Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

jmonroe1 · December 2021

corvette said:
The final tally on the fuel bill for my 2,300+ mile road trip in the Tundra was a quite parsimonious $486.01. MPGs per tank ranged from 12.6 to 15.4.

I made the appointment for the complimentary 20k service, now that it has 23k miles on it.

I still have not received any promotional material from US Bank about extending the lease six months. I'm wondering whether, given the current climate, they aren't promoting that option as much as they used to.

They stopped extending leases for gas hogs.

jmonroe

stickguy · December 2021

unless it is in your contract, they don't have to do it so might want to grab it for themselves to cash in.

stickguy · December 2021

nyccarguy said:
4 year mileage tally for the Pilot is 82,800

that's about 12 RDX years.

corvette · December 2021

stickguy said:
unless it is in your contract, they don't have to do it so might want to grab it for themselves to cash in.

I read the contract, but it's been a few months ago. My recollection is that it's a little vague, but does make a reference to the effect that "in no event will we extend a lease beyond six months after the expiration date," so that's definitely a hard cut-off point. I'll probably try to give them a call again after Christmas (and maybe after New Year's).

And, if an extension isn't an option, I will have to take a hard look at just buying out the lease in February instead of kicking the can down the road until August. Last I checked, I could not buy a comparable vehicle for anywhere near as low as the buyout price.

Maybe that's a waste of capital and I need to be buying and immediately reselling 4xes and Mavericks instead!

roadburner · December 2021

stickguy said:
I have always been a Mazda fan. I still miss my 626. Loved that car. Wonderful seats.

Mazda lost me as a customer when they quit building bonkers cars like the Mazdaspeed 3.

qbrozen · December 2021

Hard to believe someone paid to have this done.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Maserati-Quattroporte-/224728484069?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

corvette · December 2021

That wrap looks like a 1980s-1990s GM fleet paint color. The car would be worth more if they removed the wrap.

Sandman6472 · December 2021

Was asked to work tomorrow but after working two days in a row, I'm totally exhausted, so declined. Am hoping that they ask again for Saturday or Sunday as I'd definitely say yes. I've worked many Christmas days in my career as it's just a regular day for us so why not. Just knew that working four days in a row wasn't the brightest idea and I'd definitely pay the price if I did do it.
It's a real shame getting older when one's body is having issues. I'm doing my best to keep working but I know I have to listen to my body or I'll be in deep trouble.
I know now it was definitely the right move quitting the Toyota shuttle gig, it was just too much in & out for me. It was always busy until the last 1/2 hour or so & some of the customers I had to deal with were pretty off the wall to be honest. Surprised that I lasted those 5 months there honestly as I knew within a few weeks that I made a serious mistake taking on this gig. I'd be working tomorrow & next Thursday if I was still there which also didn't thrill me. I had offered to switch to working just Sundays from 7 to 4 but they said "no" real quick to that idea. just thought less hours and just one day a week would be the best way to do things and probably would've still been there. And the extra $ just wasn't worth it honestly. Did give up the $100 gift card to Outback Steak House I would've gotten tomorrow also, but what the heck! I made the right decision leaving when I did, after being in bed for over a week with vertigo. I know they were pretty shocked when I handed their shirts back & thanked them for the opportunity...didn't even give them time to make a counter offer about staying. Just stood up, shook their hands & walked out. Guess a couple of the other drivers I worked with were a bit pissed off as none of them reached out to me to say anything...no good-byes or nothing. I got over it real quick though!
Bottom line, best to listen to our bodies and do what they say. I'd like to be around for another 30 or so more years, G-d willing, so I listen now...I really listen!

corvette · December 2021

Hoovie's latest video was the only one of his I couldn't make it through. Interesting concept, but too cringe-worthy. I think he had already gone all-in once it was obvious it was awkward to go around asking people about their car payments, and didn't have time to shoot something else (supposedly, December is a big month for revenued YouTubers, so, no do-overs).

ab348 · December 2021

roadburner said:

stickguy said:
I have always been a Mazda fan. I still miss my 626. Loved that car. Wonderful seats.
Mazda lost me as a customer when they quit building bonkers cars like the Mazdaspeed 3.

The bonkers car-buyer market is a very shallow pool to fish in for a manufacturer.

tjc78 · December 2021

@nyccarguy said:
Our 2017 Pilot is officially 4 years old today.

@qbrozen said:
Hard to believe someone paid to have this done.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Maserati-Quattroporte-/224728484069?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

That’s a little too loud! Lol

graphicguy · December 2021

qbrozen said:
Hard to believe someone paid to have this done.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2014-Maserati-Quattroporte-/224728484069?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

Driver’s license should be permanently revoked.

I’ve had a hankering to own a Mazzy, though. I wonder how badly I’d get hurt if I dropped $27K on that one, drove it a few months, and flipped it?

imidazol97 · December 2021

It would be easy to find in a parking lot at Costco or a mall.

How much would a change of color cost and how much would it
improve the selling price. That green reminds me of Earl Scheib
colors from long ago: "For $29.95 I'll paint any car."

qbrozen · December 2021

@graphicguy said:
Driver’s license should be permanently revoked.

I’ve had a hankering to own a Mazzy, though. I wonder how badly I’d get hurt if I dropped $27K on that one, drove it a few months, and flipped it?

They continue to depreciate drastically until you get down to the $10k range.

corvette · December 2021

I’d imagine a $10k one is pretty much used up, though.

qbrozen · December 2021

Yup. But I suggest finding a clean one in the mid to high teens and get the last good 2 years out of it and sell for 10-12.

That’s been my plan, anyway. Had my eye on this one but did not like the unknown accident history.
https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9WL0lMk5/2008-maserati-quattroporte-executive-gt

kyfdx · December 2021

Friend bought an early '00s XK8 convertible. Under $10K (but, I don't know how much). It's just for tooling around town on nice days. Only had it six months, so not sure how he's doing with it.

qbrozen · December 2021

speaking of Jags ... well, OK, way more than Jags. But I have my eye on several toys. Not sure WHY ... but why not? Like them all for different reasons. I would say the XJ makes the least sense since it is just another RWD v8 sedan like my Charger.

Salvage title, but at least it is priced accordingly. Seller has not responded to my request for pre-repair pics. From what I found on the interwebs, it was involved in a rollover like 7 years ago.

Stay classy.

Sadly, it is FWD and automatic, but at least it is a T5.

Shared this before. I put in a $7k bid yesterday and then got outbid this morn, but RNM. I asked a few days ago about the heat and AC and he said he'd check and get back to me. That hasn't happened. I don't feel comfortable going higher without those answers.

Oddball SC I6.

Big fun in a teeny tiny package.

kyfdx · December 2021

I haven't looked for a car on eBay in about 15 years.

And, I actually bought a car on eBay in 2003.

stickguy · December 2021

I forget Ebay motors exists too. And I almost bought a Volvo from Florida in about 2007 maybe. Thankfully got outbid at the last minute after being high bidder for 2 days. I was poking around figuring out how it worked and put in a lowball just for the experience. And almost won. Probably would have been fine, though getting a car up from Florida was not in the plans!

stickguy · December 2021

imidazol97 said:
It would be easy to find in a parking lot at Costco or a mall.

How much would a change of color cost and how much would it
improve the selling price. That green reminds me of Earl Scheib
colors from long ago: "For $29.95 I'll paint any car."

color change on that one would be free. Just peel up a corner of the wrap, and start pulling. Pretty soon you have a black Maserati again.

stickguy · December 2021

qbrozen said:
speaking of Jags ... well, OK, way more than Jags. But I have my eye on several toys. Not sure WHY ... but why not? Like them all for different reasons. I would say the XJ makes the least sense since it is just another RWD v8 sedan like my Charger.

Salvage title, but at least it is priced accordingly. Seller has not responded to my request for pre-repair pics. From what I found on the interwebs, it was involved in a rollover like 7 years ago.

Stay classy.

Sadly, it is FWD and automatic, but at least it is a T5.

Shared this before. I put in a $7k bid yesterday and then got outbid this morn, but RNM. I asked a few days ago about the heat and AC and he said he'd check and get back to me. That hasn't happened. I don't feel comfortable going higher without those answers.

Oddball SC I6.

Big fun in a teeny tiny package.

I like that WRX. Of course would want it inspected. Definitely priced as a salvage. Nice that it is legal in NJ already but I could not figure out what he meant about NY. Considering I am probably moving there soon, would be an issue if it couldn't be registered!

The Fiat I saw before and thought it was need. Other than the miles being very steep, though so far, price is reflecting that. Hard to get hurt if it sells in the 7s.

Old big jags do nothing for me. The S40 though looks nice.

qbrozen · December 2021

Ebay cars are definitely on the thin side. Lots of crazy overpriced garbage.

qbrozen · December 2021

yikes. $10.2k on that Abarth? There is one local to me that is a year newer with 4k fewer miles asking $8995.

nyccarguy · December 2021

Doug DeMuro seemed to really like how the new ‘22 WRX drives. He was not so enthused about the styling. I’m sure Black would mask all of that cladding. Subaru said the manual transmission take rate is 85%. That’s impressive.

roadburner · December 2021

ab348 said:

roadburner said:

stickguy said:
I have always been a Mazda fan. I still miss my 626. Loved that car. Wonderful seats.
Mazda lost me as a customer when they quit building bonkers cars like the Mazdaspeed 3.
The bonkers car-buyer market is a very shallow pool to fish in for a manufacturer.

It works for Honda(Type R), Hyudai(Veloster N), and Subaru(WRX). Ford had some fun hot hatches(Fiesta ST, Focus ST/RS) until their move to trucks.
And I'd call Scat Packs and Hellcats a bit unhinged.

stickguy · December 2021

I made money today. Ford announces price increases on mavericks ordered after this week. So old price units will look even better!

nyccarguy · December 2021

@stickguy said:
I made money today. Ford announces price increases on mavericks ordered after this week. So old price units will look even better!

If it’s anything like the 4Xe wrangler, this won’t be the only price hike.

corvette · December 2021

stickguy said:
I made money today. Ford announces price increases on mavericks ordered after this week. So old price units will look even better!

Boo! Should I order one tomorrow so I can resell it when it arrives? I already have regret of missing out on the VW TDI buyback debacle--I only bought one, but could have comfortably bought a handful more, and scored a nice profit.

28firefighter · December 2021

Apparently the fuel and oil refresh thing on the Jeep is happening to anyone in colder weather climates. Consensus seems to be a bad threshold for oil temperature in the software. Sigh.

stickguy · December 2021

Dump it. Only solution. 😁

roadburner · December 2021

So my son drove up for Christmas and I drove his 2018 330i xDrive around yesterday doing some last minute shopping. It's a really nice car but just a touch soft for me- although I did hammer it around a few on ramps and a few tight corners. As four cylinder turbos go, the B46 motor is a jewel, the car feels faster than it is(a 14.0 second quarter car at best). Even though it's an LCI (facelift) car the steering is still very numb. The brakes are decent and a touch easier to modulate than the M Sport brakes on my 2er. It just confirmed that I don't want a 3er sedan- F80 or G20- it's an M2 Comp or nothing.

corvette · December 2021

28firefighter said:
Apparently the fuel and oil refresh thing on the Jeep is happening to anyone in colder weather climates. Consensus seems to be a bad threshold for oil temperature in the software. Sigh.

Sounds like a classic "we have A, B, C, X, Y, and Z hardware constraints, all of which are extremely restrictive, but don't worry about it, they can just work around those issues with the software!"

tjc78 · December 2021

it's an M2 Comp or nothing

We could have told you that!!

mjfloyd1 · December 2021

@roadburner
Slick top M2 comp with three pedals but alpine white

https://www.foreignautoconnect.com/used-cars/2019-bmw-m2-competition-WBS2U7C51KVB09131

Just noticed “damage reported” on carfax

kyfdx · December 2021

corvette said:

stickguy said:
I made money today. Ford announces price increases on mavericks ordered after this week. So old price units will look even better!

Boo! Should I order one tomorrow so I can resell it when it arrives? I already have regret of missing out on the VW TDI buyback debacle--I only bought one, but could have comfortably bought a handful more, and scored a nice profit.

Same... took me a week to feel confident about the one I got. Waited another week or so, and everything was sold by the time I initiated contact. I tried really hard. Could have done a couple more, easily.

qbrozen · December 2021

@kyfdx said:
Same... took me a week to feel confident about the one I got. Waited another week or so, and everything was sold by the time I initiated contact. I tried really hard. Could have done a couple more, easily.

I would have but wife was so paranoid about just the one.

mjfloyd1 · December 2021

@qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:
Same... took me a week to feel confident about the one I got. Waited another week or so, and everything was sold by the time I initiated contact. I tried really hard. Could have done a couple more, easily.

I would have but wife was so paranoid about just the one.

My wife was the same. I wanted to buy several but she thought I would be stuck with the one that I bought

carnaught · December 2021

(Dumb question) Are you flippers subject to tax on your profits?

qbrozen · December 2021

@carnaught said:
(Dumb question) Are you flippers subject to tax on your profits?

That is a hotly debated topic.

My take.
1. Profits are in relation to losses. I have lost A LOT of money on cars.
2. Profits are offset by expenses. I have A LOT of expenses to temporarily house vehicles and find new homes for them.

kyfdx · December 2021

carnaught said:
(Dumb question) Are you flippers subject to tax on your profits?

Technically, yes.

nyccarguy · December 2021

@kyfdx said:
Same... took me a week to feel confident about the one I got. Waited another week or so, and everything was sold by the time I initiated contact. I tried really hard. Could have done a couple more, easily.

I almost bought a 2015 Passat TDi instead of the Legacy. That would have been great. I loved the way the Passat drove and the diesel would have been great for my daily slog, but I wanted AWD. I’ve also always been hesitant about VW reliability (even under warranty). If I would have bought that Passat new, I would have cashed in on dieselgate. Instead, I bought a Subaru that I drove for a whole 2 1/2 years very slowly.

ab348 · December 2021

What's the difference between a flipper and a curbstoner?

I know up here the DMV is constantly chasing down the latter for failure to have a dealer license.

kyfdx · December 2021

ab348 said:
What's the difference between a flipper and a curbstoner?

I know up here the DMV is constantly chasing down the latter for failure to have a dealer license.

A curbstoner usually never takes title to the car. Paperwork will show the previous owner as the seller. That's illegal.

A flipper? If you are paying sales tax on every transaction, then no one is likely to track you.

qbrozen · December 2021

@ab348 said:
What's the difference between a flipper and a curbstoner?

I know up here the DMV is constantly chasing down the latter for failure to have a dealer license.

IMHO, flippers aren’t selling to end customers.

roadburner · December 2021

mjfloyd1 said:
@roadburner

Slick top M2 comp with three pedals but alpine white

https://www.foreignautoconnect.com/used-cars/2019-bmw-m2-competition-WBS2U7C51KVB09131

Just noticed “damage reported” on carfax

Thanks. I found another but it was a lemon buyback...

roadburner · December 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO9jJu9zUcQ&t=71s

oldfarmer50 · December 2021

mjfloyd1 said:
@roadburner

Slick top M2 comp with three pedals but alpine white

https://www.foreignautoconnect.com/used-cars/2019-bmw-m2-competition-WBS2U7C51KVB09131

Just noticed “damage reported” on carfax

How close is that to new MSRP? Yesterday we bought 4 “new” 2021 Ram trucks for $54k each. They had 500-700 miles already on them. At another dealer I saw a comparable with a sticker of $53k. I didn’t compare every option to option but that’s pretty scary for the retail customer.

oldfarmer50 · December 2021

carnaught said:
(Dumb question) Are you flippers subject to tax on your profits?

They gave up jmonroe so that the IRS would leave them alone.

ab348 · December 2021

Interesting to see the latest Harry's Garage video:

https://youtu.be/CjDPeUUOBek

Harry is a confirmed Porscheophile and you'd think he'd be fawning all over the new 992 GT3. He just bought a restored 1989 930 Turbo S in fact. But he really didn't like the new 992 at all, at least in the spec as delivered to him.

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