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Getbig Female Info Boards => Open Talk for Girl Discussion => Topic started by: Al-Gebra on June 04, 2007, 10:36:24 AM
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I acquire nice-looking/well-performing used cars fairly often and drive them a couple times before saying goodbye. My reasoning is that the cost of acquiring them is not too high, and they're still a lot of fun to drive. And I like variety.
But, I don't think I'd want to own (long-term) a used car, or one that has more than a certain mileage on it. Yeah, I know I'm going to have to get a late model car(these days people drive cars a helluva lot). Seems like there are a lot more hidden defects in cars that have been used, even slightly . . .
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One wonders if there are any new cars left out there these days! The world seems to only produce sports cars anymore and everyone wants a sports car even if it started out as a dodge neon. Some mechanic in tinsel town will make it lool like a Ferrari then everyone wants to drive it or atleast download pics of it off the web!
I prefer the older models; easy to drive, no gadgets, no special paint job and they are easier to work on!
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One wonders if there are any new cars left out there these days! The world seems to only produce sports cars anymore and everyone wants a sports car even if it started out as a dodge neon. Some mechanic in tinsel town will make it lool like a Ferrari then everyone wants to drive it or atleast download pics of it off the web!
I prefer the older models; easy to drive, no gadgets, no special paint job and they are easier to work on!
lol @ dling pics off the web.
1. It's still possible for me to get a '23, maybe even a '22. It's probably not going to be fresh off the factory floor, but there's a fair chance that it might be in pretty pristine condition . . . especially, if you get one that's spent a lot of time getting work done on what's under the "bonnet/hood," as opposed to acquiring all kinds of flashy and useless bodywork/tailpipes, etc.
2. Agree w you that all cars want to look like sports models these days. you'd think a chevy malibu would know that no spoiler in the world is going to turn it into a porsche carrera. It's just going to look ridiculous . . . especially at the beach.
3. There are new "retro" models available, but they're usually at showrooms w crosses on top of them . . . and i've heard conflicting reports about Utah. Some tell me that many of the cars there don't get mileage put on them until someone buys them, but then others tell me that the cars do all kinds of wild shit, going off-road, getting turbos, etc., and then suddenly they pretend to be all pristine when a buyer shows up. But i have very little first-hand experience, and what i have indicates low mileage on cars coming out of Utah. I might have to go out there and check it out myself.
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Lime green Dodge Charger. :D
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Lime green Dodge Charger. :D
what year? the old ones are fun to drive, but you better have something more reliable in your garage, 'cause the older ones are always breaking down.
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what year? the old ones are fun to drive, but you better have something more reliable in your garage, 'cause the older ones are always breaking down.
2007 Daytona.
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2007 Daytona.
o MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(that car is sweeeeeeet!)
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o MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(that car is sweeeeeeet!)
I know ;)
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hmmm . . . so you guys are open to having more than two cars in your garage? ???
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Lime green Dodge Charger. :D
Nice headlights on that Charger! Gotta love the Muscle Car in disguise, cruises fine in public but hell on the back roads! This goes to show; just because you have muscle doesn't mean you can't be a good ride!
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2007 Daytona.
Hemi? They even move the big 4x4 trucks like a rocket.
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My boss's classic silver convertible jag with the top down up the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto when I was 29 on the way on my own to do an advertising deal with Porshe. (which we landed). I wore my matching silver sunglasses with the mirrored lenses. All I had to do was get in the fast lane.
I drove 100mph straight into their parking lot.
They tried to give us audis and vws but we held out.
xL
I love old Rolls Royces... I've always preferred English cars now even more so because I'm back in England. The doors and windows are a bit difficult to figure out, but hey.
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I acquire nice-looking/well-performing used cars fairly often and drive them a couple times before saying goodbye. My reasoning is that the cost of acquiring them is not too high, and they're still a lot of fun to drive. And I like variety.
But, I don't think I'd want to own (long-term) a used car, or one that has more than a certain mileage on it. Yeah, I know I'm going to have to get a late model car(these days people drive cars a helluva lot). Seems like there are a lot more hidden defects in cars that have been used, even slightly . . .
There's tons of very cheap Volvos and Saabs that are great reliable cars. For some reason they do really bad in the 2nd hand market when they're 3+ years old.
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There's tons of very cheap Volvos and Saabs that are great reliable cars. For some reason they do really bad in the 2nd hand market when they're 3+ years old.
Yugo for parts
xL
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Hemi? They even move the big 4x4 trucks like a rocket.
5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with MDS, 350 horsepower, 390 lb-ft of torque, Performance-tuned dual exhaust
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2007 Daytona.
That car is a beauty. Lots of testosterone under that hood. I'm more of a BMW 5 Series kinda guy. :P
PB
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I dislike German cars, either new or well used.
xL
fuck off horse (rhymes with Porshe
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torque
You talk.
xL
You walk that new Beamer or Merc off the car lot and you've lost 10 grand. Go invest in a vintage Roller.
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If I still lived in America, I'd have a Jeep or a Cadillac.
Instead, I moved back to England where it's impossible to drive. The roads were built for horses and carriages.
I'd have a Range Rover or a Jag if I could.
I do like Italian cars though. Gimme your Ferrari Lambourgini. Alfa?
Or your Rolls. Bentley. Damlier.
Yugo for parts. Saab and Volvo off.
I once flew from England to Toronto then to NY and took a greyhound to Indiana. I drove from Indianapolis to Daytona in a white T-Bird with the roof off.
I also had a car once we called the Blue Bomb. Turned out it was that one Starsky had.
I gave it away. Or left it at the airport, I can't remember.
xL
& I've never been to California or driven 150mph on the Autoban.
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Yugo for parts
xL
hmm dunno, even those at the Volvo dealers, somehow they're not new enough for the managers and not sporty or family enough for other buyers so they fall in a void.
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ok, you got my point exactly. Stay clear of them foreign cars. xL
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Al, I will take a wild guess at this but do you get the feeling that the metaphorical point of this thread has been missed?
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naaa, I'm having a rant about English classic cars
xL
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New Car smooze car.
Question of the Day
What's Your Favorite Color... For A Car?
Yes, we're well aware that it's an insipid almost vapid question. However, some of us have been up for days. That said, we were out the other evening with a friend who could not get over how blue our car is. We tried explaining how cool World Rally Blue actually is on a Subaru, but she just called us a dork. And seeing how she is a member of the
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nowadays they all look the same.
xL
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Here is my baby...(my Mistress #1)
(http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2006models/2006models-Suzuki-HyabusaGSX1300R_Limitedm.jpg)
This is what I have on order...letter from Ducati says it should be here in November!
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/FamilyPage.jhtml?family=DesmosediciRR (http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/FamilyPage.jhtml?family=DesmosediciRR)
PS - Laura...I have one in Black...the SRT (Dodge Charger)...I LOVE my "mistress #2" (as my wife refers to her)
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Here is my baby...(my Mistress #1)
(http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2006models/2006models-Suzuki-HyabusaGSX1300R_Limitedm.jpg)
This is what I have on order...letter from Ducati says it should be here in November!
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/FamilyPage.jhtml?family=DesmosediciRR (http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2007/FamilyPage.jhtml?family=DesmosediciRR)
PS - Laura...I have one in Black...the SRT (Dodge Charger)...I LOVE my "mistress #2" (as my wife refers to her)
Yeah baby!
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But I'd prefer it in red, it will go faster...
xL
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PS - Laura...I have one in Black...the SRT (Dodge Charger)...I LOVE my "mistress #2" (as my wife refers to her)
The black would be my second choice. I am just drawn to the green Daytona.
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now you're talking about foreign motorbikes?
Just get a Harley and stay American.
xL
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Black or Silver for sports cars.
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Black or Silver for sports cars.
Hmmm, depends on the car, but 9 times outta 10 I would pick black. ;D
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now you're talking about foreign motorbikes?
Just get a Harley and stay American.
xL
When Hardly makes a bike that can keep up on the race track, not leak oil or cost 3x what other bikes do, then I may look into it.
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Al, I will take a wild guess at this but do you get the feeling that the metaphorical point of this thread has been missed?
it's getbig, even a gunshot might be too subtle . . . :-\
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Ye wasn't ralking about cars? surely you weren't refering to women? cars are way too masculine for that 8) ok, except for the Jag E-type that's quite metrosexual (but a pretty car nontheless)
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5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with MDS, 350 horsepower, 390 lb-ft of torque, Performance-tuned dual exhaust
Drivers License Vaporizer ;)
I had a 1969 SE w/ a 383ci. Awesome big old car.
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Ye wasn't ralking about cars? surely you weren't refering to women? cars are way too masculine for that 8) ok, except for the Jag E-type that's quite metrosexual (but a pretty car nontheless)
i wasn't referring to just women . . . felt the metaphor worked both ways, even if i was personally thinking in terms of women.
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Certified? Yes -- Satisfied? Not always
Christopher Jensen, New York Times
Getting halves of two cars was not what Paulette Day expected when she bought a red 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that year from a dealership near Detroit for $22,000. The car was used, but it was a "GM certified" car, meaning it had supposedly passed a rigorous inspection by the dealer. As General Motors says in its marketing material, buying a certified car means "the reliability of new and the affordability of used."
Not in this case. Day said she became suspicious about the car after noticing the paint did not match. After a mechanic put the car on a lift and saw the welds, Day learned that the car included pieces from the front of one Monte Carlo and the rear of another, both seriously damaged in crashes.
"I thought, being certified, there are supposed to be so many checkpoints to make sure the car is safe," she said. "I think they skipped over all of it. They would have had to notice that."
Certified used cars have become popular over the last five years, favored by consumers worried about getting a lemon when they buy used. A guarantee from an automaker that the car checks out is peace of mind for which an increasing number of people are willing to pay extra, sometimes $2,000 or more than a comparable used car. But some consumers are finding that certified does not protect them and some, like Day, are filing lawsuits.
Robert Minton, a GM spokesman, said the automaker would not comment on Day's case. Three telephone calls to the dealership, Rowan Pontiac GMC in Southgate, Mich., were not returned.
Automakers said buying a certified vehicle was the next best thing to buying new and that, in general, customers have been pleased with the programs. Indeed, most consumers who buy vehicles certified by automakers say they are substantially more satisfied with their vehicles than those who bought comparable used vehicles, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, an automotive research company in Bandon, Ore.
Certified vehicles "pretty much matched the satisfaction numbers you see from new cars," he said.
Spinella also found that in the last seven years the certified market had grown about 12 percent to 15 percent a year. Last year, new-car dealers sold about 6 million used vehicles that were one to four years old. About 1.7 million of those vehicles were certified, he said.
Automakers said that more than 100 items are inspected before a vehicle can be certified. Many involve major mechanical components and the frame. However, some of the inspection items are insignificant, like checking windshield-washer fluid, said Jack Gillis, the director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America.
If problems were found, the automakers said they had to be fixed for the vehicle to be listed as certified. Certification programs, which vary from automaker to automaker, usually cover current models and the previous four or five model years. Vehicles must have relatively low mileage, often less than 60,000 miles.
The automakers provide inspection guidelines and the extended warranty that comes with the certification, for which they charge the dealer several hundred dollars. The dealers conduct the actual inspections and decide how much more to charge the buyer for a certified vehicle. On average, a certified used car costs about $2,200 more than a vehicle that is not certified, CNW found.
One problem for consumers is that there are no industry standards to define what "certified" means. Anyone from a major new-car dealer to the owner of a small used-car lot can say a vehicle is certified.
Also, most automakers allow vehicles that have been in crashes to be certified if the damage was properly repaired and did not involve damage to the frame.
"So long as the damage has been repaired, most vehicles can be certified," said Virginia Y. Calderon, a San Diego lawyer who often handles complaints about certified cars. "You always have to be concerned about that."
In some lawsuits, automakers have denied responsibility by saying the dealer -- not the automaker -- certified the vehicle.
The only guarantee with a certified used vehicle is that the dealer and the automaker make more money, said Cliff Weathers, deputy editor for autos at Consumer Reports magazine.
With relatively new vehicles in particular, certification makes little sense because they are likely to be relatively trouble-free anyway, Weathers said.
Calling a used vehicle certified suggests it is better, but there is no way a consumer can be sure of that, said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, a California-based advocacy group.
Shahan lobbied the California Legislature to enact a Car Buyer's Bill of Rights, which took effect last year. It includes a certified used-car section that prohibits automakers from certifying a vehicle with frame damage.
"There are some problems with the manufacturer programs where they have been lax," Shahan said.
She also said that because the dealer paid the expense of any repairs, there was a built-in conflict of interest not to make them, Shahan said.
It is a system that depends heavily on the honesty and diligence of the dealer. Automakers said good dealers saw the value of the program and would not abuse it.
"Ultimately, the dealer is our eyes," said Larry Pryg, advertising and marketing manager for GM Certified Used Vehicles.
In Day's case that system failed, said Dani K. Liblang, a Birmingham, Mich., lawyer representing Day. It is hard to imagine how mechanics at Rowan Pontiac GMC could not have known that the Monte Carlo was two vehicles, Liblang said.
"It took our expert less than five minutes to figure out that this vehicle was two vehicles welded together with two different vehicle identification numbers," she said.
Auto company officials in charge of the certified programs said they ensured that the inspections were done correctly and that only the best used vehicles were certified. They conduct audits at the dealerships by inspecting some vehicles themselves. But many automakers warn the dealers in advance, with Toyota being an exception.
Automakers said they also checked the paperwork of vehicles the dealers wished to certify. That includes looking at Carfax vehicle history reports to see if the vehicle was in a major accident or had flood damage. But that still leaves consumers vulnerable because even major problems may not show up on Carfax, Liblang said. A Carfax inquiry run in April on the vehicle identification number for the front of Day's Monte Carlo showed no problems.
Shahan of the California consumers group said that buying a certified used vehicle was a waste of money and suggested that consumers use a different strategy.
"Basically you are paying a lot to have somebody else do an inspection," she said. "Instead, spend $100 or $200 and get your own inspection done."
Auto company officials responded that few consumers have the time or knowledge to find a competent mechanic familiar with the particular model. In addition, certified vehicles come with factory warranties.
Gillis of the consumer federation said he saw presale inspections as "generally a good thing" and "at least an attempt to sell a healthy vehicle." But he warned that a certified label was "no guarantee of a problem-free used vehicle."
Day, who still has her Monte Carlo, had some advice for those who find certified used vehicles alluring.
"Whether they say it is certified or not," she said, "take it somewhere and have it checked because you never know what you are getting."
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THere is a lot more profit in a used than new car. Way more room to negotiate.
Comish on a new Dodge 4x4 quad cab, loaded? about $400.
a very nice 330M... about $1100. Which one you want to sell?
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Ye wasn't ralking about cars? surely you weren't refering to women? cars are way too masculine for that 8) ok, except for the Jag E-type that's quite metrosexual (but a pretty car nontheless)
Wow, ...talk about your confusing double entendres! :o
I'm not even going to comment... I wouldn't know where to start.
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Personally, I prefer new. The same goes for houses. I can't stand buying something that someone else has used/abused.
PB
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When it comes to houses, ...like you I prefer new. Don't like other people's energies lingering about. :-X
But when it comes to cars, I like someone else to have to take the depreciation on it.
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When it comes to houses, ...like you I prefer new. Don't like other people's energies lingering about. :-X
But when it comes to cars, I like someone else to have to take the depreciation on it.
Yeah, new cars are the worst hit out there, prob is finding ones that only got traded off to get a brand new model.
Stand a better chance of quality w/ the more expensive brands than the Mc Transpo type autos.
Negotiate hard on ALL the used stuff, there's major markup compared to new. Sales has way more margin than they pretend. New vehicle margin for the sales guy is poor, it's shocking. You need to be good to make it in car sales.
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Go with used.
(http://www.alc1.net/images/2000_MERC_C280/car1_1.JPG)
Ten year old Mercedes still look and run like new and they cost a whole lot less.
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When it comes to houses, ...like you I prefer new.
It seems like they mostly quit building real houses after the 1940's though. :'(
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It seems like they mostly quit building real houses after the 1940's though. :'(
yeah, i hate living in my fake house. :'( :'( :'(
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Personally, I prefer new. The same goes for houses. I can't stand buying something that someone else has used/abused.
PB
Nah new houses are drop dead boring. Old houses are generally much prettier, have more charisma.
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Nah new houses are drop dead boring. Old houses are generally much prettier, have more charisma.
I prefer to buy new, fix it up myself and up grade it the way I want it, etc. i hate the thought of living in a used house where someone else sat on the toilets, painted tacky colors, stunk it up, etc. Just picky I guess.
PB
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I prefer to buy new, fix it up myself and up grade it the way I want it, etc. i hate the thought of living in a used house where someone else sat on the toilets, painted tacky colors, stunk it up, etc. Just picky I guess.
PB
I completely agree. If you do the customization while the house is being built, you'll not only save considerably, you'll enjoy your home more. The time to knock out wall, expand or shrink rooms is when the house is being built. In addition, builders markup far too much for the upgrades. My sister & brother-in-law paid about 66% less for upgraded cabinetry and skylights than the builders were charging for the standard ones. They simply had the builders install the ones they acquired. They also chose the lot and had the skylights placed in such a way as to maximiza the natural light that would flow into the house. They ended up with far more house for far less money than anyone else in the subdivision.
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Older homes can have a lot of character that money cant buy these days, but be prepared for the experience of owning a rare import car. There will be constant surprises during repairs. Unusual things that add expense.
Up here in the cold, the newer homes are way more energy efficient. A giant old Victorian on lake front could be a $1000 per month heating bill in Wi / Min.!
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Cripes, that's what I'm paying now, ...and mine is energy efficient.
The issues I have with the older homes is also the older infrastructure that supports them.
I'm not fond of the idea of lead pipes, ...not to mention all the other unpleasant surprises that comes with them. Up here, you can't even make changes to your own property if your home is designated a "heritage home". Someone else decides what if any renovations, additions, etc you are allowed to make to it, or even what colour you can paint it. No thanks. Gove me a modern home with modern features and amenities, as well as natural gas heating instead of electric or steam radiators.
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yeah, i hate living in my fake house. :'( :'( :'(
lol
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Cripes, that's what I'm paying now, ...and mine is energy efficient.
The issues I have with the older homes is also the older infrastructure that supports them.
I'm not fond of the idea of lead pipes, ...not to mention all the other unpleasant surprises that comes with them. Up here, you can't even make changes to your own property if your home is designated a "heritage home". Someone else decides what if any renovations, additions, etc you are allowed to make to it, or even what colour you can paint it. No thanks. Gove me a modern home with modern features and amenities, as well as natural gas heating instead of electric or steam radiators.
Lead pipes are serious Biz, anyone w/ a older place needs that checked.
SO Canada has no personal property rights anymore also? I thought only US liberals decided what shrubs and siding and paint their neighbors can have ;).
I got by w/ about 1000gal of LP last yr At $1.45 gal. 2200 sq ft home. I almost never keep it below 72 degrees in winter, if its real cold and windy I turn it down and burn more wood till the weather breaks a bit. It's pointless fighting a 40mph wind at 0 degrees F.
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That also all depends, my friend. Older cars/trucks will also have higher wear and tear not to mention high kilometers. I know people that are constantly in and out of garages/dealerships dropping money to fix and repair thier vehicles and the costs add up bigtime.
PB
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Yeah, and these new rides aint cheap to fix. If ya can find the stuff that just fresh trade for new your ok, but there's still the chance of buying problems. Buy new, and run it to death is often the cheapest for
basic Mc Transpo type rides. Ego/Image sheet metal's another matter alltogether.
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I buy cars at repo auctions for cheap.Ill drive them for awhile then sell them and make a Little money or break even depending on how long I kept them.never gets boring ,I'm always driving something different.