Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

28firefighter · July 2023

@stickguy said:
so a $3,500 mark up. pretty normal. a little less than Carvana was doing on my truck.

Totally. But optimistic given you can buy brand new for 35k.

Michaell · July 2023

stickguy said:

laurasdada said:
"...because if we do this we are going to stay here until we kick the bucket."

Of course, because wives' never change their minds...
A couple of bad winters, and, like the Allman Brothers, you're Southbound!
she hates hot or humid. Zero chance she would agree to move south. Plus we are here because all the family is. Best I can hope for someday is a 3 month snowbird deal like Driver does.

she also did not enjoy the logistics of the moving experience, so even going through it one more time will be a stretch for her. Most likely that will be it if we do get a new one now. Well, at least until we are old enough to need to not be in a single family house any longer, but that should not be for a long time.

I'm still hoping for just one more move - where, seems to be the big unknown. Wife is talking about 55+ communities, and something with little or no maintenance necessary.

stickguy · July 2023

I wanted something like that. I managed to go from 1/3 to about 1/4 acre, and a much newer house with fewer needs. And no pool, a big time saver.

so of course, tomorrow we are looking at a much larger house on 1.5 acres..... pretty sure there is no chance it happens but at least it is a reality check for how much we are will to extend the budget. My preference would be about 100K less than the place we are touring (though it is actually a very good deal)!

that one is probably overkill but hopefully we find something about halfway between that one and the current one.

roadburner · July 2023

I had scheduled three projects for today- I finished two of them.
The failure was a blade change on the Cub Cadet ZTR; the nuts were on too tight and I couldn't raise it high enough to use my impact wrench. Oh well...
Job #2 was fixing a flat on the Dixon ZTR; a healthy dose of Slime tire sealer cured the leak.
#3 was beginning concours prep for the ti. I wanted to tackle the most tedious job first which involved removing each wheel so I could clean them front and back. It took longer than expected but at the end of the day the rolling stock looked pretty good with new lug bolts and center caps. I have to admit I'm a little sore after all that but at least it's finished.
Next up is a detail of the engine and the under hood area.

laurasdada · July 2023

I leave the next home project to the wife; I concentrate on the next car project...

ronsteve · July 2023

laurasdada said:
Ok, Arizona/Nevada. It's a dry heat. Oy.

You know what else is a dry heat? My oven!

stickguy · July 2023

My truck had been out in the rain and was quite dirty so that got a good wash. Confirmed that I did a good job putting on the bed cover since at most a few drops snuck in along the front corners. Not even enough to get the floor wet.

And I did the dishes and otherwise goofed off! After fixing the garage door.

ronsteve · July 2023

stickguy said:

laurasdada said:
"...because if we do this we are going to stay here until we kick the bucket."

Of course, because wives' never change their minds...
A couple of bad winters, and, like the Allman Brothers, you're Southbound!
she hates hot or humid. Zero chance she would agree to move south. Plus we are here because all the family is. Best I can hope for someday is a 3 month snowbird deal like Driver does.

We have been saying we didn't think we would go anywhere substantially north of our current location, unless it was out west), but last month I became aware of an opening that is at least a little north of any previous prospect, and definitely not west. I was a little surprised when the wife said she was open to it, but she did also stipulate that she would insist on an AWD replacement for the Jetta if she was likely to be driving to a job up there. We'll see how long it takes before they move to fill the job.

ab348 · July 2023

laurasdada said:
Ok, Arizona/Nevada. It's a dry heat. Oy.

I watched the Mets game in Phoenix yesterday. Luckily they were playing under a roof in an air conditioned stadium. It was only 105 outside. But they were saying the forecasts next week were for a bit of a heat wave, maybe reaching 120.

Michaell · July 2023

ab348 said:

laurasdada said:
Ok, Arizona/Nevada. It's a dry heat. Oy.
I watched the Mets game in Phoenix yesterday. Luckily they were playing under a roof in an air conditioned stadium. It was only 105 outside. But they were saying the forecasts next week were for a bit of a heat wave, maybe reaching 120.

l lived in Phoenix for 3 years in the early-mid 80's. No AC in my car, since I had moved from the CA coast.

tjc78 · July 2023

I think we have one more move eventually…..Sell the primary, sell the shore house and buy a much bigger house at the shore to retire in.

Wife already wants a bigger place at the shore, but at these prices and rates I think we have to stay put!

Cars… well the XC goes back in November. No clue what’s replacing it. Wife wants a smaller electric but we will see

roadburner · July 2023

At most we have one move to consider- and that would be contingent on someone offering us an obscene amount of money for the farm. If that does happen we are building a home on Seabrook Island.

nyccarguy · July 2023

tjc78 said:
I think we have one more move eventually…..Sell the primary, sell the shore house and buy a much bigger house at the shore to retire in.

Wife already wants a bigger place at the shore, but at these prices and rates I think we have to stay put!

Cars… well the XC goes back in November. No clue what’s replacing it. Wife wants a smaller electric but we will see

Would you consider renting your shore place out or that's too much of a headache?

laurasdada · July 2023

roadburner said:
At most we have one move to consider- and that would be contingent on someone offering us an obscene amount of money for the farm. If that does happen we are building a home on Seabrook Island.

Perhaps QB will get into the real estate business...

laurasdada · July 2023

Wife's kids and grandchild are in SF; we are in MA. This, on occasion, displeases her. While we both love New England and likely wouldn't have to move, with each passing day I fear her maternal instincts draw her ever west...
Her kids are both quite successful and can afford the SF lifestyle (they're outside the city proper), us on a fixed income, I'm not sure California is the place to be (although my late father did it, living modestly, for the final 15 years of his life, in Santa Monica).
So, I've been kinda developing the AZ/NV idea (being near Vegas could be fun, for entertainment and 99 cent shrimp cocktail! Maybe the occasional blackjack session...).

Michaell · July 2023

laurasdada said:
Wife's kids and grandchild are in SF; we are in MA. This, on occasion, displeases her. While we both love New England and likely wouldn't have to move, with each passing day I fear her maternal instincts draw her ever west...
Her kids are both quite successful and can afford the SF lifestyle (they're outside the city proper), us on a fixed income, I'm not sure California is the place to be (although my late father did it, living modestly, for the final 15 years of his life, in Santa Monica).
So, I've been kinda developing the AZ/NV idea (being near Vegas could be fun, for entertainment and 99 cent shrimp cocktail! Maybe the occasional blackjack session...).

You should consider the Reno/Lake Tahoe area. Not quite as hot, more seasonal weather, and closer to the Bay Area. And, likely less expensive than Vegas.

laurasdada · July 2023

Thanks, I've oft considered Tahoe (Nevada side); as a skier an attractive proposition.

roadburner · July 2023

My son and his girlfriend live in Charlotte NC so we’d be a bit closer than we are now. He’s all for it as he’d have a free beach house…

laurasdada · July 2023

A friend bought a second home in Narragansett, RI; near the beach. He said he did it so his kids would want to come visit him as they graduate college and begin their lives, possibly far from NE.

28firefighter · July 2023

I would really like to buy a vacation property on the Olympic Peninsula, Orcas Island, or Camano Island at some point and rent it short term, eventually retiring in it. But that is a ways off in part because I’m not sold that the AirBnB model will sustain its current structure.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

28firefighter said:

@stickguy said:

so a $3,500 mark up. pretty normal. a little less than Carvana was doing on my truck.

Totally. But optimistic given you can buy brand new for 35k.

Plus a $5k market adjustment no doubt.

stickguy · July 2023

Our family would have been very pleased if we had bought a house at the shore instead. But since the prices at the town we go to are in the $2mill+ range, was not on the table!

corvette · July 2023

@28firefighter - AirBnB - many cities, including my own, have severely restricted short term rentals, sometimes in straightforward ways and sometimes in confusing ways. The metro I live in unhelpfully states that "you are likely allowed" to do STR from your primary residence, if certain conditions are met, which is a lot of words to use to say nothing.

stickguy · July 2023

Jersey shore rentals are mostly through agencies traditionally. And happened well prior to Airbnb. No issues renting your place down there.

tjc78 · July 2023

@nyccarguy said:
Would you consider renting your shore place out or that's too much of a headache?

I really don’t want to rent the place we use, but if we could save up enough for a down payment I would consider a larger place here and then rent our current house.

Could easily get $3000 a week for the 12 peak weeks.

tjc78 · July 2023

@stickguy said:
Our family would have been very pleased if we had bought a house at the shore instead. But since the prices at the town we go to are in the $2mill+ range, was not on the table!

SH and Avalon are just off the charts.

Of course they all are these days. They just built new homes on the harbor (down the street from us) for 1.5M for around 3200 sqft.

Also down the street a more or less identical home to ours just went for over $150K more than we paid less than two years ago. Ours is probably worth a bit more as we are closer to the bay and actually have a view to the harbor across the street

breld · July 2023

I have the option to buy an Integra Type S in performance red. Initially, my preferred color choices were white, silver, gray or blue, but now I'm wondering if this red would be fun and different.

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..."

)

Best real-world pics I could find...

stickguy · July 2023

I should have bout 30 years ago when we first started going. Or 20 when N. Wild wood started booming.

Oh well!

roadburner · July 2023

breld said:
I have the option to buy an Integra Type S in performance red. Initially, my preferred color choices were white, silver, gray or blue, but now I'm wondering if this red would be fun and different.

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..." )

Best real-world pics I could find...

I like red cars- but they can paint a bullseye on your car WRT law enforcement.

andres3 · July 2023

roadburner said:

breld said:
I have the option to buy an Integra Type S in performance red. Initially, my preferred color choices were white, silver, gray or blue, but now I'm wondering if this red would be fun and different.

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..." )

Best real-world pics I could find...

I like red cars- but they can paint a bullseye on your car WRT law enforcement.

My experience has been the car color doesn't matter; it's just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone looking to write a speeding ticket is color blind.

28firefighter · July 2023

I'd wait for one of your preferred colors

corvette · July 2023

I like the red!

explorerx4 · July 2023

I would just wait for a different car. That thing is pretty awful looking. I do like the red, though.

nyccarguy · July 2023

@breld - is that a different red from the regular integrals?

pensfan83 · July 2023

jmonroe1 · July 2023

breld said:

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..." )

Best real-world pics I could find...

————————————————
That sounds like the truth hurts.

FWIW, I like the color.

jmonroe

qbrozen · July 2023

@breld said:
I have the option to buy an Integra Type S in performance red. Initially, my preferred color choices were white, silver, gray or blue, but now I'm wondering if this red would be fun and different.

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..." )

Best real-world pics I could find...

Looks like a Civic. I like the white way more.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

breld said:
I have the option to buy an Integra Type S in performance red. Initially, my preferred color choices were white, silver, gray or blue, but now I'm wondering if this red would be fun and different.

Thoughts? (other than the usual, "it doesn't matter, you won't keep it for that long..." )

Best real-world pics I could find...

Looks nice, how many miles? If it checks out mechanically and you have the money, go for it.

stickguy · July 2023

I like the red. not the same red as my TLX was, but still nice!

au1994 · July 2023

white gets my vote

xwesx · July 2023

I like the red with the bronze wheels from the white one.

laurasdada · July 2023

Perhaps it's the pix, but it looks a bit orange to me, I'd prefer the white. Although would like to see the palette, I'm in a blue phase (Estoril, you make my heart sing!).

breld · July 2023

@nyccarguy said:
@breld - is that a different red from the regular integrals?

Yeah - same red. I think the only color exclusive to the type S is their Tiger Eye Pearl (coppery gold color).

breld · July 2023

Thanks for the feedback all.

I also had the right of first refusal on my dealership’s demo, just like the one @pensfan83 posted. But it’s a showcase for all the accessories you can add, like those bronze wheels and carbon fiber accents…adding up to an additional $10k.

Even the manager said he didn’t blame me for passing on it.

breld · July 2023

@jmonroe1 said:
————————————————
That sounds like the truth hurts.

FWIW, I like the color.

jmonroe

Oh I don’t deny it’s the truth that I likely won’t have it long…it just doesn’t help with my color choice! 😀

tifighter · July 2023

Tifighter’s Integra Type S color power rankings-
1. Blue
2. White
3. Red
4. Grey
5. Silver
6. Black

Getting the 3 seed is a pretty good season…

nyccarguy · July 2023

I know most if not, every used car is going to have its own set of problems/issues. With my son on the brink of getting his license, I’ve been scouring the internet for some used cars that might be good for a new driver. He’s got a job as a lifeguard at a swim club that we drive him back and forth to. He’s also going to be driving himself to school starting in September which will be less stressful for my wife who had to take him to school everyday about 15ish minutes north of us (2ish towns north), then fight the traffic to get to her job for to where she works which is 1 town south of us (1 hour plus round trip).

The 1st generation TSX like the ‘07 I posted apparently have issues with power steering pumps, transmissions, AC Compressors, & leaking timing cover gaskets.

I found a nice '09 RAV 4. Red/Tan Guts. I've watched videos that say to avoid the pre-'09 2nd generation like the plague. 150K miles. Spent the majority of it's like in upstate NY (no offense @oldfarmer50 & @stickguy ). Nothing major. Front sway bar end links go bad (they were replaced on this particular model). Leaking timing chain cover gaskets. Oxygen sensors, Ignition Coils, & EVAP Canister.

A friend has a 2012 Camry LE Hybrid with 112K miles on it that he's looking to get rid of because his oldest is getting ready to start his 2nd year of college and he paid off his mortgage. So he wants a new car! Transmission problems & AC Compressor Failures at or around the 150K mile range.

I know I've mentioned my father in law's Outback before, but I'm not sure my in-laws will be ready to part ways with it. Plus I haven't asked yet, but they'll most likely want way too much over what I'm willing to spend.

I don't want to spend $5,000 - $7,000 on a car that's going to need $2,000 in deferred maintenance and repairs.

stickguy · July 2023

Find a Chevy cobalt.

nyccarguy · July 2023

I'm not brave enough, but I really like those gold wheels. They looks great on the white (so much better than the black) and would really look sharp on the Red.

corvette · July 2023

stickguy said:
Find a Chevy cobalt.

Or a hooptie Prius.

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