Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Our company uses a oil change service called Spiffy. They come in a Sprinter type van and go down a line of cars sucking all the oil out through the dipstick I think. They can do maybe 50 in a day.
How do they change the filters?

I assume somebody crawls under or over with a wrench. Q might know since he’s getting his fleet serviced and has time to stand around and watch them.

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

ab348 said:
This is schweet!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-ford-ltd-country-squire-wagon/

And 140hp to boot!

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

tjc78 said:

@stickguy said:

Try top tier instead of Wawa?

Ironically this all started after using 93 from BJs. I had zero issues with 87 from Wawa.

Maybe that rich diet gave it indigestion.

stickguy · September 2022

Maybe throw some treatment in the tank too?

qbrozen · September 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

I assume somebody crawls under or over with a wrench. Q might know since he’s getting his fleet serviced and has time to stand around and watch them.

If I had time to watch, I'd do it myself.

I have no idea how he did it. I did inquire if he drains or uses suction, to which he replied they pull the drain plug.

ronsteve · September 2022

corvette said:
Looks like a Wagon Queen Family Truckster to me.

You think you hate it now, but wait til you drive it.

tifighter · September 2022

@breld The new additions should start to feel nervous. Or, at least, more nervous-

au1994 · September 2022

tifighter said:
@breld The new additions should start to feel nervous. Or, at least, more nervous-

That’s one sexy rear end.

breld · September 2022

That may be a perfect replacement for the existing Polestar in the garage…so the new additions are safe. For the time being. 😀

sda · September 2022

After a standard dentist appointment I was about 10 minutes away from the Acura dealer. I thought I would look at the new Integra. They only had one, top of the line, blue CVT, black interior. I like the size, but you do drop down to sit in the driver’s seat. It seemed nice enough, however it didn’t seem to have that special better than average quality tactile feel in the interior. I question having the Alcantera fabric covering in the front and plain black vinyl in the back. No a/c rear vents either. The salesperson was really nice. She said if I bought one it would have to be ordered, $1k deposit, sign a buyers agreement and anticipate a 2-3 month wait. It appears the base TLX has had a significant price increase. I seem to remember it being about $38k. Now it is almost $42k.

qbrozen · September 2022

@au1994 said:
That’s one sexy rear end.

Looks like a Lincoln

carnaught · September 2022

@sda, regarding the Alcantera insert n the seats, I totally agree. I find that red interiors are usually stunning but that seat insert detracts from the look.

andres3 · September 2022

corvette said:
$2,012.94 with tax, lifetime warranty, and a new 12v battery (the Optima Yellow Top that was in it was four years old, which seems to be nearing its life expectancy in our climate).

Fingers crossed that it's good for a while, as between this and the wheel bearing/axle assembly and front brakes and rotors, I've now officially spent more than I paid for the car in repairs.

DANG! Even with the S4 I haven't reached the point of paying more in non-routine maintenance/repairs than the cost of a car.

Don't make me do the math on the Neon.... I still don't think I reached 100% of initial purchase price. Then again, I'm not in the business of buying clunkers either.... no offense intended

henryn · September 2022

andres3 said:

corvette said:
$2,012.94 with tax, lifetime warranty, and a new 12v battery (the Optima Yellow Top that was in it was four years old, which seems to be nearing its life expectancy in our climate).

Fingers crossed that it's good for a while, as between this and the wheel bearing/axle assembly and front brakes and rotors, I've now officially spent more than I paid for the car in repairs.
DANG! Even with the S4 I haven't reached the point of paying more in non-routine maintenance/repairs than the cost of a car.

Don't make me do the math on the Neon.... I still don't think I reached 100% of initial purchase price. Then again, I'm not in the business of buying clunkers either.... no offense intended

I go back so far I can remember buying cars for $100. Yes, running cars, cars that would take you from here to there under their own power, $100, cash. On such a car it was very easy to spend more on repairs to keep it running than what you initially paid.

explorerx4 · September 2022

@qbrozen,
I wanted to say the same thing, but thought I would be viewed as biased due to us having an MKC.

tjc78 · September 2022

@stickguy said:
Maybe throw some treatment in the tank too?

I have to pick the wife up at the airport around 10 tonight. I think I’ll just give it an old fashioned Italian tune up down 95

corvette · September 2022

andres3 said:
DANG! Even with the S4 I haven't reached the point of paying more in non-routine maintenance/repairs than the cost of a car.

It only cost me $2,700 to purchase and was a bargain at the time (even more so now), so I'm not miffed about it, but might get annoyed if it continues to need big ticket repairs.

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

corvette said:

andres3 said:
DANG! Even with the S4 I haven't reached the point of paying more in non-routine maintenance/repairs than the cost of a car.
It only cost me $2,700 to purchase and was a bargain at the time (even more so now), so I'm not miffed about it, but might get annoyed if it continues to need big ticket repairs.

How many miles did you get before it needed those repairs? My hooptie value calculator says you need to get 10k miles of use for every $1000 you pay with just minor repairs.

If you got 27k miles before you needed that big fix you can still consider it a bargain. Most of my cheap cars have gone the distance, some only came close. At the rate I’m driving my two current beaters I’ll be lucky to live long enough to get there.

ab348 · September 2022

qbrozen said:

Looks like a Lincoln

My exact thought as well.

corvette · September 2022

@oldfarmer50 - I've put perhaps 7,000 miles on it since buying it in July, 2021, so kind of early to extrapolate a long term average repair cost.

Michaell · September 2022

Member needs help choosing a mid-sized sedan.

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

corvette said:
@oldfarmer50 - I've put perhaps 7,000 miles on it since buying it in July, 2021, so kind of early to extrapolate a long term average repair cost.

I’m thinking in today’s market you probably got your $2700 worth just by making it out of your driveway.

au1994 · September 2022

Michaell said:
Member needs help choosing a mid-sized sedan.

Do they still make those? I thought all we only had CUV’s to choose from.

jmonroe1 · September 2022

au1994 said:

tifighter said:
@breld The new additions should start to feel nervous. Or, at least, more nervous-

That’s one sexy rear end.

————————————————-
Let’s just say we have different tastes in rear ends.

jmonroe

nyccarguy · September 2022

I'm pleased to announce my 3rd PUNCH of 2022. Today I took delivery of a 2023 Firecracker Red Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4Xe with Black Cloth Guts. I ordered this Jeep on 7/9/2022.

My name is Bradd and I am a Chronic Car Buyer

nyccarguy · September 2022

I know, I know…. Pics or it didn’t happen:

carnaught · September 2022

@nyccarguy, so is this another Jeep for a flip or personal use? Anyway, congrats!

tifighter · September 2022

Congrats on the add!

I think I need a group 4xe flow chart to remember all of the movement on these around here.

nyccarguy · September 2022

carnaught said:
@nyccarguy, so is this another Jeep for a flip or personal use? Anyway, congrats!

I leased this one for the purpose of flipping. Will let you guys know how it goes.

au1994 · September 2022

Love it!! Firecracker is a really good color on Wranglers.

qbrozen · September 2022

A bit ... different with the blue 4xe highlights, but I think it works.

andres3 · September 2022

I'm not worthy!

tifighter · September 2022

So last night over dinner, and admittedly a glass of wine, my wife said that I should teach her to how to drive a manual transmission. With the roadster.

Is this a trap?

stickguy · September 2022

I taught my wife about 6 months after we got married. It worked, but can’t say I would do it again.

Send her to a driving school first.

jpp75 · September 2022

@nyccarguy Congrats! The red looks sharp.

rayainsw · September 2022

nyccarguy -
Congrats! Does look sharp in that red.
- Ray
Not really a Jeep guy...

jmonroe1 · September 2022

@nyccarguy, congrats and good luck with the Wrangler purchase. Let us know how you like it and if you flip it, here’s hoping you really make out.

jmonroe

explorerx4 · September 2022

@jmonroe1,
You are experienced at flipping. What upgrades do you recommend for NYC's flip Jeep?
Hardwood flooring or full bath?

breld · September 2022

I was in Charleston earlier this week for work (got back yesterday so well before the weather is hitting).

We had a Wagoneer as a rental vehicle and my boss was happy to let me drive around. It’s a really nice ride…I’ve gotta think @qbrozen and his wife will really enjoy it.

oldfarmer50 · September 2022

nyccarguy said:
I know, I know…. Pics or it didn’t happen:

Congratulations Bradd, just know that we are here for you.😘

explorerx4 · September 2022

@oldfarmer50,
There might be something for you in those pictures, that white Lincoln Town Car.

Michaell · September 2022

Congrats on the new Wrangler, @nyccarguy! It's sharp in red.

Found out the Outback needs new tires. Had a TPMS light go on, and while I was having that attended to, I was told the tread depth was only 3/32.

I got 23K out of the OEM Bridgestones, and now just 30K on the replacement Coopers. I'll admit I wasn't fully on top of the rotation game - I got them done about every 10K, when 5K is the normal interval. Tire place said they would talk to Cooper about what kind of credit I may be able to get (warranty is 70K).

So - I'm thinking about the Michelin CrossClimate2's. @benjaminh - what is your opinion on the ones you have on your TLX? Was somebody else looking into them? If so, why?

I got a quote of just over $1300 for a set of 4:

Tires - $859.96
Mount/Balance - $96
Disposal Fee - $18
Nitrogen - $30 (do I really need this?)
TPMS rebuild - $32
State Tire Tax - $5
Extended Warranty - $129 (includes 3 year roadside assistance - I'm on the fence with this)
Labor - $225
Waste Disposal - $23
Shop Supplies - $46
Tax - $88

I'm open to thoughts and opinions. Never had Michelins before, figured since we'll likely keep the car for a good long while, why not invest in the best?

sda · September 2022

They charge labor on top of mount and balance? I have never experienced that. If you have a Discount Tire nearby they give a prorated hazard warranty at no charge. I skip the optional warranty. Nitrogen, skip. Do you have roadside assistance thru insurance or AAA? I haven’t had Coopers, but my experience with Bridgestones has been fair, they don’t go the distance. All good with Michelins.

ab348 · September 2022

sda said:
They charge labor on top of mount and balance? I have never experienced that.

I was going to question the same thing. What is that supposed to be for?

As @sda said, I have had poor experience with Bridgestone tread life.

ronsteve · September 2022

@ab348 said:
I was going to question the same thing. What is that supposed to be for?

As @sda said, I have had poor experience with Bridgestone tread life.

I had a set of Bridgestones on the Volvo and they only went 32k. Wore out quickly and got noisy due to cupping.

corvette · September 2022

@Michaell - is there a Discount Tire near you? I'd get a second opinion from them. They should be able to wrangle a warranty replacement of the Coopers. Shouldn't be an issue if they are evenly worn, but you will likely have to get a Cooper brand tire as replacements. Charging labor on top of a mount/balance fee is BS, and if you are interested in a road hazard warranty, the "script" at Discount Tire used to be that they will offer it to you at half price if you initially decline.

Edit: 30k tread life isn't extremely unreasonable if you do a lot of stop and go driving. If it's all highway at a steady speed, seems a bit low.

tifighter · September 2022

We have CC2's on the 3 as a 'winter tire' as it came with summers stock. I went with them since I was using the car last year for skiing, back when it was 'my' car. They're great. Good snow grip. Reasonably quiet. Not much effect on range. Good in the rain. Would 100% buy again.

stickguy · September 2022

the Vredesteins got really good test results from tire rack too.

jmonroe1 · September 2022

explorerx4 said:
@jmonroe1,
You are experienced at flipping. What upgrades do you recommend for NYC's flip Jeep?
Hardwood flooring or full bath?

————————————————-
Both.

jmonroe

nyccarguy · September 2022

@Michaell said:
Congrats on the new Wrangler, @nyccarguy! It's sharp in red.

Found out the Outback needs new tires. Had a TPMS light go on, and while I was having that attended to, I was told the tread depth was only 3/32.

I got 23K out of the OEM Bridgestones, and now just 30K on the replacement Coopers. I'll admit I wasn't fully on top of the rotation game - I got them done about every 10K, when 5K is the normal interval. Tire place said they would talk to Cooper about what kind of credit I may be able to get (warranty is 70K).

So - I'm thinking about the Michelin CrossClimate2's. @benjaminh - what is your opinion on the ones you have on your TLX? Was somebody else looking into them? If so, why?

I got a quote of just over $1300 for a set of 4:

Tires - $859.96
Mount/Balance - $96
Disposal Fee - $18
Nitrogen - $30 (do I really need this?)
TPMS rebuild - $32
State Tire Tax - $5
Extended Warranty - $129 (includes 3 year roadside assistance - I'm on the fence with this)
Labor - $225
Waste Disposal - $23
Shop Supplies - $46
Tax - $88

I'm open to thoughts and opinions. Never had Michelins before, figured since we'll likely keep the car for a good long while, why not invest in the best?

Thanks!

Do you have Costco near you? I believe they are currently offering some kind of rebate on Michelin tires. They have a reasonable mounting & balancing charge as well as usually suggesting new tire pressure monitors.

If you buy your tires through tire rack, they come with 2 years of road hazard warranty.

It’s been said before so many times. Your tires are the only contact your vehicle has with the road. It’s a solid place to spend money. With the amount of driving we do, I usually get a little less than 2 years out of my OEM tires. Michelins are my go to replacement. I actually bought a set of Cross Climate 2s for my Mom‘ s 2020 Lexus RX. I think we sold the car 2 weeks later. There was a noticeable difference in ride quality and noise reduction from the OEM tires.

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

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