the engine in tune seem to go a long way to prevent that.