Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner · October 2011

One of my wife's high school classmates was a hard core Mopar Guy and during the'70s he piched up a couple of Superbirds and -I think- one Daytona. One of the Superbirds has a Hemi. Of course, back then the 'birds and such were just weird used cars. I remember going to a swap meet where a guy was selling a tatty Superbird with a wrecked front nose for $4000. Too much money- or so I thought at the time...
One more story: in 1979 I had a chance to buy an immaculate BMW Isetta 300 for $1,000. I passed, thinking that a grand was a bit much for an oddball micro car. Of course now they are changing hands in the $30,000-$40,000 range.

houdini1 · October 2011

I had a car that fit that description back in the early 70's as a company car. Four door, sage green Torino. The thing had a real high belt line and low, thinly padded seats I am over 6 feet and I had to look thru the top of the steering wheel to see where I was going. Your butt would bottom out on every bump.

When the fuel gauge got close to empty you were completely out of gas. I ran out of gas 2 or 3 times before I figured it out. The most unusual time was when I ran out of gas and coasted into my driveway.

When another guy got fired I managed to talk myself out of the Torino and into his Olds Cutlass. It was a great car.

stever · October 2011

But I don't know if the servers are big enough to handle you guys.

"This one's your show. Your cars. Your pictures. Your stories. Your life. We just give you the soap box to stand on."

Inside Line's New Blog: Readers Rides

jpp75 · October 2011

My bygone car is my 2002 Pathfinder SE 4X4. It had its issues now and then, but I LOVED it. I've had 5 vehicles since I got rid of it in 2005 and I've never been happy with any of them...they've been nice/OK vehicles but that was the only one I liked and would have kept.

The features, styling, performance, aesthetics, everything was just what I wanted. I often talk with my car buds about how there are lots of great cars out there today, but nothing that really excites me, and nothing I really want.

I'm sure there's a bit of nostalgia with my old Pathfinder, but nothing I've had since (4Runners, 330i, Maxima, Grand Cherokee) compare to it. The others were all good vehicles, but just not my Pathifnder.

rayainsw · October 2011

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef0a892/12207#MSG12207

and the next 2 posts.....

corvette · October 2011

Excellent trip log and photos. It looks like you had a lot of fun!

ateixeira · October 2011

I never should have sold my 1991 mazda 626 at 90K

If it's any consolation, we had a 93 (the next generation model) and it began to fall apart after 7 years or so.

stickguy · October 2011

My mailman bought mine, and kept if for quite a while and ran it up over 180K before a few things went (AC, starting burning some oil I think, maybe the PS). But it looked great, and still ran. He more than got his money's worth out of it.

nyccarguy · October 2011

Congrats on your beautiful 335is & awesome trip!

I'm curious to your thoughts of the 335is vs. your Corvette. What year is the Corvette & how many miles are on it?

rayainsw · October 2011

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the write-up.

The Corvette was a 2007 Coupe, delivered in November of 2006. Now gone. Since I have only driven the BMW with substantial additional baggage, so far, I cannot answer this fully right now. Once I have had an opportunity to drive it alone - after redelivery, I can elaborate . . .

So far: I can say that [ now in my 60s ] I very much appreciate the fact that the BMW [ though a coupe ] is not nearly as low as the Corvette, particularly in seating position. By the time I dumped it, my back did not appreciate climbing in and out of the Vette several times each day.

The TQ is definitely a bit less that the Corvettes [ 400 ] but not by very much. BMW [ documented as under-rating their twin turbocharged motors rather substantially ] claims 370, and my best guess is that it is actually 390 or so. The BMW does weigh more - approx. 3600 vs. 3250 for the Corvette. Thus I am confident that the absolute acceleration rate for the BMW is not quite as quick as the Corvette. [ Over a quarter mile, the difference is approx. 0.5 seconds. ] Yet I find the BMW quite satisfying, when in overboost  to me, it sounds and feels very quick.

The 7-speed DCT in the BMW is worlds better than the 6L80 6-speed automatic in the Vette or the [ same designation ] one in the G8 GT. Though better that the Vetts [ does a fair job at rev matching on downshifts, for example ] the G8 GTs trans. is still much slower to respond, particularly to manually requested down shifts than the DCT.

The BMWs interior [ while not exactly luxurious ], in general seems to be well designed and assembled, using high quality materials & components. Better than the Corvette. The seats in the BMW are more comfortable and more supportive  and more widely adjustable.

I much prefer the BMWs moon roof to the Corvettes clear, removable top.

The cup holders in the BMW are not as useful.

The jury is still out on the rest  for now.

- Ray
The BMWs top speed is electronically limited to 155 MPH  the Vette would [ closed course, professional driver ] top out at over 180.

akangl · October 2011

But not with a car. I've been watching the price of travel trailers the past few weeks and its looking like I can get a pretty nice used one for not a whole lotta $$$. Really miss our TT and now that we have a truck it doesn't seem like a bad idea to add another one to the stable.

Hubby refuses to part with the Civic, so a new car isn't in the works for a long time I don't think. Our son is perfectly happy with his Escort and plans on taking it with him. Our daughter isn't showing a whole lot of interest in driving, so that's probably a year away at least and will be yet another cheap car.

Planning around Christmas I think, middle of winter and people want to pay off Christmas bills, so will be more motivated to let their TT go cheap. At least that's my theory! :shades:

stever · October 2011

And the Permanent Fund Dividend check will be "in the mail" soon. Too bad your kids are old enough to grab theirs for themselves, lol. Maybe if you manipulate the direct deposit. :-)

My brother got a new pop-up a few months back. He didn't want one that had been sitting on the lot for a while, and managed to get a good deal on a newly made one from the factory. Pretty competitive prices on them it sounds like, new or used.

roadburner · October 2011

The BMWs top speed is electronically limited to 155 MPH  the Vette would [ closed course, professional driver ] top out at over 180.

Steve Dinan can fix that; my dealer had a CPO 335i slushbox with the Dinan Stage 3 engine upgrade. It would chirp the tires on the 3-4 shift.
At 110 mph.

akangl · October 2011

Pretty competitive prices on them it sounds like, new or used.

Prices aren't too bad on used ones, problem we are running into is used units just aren't in very good condition and finding the floorplan we want is very hard. We've looked at a few and I found one that I truely liked, but hubby didn't like where the bathroom was in it. It was actually a very clean unit, but the floorplan was the deal killer. Some of the trailers we've looked at have been downright gross, horrible smells, leaky roofs, dirty carpets, and stained mattresses. One we looked at smelled so bad I had to get out before I gagged.

So we took a peek at a few new ones, but I don't want to spend $20k on something that's going to nosedive in value. The limit I set was $10k and I really don't want to go over that.

Of course I keep thinking I could use that $$$ and pay off the Civic but the interest rate is so low and we are at the point we pay nearly nothing in interest that it almost doesn't make sense to pay it off. So, not sure what we will do, hubby really wants to a toy, either a travel trailer or an atv.

tjc78 · October 2011

I bet where you live an ATV would be a fun toy. You could probably get two really nice ones for the price of a nice travel trailer.

breld · October 2011

I don't intend to keep "punching the card" at the rate I did this year, but I didn't want to pass this up.

530i Sport

Had it checked out by my BMW mechanic this morning (who declared it to be in excellent condition) and completed the purchase this afternoon.

kyfdx · October 2011

Oh my... stick and sport package... with style 42 wheels.. Nice!

Is that Topaz blue?

And, only 59K miles? Wow

akangl · October 2011

I bet where you live an ATV would be a fun toy. You could probably get two really nice ones for the price of a nice travel trailer.

Buying a used ATV here is nearly impossible. Prices are so out of line, a quick search on CL finds several 2001-2003s that are all in the $3k-$4k range which is just crazy. New would cost around $18k for 2 plus a trailer or we could buy a Polaris RZR 4 and a trailer for around $17k. I quickly talked myself out of both of those options and went to the TT option. Personally I could live without a toy, but hubby really wants something.

breld · October 2011

Oh my... stick and sport package... with style 42 wheels.. Nice!

Is that Topaz blue?

And, only 59K miles? Wow

I figured someone here could confirm the exact color - the description said "Toledo," but I don't think that's right (I think Toledo is the darker shade often seen on X5's). You may be right with Topaz - there's a code somewhere under the hood or something, isn't there?

In any case, I love the color combo - a bit more interesting than the silver over black I've seen many of.

So it was that color combo and, most importantly, the 59k miles that got me to pull the trigger. There's a ding or two and a couple of minor scratches, but the wife and I agree the exterior condition is better than our '08 328 (which actually only has a couple thousand less miles than this 5).

I'm really pleased.

breld · October 2011

I just noticed the listing for that 530i I just bought has been removed (apparently they're on top of things).

I'll take some pics and post them this evening or tomorrow.

stickguy · October 2011

Please don't. right now, I am sad. If I see pictures, I might start to cry!

What year is this bad boy?

kyfdx · October 2011

The color code is on the driver's side strut tower.... Can't miss it...

Might be Toledo... I'm not as good on my 5-series colors...

Orient is the really dark one.... almost navy.

breld · October 2011

It is an '02.

By the way, in the front dash, under the cover where there is usually a slot for a CD player, there is a different kind of slot where it looks like a small cassette type thing would go into - do I stick my iPod in there or what? :P

Do I have to go find my old "mix tapes" now?

fezo · October 2011

Boy, you SHOULD be pleased!

stickguy · October 2011

I would love it. good year.

I remember when I was looking to order a 2001 5 series. The CD player was optional. I think the cassette there was standard maybe?

breld · October 2011

Alright - here are some pics of the "new" 530i:

530i pics

I did look under the hood - it is indeed Topaz Blue.

fezo · October 2011

Sweet. I'm always amazed at how many nice blues BMW makes - as if they needed that to sell the things.....

nyccarguy · October 2011

WOW! Congrats on a gorgeous, showroom condition E39. I'm amazed at the condition! Enjoy it.

mark156 · October 2011

Well, I'm for the Travel Trailer. Camping with the kids will build long time memories (good and bad, LOL).

What floorplan are you talking about that works? Bunkhouse? Separate master bedroom from the kids room? How many slides?

How much weight will the new Ford pull?

Mark156

akangl · October 2011

Well, I'm for the Travel Trailer. Camping with the kids will build long time memories (good and bad, LOL).

What floorplan are you talking about that works? Bunkhouse? Separate master bedroom from the kids room? How many slides?

How much weight will the new Ford pull?

I'm pretty set on a TT as well, I know how much we loved our old one. Really the only thing that the trailer HAS to have is the bathroom in the back and not near the master bedroom. Don't need bunks anymore, after June we will only have one kid camping with us. Looking for 1 slide, rear bathroom, couch and dinette and of course a separate master bedroom. Fairly light and around 26-28 ft long. Doesn't sound hard to find, but finding a used one that doesn't smell seems to be an issue!

The Ford will pull 7700 lbs, would have been 9700 if I had purchased the Ecoboost V6 but I love the growl of the V8.

stickguy · October 2011

love the color combo and the equipment. I would be very happy to have one just like it.

since the ad expired, what did that end up going for?

breld · October 2011

$13k. I felt it was a fair deal - not some amazing deal, but fair for the miles, condition and combination of equipment.

During the time I had it at the mechanic for inspection, there were apparently a couple calls on it from individuals willing to pay more than list for it. May very well have been sales talk, but I wouldn't doubt it.

In any case, definitely a lot of car for the money.

kyfdx · October 2011

Perfect equipment list and low miles.... what's not to like?

Really, really low miles... I was pretty happy that I just turned over 55K on my 2006 model....

rayainsw · October 2011

Excellent - and best of luck with it!
- Ray
Blue BMW to be loaded on a ship next week.....

tifighter · October 2011

This is becoming less chronic car buyers anonymous, and more chronic BMW buyers anonymous.

Congrats!

houdini1 · October 2011

Very nice car and a good price. From your post I could only see 3 small pics...but I clicked on one and it enlarged, plus gave me 2 really nice interior shots. Interior looks new. You did good.

stickguy · October 2011

Stopped at produce junction for veggies today. This one happens to be right next to a local used car lot (semi-BHPH, but pretty nice stuff overall). Anyway, they had a green 5 series that caught my eye, so I wandered over to look while wifee went food shopping.

1999 528i. Green over black (yuck. green should be over tan). AT of course. real oddity, no moonroof! did have the sport package though. And heavy tint on all the windows Windshleld too I think). That to me is an instant rejection. 95K on it.

also had a nice silver (might have been darker than silver, but hard to tell. it was being washed!) over black. Sport pack too I think, but with a roof, and 105K.

Wanted $8,995 a piece, which seems high to me, but I am a lousy judge.

Sandman6472 · October 2011

What a beauty...but isn't there another BMW in the garage there? And love the VW also. Aren't there a few more rides also? Man, I wish I were in your shoes to be able to drive such nice cars...really like the garaged BMW!! I'd drive one as a dd in a heart beat...but finances don't work in our favor for that. I can always dream though.

Congrats on the nice car and stable...wow! I am,

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472 · October 2011

Wife called me last night and said she had another nail in one of her tires...and the wear bars were showing on all four. Guy said he couldn't patch the tire cause of the wear bars. I knew she'd need tires within a month or two, but was hoping she'd have her new ride by then. Bottom line is that she needs/wants to put new sneakers all around so we sat down and talked. We're getting new shoes next week and will keep the car until something major goes wrong. With the way this Mazda has been behaving, gotta feeling that we'll be buying a 2013 model instead of a 2012. We're still going to do the car search so when the time comes, she'll know the exact car/color etc. of what to buy...our time frame has just been pushed later than we first anticipated. And to be honest, why get rid of a perfectly good car, that she loves, if it's still in great shape? So we'll just save some more $...not a bad thing.

Also, yesterday morning when backing the Mazda out of the garage, she clips the back of the kids Versa. No damage to the kid's car, just ruined the rear door edge protector but some scrapes and scratches on her car. Maybe it's another sign, like needing new tires, that we're still meant to keep this car for awhile longer! Also, we've decided to widen the asphalt driveway a bit...maybe about 2 ft. on the other side, to prevent any further "situations". Think this will be a great solution, hopefully not too expensive. Called the guy who does my home improvements so he can come out next week and firm up a plan. Think it'll look nice also, as someone did the same thing one street over and it looks very good!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

roadburner · October 2011

The 530i Sport and the M5 are my favorite E39s. Congrats!

breld · October 2011

What a beauty...but isn't there another BMW in the garage there? And love the VW also. Aren't there a few more rides also? Man, I wish I were in your shoes to be able to drive such nice cars...really like the garaged BMW!! I'd drive one as a dd in a heart beat...but finances don't work in our favor for that. I can always dream though.

Thanks sandman, and everyone, for the kind responses. I knew you all could appreciate the find.

Yes, the 328xi in the garage is the wife's daily driver, and the recently purchased GTI is more my daily driver, though much of that time will now go to the new 530i. We also have the CX-9 for the times when we have all four of our kids (blended family, modern-day brady bunch).

We certainly feel a bit sheepish about the excessiveness of having all the cars, but we both have passion for them and so choose to indulge a bit (which is why this board is a great place!).

By the way, we technically have the 318ti as a fifth car, which is now posted for sale - the folks at our BMW shop who just checked it out didn't think it'd be a problem selling it, and likely know some people who would be interested. Despite being such a nice example of the model, the 318ti has to go to make room for the 530i. Not too hard of a decision.

Like I said, the pace of purchases from this year will not continue. We don't want to add any more, and everything in the garage is now too dear to us!

breld · October 2011

You're not serious...are you? Better to keep what you have now and save the $. Didn't y'all also buy and older BMW recently also? Stay the course and I'll bet you'll find something so much better within a year or two. Just ask yourself...do I really need to do this? Bet you'll decide not to.

By the way, your words resonated with me when I was considering "repurchasing" my 530xi - about "stay the course and I'll find something so much better within a year or two."

It's just that I found something so much better within a week.

breld · October 2011

Interesting side story - the day we test drove the 530i, we already had plans to look at a 2001 525iT owned by an employee at our BMW shop. He had overheard us making a comment about manual wagons, and asked if we'd be interested in his. It just so happened that I saw the ad for the blue 530i that morning, so we test drove that first and were obviously smitten by it.

But we still looked at and drove the 525iT that afternoon - definitely a cool car. White 2001 525iT with 111k miles - no sport package but manual trannie. Other than the expected wear on the driver's side seat, it was in great condition, as you may expect from an employee of a BMW repair shop. He said upfront that he'd probably be asking more than it's really worth, targeting the enthusiast looking for that rare manual wagon. At $11k, it indeed was a bit high, particularly in comparison to the 530i we had just test driven. Nevertheless, it was a cool car - perhaps at around $8k.

stickguy · October 2011

at around 8K and around NJ, I would certainly be looking at it!

Sandman6472 · October 2011

So sometimes, waiting is the right thing to do...and now you have a fun car that you really want to drive. Also, this will keep the mileage off the VW, which is a good thing. But, I'd hate to have your gas and insurance bills for the stable...and don't most of the rides require premium fuel? But like y'all, cars are my passion and to be able to own cars that make you happy is a wonderful thing. Luckily your wife is on the same page...mine would never let me have multiple cars...she doesn't get it, our love of the automobile. To her, a car is still an appliance to get from point A to point B...nothing more, nothing less. She's still sore about my purchase of the rims I won on Ebay back in '07...thinks it's a waste of money and can't see how much nicer the car looks. I've always joked that I'd love a 7 car garage so I could drive a different every day of the week, my love of the automobile is just that strong!

As I mentioned earlier, our plans have also been pushed back on her new car. Putting brand new sneakers on it will just buy us some more time till we have to buy and we will be able to keep the Mazda till over 100k miles. And if nothing else goes wrong with the car, we could wait till 2013 or 2014. And by then, the Elantra will have had it's mid cycle refresh also. And if it's not obvious by now, I'd like her to buy an Elantra for her next car. Overall, I think it's the best car in the compact class at this moment in time...something that we could live with for another 100k or more miles. Funny how G-d makes things happen in life...your finding your latest BMW is testament to that.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

28firefighter · October 2011

Sandman (and nyc) -

Wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a happy and healthy New Year, from myself and my family. I hope you had a sweet new year and an easy fast (if you were fasting).

28FF

Sandman6472 · October 2011

Same to you and Bradd...it's greatly appreciated. Let's hope it's a sweet year filled with much health and happiness!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nyccarguy · October 2011

Thanks so much! Happpy, healthy New Year to you both!

isellhondas · October 2011

Let's not stop there!

Wishing a happy and HEALTHY New Year to ALL of us!

nyccarguy · October 2011

You're right Craig! Happy and healthy new year to ALL of my friends here on edmunds!

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

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