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The cheap price will wear off VERY quickly once you start having problems. I bet that there was more wrong than just an AC problem.
Mark
We're going on spring break... just a few days of strolling around in mid-60s weather is the idea, nothing too exciting. We're bringing along a 4yr-old, so we decided Atlanta it is -- 12 hours of easy driving, and we're at Zoo Atlanta.
Two questions for those in the know, and not just to stay on topic: Where does one look for old Detroit iron? I'd be interested in a shorty van, almost any age, so long as its in good shape and has no rust... conversion probably the best bet, though I wouldn't say no to a well-preserved 8passenger.
Or, another choice, a nice clean shorbox truck with reg cab -- nothing else fits the garage -- preferably with a stick shift. Up here in MI, these vehicles are all rusted out and if not, they're rare and expensive. Any insights?
Also, where does one go with the family for a good time outdoors in GA? Any ideas on Savannah?
TIA,
-Mathias
For the general area, I would probably suggest a day at Stone Mountain Park. It's about 20 minutes east of downtown (add an hour or so if it's rush hour), and is a great tribute to the war of northern aggression. Haven't been in a while, but there should be activities that would please a four year old (train ride, steamboat, skylift to mountaintop, etc.) or just hike around the park and/or up the mountain. There's a beach as well, but probably not open for the season as of yet.
You could also head up to the North GA mountains, about an hour and a half by car from downtown (again, add significant time if it's rush hour). There are a few large lakes outside of metro Atlanta, but it's still too cold for any significant activity.
As for where to buy used cars, The ones around here all have high miles (ATL is very spread out). When I buy used, I often buy in Florida because of low miles and no rust.
Enjoy your trip. Drop me an e-mail if you have any follow up questions.
How much will a dealer deduct from the total trade value for this car? Would it be much better for me to replace the timing belt before trading despite the expense? And, in general, does a recent "improvement" to a car, such as a new set of tires, increase trade-in value any significant amount when trading through a dealer? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Everett
Blue w/Gray Interior
Premium Package (sunroof, leather, power everything)
Sport Package (17's, sport suspension, bolstered seats)
New Z-Rated Tires (less than 1,000 miles)
22,600 miles
no accidents, but had 2 marks on drivers side... one was definately a key job, about 2 inches long. The other looked like someone ran a suitcase agains the back corner... about 2 inches and a little ding around it. Other than that the wheels on the passenger side were run up on a curb once, so they were a little scraped. (that would be the wife's handywork!!)
paint was glossy and nice, no other marks, no repaints... i babied it every chance I got.
We got $20,500 for it after talking the dealer about 3 grand off of MSRP for a Lexus... did we get hosed? KBB and Edmunds were reading $22,000, but it was late and the wife was getting antsy to get into her new car.
no big rush, as it's already a done deal. I just didnt notice this forum until after the purchase.
Thanks!!
My own soap opera continues... After purchasing my Jetta's replacement (an Altima), I agreed to lend the Jetta to my mother, who was going out of town for a month or two and didn't want to drive her Volvo. I had the misfortune of being involved in an accident in the Altima on Friday the 13th. While it was in for repairs, I drove the Jetta for a week and realized how much I love driving that car. Can't explain it, there's just something about a German car that gets my goat--kind of like brown-eyed girls.
The Altima has not been trouble-free, and I am convinced that ultimately, any car is a crapshoot, although some are better risks than others. That said, the repairs on the Jetta have been excessive. Here are some scenarios I am considering:
1) Keep the Jetta, sell the Altima - keep pouring money into the Jetta until fifth-generation Jetta comes out (2005?), or until I can't take it anymore and buy a newer German car.
2) Keep the Altima, sell the Jetta - Even though it's not trouble-free, the Altima has been extremely cheap to operate. It's a nice car, but I don't love it. I'd get bored with this option.
3) Sell them both, buy a new Jetta now - reports seem to indicate that the problems inherant in my early-build Jetta have now been worked out. I get a new car with a new car warranty, and a $500 loyalty discount. I'm tempted to wait for the new 2005 model.
4) Sell them both, buy a used Euro-car - I have driven the current 3-series extensively, and it would be on the short list, as would the 5-series and CTS. I'm not convinced that the upkeep on any of these vehicles would be less than I'm paying now, and depending on the age they might not come with a warranty.
Keeping the Altima would probably cause me the least headaches, but also result in the least joy when everything is working right. I also like the Murano and RX 300/330, and even the Yukon XL, but I think these are totally different animals and not nearly as much fun. Any purchase would be in the $25-$30,000 range (buying new or used depending on the car). Which of these other options is prudent--or, least foolish?
My buddy Mark in Minneapolis has now had 4 Audis and loves them. His advice is to "Buy them new and sell them the week before the warranty ends".
It is not just a question of reliability but the cost of the repairs that is a killer. A new transmission or other major component in an Audi/BMW/Mercedes is a really big financial hit. My vote would be for new instead of used.
Scott.
Terry.
It's a good deal if you can get it for around the $12ish, $13 figure on a push .. the problem here is, your damned if you do and damned if you don't .. no matter what that title says, its going to come back to haunt you, either on the next trade or down Retail Rd, even if you can grab it for cheap money your still have to "debate" or "discuss" the situation with the "next" buyer because of the Chrysler service records and the title, then make him a believer ...
It's kinda like filing a Extension for your taxes on April 15th, you won't have to pay now, but you still hafta pay ....
I hope this makes sense ..
Terry.
Let's see, we've got "As the car chat turns" Episode 1 with the stolen Italian German Beemer and the Chrysler in a pear tree (or is it lemon tree?)
I'm just hanging out here in the hospital with my daughter, probably have about 10 days to go. I haven't completely lost my mind yet, but darn close.
My Explorer is 2 months old today and has around 6300 miles on it.
Our house deal fell through (never met a seller that didn't want to sell for his price, oh well, his loss), no biggie, just means we can go fishing more this summer.
I think I like Anchorage, its not so cold and lots of car dealers....... ;-)
ps: give her a little hug from me ....
Terry.
Hi,
I'm tossing around the idea of selling this private party, possibly trade--
2003 Tacoma XCab, 4WD, SR5 V6, 5-speed manual, TRD pkg, upgraded BFG tires and steel rims, sliding rear window, pl/pw/cruise/tilt, cd/cass, a/c, cloth buckets, floor mats, about 7,800 miles, color--gold, dealer serviced, few minor scratches in bed, no bedliner/rhino, in So Cal, original owner since 8/03, no damage/problems.
Thanks for any feedback you can provide--
* _________________________ *
Thanks for a great description ~ sounds like it could be a nice one .. TRD, No miles, Ecab, 4WD, color is good anywhere, power pack SR5 and because of the style of this truck the handshaker shouldn't bother it too much .. I'm sorry but I gotta ask, why does someone buy a nice vehicle like this and NOT get a bedliner ..?!? .. it's like buying a Audi A8 and not getting the floor mats, oh well.
It should be nice, it has no miles, we have a little mortar attack in the bed and it's a handshaker .. depending on the dealer, trade side in and around the low $18's ... down Retail Rd, grab a cheapo bedliner, superb detail, excellent and profound ad in the largest paper in the area, $20,9 *asking* - then kick and scream at the first $19,5/$19,9 - but take it .........
Let me know how it goes ...
Terry.
Terry.
It sounds like your in a dilemma here .. SUV, sports car type, your all over the place, you and 5 million others .. anytime a vehicle gets whacked folks start looking around - don't know what to tell ya ....
Terry.
1980 280zx 5 spd original owner
335,000 (no oil consumption)
runs well, new tires, after market alloys, everything works (a/c, computer, gauges)
body is in very good shape with only slight oxidation on the roof only.
Hope everything goes well for your daughter. I've got two and one has severe asthma. We're in the hospital a couple times a year. God bless and take care.
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Duncan
Terry.
Trading in a 2002 Jeep Wrangler Sport, yellow in color, "handshaker" as you like to call it, both tops, cd, air, 31' tires..basically every option available. It is in excellent condition and never been offroad, has 22.5 k for miles. I got them to $14k and the sales mgr might actually end up buying it once it is traded in. Was this a good trade? They started at 12.5K......
I had a good experience with the 1st dealer, so unless this other guys offer is a lot lower or you think I should've got more on trade I'll stick with it.
Thanks in advance!!
Hubby called and said one of the tranny lines (one that the body shop had off) came undone, so the Dodge is down again. I'm 300 miles away and feeling rather helpless.
I sure wish they would find a cure for cystic fibrosis, maybe someday. In the meantime we do our hospital visits every 6-12 months, good thing Aly is very easy going. She's 8 going on 30.
Terry, I'll give her that hug when she slows down long enough for me to grab her.
Thats why God made Duct Tape ...
Terry ;-)
Martha
-RX 330
-handshaker? you mean transmission? If so then it's an automatic... I don't think I've heard 'handshaker' used before... or maybe I just didn't notice it before!
Anyhow, thanks!!!
GOOD:
1993 GMC Sierra SLE 1500
Bright red exterior w/ grey guts - a few nicks and scratches but still could pass for a '97-98 or so.
Upgraded interior fabric, split bench (I think)
4x4 (no Z71, I don't think), Ext cab, short box
350 V8
Cold A/C, PW/PL, AM/FM Cassette, Cruise - everything works
In Salt Lake City, UT (could be bad or ugly, depending on who you talk to)
BAD:
175k big clicks
Interior real dirty - love the guy, but he ain't the neatest dude around. I think it'll clean up OK. Call it fair condition, assuming we can take off the top few layers of crud.
UGLY:
The automagic tranny just went south for the winter, and it ain't coming back. AFAIK the transfer case is still OK.
So, best case scenario with a rebuilt tranny, how much is this dude worth for a quick private party sale? We're trying to answer the eternal question, "How much do we sink into this thing?" It was a nice truck once upon a time, but he's not really in a position to pay for the care and feeding of such a miley 4x4 so he'd like to fix it and dump it.
Thanks again,
Jason
ps. My buddy with the Dakota is just about to drop it in the paper. I'll let you know how it goes.
Hear yourself:
"There's good, bad, and ugly here:..."
"Interior real dirty - love the guy, but he ain't the neatest dude around. I think it'll clean up OK. Call it fair condition, assuming we can take off the top few layers of crud"
"The automagic tranny just went south for the winter, and it ain't coming back.."
"It was a nice truck once upon a time, but he's not really in a position to pay for the care and feeding of such a miley 4x4 so he'd like to fix it and dump it"
Well, what can I say ? Thanks for the laugh....
Ok, I have an interesting question for you......
We got Kevin's 99 Ram back from the body shop 5 days ago, today it dropped a tranny cooling line (one that the body shop had taken off in the course of the repair) and dumped its fluid. This was AFTER he found the truck was 3 quarts low on tranny fluid and refilled it. He thinks it might have killed the tranny, or has caused damage that will cause the truck to need a new tranny very soon.
So, how much does it kill the resale value if we have to have a tranny put in the beast? Are we better off to not replace the tranny (assuming its still driveable) and dump it ASAP or drive it for a while and hope, then end up replacing the tranny? We've had experience with a reman Dodge tranny, they suck to put it lightly, plus a truck with this low of mileage shouldn't need a new tranny. I am NOT a happy camper today, the truck only has 15k on it.
So, what do you think? Does it flat kill resale with the new tranny? He had intended to keep the truck until 35k then trade it (that's when the ESC is up).
Thankfully he was at home when it happened, 15 minutes later and he would have been on the road with the car hauler trailer and probably come to a screeching halt.
Other dealers have said the same as you, Terry....the proverbial 'lemon' is often someone with a late case of buyer's remorse.
But the title still is a 'branded title out in the cold.'
I will let you know if the dealer moves on it when I make an offer.
Scott.
Anyway, I would go after the body shop if it is cooked, since they screwed up the fluid line. Plus, they do have plenty of your money to play with.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
They have a great reputation for R-U-S-T, so if it doesn't have 155lbs of bondo, another 23lbs of "let's paint it again Sam" and the seats don't look like the Suma wrestler crowd has been using it for public transportation, and everything works .. then it's probably worth in and around the $1,5/$2,500 zipcode ..
Terry.
Just like he said ........ :0
Terry.
Since you are going right through.. Chattanooga has a few attractions.. We did a weekend down there when our son was 4-years old.
The main attraction there is the Tennesee Aquarium. They really did a top-notch job on it. They also have an IMAX theater along with it. There is also an incline up the mountain that would be entertaining for your child.
There is a nice area of old downtown that has been rehabbed, with some brewpubs, etc. We had a very nice time. (Keep in mind, this info is about 5 years old).
regards,
kyfdx
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Thanks for the feedback on the Tacoma--good to know I'm not buried in the payoff. Why no bedliner? -- was thinking about a rhino lining instead, but haven't had it sprayed in yet. Anyway, now that we're in the land of sun, sand and silicone, it might be time for that 240/280Z I've always wanted...
Thanks again--
On another note, my Explorer decided to jump in the game too, its at the dealer with who knows what wrong with the tranny. I just love being 300 miles from home.
Good luck with your daughter. I'll say a prayer too.
Oh, the 175k miles? Wishful thinking on my father-in-law's part. It's actually 188k.
Basically we just want to know ballpark figures. If it's a $5k rig with a new tranny it's worth fixing and cleaning up to sell. If it's a $2k rig he'll dump it as-is for whatever he can get.
Maybe he should fix it and take it to Alaska
Thanks in advance (and glad I could provide some comic relief)
-Jason
Jolie: Best of luck to you. With the trucks, too, but I mean with your daughter... mine had flu symptoms for our two 1/2 days of driving (Sun/Mon) but she's all better now. Nothing to worry about, but a reminder on how bad it is when the little ones are sick. Awful.
Y'all have a nice evening. I'm typing this in my minivan (which is the cat's BE-hind for family travel) while parked in front of a now empty office building with a wireless (and apparently clueless) server that lets me right in. It's the nineties, baby!, and it isn't even the nineties anymore. But I'd better move along before security starts to wonder what I'm up to... Hugs,
-Mathias
P.S. They've got WATER here. Liquid stuff. In the outdoors. I'm in love. Why oh why did we move to MI???
As for the rest of the story. The body shop took full responsibility, sent the mechanic and tow truck, unfortunatly he couldn't fix it, so loaded it up and hubby went with him to the body shop. They located a new tranny cooling line and had the truck back on the road within 2 hours of it getting there. They apologized and said it was definatly their fault, they had put it back on wrong and caused the failure. Hubby says the truck is once again happy and appears to have no damage to the transmission.
My truck is still at the dealer, will know more tomorrow.
My little one has had a rough day, she's sleeping at the moment. As for me, I've been just sitting here watching her sleep, only going slightly nuts.
Promised to let you know the result. Ran it in the paper 10 days for $23k. No calls. Ran it another 10 days for $22.5k. No calls. Ran it again for $22k. On the 8th day.......got a serious prospect, buyer with $, ready to write a check. We settled on $21k. I netted $1700 over the lease buy-out unless I factor in the near month of paid-up driving I gave to Lexus. Oh, well.
Lesson learned: selling a car Jan/Feb when it's too cold/wet to stand outside confortably ain't the time to sell a car.
Thanks for the help. I'm happy enough and money ahead of turning the lease in. BTW....got a fine price on a new RX330 probably because the dealer was in the middle of the same winter slump. Selling the car myself will make 3 lease payments on the new one. Better than a sock in the jaw. Thanks again. Glad I did it.
Thats about everything in a nutshell .. but anyway, I'm glad things worked out and you picked up enough jingle to go to Aruba for 2 weeks ........
Terry.
ps: you will like that RX330 ..
Terry.
Terry.
Some neighbors of mine are trying to sell a 2001 Buick Century Custom sedan. The car is very clean no dings/dents good tires etc. Mechanically the car has no problems and runs great.
The mileage is around 35k. Car has auto/air/pw/pdl
and is silver color if that makes a difference.
What would be the trade in value for this car.
Advertised it for $12,500. Got a few calls but no lookers. The next week advertised for $11,900; got a cash buyer for $11,000, and 2 people waiting to see if the deal didn't go through. (It did). Ironically, it was somebody who saw the For Sale sign in the windshield.
Not many people know about these, so you almost have to find the buyers by accident. E.G. "I was lookin' for a Pathfinder, but when I asked a buddy about your car he said he had two Troopers and loves 'em."
By the way, we had some beautiful weather here in Houston this weekend, and as a previous poster noted, that can make all the difference.
Olympia, WA/Sedan/Gold-Cloth Ivory Guts
4-cyl/Auto/PW/PL/ABS/Cold air/Alloys/Wood Trim/Fog Lights/6-disk CD
Interior looks hovered in (no Big Mac or Shaq attacks); Exterior - no accidents/parking lot kisses, some minor scratches/rock chips; Deep round things, Service is 100% and, and,.........
72,000 miles (I know, I know I'll get clobbered for this but there's no subways in the deep, wet woods of Washington state - lol)