Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

iluvmysephia1 · May 2022

Sandman - who do you work for? No, I'm not James Bond, but I am curious who you drive for. That sounds like a great retirement job for old farts like us, man. Part time only, please. If it's gonna be one of those jobs where they strongly suggest that you work an extra day here and an extra day there, forget it.

I'd say something like 2 or 3 ten-hour days or 3 eight hour days would be good. We've got an Enterprise Car Rental hub here in Alamogordo but that's about it. Las Cruces is 70 miles west and El Paso is 90 miles south.

roadburner · May 2022

@tjc78 said:
I love how everyone’s relationship is different. My wife isn’t stopping at the dealer for anything. If something is wrong I’m dealing with it.

She did have a breakthrough last week. She had to go to Manhattan to speak for a conference and only had a half a tank. She wanted a full tank so had to get gas on her own for the first time in literally five+ years. Now keep in mind Jersey still has full service (for now anyway). She also made sure to tell me she knew to put premium in!

My wife has no qualms about stopping by my dealer, but then she knows my SA as well as the service manager and the new car manager- dating back to when I worked there

roadburner · May 2022

@graphicguy said:
Over the years, I've found it interesting to follow those of us who have been here for a while, and our automotive leanings.

There are some who love BMWs, others love Mercedes.

I stray from Honda products from time-to-time (OK....all the time), but generally like them. I like the way they're built. I like the way the operate. I like the way they look.

That said, I do have a wandering eye when it comes to vehicles. Generally, I like Hondas/Acuras most, though.

Having owned BMWs for going on 4 decades a BMW(or Mini) is virtually always my default choice. That said, I did keep my Mazdaspeed for 8.5 years and I’ve owned my Wrangler for 20 years. I have considered a Mustang GT a couple of times, but the local Ford dealers always manage to cure me of that temptation.
About the only cars that might cause me to stray from an M2 Comp are the GR Corolla and the new Z, but as I mentioned above, the current market is so insane that I’m content to keep the 2er for the time being.

sda · May 2022

Until the last 18 months we've had a Honda/Acura as a primary vehicle since 2003. I still like them and probably will buy another in the future especially if the Audi/VW disappoint and act up as they get older. I like Mazda too.

mjfloyd1 · May 2022

@iluvmysephia1 said:
The guy sold the Baja Bug! I grabbed my phone this morning at about 5:30AM Mountain Time and hit refresh and it gave me the message that said "This page has been deleted by its author." Wow. I was still caught up in the financial gathering stage of "hunting and gathering. " Us guys do the hunting and gathering for the family or couple and our beautiful women do the cooking, cleaning and housework. I...I...mean they also lead the State of New Mexico. Our governor's name is Michelle Lujan Grisham. Oh, she does a fine job. Yes she does. And my wife is not the Governor but she is a fine cook and a beautiful woman inside and out.

But while I was gathering the guy sold the Bug. Remember I said "I'd better hurry on this." I didn't hurry enough.

1970 VW Beetle with a 1776 motor

This one is my target now. I had to come to terms with a lowered car, but I have come to terms with it. Runs well and shifts smooth. Clean title, fiberglass floor pans, professionally lowered with big sway bars. Has a stereo with CD player, which works for me in partial because I just bought Def Leppard's 'Pyromaniac' on CD, plus I have scads and scads of CD's. I could add a Bluetooth player with USB hub later. Has new seats.

I would take a van service to the El Paso Airport and fly to Portland. From there it's about 3 miles to this guy's house. I could just take a taxi.

He wants $4,500 for it. It looks just like that Bug being towed on the flatbed a couple days ago as the Mrs. and I drove back to New Mexico from Tucson. Wow. It's a lot ta take in but, with a deep breath and sip of fine coffee, I really like this idea.

You better hurry on that one. I’ve never seen a 1776 motor 😂🤣

28firefighter · May 2022

mjfloyd1 said:

@iluvmysephia1 said:

The guy sold the Baja Bug! I grabbed my phone this morning at about 5:30AM Mountain Time and hit refresh and it gave me the message that said "This page has been deleted by its author." Wow. I was still caught up in the financial gathering stage of "hunting and gathering. " Us guys do the hunting and gathering for the family or couple and our beautiful women do the cooking, cleaning and housework. I...I...mean they also lead the State of New Mexico. Our governor's name is Michelle Lujan Grisham. Oh, she does a fine job. Yes she does. And my wife is not the Governor but she is a fine cook and a beautiful woman inside and out.

But while I was gathering the guy sold the Bug. Remember I said "I'd better hurry on this." I didn't hurry enough.

1970 VW Beetle with a 1776 motor

This one is my target now. I had to come to terms with a lowered car, but I have come to terms with it. Runs well and shifts smooth. Clean title, fiberglass floor pans, professionally lowered with big sway bars. Has a stereo with CD player, which works for me in partial because I just bought Def Leppard's 'Pyromaniac' on CD, plus I have scads and scads of CD's. I could add a Bluetooth player with USB hub later. Has new seats.

I would take a van service to the El Paso Airport and fly to Portland. From there it's about 3 miles to this guy's house. I could just take a taxi.

He wants $4,500 for it. It looks just like that Bug being towed on the flatbed a couple days ago as the Mrs. and I drove back to New Mexico from Tucson. Wow. It's a lot ta take in but, with a deep breath and sip of fine coffee, I really like this idea.

You better hurry on that one. I’ve never seen a 1776 motor 😂🤣

It recently declared its independence from the Beetle and is currently on the side of the road in NM.

mjfloyd1 · May 2022

But seriously, I’d ask for better pictures of the metal right above the side steps on the fenders and doors. Looks like rust from where I sit - especially with the floor boards being switched to fiberglass (probably due to rust)

qbrozen · May 2022

mjfloyd1 said:
But seriously, I’d ask for better pictures of the metal right above the side steps on the fenders and doors. Looks like rust from where I sit - especially with the floor boards being switched to fiberglass (probably due to rust)

Without a doubt there is rust in those areas.

Problem is, I think getting a rust-free Bug for under $5k may be unrealistic.

oldfarmer50 · May 2022

henryn said:
Any thoughts on poly vs steel wheelbarrows? I had a pretty nice 6 cu ft poly model, and the tray or tub just smooth broke today. I was replacing a post in my wood fence, dropped a 60 lb bag of concrete mix in the wheelbarrow tub and it dang near broke in half. About 4 or 5 years old, kept outside, so I guess the sun got to it. It seems a shame to throw it away, it has very nice non-wood handles and a steel frame which is still in great shape, but the reviews for this model on HomeDepot talk about the tub breaking and you can't buy a replacement. The 6 cu ft steel model weighs quite a bit more, and the reviews for it say the tub rusts when kept outside.

I never owned a plastic tub wheelbarrow only metal and the tub never rusted out but the wood frame rotted and broke form being in the weather.

oldfarmer50 · May 2022

stickguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

au1994 said:

stickguy said:
Ford definitely wishes they could build more units and make more money. They easily could have moved double the number of mavericks. Probably many more.

I’m beginning to see more Mavericks in the wild. Probably 6 in the past week and 2 were in commercial trim.
I still haven’t seen a Maverick around here. I may have to reconsider buying one though. The coworker who has the pristine low mile 2005 Ranger has decided not to sell. Can’t blame him really as the truck looks brand new. He says he’s going to use it in Florida when he goes down every year.

I’m heartbroken 😭
I have seen a couple up by you and I don't even live there!

I will be back up there running around on Friday. I can shoot you our itinerary so you can stalk us. If you aren't wearing your farmer boots I will even let you sit in it.

you should definitely go to a dealer you like (bigger volume will be better) and arrange to order one 1st thing on the day 2023 orders open (I think it is 8/23). Then you wait! Do you want a Hybrid or the ecoboost? Not sure if you are going to require AWD or not.

Thanks for the offer but I think I’m out of the new vehicle market for the time being. My sense of cheapness can’t tolerate the current market.

jmonroe1 · May 2022

Mmm

@mjfloyd1 said:
But seriously, I’d ask for better pictures of the metal right above the side steps on the fenders and doors. Looks like rust from where I sit - especially with the floor boards being switched to fiberglass (probably due to rust)

————————————————
Where @oldfarmer50 comes from those would be considered “typical character spots”.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · May 2022

jmonroe1 said:
Mmm

@mjfloyd1 said:

But seriously, I’d ask for better pictures of the metal right above the side steps on the fenders and doors. Looks like rust from where I sit - especially with the floor boards being switched to fiberglass (probably due to rust)

————————————————

Where @oldfarmer50 comes from those would be considered “typical character spots”.

jmonroe

Up here that would be considered showroom new.

rayainsw · May 2022

Back in Maine for the Summer.
1200+ miles in 2 days.
- Ray
Luv the M340i seats - comfort & support!
PS: 40 MPG on the highway!!!
range after fill - over 580 miles...

au1994 · May 2022

rayainsw said:
Back in Maine for the Summer.
1200+ miles in 2 days.
- Ray
Luv the M340i seats - comfort & support!
PS: 40 MPG on the highway!!!
range after fill - over 580 miles...

Impressive mileage.

roadburner · May 2022

@rayainsw said:
Back in Maine for the Summer.
1200+ miles in 2 days.

Ray
Luv the M340i seats - comfort & support!
PS: 40 MPG on the highway!!!
range after fill - over 580 miles...

BMW sport seats are hard to beat; I won’t consider a BMW with standard seats.

sda · May 2022

My neighbor's new Outback, actually about 3 months old. They did a factory order and was able to get it below MSRP. There was some type of incentive they were able to apply. I doubt that is the case now.

au1994 · May 2022

Hard to beat the bang for the buck in a Subaru or Acura for that matter.

Good for them getting something below MSRP this day and time. They deserve an award!!

Michaell · May 2022

I'm part of an Outback group on FB - there are scattered reports of folks getting below MSRP, even on ordered cars.

tifighter · May 2022

The Monty has landed.

Michaell · May 2022

Were you looking to average out your carbon footprint with this?

tifighter · May 2022

20 years old in October.

au1994 · May 2022

tifighter said:
20 years old in October.

Coulda fooled me. First impressions??

explorerx4 · May 2022

Between the Montero and the red Trailblazer, it looks like Throwback Tuesday.

Sandman6472 · May 2022

I like that Montero...congrats!

I, both OF & I work for Enterprise Holdings (Rental) as drivers/transporters. It's probably the easiest job in the world. Since you seem to live so close to one, a no-brainer actually. We have some guys working 2 days/week while the other do 3 days/week. It gets us out of the house so our wives can have their quiet time and it's fun! Every day is different then the last one & everybody is super nice. There really are no down sides to it. Or boss is pretty flexible with time off, we get a 401K and profit sharing as part time employees. Was hired to do 25/week which is fine but we usually end up closer to 30. Get paid every other week and, it's fun!!
Look on Indeed.com to see if they have an ad up or just go over and ask about employment opportunities. You won't be sorry!

corvette · May 2022

Finished adding sound deadener to all four doors on the Prius. Some observations:

Not much factory sound deadening (not a surprise),
I covered about 1/3 to 1/2 of the metal on the door skins and they sound less tinny when you slam them,
also pulled the left hatch strut off the hatchback, it had creaked before, but I was able to clean the contact points and put some white lithium grease inside, and now it is quiet, although I did crack the plastic on one of the "cups" that mount to the car,
nearly everything on the car appeared to be original, and I'm not sure anyone had ever been inside the doors, the hatch struts also appeared to be original,
a few of the door trim "clips" got mangled, but none broke completely, despite the car being parked outdoors for 15 years of hot/cold cycles--a GM vehicle would likely have required all new clips, and
the final bit is to add some more deadener in the hatch area.

sda · May 2022

corvette said:
Finished adding sound deadener to all four doors on the Prius. Some observations:
Not much factory sound deadening (not a surprise),
I covered about 1/3 to 1/2 of the metal on the door skins and they sound less tinny when you slam them,
also pulled the left hatch strut off the hatchback, it had creaked before, but I was able to clean the contact points and put some white lithium grease inside, and now it is quiet, although I did crack the plastic on one of the "cups" that mount to the car,
nearly everything on the car appeared to be original, and I'm not sure anyone had ever been inside the doors, the hatch struts also appeared to be original,
a few of the door trim "clips" got mangled, but none broke completely, despite the car being parked outdoors for 15 years of hot/cold cycles--a GM vehicle would likely have required all new clips, and
the final bit is to add some more deadener in the hatch area.

I’ve been tempted to do that on several cars but never got off my…
Let us know the end result, worth the effort?

jmonroe1 · May 2022

corvette said:
Finished adding sound deadener to all four doors on the Prius. Some observations:
Not much factory sound deadening (not a surprise),
I covered about 1/3 to 1/2 of the metal on the door skins and they sound less tinny when you slam them,
also pulled the left hatch strut off the hatchback, it had creaked before, but I was able to clean the contact points and put some white lithium grease inside, and now it is quiet, although I did crack the plastic on one of the "cups" that mount to the car,
nearly everything on the car appeared to be original, and I'm not sure anyone had ever been inside the doors, the hatch struts also appeared to be original,
a few of the door trim "clips" got mangled, but none broke completely, despite the car being parked outdoors for 15 years of hot/cold cycles--a GM vehicle would likely have required all new clips, and
the final bit is to add some more deadener in the hatch area.

———————————————-
Sounds like you did some real tweaking and you’ll probably be satisfied with the results.

However, you were doing just fine until you brought GM into the conversation. You do know you’re going to hear about that from our poster buddy, right?

jmonroe

ab348 · May 2022

corvette said:
Finished adding sound deadener to all four doors on the Prius. Some observations:
a few of the door trim "clips" got mangled, but none broke completely, despite the car being parked outdoors for 15 years of hot/cold cycles--a GM vehicle would likely have required all new clips

Of course, a GM car would likely not have required you to add sound deadener since the factory would have done that in the first place. 😛

henryn · May 2022

Adding sound deadener definitely puts you into the old fogey category, the opposite of "hip". If you were "hip", you would have installed a two thousand watt amp and 4 15inch woofers to rattle those body panels, instead of trying to silence the rattle.

Did you use Dynamat? That's what we used 30 or 40 years ago, I'm not sure if they still make that brand.

corvette · May 2022

I put Dynamat in a 2002 Nissan Altima in 2003 or 2004, so I guess I was an old fogey back when I was in college! I used one of the generic ones. I'm not sure I'm using enough to make a difference, as the entire package only weighed about ten pounds.

graphicguy · May 2022

tifighter said:
The Monty has landed.

Diggin’ that. Congrats.

graphicguy · May 2022

roadburner said:

@graphicguy said:

Over the years, I've found it interesting to follow those of us who have been here for a while, and our automotive leanings.

There are some who love BMWs, others love Mercedes.

I stray from Honda products from time-to-time (OK....all the time), but generally like them. I like the way they're built. I like the way the operate. I like the way they look.

That said, I do have a wandering eye when it comes to vehicles. Generally, I like Hondas/Acuras most, though.

Having owned BMWs for going on 4 decades a BMW(or Mini) is virtually always my default choice. That said, I did keep my Mazdaspeed for 8.5 years and I’ve owned my Wrangler for 20 years. I have considered a Mustang GT a couple of times, but the local Ford dealers always manage to cure me of that temptation.

About the only cars that might cause me to stray from an M2 Comp are the GR Corolla and the new Z, but as I mentioned above, the current market is so insane that I’m content to keep the 2er for the time being.

You and @rayainsw came to mind when I typed the previous message about BMWs and Mercedes. Some brands just fit us and fulfill our wants/needs better than others.

Speaking of Hondas, son is still trying to track down an Accord Sport 2.0t. Tough to come by in the IN, OH, KY area. Some 1.5t cars around. But, the Hybrids and 2.0t Sports are a tough get.

Got my dealer looking for one. But, they really have no clue what’s supposed to arrive on the lot. They say they order specific configurations, but when (if) they do show up, the cars have little relevance to what they ordered. Plus, they’re getting 1/10th of the cars they’ve ordered. That’s with them being made 2 hours north of where we live.

qbrozen · May 2022

I GOTTA stop looking at Japan auctions!
So much cool stuff comes up there and I talk myself out of bidding because I have not completed the process for the first one yet and still have concerns.
But a Volvo Bertone 262 coupe and a Peugeot 205 Rallye are both crossing the block tonight. MUST RESIST. Oh, and both are LHD.

nyccarguy · May 2022

qbrozen said:
I GOTTA stop looking at Japan auctions!
So much cool stuff comes up there and I talk myself out of bidding because I have not completed the process for the first one yet and still have concerns.
But a Volvo Bertone 262 coupe and a Peugeot 205 Rallye are both crossing the block tonight. MUST RESIST. Oh, and both are LHD.

What site is that again? (asking for a friend)

nyccarguy · May 2022

Did Mazda drop the manual transmission from the Mazda 3 for 2022? or is it only available on the hatch?

qbrozen · May 2022

nyccarguy said:

qbrozen said:
I GOTTA stop looking at Japan auctions!
So much cool stuff comes up there and I talk myself out of bidding because I have not completed the process for the first one yet and still have concerns.
But a Volvo Bertone 262 coupe and a Peugeot 205 Rallye are both crossing the block tonight. MUST RESIST. Oh, and both are LHD.
What site is that again? (asking for a friend)

members only kind of thing, and you won't find any good pics there, and you have to get used to interpreting Japanese auction reports. lol.

Michaell · May 2022

nyccarguy said:
Did Mazda drop the manual transmission from the Mazda 3 for 2022? or is it only available on the hatch?

Only available on the Premium FWD trim for the hatch.

stickguy · May 2022

The Pug sounds really interesting…..

Pixs?

iluvmysephia1 · May 2022

I, both OF & I work for Enterprise Holdings (Rental) as drivers/transporters. It's probably the easiest job in the world. Since you seem to live so close to one, a no-brainer actually. We have some guys working 2 days/week while the other do 3 days/week. It gets us out of the house so our wives can have their quiet time and it's fun! Every day is different then the last one & everybody is super nice. There really are no down sides to it. Or boss is pretty flexible with time off, we get a 401K and profit sharing as part time employees. Was hired to do 25/week which is fine but we usually end up closer to 30. Get paid every other week and, it's fun!!
Look on Indeed.com to see if they have an ad up or just go over and ask about employment opportunities. You won't be sorry!

Hey, thanks Sandman! I will consider looking in to that. They're right on White Sands Blvd. and ususally they've got a bunch of Nissan's up front. Some Kia's, too. That sounds just right for me because driving is not looked at like work to me. I'd dig doing that and getting paid for it, too!

tifighter · May 2022

There was a very nice 205 Rallye that sold on BaT a few weeks ago.

iluvmysephia1 · May 2022

The interior of the car is really fairly spartan. I'm holding off until flight prices on Alaska Airlines drop about a hundred dollars before I fly to Portland, OR. Interestingly that happens on June 1st. I have a really cool app called Hopper. I can type in any starting airport and any destination airport and it gives you all the flights leaving that day. So you can plan for your trip. This itch is needing scratching so I'm just gonna ride it out and see where it takes me.

The seller's right over the ORE-WA border on the Washington state side. I mean, he'd have a grand total of about 3 miles ta reach PDX with the 1970 VW Beetle. It's lowered and it's in pretty good shape. I'll be e-mailing shortly, probably today, with a poop-ton of questions. I actually can't think of one right now, though, because I've got some other things on my retired mind. Things like, should I play a game of Roger Clemens MVP baseball on my vintage Gameboy, or...go to the Zip's Car Wash to wash the '21 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick in Sparkling Silver and black trim. Looks better than if I got my favorite team's colors, the Seahawks colors are blue, silver and bright green. The silver and black looks better on the Kia but I think the Seahawk's colors would look awesome on the 1970 VW Bug. That's a favorite two-tone for people with these Bug's, light blue and white, and, I must say, it looks as awesome as Russell Wilson going deep, deep, deep, deep to Tyler Lockett for a long gain to the Bucs 8-yard line. Oh, wait a minute, the Seahawks won't have Russell Wilson in 2022! Funny thing is is they play Denver in their first regular season game, on Sept.12, 2022, at 6:15PM Mountain Time. It's at Seattle. And Pete Carroll seems to want to take his chances with Geno Smith. I agree with him, don't sign Baker Mayfield or Drew Brees. Geno Smith knows the Hawks system and he played way above average last year when Russell was healing from the finger dislocation surgery inflicted on him by Aaron Donald-Donald Aaron of the Los Angeles Rams. I'm very suspicious of people that name their son two first names. Think about it. How annoying.

I'm using synthetic oil now, too. I go back and forth on oils but I do think synthetic oil baby's your car's engine more and kind of makes things smoother for a longer period of time. Prove me wrong on that because I'd love ta hear you guy's opinions on dino oil vs. synthetic oil.

Car wash it is, dudes.

tifighter · May 2022

au1994 said:

tifighter said:
20 years old in October.
Coulda fooled me. First impressions??

I drove it maybe 15 miles yesterday on various errands.

Condition exterior - pretty good. All original, no paint work. In the direct sun, you can see some light scratches and swirls although most dark colors show that. A paint correction would probably help, but it's not my top priority. No dents or damage anywhere.

Condition interior - very good. Some wear on the leather drivers seat, but others very good. No scratches on the interior bits - not even in the cargo area which is surprising to me. Everything works - even the power antenna connected to the stereo (remember those?). Third row comes out without tools. Second row comes out with 8 bolts. One good vacuum and I'm pretty darn happy with the inside.

Driving - remember when SUV's weren't crossovers? That's how this drives. I will say the outward visibility is exceptional. If you've ever been in the original classic Range Rover, it's like that. Tall seating position relative to the glass - there's window at my elbows. It's slow, but the throttle calibration is purposely touchy to make you think it's quicker off the line then it is. The steering feels like it's at least 5 turns lock to lock. But there's something authentic and endearing about driving it. I knew what I was signing up for.

I've got it scheduled for a full buyer's inspection at a local shop to establish the base line mechanically. And new tires are on the way. This will be my retro overlander project made to do the state backcountry discovery routes (https://www.mountainzone.com/map/washington-backcountry-discovery-route-wabdr/). Nothing hardcore. I have a number of friends that do these and figured it's time to join up. I think I want to pull those factory running boards. Discovered last night that they're actually illuminated

nyccarguy · May 2022

qbrozen said:

nyccarguy said:

qbrozen said:
I GOTTA stop looking at Japan auctions!
So much cool stuff comes up there and I talk myself out of bidding because I have not completed the process for the first one yet and still have concerns.
But a Volvo Bertone 262 coupe and a Peugeot 205 Rallye are both crossing the block tonight. MUST RESIST. Oh, and both are LHD.
What site is that again? (asking for a friend)
members only kind of thing, and you won't find any good pics there, and you have to get used to interpreting Japanese auction reports. lol.

OK. Let me know if you come across any interesting Preludes.

stickguy · May 2022

I luv, your intent is to pick up a beetle, and immediately just drive it 1,500 miles home through the desert?

Brave man!

qbrozen · May 2022

Not sure if @stickguy was asking for Peug pics or Bug pics. Anyway, I can't share auction pics, as they frown on sharing of their images, but it looks like this one.

qbrozen · May 2022

nyccarguy said:

OK. Let me know if you come across any interesting Preludes.

check your PM

stickguy · May 2022

I saw the BaT rally. Much prefer the GTI version!

Though I have no desire to deal with finding parts for a gray market French car that was never sold here. Still cool though.

carnaught · May 2022

The car is a Gremlin look-a-like.

cdnpinhead · May 2022

stickguy said:
I luv, your intent is to pick up a beetle, and immediately just drive it 1,500 miles home through the desert?

Brave man!

Brave? I would have chosen a different adjective, but that's just me.

That said, let's all wait to see what actually happens.

From years back, there's much (very much) talk and very little action.

jmonroe1 · May 2022

carnaught said:
The car is a Gremlin look-a-like.

————————————————

That’s what I thought also when I saw that pic.

Of all the car styles to copy, why choose a Gremlin? But maybe the Peugeot was first. I’m not that much of a car guy to follow that stuff.

jmonroe

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