Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

andre1969 · June 2006

I kinda like the Pacer. I think the wagon version, which is longer, has a more well-proportioned look than the hatchback.

And it would have to be one of the earlier models, with the simpler, lower grille, and not one of those later ones that had the pretentious, wanna-be stand-up grille. Oh, and hopefully a V-8.

I guess with all those criteria, I'd probably never find my "dream Pacer"!

lemmer · June 2006

"Wayne's World" brought back the Pacer in a big way. It isn't so ridiculed anymore.

michaellno · June 2006

Funny, my dad always liked the looks of the Pacer. We ridiculed him for it.

One episode of "Pimp My Ride" customized a Pacer for a young lady .. I think they put shag carpet up as the headliner material.

On a completely unrelated note, I stopped at the Pontiac dealer to take a close look at the G6 hardtop convertible .. they had two in stock (one red, one black, both GT trim levels). They are pretty nice, but when the top is down there is absolutely no trunk space to be had.

Also, and this is something that may seem pretty nit-picky to some, is that the G6 doesn't come with the AUX jack in the stereo. My wife has an iPod with about 900 songs loaded onto it, and it would be nice to be able to plug it and have hours of music. Granted, the G6 (like most GM vehicles) has an XM option but since we've already spent the money on the iPod - as well as invested the time to load our CD collection onto it - I'm thinking that the AUX jack is a 'must have' feature of whatever our next vehicle is.

jlawrence01 · June 2006

I never thought that there was anything wrong with the AMC Pacer that a peppier engine would not fix. Compared to some of the other AMC monstrosities, the Pacer did not look that bad.

As for young people at car shows, a lot of them are showing a lot of interest in the older subcompacts. Last year, a guy drew a crowd around his souped up Renault LeCar.

woodyww · June 2006

This is off the top of my head........& there may be a couple of mistakes as to exact years/models. I've also left out outrageously expensive models, such as the Shelby Cobra, the orig. Shelby Mustang, & early 1950's corvettes.....

--early 50's Ford P/U. I think the '54 was the last year of that style? Aficionados know the difference between the '52, '53, '54, etc.; I'd have to research it.

--late '60's GM muscle car (I guess everyone wants one of those). A SS 396 Camaro, or Chevelle. Or GTO (hopefully "Tri-power" w/Hurst shifter), or Firebird.

--'63-'67 Corvette, hopefully a "split rear window". I'd probably go for a small block given a choice.

--late '60's Pontiac Gran Prix. Like the one Ray Liotta drove in "Goodfellas" (I think). The one they put Billy Bats in after they whacked him. Those 1960's Full Size GM cars sure had nice big trunks.....

andre1969 · June 2006

redesigned their pickups in 1957, making them look very modern for the time, with a flat hood and fairly squared-off lines. The only thing IMO that really made it scream 50's was the wraparound windshield.

As for the '56 and earlier style, I'm not sure what year that first came out. I think Ford did heavy facelifts to it that made it look like a different truck at one point, and they also gave it a wraparound windshield in its final year or two.

mark156 · June 2006

I have always leaned towards quirky cars. Like I said before, I think a pristine Pacer would be nice and I did find a 1960 Nash Metropolitan a fews years ago when I was in San Francisco on business that I should have bought, but didn't. It was in excellent condition, black and white exterior with a black and white vinyl interior.. for $9,900; it was perfect.

My brother is renovating a 1953 chevy truck. I know the '52 and '53 have very little differences. My brother was looking for several years and couldn't find a good '52 and settled for a '53. The truck is almost done having a ground up restoration.

Even when I was a kid, I had a fascination with luxury cars. When most teenagers wanted a '73 Mustang or Camaro, I would have loved to have an Eldorado or T-bird or Tornado (could never afford one of course but I lusted).

I'll never forget going on a field trip when my friends Mom had a late-sixty's Chrysler Imperial... I thought power windows were the coolest thing since sliced bread at 11 years old. All of my cars since 1981 have had them.

Anyway, I've had my antique for seven years and I'm always looking for an addition as my car club members yawn when I drive up.

Mark

british_rover · June 2006

You need a Classic range rover. Specificly a two door model with a manual tranny that was only sold in europe.

You need to buy one so that you can tell me how you got it imported so I can buy one. :P

bumpy · June 2006

If it's more than 25 years old, you can just buy it and have it shipped over. Less than that, and you have to convert it to US crash and emission standards. Actually, isn't there some place in New Mexico that converts Euro-spec Land Rovers to US standards?

british_rover · June 2006

Yeah I know the rules it is the finding that is hard. Unless you know someone in europe that can go find you one they are hard to find.

The only person I know in europe is not someone I would trust to go shopping for a 25 plus year old vehicle.

The two door Range Rovers were made from 1970 up untill 1993 or 1992 I think. They were only sold in the UK till about 1984 though.

woodyww · June 2006

I was thinking along those lines. For someone that can afford it, & likes Land Rovers, get an older one like a "Series"--I, II, or III I think (?) from the 60's. I saw one in my town a couple of years ago & almost passed out.

An older Range Rover........like the one Tim Robbins drove in "The Player"? 2 generations previous to the current one? Very cool. If I had serious cabbage to blow, (& a good LR mechanic close by), I'd have a vintage LR of some sort in my Fleet.

An AMC Pacer......I'm just shaking my head here......maybe the dorkiest car since the Gremlin. It was one of the dorkiest cars at the time, for Pete's sake. There are so many interesting cars from that era to consider.....

*You need a Classic range rover*

mark156 · June 2006

Woody, I think you are missing the whole point with the AMC Pacer... the point is.... it IS the dorkiest car that's why I would like one. I think the Nash Metropolitan falls in that category too as does the Gremlin like you mentioned. I also like the luxo barges of the 1970s (Fleetwoods, Town Cars, Imperials).

Older station wagons are becoming very collectible. A guy in my club has a Studebaker wagon that I don't ever remember seeing as a kid. I think it's a late fifty's model and he has the original matching luggage that came with the car and the pieces fit perfectly in the back. The rear glass and tailgate are very slanted; the fins stick out giving it a very interesting look. Another fella has a 1973 Pontiac wagon, wood panelling, vinyl roof and the clam-shell tailgate... very cool to see that work as the glass moves up in into the roof and the tailgate slips downward.

My antique is a 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III, creamy white with parchment leather, left-hand drive. I really want to find something different to catch everyone's eye at my future car meetings.

mark156

british_rover · June 2006

If you want to see pictures of a nearly perfectly restored Series II check out my carspace page.

http://www.carspace.com/british_rover

Short history of Series vehicles

If you really wanted something unique get a lightweight.

The Range Rover has only had three different body styles in its entire life but the most unique and rare is by far the Two door model.

andre1969 · June 2006

I wouldn't mind getting the wagon version of my LeMans

Even when I was younger and went through that phase where I hated wagons, I always liked GM's '73-77 intermediate wagons. There was just something about the roofline and window area that seemed so open and airy, almost futuristic. Especially when you compare it to its Ford and Mopar equivalents.

michaellno · June 2006

Andre, you and I agree to disagree. I, for some odd reason, have always liked station wagons. Some that have stuck in my mind over the years:

VW Squareback - as my folks owned one for a number of years when I was a kid, I have a fondness for them. Not enough to own one now, but on the rare occasions when I see one, I get a bit nostalgic. Our '67 took us from CA to NY and back in the summer of 1971. Turns out my wifes' folks owned one as well.

80's Dodge Colt wagon - not the 'high roof' wanna-be SUV, but the regular 4-door wagon. Very angular, but for some reason it appealed to me.

Saturn L-series wagon - yep, the wagon version of my car. If it was available with a sunroof I might have seriously considered it when I bought mine 3 years ago.

Any MB or Audi uber-wagon (E55, RS4, etc.) - nothing like 300-400HP, handing of a regular car (not SUV) and a fair amount of utility to boot. If my lottery numbers ever hit, I would certainly look into getting one as a daily driver.

Dodge Magnum - yeah, it's got a Hemi. 'Nuff said. Hauls more than butt.

When I was a kid, a neighbor down the street had a Plymouth Satellite wagon - white with the faux wood applique and a blue vinyl interior. No clue what size engine, but it was large enough for their 3 kids plus my sister and I when we carpooled -- of course, this was in the days before mandatory seat belt usage and we'd all want to sit in the "wayback".

michaellno · June 2006

Stopped by a local Honda dealer yesterday to take a look at the Accord Coupe. Of course, not a V6 6-speed to be found, but they did have a mix of the I-4's (stick and auto) and a few V6's (one LX and a few EX-L's, all with the 5-speed automatic).

Not a 6-speed V6 sedan to be found, either. Exactly how many of these does Honda build each year?

british_rover · June 2006

5

jefferyg · June 2006

Speaking of luxo-barges, my shop teacher in high school drove an early 70's Cadillac Eldorado. I would dare say it was the biggest 2-door car I've ever laid eyes on. The two doors alone probably outweighed some of the econo-boxes we see running around these days. It had a 500 V8 and white vinyl top. All of us guys thought it was a cool car.

My dream car in that genre would have to be a caddy like the one Boss Hogg drove on the Dukes of Hazzard.

And as for wagons, my aunt and uncle had a Buick wagon with the rear window and gate just like the Pontiac you described. I laughed out loud the first time I saw a commercial for the new GMC Envoy with basically the same feature. I don't know what Uncle Wayne's Buick had under the hood, but he always refered to it as the "Land-Yacht Gas Hog".

And my parents have had a few wagons, mostly fords. There was a 70 LTD wagon in blue, a Grand Torino Wagon in Mint Green, a 74 LTD Country Squire (brown with fake wood that my dad rubbed down with Old English furniture polish to get the haze off it

), Not one but two Mercury Lynx Station wagons (both light brown with fake wood), and the one GM standout was an 80 model Catalina Wagon. And that barely scratches the surface of all the cars my dad has ever bought. Heck, he could have started this whole Chronic Car Buyers thing forty years ago! :P

mark156 · June 2006

A couple of years ago I found a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood convertible on ebay. I have never seen the word "Fleetwood" on an Eldorado before but it was on the dashboard above the glove box. This Cadillac had white exterior paint with a red pin stripe, a white convertible top, white leather, burgundy dash and carpets; an absolutely gorgeous car with only.... ONE HUNDRED ORIGINAL MILES (100). I bid almost $30,000 for it but the guy wanted $50,000. Heck, you can find them with under 25,000 miles for about $15,000 or so.

When I was little, we had a 1962 Dodge Dart wagon (blue) and then traded it for a 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser wagon (Meadow green with wood paneling, green plastic interior, 9 passenger). It was our first car with air conditioning.

My Dad is the complete opposite of a chronic car buyer, he will keep'm until the wheels fall off, then put the back on, drive until they fall off again! :sick:

mark156

woodyww · June 2006

I'd agree, & also add a bmw 5-series wagon, from whichever generation. Most of them have 6 cyl., but a V8 & the Sport Package transforms them into something "truly sick". A bmw 3-series wagon w/stick shift & sport package is a blast to drive......same thing with an Audi A4 wagon w/stick shift & sport package (I can't even imagine the S4).....

*Any MB or Audi uber-wagon (E55, RS4, etc.)*

woodyww · June 2006

You have a '64 Rolls, & other car nuts yawn. If you want a Pacer, get one, I guess some would find it interesting(?).

What about an e-Type Jag? Or a '63-'67 Vette? I guarantee you nobody on the Planet would yawn at those. Maybe that's what I don't understand: if you have lots of $$ to blow on cars, get at least one or 2 cars that both "Red Blooded American Males", & women, would fall down on the ground & grovel in front of.....

My bmw E-24 M6 (there's another suggestion for you) made me drool over it every day for the 10 years I owned it.......& I was probably crazy to sell it.

just my own opinionated 2 cents

*Anyway, I've had my antique for seven years and I'm always looking for an addition as my car club members yawn when I drive up.*

woodyww · June 2006

Great review of the '07 Shelby GT500 Mustang in the July '06 R&T. I never thought I'd want a $47K Ford......& of course a Corvette isn't that much more $$. But the GT500 looks awesome; makes me ticked off I can't afford one!

*As for the Mustang. I wouldn't settle for anything but a V8 in the Mustang. IMO, Ford should call only the GT a Mustang. As far as I'm concerned the V6 model is a gelding!*

fintail · June 2006

By the time I am tired of my C43 or just get the itch again, I think an E55 wagon might depreciate to the point where I could justify one. I would love to have one. They seem to be quite rare, and they are so stealth.

corvette · June 2006

My friend was able to purchase the Beetle for right at $5000--what I told her it was worth, if it was as nice as she described it. Details she left out:
Lots of paint chips on the front bumper--and they show up as black spots on the yellow paint
Missing a center cap on one wheel
Airbag light is on
Leather on the driver's seat is ripped
Needs to be buffed to rub out some small scratches, especially around the door handles
Door/seatbelt chime does not work
Needs new tires
Broken dipstick tube
Only one keyfob/remote and it's extremely worn. Has the immobilizer, so new keys must be programmed at one of Volkswagen's dealers, all of whom in this area are committed to the highest levels of customer disservice.
No owner's manual or service records
No idea when or if the timing belt and tensioner were changed...

Having seen it, it's more like a $4000 car, but there's no way a new-car dealer, especially in this area, would go that low, no matter what the condition, and she seems to be happy with it. The brakes look good and all the accessories seem to work, other than the fact that it probably has no airbags. The body has no dents or dings--just severe rock chips on the bumper and hood. Dad's Beetle is better taken care of than this Y2K Bug!

One odd thing--the worn-out tires are Michelin Hydroedges (they're evenly worn, so it looks like there are no alignment issues). I think this tire was introduced in 2004, and has a very high wear rating, so I suspect most of the 133,000 miles were put on the car in the last couple of years.

anonymousposts · June 2006

to entice me to buy a 133,000 mile VW. I'll take my chances on a similarly used Hon-yota.

mark156 · June 2006

Woody, when you drive up in the same antique every month, it looses it's excitement. I'm not a Corvette fan at all, I would rather have a vintage Mercedes SL. Quirky cars are real attention getters in my club. One guy drove up in a 1965 City bus.... it was the "buzz" for the evening.

Some guys in the club have over 20 antiques in their collection. I don't have quite the patience to have that many considering the maintenance schedules needed to keep them running. I have an excellent mechanic to keep the Rolls running at $100 an hour; a recent full tune-up cost me $1,200. He charges $75 and hour for domestics.

I've always beat to a different drummer and probably always will. :surprise:

Mark156

andre1969 · June 2006

Woody, when you drive up in the same antique every month, it looses it's excitement.

I hate to say it, but that's one reason why I haven't been attending this local cruise-in that goes on every Monday. I went to it once last year, and went about a month ago. It was mostly the same cars, and it's just not that big of an event. Plus, I didn't run into anybody I know there, and most of these people seemed to already know each other, have their little cliques, etc. I have a friend who lives about a mile away who has a '59 Dodge Coronet D-500 and a '66 Galaxie 7-Liter hardtop. Maybe I'll see if he'd be interested in going sometime. One of the guys who works at the local transmission shop told me about the cruise in, but I didn't see him up there. Once upon a time he had a '62 NYer station wagon, but I forget what he has now. I know he has one of those late 70's Aeroback Cutlass coupes that he's working on hot-rodding.

woodyww · June 2006

It must be tough driving to the club meeting every month in that old Rolls......I wish I had that problem! Seriously tho, a vintage Mercedes SL sounds promising. There's someone here who I think knows a lot about them (Fintail??).....

I drove a 560SL before I bought my bmw M6. The SL wasn't "doing it for me" as much, but they certainly are great looking cars.

cheers, woody

woodyww · June 2006

This is my every-6-month post where I talk about selling my 2000 bmw 528i wagon & buying something else. The 5-series is great, mine has super-low miles, but it's been having occasional electrical problems, & the warranty is up.

I was getting really interested in the new RAV4. A Loaded one would be about $28,500 after discount. I saw a couple of new RAV4's today. They look good, nice lines, but just kind of "dinky"--they still scream "cute-ute" to me.

I was interested in the current-gen 4Runner for a long time, but kind of dismissed it with gas prices at $3 gal. I saw one today & talked to the owner briefly--he said he really likes it, & gets 19mpg around town with the 6 cyl. (That sounds extremely optimistic to me). But I've read on some of these boards that used 4Runner prices have tanked. I haven't shopped prices yet, but I figure the savings on a 2-3 y.o. 4Runner vs. a new Loaded RAV4 would pay for years of gas.

Any thoughts, anyone?

perna · June 2006

If you want a small SUV and the "cute ute" thing bothers you, you really gotta go with a small pickup, or MAYBE a Sport-Trac. No mfg has really gotten around it yet - you just don't see many dudes driving around in a Rav/Sportage/CRV/Escape type vehicle.

au1994 · June 2006

Woody--I have a 2004 4Runner SR5 V-6 4WD and I get 16 in town. Maybe his was not 4WD, but I tend to think that is a very optimistic figure. I barely get 20-21 on the highway. Prices have tanked. Trade in values at least. Mine has lost 2-3k in trade in value since February.

I still like my 4Runner and its to the point where is not that I can't afford the gas, I don't WANT to afford the gas. I've been kinda sorta shopping the small ute market and seem to keep going back to the Subaru Forester. Its priced right and gets 22 in town if you stay away from the turbo version. As much fun as that would be.

RAV4 is still too cutesy for me, even after the redesign, and as you have seen, they are proud of them.

CR-V is not all bad, but the interior leaves me flat, but a redesign is coming.

New Mazda CX-7 is great looking inside and out, but is available with only a turbo requiring premium fuel. Plus in the C&D review they only got 14 mpg. I'm sure they were beating on it pretty hard though.

I'll probably just end up hanging on to the 4Runner, but looking sure is fun.

au1994 · June 2006

my problem with the compact pick up is its no longer compact! The Frontier and Tacoma (the only 2 I'd seriously consider) are big and expensive. A compact p/u to me is what my 95 Tacoma was. The Ranger and Mazda B Series clone are still compact trucks, but I'd like to drive something that has been updated since the 1st Bush administration.

michaellno · June 2006

Well, gosh.

My wife's Saturn VUE (V6 w/ 250HP and AWD) consistently gets 21-24MPG in a mix of city and highway use. Since the EPA numbers are 19 city and 25 highway, I guess we can't complain too much about it.

I was back at the garden store on Saturday and convinced the wife to take a closer look at the Crossfire that is at the Chrysler dealer across the street.

While I was (barely) able to fit into it with the top up (the top of my balding head was touching the roof), we never found out what it was like with the top down. Had 3 salespersons helping out, but we were never able to get the top to go down.

Got the customary "you broke it, you bought it" comments, but, in the end, the wife decided that it was just too small. So, we took a closer look at the PT Cruiser and Sebring convertibles.

As I've stated before, I'm not a huge fan of the PT Cruiser 'vert, partly because it suffers from too much of a 'cute' image, partly because of the hoop between the front and rear seats.

They did, however, have a Sebring Limited convertible on the lot. Is is a leftover '05 model year. White with a black top and grey leather/suede interior. I think it had the 2.7L V6 and a 4 speed automatic. No Monroney sticker to be found, but the dealer sticker showed a price of just over $32K.

We decided to take it for a quick test drive, and the wife liked it more than I did. Very comfortable ride, enough power to get out of its own way. Not sure that I liked the white with black roof; a darker body color would be more my preference.

Salesman said that there were 'substantial' discounts and rebates available, but didn't get into any serious discussions as we had more errands to run.

After we left, I told my wife that I'd like to drive the Mustang convertible as well. Perhaps I can get her to do that later in the week.

fintail · June 2006

I think vintage SLs are, with the exception of the 300SL, undervalued. W113 (230/250/280) are lovely cars and 20-25K will net you a fine example. You'll pay a little more for a 190SL, but they are cool too. The 560SLs can be pretty too, and they are actually still depreciating. A couple years ago I passed up a mint 88 model, diamond blue to match my 126, 70K pristine one owner miles, for 14 or 15K.

steine13 · June 2006

Paging fintail.... price check in aisle 13, please...

So this guy I know at work tells me his wife's got this Mercedes, see.... it's an '85 380SE with 130k on the clock, from CA a couple years ago, and it's got no rust.

The local Benz God ("we are not worthy") pronounced that it needed $850 worth of suspension/driveline stuff -- bearings and such -- but other than that, it runs good. Hot and warm running air, pass rear window has a bad habit of popping out of its track, other than that, clean.

Haven't seen it yet; I strongly suspect they'll ask the moon... and I don't need, but "need" is overrated.

Any words of wisdom? Advice? Idle chatter?

TIA,
-Mathias
(Four days until the World Cup)

fintail · June 2006

That's the last year that particular model was offered...not a remarkably fast car for a V8. In pristine condition - I mean a car you could take to a MB enthusiast show and not feel any shame, it'd be worth maybe 5K. Any flaws in paint/wood/leather drive it down. With the assumed AC issue (these cars have very complex HVAC setups - it might just need a recharge if it has been converted, otherwise it's a couple grand to fix), needed suspension issues, and no other issues, it'd be worth maybe $2500...3K if it is REALLY excellent otherwise. I anyway wouldn't want to pay more, and I would want to know that it has been maintained by verifying records.

They are beautifully designed and made cars that are probably one of the best highway cars ever made, and they can take a lot of abuse before they finally die. But once they have been neglected, they are not cost effective to restore.

Problem areas are as with any old car - rust, suspension and transmission wear, interior decomposition, and make sure the vacuum locks all work.

akangl · June 2006

Until we pick up the new truck. However, today I was having my usual second thoughts while driving the Titan. I have never owned a vehicle that I like as much as I like the Titan. I was out on the logging road, its super sandy and rough driving, and I realized just how much I know and trust how that truck drives. I can trust it in any situation and know it will catch itself if I screw up. I know that a diesel 1-ton is the right truck for us and our business, but that doesn't make me not want to keep my Titan. *Sigh* If only the Titan could turn into a 1-ton.

My little brother came down and put the new headlight in the Sebring, then he decided it needs a pass side one too, so was going to order that for me. Airbags will be in any day, will get the brakes done soon the it will be good to go. I kind of miss driving it, but the brakes are a SCARY thing right now, it don't stop so good, lol.

woodyww · June 2006

Yeah, my mileage would go down. I get about 18+ around town, & up to 23 highway in my 5 series. Maybe, based on what you're saying, I could get a great deal on a 2-3 y.o. 4 Runner. (Of course, if or when gas goes to $4, I may regret it, & the value will tank more).

On the plus side would be: AWD in New England--I might get rid of the snow-tire-changing hassle twice a year, depending on how the stock tires do in the snow. And more cargo space--I seem to always be schlepping stuff. And, I put on low miles per year, so the fuel cost wouldn't be too terrible. Oh yeah, & getting a newer vehicle, maybe even with a warranty.....

The Forester is supposed to be good, & I think Subaru has hefty incentives or rebates now (?). I think the RAV4 is much sleeker looking, but like you say, "too cutesy" maybe.

woodyww · June 2006

Oh man........it sounds like you must be biting your tongue in this situation. The car sounds awful (duh). Hopefully you tried to talk her out of it.......she'll probably be calling you when the car breaks & the VW dealer dis-service dept. is doing their thing.....

woodyww · June 2006

My other pick would be a Tacoma P/U. But I don't think the current-gen has depreciated like the 4Runner (?). And I think an SUV is a lot more useful for most people. I would not want a cap on a P/U, but maybe one of those flat locking bed covers would work.

Does anyone know if MDX prices have "tanked" like the 4Runner? Or are they immune?

*If you want a small SUV and the "cute ute" thing bothers you, you really gotta go with a small pickup.....you just don't see many dudes driving around in a Rav/Sportage/CRV/Escape type vehicle*

oregonboy · June 2006

Toyota pickups, especially the 4x4s have extraordinary resale value. And as someone pointed out earlier, the new ones are no longer truly "compact". For those reasons, I may keep my 96 forever.

It's a relatively rare V-6, 5-spd, 2wd that has averaged over 24 mpg since I bought it 3.5 year ago. Relatively fun to drive, economical to own, I can't think of anything on the market that I would prefer to own. That is until Toyota/Nissan/Honda/Subaru comes out with a turbo-diesel AWD, non-4 door pickup that gets 35+ mpg.

So what am I doing on the chronic buyer's board?? Heck if I know!

James

corvette · June 2006

Yeah, I played up the part about the brakes being good, and the fact that the little scratches under the door handles will buff right out.

geo9 · June 2006

WOODY........If its max MPGs your looking for its better
to cross the subaru awd off your list ! My bud had a new
outback that was lucky to see 20 mpg. EVER in the
whole time he owned it !

He dumped it for a 4 cyl. camry.................

mark156 · June 2006

Woody, please don't think that I'm all fancy driving a Rolls. Anyone can drive an antique Rolls if you can afford a new Honda Accord. I was lucky to find mine at auction for a very reasonable price.

Over the 8 years that I owned it, the most expensive thing was buying large white-wall Coker radials from somewhere in Indiana ($2,000). I feel that all of the money that I've put in the "old girl", I could get out pretty easy.

Driving the same antique to my car club can get a little long in the tooth no matter what you drive.

Happy Motoring to all!

mark156

nippononly · June 2006

I would check out the VW dealer the other day, just to see if the rabbit was in yet (it isn't). They had exactly one new Golf, a leftover 2005 GLS with a sticker of $20K, and when I asked if they could discount it to make a sale, they said "maybe a little". To tell the truth, the whole place seemed kind of demoralized - they had only one salesman on a SATURDAY, and they had almost no new cars at all (and several of those were 2005s).

I drove the Golf just for the heck of it, and came away thinking it was overpriced at $20K, and probably at $17K as well. It seemed like a good deal at $15K. With the new Rabbit coming, and the amount of depreciation that 2005 Golf has suffered just sitting on their lot, NOT TO MENTION the poor sales and rep VWs have been suffering in general lately, I was amazed they wouldn't come down more than $2K from sticker.

It hasn't put me off though - I hear the Rabbits will be at dealers in a couple of weeks with a $17K starting price for 5-doors, and maybe by then I will actually be able to find a Fit to do a back-to-back test drive with as well! :-)

woodyww · June 2006

My ex, back in the 80's, worked for a very wealthy individual who was director of an art museum, & had a collection of old Rolls Royces. Unfortunately, I never got over to his house to see them. I once took a trip to Chicago in a beautiful recent Rolls, also in the '80's, with a relative. Nice road car (duh)! Unfortunately, they didn't leave the Rolls to me when they passed away.....altho I think I'd have to live in So. Cal., Vegas, or South FL to feel like the car "fit in". In most of New England, it would be tough to carry off owning a Rolls I think. Maybe in Greenwich, CT......or Newport RI (both beautiful areas) a Rolls would feel at home.....

perna · June 2006

The Ranger and Mazda B Series clone are still compact trucks, but I'd like to drive something that has been updated since the 1st Bush administration.

My coworker has a Ranger that I ride in quite a bit, and to be honest I'd rather own one of those than the Chevy/GMC small truck. They have quite a bit of spunk, and do what you need. Ford has polished the interior of the Ranger quite a bit, the new ones are two toned and nearly sharp. Also, and I'd put this guarantee down in blood, you can not buy a new compact pickup as reliable as a Ranger. They will literally run forever.

Are Frontiers really that expensive? The new ones look pretty neat, though I've never driven one.

tifighter · June 2006

Hmm, my 06 Forester has a lifetime average of 26 mpg and climbing, and that's with a big cargo box on the roof. He knows the handbrake goes down, yeah? :P

geo9 · June 2006

Average lifetime ????? My teacher cousin is quite thrifty
and calculates mpg on EVERY fill up !!!!!!!!!!

Coming from a camry to a outback? he was shocked at the low
mpg figures he got. Good thing the subie has a strong
resale.

This guy usually keeps his cars till the wheels fall off !

michaellno · June 2006

The wife was in a good mood, so I was able to coax her onto a couple of car lots last night.

First up was a Ford dealer to take a look at the Mustang. Wife didn't really like it that much - too low, too "swoopy", too much of a youngster's car (her words, not mine). Also, the sight lines were not that great, front or rear.

So, off to the Pontiac dealer to look at the G6 coupe. Immediately, the wife liked the looks of it, inside and out. We looked at and drove a G6 GTP in blue with the taupe leather, sunroof, 3.9L and 4-speed auto. Nice acceleration, decent ride even with the 18" wheels, plenty of room up front. Decent room in the rear seat, trunk was bigger than I thought, though the opening is somewhat narrow. One feature that amazed my wife was the remote start -- she thought it would be great to have in the summer to cool the car off before getting into it.

The dealer also had a G6 hardtop convertible, so they wheeled it around front for us (was still going through PDI) ... wife was totally blown away by it. Top up, it looks much like the coupe; top down, it's open air motoring at its finest. Totally screws up the storage capacity, however; there's not enough room for even an overnight bag back there.

One nice thing is that I just got a raise at work, so if we can pay off the Saturn for our daughter to take to college, I can trade in the Focus on something with a slightly higher payment and still reduce the net monthly cash flow.

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