Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

au1994 · July 2023

Congrats! Hope you did well.

akangl · July 2023

We've now been in Costa Rica for about a month, closed on the new house June 28th, moved in June 30th. Its a lovely house, complete with house geckos that, while they keep the bug population down, are noisy and think the house belongs to them. Nightly gecko wrangling is not unusual. We have a "pet" iguana that eats everything we don't want him to and looks at us with a "you know I'll be back tomorrow" look. There's also a huge family a howler monkeys that hang out in the trees near the side yard. They are so fun to watch. They don't seem bothered by us at all. The babies are adorable. They can get loud though.

I will say car shopping in Costa Rica is so different. Currently looking at a Geely Coolray which is what our realtor drives and she loves it. Its not super expensive and considering most 20+ year old cars at $10-$12k+, spending $23-$25k for a brand new car doesn't seem so bad. Gone are the days of wanting leather and a sunroof!

We've been renting a Hyundai Tucson, we are on #3 so far, the first one had a door that wouldn't open, a window that wouldn't open, and brake lights that were shorting out. We had a lady follow us in to a store parking lot to tell us we had no brake lights. The next one was guzzling gas, had no power, then a check engine light came on. This 3rd one is newer, a 2022, less miles, and so far is behaving. No way I would buy one!

stickguy · July 2023

Definitely sounds totally different than Alaska.

akangl · July 2023

stickguy said:
Definitely sounds totally different than Alaska.

It is and we love it! Hubby will be staying in Alaska for the winter and I'll be staying in Costa Rica so little man can start school here. It will be a little tough but doable. There is an amazing private school here and we want him to get started right away rather than have to switch schools 1/2 way through the school year. Not to mention it doesn't break my heart to not spend another winter in Alaska!

nyccarguy · July 2023

I’ll try not to bore you guys too much with this stuff. If it gets too much, then please tell me to stop;)-

Here is a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/subaru/outback/2006/4S4BP61C966362149?listingId=687904753 2006 Outback with a stick and only 111K miles.

The we have a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2009/JTDKB20U197839189?listingId=687838684 2009 Prius with under 100K miles.

And last, but not least, a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2011/JTDKN3DU0B0315425?listingId=688040213 2011 Prius from the Bay state.

nyccarguy · July 2023

I’ve also been poking down another rabbit hole while searching for a car for my son. If it turns serious, I’ll divulge what it is.

au1994 · July 2023

nyccarguy said:
I’ll try not to bore you guys too much with this stuff. If it gets too much, then please tell me to stop;)-

Here is a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/subaru/outback/2006/4S4BP61C966362149?listingId=687904753 2006 Outback with a stick and only 111K miles.

The we have a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2009/JTDKB20U197839189?listingId=687838684 2009 Prius with under 100K miles.

And last, but not least, a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2011/JTDKN3DU0B0315425?listingId=688040213 2011 Prius from the Bay state.

Subie is the class of that bunch. Mine would have walked vs a Prius. Sorry @corvette

corvette · July 2023

Especially for the money, the Outback is a lot more car than the Prius. I don't think that generation of Outback has ESC, but it does have cool frameless doors. I think the Gen3 Prius is prone to head gasket issues, but I don't think they are commonplace enough that it would deter me from buying one.

stickguy · July 2023

Sube looks nice. But there are no pictures of where the evil hides. If that lived it's live in Rochester there is going to be a lot of rust underneath. The evil beast can take out the entire subframe.

You know the drill. Put it on a lift, and start poking with a screwdriver! One good thing is NY actually safety inspects still, and will fail a car for frame rust-through.

If you go out and buy it, stop by on your way back. I am almost on the way if you go the scenic route!

qbrozen · July 2023

@au1994 said:
Congrats! Hope you did well.

Not really, but had to make it happen.

xwesx · July 2023

nyccarguy said:
I’ll try not to bore you guys too much with this stuff. If it gets too much, then please tell me to stop;)-

Here is a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/subaru/outback/2006/4S4BP61C966362149?listingId=687904753 2006 Outback with a stick and only 111K miles.

The we have a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2009/JTDKB20U197839189?listingId=687838684 2009 Prius with under 100K miles.

And last, but not least, a https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/buy/toyota/prius/2011/JTDKN3DU0B0315425?listingId=688040213 2011 Prius from the Bay state.

Prius will use half the fuel while you have half the fun of driving it. Sadly, I think MA cars age in dog years as a result of the way folks drive there (ridiculously aggressive). But, aside from that, all three look solid.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

stickguy said:
Sube looks nice. But there are no pictures of where the evil hides. If that lived it's live in Rochester there is going to be a lot of rust underneath. The evil beast can take out the entire subframe.

You know the drill. Put it on a lift, and start poking with a screwdriver! One good thing is NY actually safety inspects still, and will fail a car for frame rust-through.

If you go out and buy it, stop by on your way back. I am almost on the way if you go the scenic route!

Just watch out for a dealer that slaps a sticker on a junker. This place is just south of Rochester.

https://youtu.be/5lRu4zRaXoA

stickguy · July 2023

Eric O. is the best. Poor guy deals with more rust than any man should ever have to.

He recently had to do a front subframe replacement on a 2013 OB. Rotted through bad enough to fail inspection. And this week, had to replace the entire rear subframe on a not all that old Altima because the rear control arms rotted out. Had one shipped up from Alabama that looked like brand new!

stickguy · July 2023

just watched the video. Depressing. and why it is insane to buy a used car in the salt belt without having a good PPI, with it up on the lift. Because the bad news needs to be seen from the bottom. at least bring a towel and squeeze your head underneath. You can see enough doing that to tell.

If I actually needed a cheaper used car like this, I would make a road trip to the south and buy a local unit.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

stickguy said:
just watched the video. Depressing. and why it is insane to buy a used car in the salt belt without having a good PPI, with it up on the lift. Because the bad news needs to be seen from the bottom. at least bring a towel and squeeze your head underneath. You can see enough doing that to tell.

If I actually needed a cheaper used car like this, I would make a road trip to the south and buy a local unit.

That’s one of the first things I do on a hooptie inspection. Right after looking at fluids and a cold start. Up on a lift is better though because some scammers spray black paint over the rust to fool you.

I remember once when a woman at work bought a used Ford Explorer from a large multi-line dealer. A few months later the front coil spring punched through the lower control arm because it was so rusted. The only time I ever saw rust like that was when the same thing happened to my crusty 88’ $900 GMC cargo van. The difference is I knew my van was a junker when I bought it.

nyccarguy · July 2023

qbrozen said:
The 2nd Pajero Mini just hit the road with its new PA owner. Handed my wife a stack of cash so maybe she'll leave me alone for a little while.

Nice job! Selling the Pajero Mini & Handing your wife a stack of cash!

nyccarguy · July 2023

stickguy said:
Sube looks nice. But there are no pictures of where the evil hides. If that lived it's live in Rochester there is going to be a lot of rust underneath. The evil beast can take out the entire subframe.

You know the drill. Put it on a lift, and start poking with a screwdriver! One good thing is NY actually safety inspects still, and will fail a car for frame rust-through.

If you go out and buy it, stop by on your way back. I am almost on the way if you go the scenic route!

I know. It is a Rochester car. Salt stays on the road there until May.

stickguy · July 2023

Even worse, as I learned from Eric O videos, in the country there they also brine the dirt roads to keep dust down. So you get the rotting chemicals all year round caked on with the dust spray from the roads

nyccarguy · July 2023

@oldfarmer50 - I think that video just made me cross northern owned Subarus off my list. Amazing how well the car drove even with the rust & mismatched tires

kyfdx · July 2023

stickguy said:
Even worse, as I learned from Eric O videos, in the country there they also brine the dirt roads to keep dust down. So you get the rotting chemicals all year round caked on with the dust spray from the roads

In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

corvette · July 2023

Just like the good old days!

stickguy · July 2023

I think they switched to salt mixture to avoid all the oil being sprayed. Might be better for the ground but at the expense of car bottoms.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50 - I think that video just made me cross northern owned Subarus off my list. Amazing how well the car drove even with the rust & mismatched tires

Not all is lost. Just buy from an elderly person who took the car to Florida in the winter. The cars tend to be boring but you don’t need the excitement of having parts fall off as you drive.

All these were owned by older drivers. No rust.

stickguy · July 2023

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50 - I think that video just made me cross northern owned Subarus off my list. Amazing how well the car drove even with the rust & mismatched tires

Old Subarus have a lot of quirks. Some are expensive but all end up bring a labor of love.

Might not be what you want for a HS kids first car.

Do you still vacation down south (NC maybe?). If so pick up something local down there and drive it back up!

nyccarguy · July 2023

stickguy said:

nyccarguy said:
@oldfarmer50 - I think that video just made me cross northern owned Subarus off my list. Amazing how well the car drove even with the rust & mismatched tires
Old Subarus have a lot of quirks. Some are expensive but all end up bring a labor of love.

Might not be what you want for a HS kids first car.

Do you still vacation down south (NC maybe?). If so pick up something local down there and drive it back up!

Funny you should say that. I just booked a hotel from 7/25-7/29 in Nags Head, NC:)- I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

jmonroe1 · July 2023

corvette said:

Just like the good old days!

————————————————
That’s why I thought I struck oil in the backyard of my first house that I lived in for 20 years. Did oil changes religiously every 3K miles back then.

jmonroe

qbrozen · July 2023

nyccarguy said:

Funny you should say that. I just booked a hotel from 7/25-7/29 in Nags Head, NC:)- I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

I still vote for a rust-free bulletproof E36.

mjfloyd1 · July 2023

@kyfdx said:
In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

I’ve not seen that. They did “chip and seal” on IN-67 a while back. Pea gravel and tar. What a good idea😂

xwesx · July 2023

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:
Even worse, as I learned from Eric O videos, in the country there they also brine the dirt roads to keep dust down. So you get the rotting chemicals all year round caked on with the dust spray from the roads

In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

That's the way to do it!

kyfdx · July 2023

mjfloyd1 said:

@kyfdx said:

In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

I’ve not seen that. They did “chip and seal” on IN-67 a while back. Pea gravel and tar. What a good idea😂

It's been 25-35 years ago..

roadburner · July 2023

I'll probably regret asking this question, but has anyone heard if Jeep has any decent lease deals for the Wrangler? I want a 2 door- either a Willys or a Rubicon.

Michaell · July 2023

roadburner said:
I'll probably regret asking this question, but has anyone heard if Jeep has any decent lease deals for the Wrangler? I want a 2 door- either a Willys or a Rubicon.

Nope. Standard MF (I think .00363 for 36 month term), and no incentives.

Michaell · July 2023

Michaell said:

roadburner said:
I'll probably regret asking this question, but has anyone heard if Jeep has any decent lease deals for the Wrangler? I want a 2 door- either a Willys or a Rubicon.
Nope. Standard MF (I think .00363 for 36 month term), and no incentives.

Much better lease deals on the 4xe versions - big rebates and much smaller MF.

stickguy · July 2023

Based on what I can see driving by my local dealer, 2 doors are harder to come by.

au1994 · July 2023

stickguy said:
Based on what I can see driving by my local dealer, 2 doors are harder to come by.

2 door Wranglers are like the 2 dr 2wd pickups. No money to be had here, move along.

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

Just got an updated offer from Carvana for the Mustang. $27,382 up about $3k from a few weeks ago when they for some reason thought I had 40k miles on it. When I corrected them with the actual 17k miles the offer went up.

Now that car is in very good shape but it is 8 years old. I don’t know what they are smoking to offer that much. This is why I can’t take these stories of plunging used car prices seriously.

ronsteve · July 2023

@nyccarguy said:
Funny you should say that. I just booked a hotel from 7/25-7/29 in Nags Head, NC:)- I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

Coastal cars run the risk of having been driven through salt water, especially on the OBX where there are a few spots that are prone to tidal flooding. If you’re shopping too close to Nags Head, make sure they didn’t go to Rodanthe too much!

explorerx4 · July 2023

@oldfarmer50,
Do they have any similar cars for sale?
A guy up the street was selling a 2013 F150 XLT crew cab with 130k on it, asking 14,500.
I looked them on Carmax am they were selling theirs for 22-23k.

imidazol97 · July 2023

kyfdx said:

In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

In Indiana where there were still gravel roads in rural areas, the homeowners sometimes paid to have calcium chloride solution sprayed onto the road in front of their residence, e.g.. The calcium chloride is hygroscopic and attracted and held moisture, keeping down the amount of dust from the occasional passing cars.

corvette · July 2023

I'm thinking of attending NAIAS in September--has anyone here been?

oldfarmer50 · July 2023

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
Do they have any similar cars for sale?
A guy up the street was selling a 2013 F150 XLT crew cab with 130k on it, asking 14,500.
I looked them on Carmax am they were selling theirs for 22-23k.

Closest comp on Carvana is a base GT with 7k for $35,000.

jmonroe1 · July 2023

@ronsteve said:

@nyccarguy said:
Funny you should say that. I just booked a hotel from 7/25-7/29 in Nags Head, NC:)- I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!

Coastal cars run the risk of having been driven through salt water, especially on the OBX where there are a few spots that are prone to tidal flooding. If you’re shopping too close to Nags Head, make sure they didn’t go to Rodanthe too much!

————————————————
That salt splash wouldn’t bother me because it’ll rain the next day and be washed off. Just get up to highway speeds for a few miles and you should be fine.

jmonroe

breld · July 2023

corvette said:
I'm thinking of attending NAIAS in September--has anyone here been?

I went on my own many years ago…like 15-20 years ago. Quick weekend trip.

Hmm…wife and I could be tempted to join you.

corvette · July 2023

I don't have an itinerary nailed down, yet, but I'll try to keep you posted. I will probably take the entire week off work and hit up some of the auto museums in northern Indiana on the way up there.

mjfloyd1 · July 2023

imidazol97 said:

kyfdx said:

In Indiana, they spray used oil on dirt/gravel roads in the Summer, to keep down the dust..

In Indiana where there were still gravel roads in rural areas, the homeowners sometimes paid to have calcium chloride solution sprayed onto the road in front of their residence, e.g.. The calcium chloride is hygroscopic and attracted and held moisture, keeping down the amount of dust from the occasional passing cars.

I had to google that one. Definitely never heard of it, but I grew up next to a golf course 😂

mjfloyd1 · July 2023

corvette said:
I don't have an itinerary nailed down, yet, but I'll try to keep you posted. I will probably take the entire week off work and hit up some of the auto museums in northern Indiana on the way up there.

Auburn cord Duesenberg and south bend studebaker museums?

Hopefully you don’t have to drive through much used car oil and calcium chloride😂

fintail · July 2023

Dealer where I first leased the wagon kept me on their mailing list, I just received this offer on an EQE - some discount off MSRP I guess, and some mop 'n glo to boot:

jmonroe1 · July 2023

fintail said:
Dealer where I first leased the wagon kept me on their mailing list, I just received this offer on an EQE - some discount off MSRP I guess, and some mop 'n glo to boot:

————————————————
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a dealer advertise that their DOC fee is negotiable. How could you pass up a deal like that?

jmonroe

explorerx4 · July 2023

Autonation is consistent. They have the mop and glo add on's at the dealer local to me, too.

nyccarguy · July 2023

@fintail - There was a feeding frenzy on these on Lease Hackr a few months ago. It was insanity!

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