I may be looking for a car - ideas?

36truck · Post by **36truck** » October 24, 2009, 10:48 pm

Find a Ranger diesel to drive.

DV65CustomCab · Post by **DV65CustomCab** » October 25, 2009, 6:16 am

Johnny Canuck wrote: BMW's are good cars but parts are a mint and most importantly, take forever to get here. That is why used Beamers the world over are cheap.

So you've bought into that. Just leaves more cars for the rest of us.

He's looking at the 3 series. They are not expensive at all to buy or repair (unless it says "M3"). The bigger Bimmers, yes. They are loaded with electronic geegaws that can fail and cost a mint to fix. But the 3 series is no more expensive to own than most domestics.

He'll pay a premium for a TDI Volkswagen. While they are pretty good cars (unlike their gas brethren), when they do eventually break they are a nightmare to diagnose and repair. And parts for them are more expensive than the BMW!

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » October 25, 2009, 9:55 am

Dwight. That was based on a girl I work with, who broke the timing belt on her 318 on her way to,, you'd never believe this, but she was going to the airport to head for the Nobel peace prize ceremony.
This was the year before Gore won one. So that occurs, what , in September? And she was still driving the Taurus loaner car she was given in February... so you figure out how quick those parts came. The bill was in excess of $2500 to fix it.
If you don't call that a long time or expensive, well I guess BMW's are the car for you.

My sister has had her diesel 5 speed Jetta since her and her husband bought it new in 1991. At just over 200,000 km She put in a new clutch and a set of glow plugs. It may now, at around 430,000 be on it's second or third set of glow plugs. Other than that, she hasn't hardly done more than belt and oil changes, brakes and changing the tires, really no major surgery of any type. The car owes her absolutely nothing, has outlasted her first husband, and after 18 years is still her DD to work.
It never sat in the shop from Sept to February, or it would have been in the crusher by now. So judge for yourself, from these two people who I know first hand, (not some six degrees of separation story), which car you would recommend if you were me.

charliemccraney · Post by **charliemccraney** » October 25, 2009, 10:29 am

On the timing belt issue, that cannot necessarily be blamed on the car. Their are service intervals for those sorts of things. I'm almost willing to put money down saying that she neglected to have the appropriate service performed when it was due.

BMW parts prices have sky rocketed over the past few years. They are great cars but they do break. When they do, they are expensive. If you get one, make sure it is in tip top shape. You can have more than you paid in it quickly if you get a fixer upper! A very good thing about BMW is that parts for their vehicles, back into the 50s are still available through BMW. Parts can often be had overnight, but rarely take longer than 2 weeks.

I have a little more intimate knowledge of BMW than most here.

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 10:59 am

I am not impressed with late model VWs - they are reported to have lots of issues and the diesel cars are expensive to buy and maintain. Diesels reqiure a fair amount of special tools limiting what can be repaired here - I used to fix diesels for living.

OK so far we have;
BMW 3 series - thanks for all the info Dwight. I wouldn't have been looking at a bigger BMW guys - too much fuel. Guessing a 325i manual would be great.
Charlie I did a little research - looks like an early to mid 90s F body would work well too - good idea thanks I just kind of forgot them. It is a little tough to find a nice one around here though.
A V6 5 speed Mustang has been on the list already - the lions share of V6 Stangs are autos though. They can be a tough to find in good shape though too.

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » October 25, 2009, 11:07 am

Charlie. There is no BMW (or mercedes) dealer in the town I live in, Pop approx 80,000
I didn't blame the broken belt on the manufacturer, what I am saying is it took near 5 months to get the parts here (by camel train I guess) to fix it, and it cost probably more than she paid for the car in the first place.

It is a no-brainer for the average man to figure out why used BMW's are abnormally cheap, given those circumstances. Most people do not have 5 months to wait around while the African swallows pair up to deliver their parts in a coconut shell.

Greg you do what you like.
I don't base my decisions on pie in the sky malarkey and magazine write ups. I base them on what I can see and touch around me, down here in the real world.I know you would have to give me a Beamer for me to depend on one, and even then it would be for sale the next day. Of ALL the people I know, the ONLY one who has owned a vehicle that has run trouble- free in excess of 400,000 is my sister. Hardly a mechanic, so imagine what someone who took care of it would have got. I know I have never seen more of one single type of vehicle in the ditch in the winter than Gen 3 Camaros and Firebirds. I recall a trip to Red Deer in January when we counted 10. One only has to total the numbers of aluminum-blocked Vegas and turbo powered Mustangs ( 0 ) seen driving to realize they were not very dependable vehicles. All the vehicles that did me, or someone close to me, wrong in my life are not coming back. Ever. And I remember the ones that did well by me and am loyal to them. The only vehicles in the world I am really sentimental for are Fords previous to Henry Ford's death. All the other's have to stand on their own rite. Obviously, you use a different series of values to determine your useage.
Have at 'er. We're all different. That's what makes life interesting.

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 11:12 am

There is a BMW dealer here in Omaha plus 3 parts stores that deal in aftermarket foreign parts - basically AZ for imports. In the midwest even the Auto Zones etc. have more in import parts than you would think. There are some good post factory parts lines for imports out there too - used to use them on my Triumph and my Capri.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » October 25, 2009, 12:14 pm

Phil · Post by **Phil** » October 25, 2009, 12:16 pm

Phil · Post by **Phil** » October 25, 2009, 12:17 pm

worth double posting

Obsa · Post by **Obsa** » October 25, 2009, 12:30 pm

Pure Class there. Wish I had one.
To quote Billy Joel " And if you can't drive with a broken back at least you can polish the the fenders"

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 12:44 pm

Great ride for sure Phil not a 33-35 MPG car though. It's also likely out of my chosen price range.
The price range I am looking at is based on trade in. I want to keep my 04 van. I can probably get 1000 - 1200 bucks for the 99 trading it. I will have finance the rest, I don't want to pay on the car for more than 24 months max and if the payment is too high I won't have the profit margin I want.

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 1:00 pm

A couple I'll go look at.

http://omaha.craigslist.org/ctd/1432720298.html

http://omaha.craigslist.org/ctd/1402426269.html

http://omaha.craigslist.org/ctd/1428042387.html

http://omaha.craigslist.org/ctd/1397968988.html

willy3486 · Post by **willy3486** » October 25, 2009, 1:21 pm

I can't suggest a model but I can suggest a type. Now its not the most fancy type of vehicles you can get but I try to find autos bought new by retired folks. I have know of S10s , buicks fords and my parents even had a 69 rambler originally bought by a little old lady. When I look for a auto I always let them know I would like to get a one owner owned by someone elderly. They tend to have good upkeep on them,low miles and older. Usually you replace belts,hoses and you are ready to go.

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 2:25 pm

Willy, I am pretty intent on a 5 speed - other than that your idea has a ton of merit. S 10s don't do as well as I want for this on fuel - may as well run the van cause I already own it

Obsa · Post by **Obsa** » October 25, 2009, 2:45 pm

Greg,

Just looking on the Atlanta CL and saw a few that might fit the bill. The last one might be a winner if you wanted to trade your newest old van.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/1435091518.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/ctd/1436564693.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1423271104.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/ctd/1414112106.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1409882673.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1402317540.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1394554050.html

Johnny Canuck · Post by **Johnny Canuck** » October 25, 2009, 2:49 pm

Last one on Obsa's list says they will trade for a work van Greg. Don't you have 2?

Phil wrote:

nice wheeels... i sure wish i had some nice Merc wheels like that for my truck... oh WAIT a minute..

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 3:11 pm

Those do look real good. I unfortunately need to find something local. CL here pretty much only has GTs listed, I am sure some of the dealers out there have some V6 cars - just need to go look. I'll run Rose's Le Baron this week for the KC run. If I take it over as mine that won't happen til the 1st of the month anyway. I am not going to do this unless I keep the run as my route.

willy3486 · Post by **willy3486** » October 25, 2009, 3:27 pm

You know you may not be in the market for a new one but if I had to have a transport type I would love to have one of these.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/19/firs ... for-a-sma/

As far as some of the Ford vehicles they have some around here look like the same as police cars. I instantly react and slow down. I then notice most of the time its a blue hair or her husband. I always wanted to get a old cop car and put it down by my drive. I live on a main highway. I wanted to put it up to a radar gun and have it trip a time delay relay to the blue lights. That way in one second after a speeder in front of my house sees it the blue lights turn on.

Post by **Greg D** » October 25, 2009, 3:43 pm

Willy, those new Ford Transits are really cool - I looked at one. When my 04 Astro gets too long in the tooth and those start be out there used out of fleet service I will all over finding one. I bought a new Mazda B 2500 SE to run doing this in 98, I will NEVER buy a new vehicle and put in on the road for this again. You have to finance them for 36 months to make them pay out for how long you run one and then the payment is so high it's too hard on the profit margin. Your cop car idea reminds of a small town that puts a mannequin in a spare cop car and parks it on the main drag, lol.
JC - yep have 2 Astros. I will trade in my 99 on the car for the KC run and keep the 04. If I have to go for a little newer car I will trade the 04 and keep the 99 to offset the higher cost.