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Drunken Lullabies
Aug 1, 2006

by Debbie Metallica
I should mention it's like 3-4k for the initial cost of the vehicle, it's fine if he ends up getting something that immediately needs a little more money sank into it.

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KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Panther is pretty killer especially if he's doing a lot of high milage driving. This is the Ford Crown Vic, the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Lincoln Town Car, in order of preference due to increasing complexity of options. On the other hand, they're all late-70s tech for the most part, and V8-RWD-BOF so they're easy to wrench on.

edit: meant highway driving.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Mar 21, 2013

Interlude
Jan 24, 2001

Guns are basically hand fedoras.
My brood has grown to a wife and two kids. Sedan isn't cutting it anymore and as much as I wanted to avoid an SUV, now I think it's the best option rather than having to take two cars everywhere. Need something with AWD and a third row of seating. No god damned minivans. Looking to buy and can spend up to $45k or so, a bit flexible. I don't need to tow.

Part of me says pick something like an Acadia that's roomy without the truck-like abilities, but another part says gently caress it, get a 3/4 ton Suburban so I can run out of gas plowing my driveway. Looking seriously into the Tahoe but I'm reading that they're updating for 2014 and what's that adage about never buying right after a redesign?

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

Interlude posted:

My brood has grown to a wife and two kids. Sedan isn't cutting it anymore and as much as I wanted to avoid an SUV, now I think it's the best option rather than having to take two cars everywhere. Need something with AWD and a third row of seating. No god damned minivans. Looking to buy and can spend up to $45k or so, a bit flexible. I don't need to tow.

Part of me says pick something like an Acadia that's roomy without the truck-like abilities, but another part says gently caress it, get a 3/4 ton Suburban so I can run out of gas plowing my driveway. Looking seriously into the Tahoe but I'm reading that they're updating for 2014 and what's that adage about never buying right after a redesign?

A minivan that isn't one: Ford Flex.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Throatwarbler posted:

Ford Windstar/Freestars all had massive transmission problems due to various manufacturing defects. They were eventually forced by the NHTSA to recall and replace pretty much every single one they sold in 2004-05, but the problem was very common throughout the whole life cycle. It wasn't a maintainance thing either, they were just straight up badly built junk.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/11/us-ford-recall-idUSTRE80A1QX20120111

On the other hand what kind of mileages do these postal vans have? Maybe you can count on survivor bias and figure that if it's a high mileage unit and the trans hasn't poo poo itself yet, maybe it's one of those cream puffs built on a wednesday that will actuall hold up.

My big worry would be that not only do these vans have huge miles on them, but they're all short trip miles of like 1/2 a block or whatever. Dozens of short trips every day for a decade. An engine with 150k on it is probably done, with that kind of treatment.

Maybe if you could find one that had been used on a rural route, rather than in-town delivery?

sim
Sep 24, 2003

I'm much more AI than BFC, but I'm having a hard time making a decision.

Proposed Budget: $25k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4-doors, prefer hatchback, wagon, sedan, crossover, SUV (in that order)
How will you be using the car?: Short commute to work (24 miles round trip), driving around town, putting a kid in the backseat on weekends.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Don't care about gizmos, but leather is almost a must-have.
What aspects are most important to you?:
1. fun to drive, especially in a straight line (forced induction preferred)
2. easy to get a child in and out of and enough room to put groceries and kid stuff in the back
3. good looks

For reference, I've owned a Nissan 300ZX TT and VW GTI. In all honesty, a newer GTI fits the bill, but I just don't want to own the same model twice. So instead I've been looking at the following:
  • Focus ST - Feels a little too much like the GTI, a car I've already owned. I'd like to avoid FWD if possible. Also I'd rather wait for the Fiesta ST in a year or two.
  • 2011+ WRX - Great car and probably my primary choice, but I only like the newest body style, which puts it at the top of my budget and it doesn't come with leather.
  • EVO X - Also at the top of my budget, no hatch, and a tiny trunk. I also feel like I would get more tickets with either of these cars just based on reputation.
  • Mazdaspeed6 - Test drove one and love it. Feels like a grown up WRX (or Legacy GT) and they can be had for under $16k, which makes these the cheapest option on the list.
  • Audi S4 Avant - Rare under $25k, so I have yet to test drive one. I'm also slightly scared for the Audi repair bills out of warranty.
  • Jeep GC SRT8 - Automatic only, which my wife would like. Rides high because it's an SUV. Guzzles gas like a Viper. All that said, how can I enjoy fatherhood more than driving a 420hp SUV?
  • E63 AMG - This is how I would enjoy fatherhood even more. Definitely a stretch goal since the maintenance would be far worse than the Audi, but it's hard to say no to 507hp and a luxury interior. Please tell me not to buy this. Actually what has scared me away more than anything is an apparently common leaky gas tank that puts fumes into the cabin that Mercedes refuses to fix.
As you can see, I'm all over the place. I can't decide if I want to buy an automatic wagon/SUV that can be the long-term family car, or get a cheaper, manual 4-door that can fulfill my need for speed. Please help!

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

Interlude posted:

My brood has grown to a wife and two kids. Sedan isn't cutting it anymore and as much as I wanted to avoid an SUV, now I think it's the best option rather than having to take two cars everywhere. Need something with AWD and a third row of seating. No god damned minivans. Looking to buy and can spend up to $45k or so, a bit flexible. I don't need to tow.

Part of me says pick something like an Acadia that's roomy without the truck-like abilities, but another part says gently caress it, get a 3/4 ton Suburban so I can run out of gas plowing my driveway. Looking seriously into the Tahoe but I'm reading that they're updating for 2014 and what's that adage about never buying right after a redesign?

2010-11 Audi Q7 or Mercedes GL450.



sim posted:

I'm much more AI than BFC, but I'm having a hard time making a decision.

Proposed Budget: $25k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4-doors, prefer hatchback, wagon, sedan, crossover, SUV (in that order)
How will you be using the car?: Short commute to work (24 miles round trip), driving around town, putting a kid in the backseat on weekends.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Don't care about gizmos, but leather is almost a must-have.
What aspects are most important to you?:
1. fun to drive, especially in a straight line (forced induction preferred)
2. easy to get a child in and out of and enough room to put groceries and kid stuff in the back
3. good looks

For reference, I've owned a Nissan 300ZX TT and VW GTI. In all honesty, a newer GTI fits the bill, but I just don't want to own the same model twice. So instead I've been looking at the following:
  • Focus ST - Feels a little too much like the GTI, a car I've already owned. I'd like to avoid FWD if possible. Also I'd rather wait for the Fiesta ST in a year or two.
  • 2011+ WRX - Great car and probably my primary choice, but I only like the newest body style, which puts it at the top of my budget and it doesn't come with leather.
  • EVO X - Also at the top of my budget, no hatch, and a tiny trunk. I also feel like I would get more tickets with either of these cars just based on reputation.
  • Mazdaspeed6 - Test drove one and love it. Feels like a grown up WRX (or Legacy GT) and they can be had for under $16k, which makes these the cheapest option on the list.
  • Audi S4 Avant - Rare under $25k, so I have yet to test drive one. I'm also slightly scared for the Audi repair bills out of warranty.
  • Jeep GC SRT8 - Automatic only, which my wife would like. Rides high because it's an SUV. Guzzles gas like a Viper. All that said, how can I enjoy fatherhood more than driving a 420hp SUV?
  • E63 AMG - This is how I would enjoy fatherhood even more. Definitely a stretch goal since the maintenance would be far worse than the Audi, but it's hard to say no to 507hp and a luxury interior. Please tell me not to buy this. Actually what has scared me away more than anything is an apparently common leaky gas tank that puts fumes into the cabin that Mercedes refuses to fix.
As you can see, I'm all over the place. I can't decide if I want to buy an automatic wagon/SUV that can be the long-term family car, or get a cheaper, manual 4-door that can fulfill my need for speed. Please help!

Previous generation Legacy Spec.B. It's like an STi 6-speed drivetrain and good suspension in a Legacy body with leather. No adjustable center diff but no one uses that poo poo anyway.

Just Chompin'
Apr 17, 2004

1% Pure
Proposed Budget: 4000 Bucks

New or Used: USED

Body Style: Truck, Wagon, Van

How will you be using the car?: I need it mostly to haul a poo poo load of audio gear. ie 2 18" subs, 6 12" monitors, 4 amps, mixer, and other bullshit.

Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? I don't give a poo poo. I need a car that can move a lot of poo poo and has a radio.

What aspects are most important to you? Needs to be big, reliable, and hopefully do ok on gas.


Other then that poo poo, I would like a stick shift if possible.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

Throatwarbler posted:

2010-11 Audi Q7 or Mercedes GL450.


Previous generation Legacy Spec.B. It's like an STi 6-speed drivetrain and good suspension in a Legacy body with leather. No adjustable center diff but no one uses that poo poo anyway.

Make sure you leak it down however. And I'd put a decent dyno tune on it as the USDM tune can lean out and lead to piston issues.

As a Legacy GT owner, I'm not convinced the spec B is worth the extra unless:
a: You're not going to touch the suspension (as the Bilstien shocks are the "B")
b: You're going to add a ton of power (the 6 speed can handle a lot of power. Note that the 06 got the same 5 speed as everything else).

However, it is the car on the list I'd get unless that E63 was a wagon (it is still a 60k car). You can get a 2005 GT manual wagon which will fit all your needs and wants!
The Mazdaspeed 6 is a car that looks better on apper than it is. The suspension is weird. The AWD systemis terrible. The engine sucks with 91 -- it pulls massive timing with anything short of 93. Losings a gfood second or 2 off the 1/4mi.

Maultaschen
Jan 19, 2004

I've got a situation with my 2000 Outback, and I need some help figuring out the right move.

I've got about $1300 in repairs that need to be made pretty soon. A few months ago I started saving up for a down payment on a new car, and I have, uh, $1300.

The car I thought I was saving for was a hatchback between $10k and $13k, probably a Focus or an 09-10 Vibe. My fiancée owns the Outback, and pays the insurance for it. The title for a new car would be in my name. I'd be picking up both a car payment and an insurance payment, probably $250 and $90 respectively if I buy it now. I can afford this, but in an ideal world I'd have more to put down up front. We're saving up for our wedding, and she's not in a situation to put much if any towards the car.

The repairs on the Outback are the timing belt ($750) and the valve cover gasket including tube seals and new spark plug wires ($450). The gasket has been put off for a while, and it's leaking badly. The belt is 10k past due. Other potential issues:

- it has 220k miles
- the head gasket, which I've read is prone to failure on 00-03 Outbacks, has never been replaced
- aftermarket axles have been causing vibrations in the front end for a few years now, but I don't intend on replacing these before the car
- there's something up with the emissions, and at least one cat will need to be replaced next year, if I still own it

As I see it, my options are 1) do the repairs and hope nothing else big comes up while I rebuild a down payment, 2) replace it now with the car I want to buy, or 3) replace it now with a $7k-9k car.

I want to go with 1, but I feel like it's risky. I don't want to go with 3, but it's probably the safest. Am I right about that? Is there anything I've missed or haven't considered?

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad

sim posted:

For reference, I've owned a Nissan 300ZX TT and VW GTI. In all honesty, a newer GTI fits the bill, but I just don't want to own the same model twice. So instead I've been looking at the following:
  • Focus ST - Feels a little too much like the GTI, a car I've already owned. I'd like to avoid FWD if possible. Also I'd rather wait for the Fiesta ST in a year or two.
  • 2011+ WRX - Great car and probably my primary choice, but I only like the newest body style, which puts it at the top of my budget and it doesn't come with leather.

I don't see getting an E63 that fits in your budget being a justifiable financial decision. Is your kid big enough that s/he'll soon graduate from a seat? If not, the smaller door on the Fiesta might get old real fast. Dynamically and stock powerwise, the Focus ST is supposed to be heads and shoulders above the GTI. Even if it's FWD, it's supposed to be more fun to drive. Did that not pan out in a test drive?

photomikey
Dec 30, 2012

Maultaschen posted:

The repairs on the Outback are the timing belt ($750) and the valve cover gasket including tube seals and new spark plug wires ($450). The gasket has been put off for a while, and it's leaking badly. The belt is 10k past due. Other potential issues:

<snip>

As I see it, my options are 1) do the repairs and hope nothing else big comes up while I rebuild a down payment, 2) replace it now with the car I want to buy, or 3) replace it now with a $7k-9k car.

I want to go with 1, but I feel like it's risky. I don't want to go with 3, but it's probably the safest. Am I right about that? Is there anything I've missed or haven't considered?
Do the gasket, don't do the timing belt.

Put on the spark plug wires yourself.

I don't know what the other stuff means.

You need a mechanic to whom you can say, "seriously, the thing has 220k miles on it. I'm not doing $1200 worth of maintenance - it might die tomorrow. What do I really need?". If you do not have a mechanic who can boil it down like this, you need a new mechanic.

For my money, I would drive it until the timing belt broke (which could be 100k miles from now), coast to the side of the highway, grind off the VIN number, and call a Taxi.

You have never lived until you've paid cash money for a car. Keep saving. It's exhilarating.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

photomikey posted:

Do the gasket, don't do the timing belt.

Put on the spark plug wires yourself.

I don't know what the other stuff means.

You need a mechanic to whom you can say, "seriously, the thing has 220k miles on it. I'm not doing $1200 worth of maintenance - it might die tomorrow. What do I really need?". If you do not have a mechanic who can boil it down like this, you need a new mechanic.

For my money, I would drive it until the timing belt broke (which could be 100k miles from now), coast to the side of the highway, grind off the VIN number, and call a Taxi.

You have never lived until you've paid cash money for a car. Keep saving. It's exhilarating.
$750 seems a bit much for an EJ25 timing belt, but it is the most important repair listed here. If the TB already has 115k mi on it, it isn't lasting another 100k mi. It may not last another 2k. This is the repair that needs to be done tomorrow. Remember that this failure turns the motor into a boat anchor.
I'd be curious about why they say you need new spark plug wires.
I'm not convinced you need to do the head cover gaskets if you can keep oil in it through top offs (IE, doesn't go from full to low in a tank of gas), and it isn't falling anywhere hot. Oil leaks are certainly not the end of the world. poo poo, pretty much very air cooled 911 does it and they're collector's items. Even if you do all that, I don't see $450 worth of work.
I did a timing belt with all the parts and replaced a radiator on my EJ257 for less than $1300 including labor, so I think you may want to talk to someone else.

Putting $750 in a car that's still worth $2k isn't terrible.

Maultaschen
Jan 19, 2004

nm posted:

$750 seems a bit much for an EJ25 timing belt, but it is the most important repair listed here. If the TB already has 115k mi on it, it isn't lasting another 100k mi. It may not last another 2k. This is the repair that needs to be done tomorrow. Remember that this failure turns the motor into a boat anchor.
I'd be curious about why they say you need new spark plug wires.
I'm not convinced you need to do the head cover gaskets if you can keep oil in it through top offs (IE, doesn't go from full to low in a tank of gas), and it isn't falling anywhere hot. Oil leaks are certainly not the end of the world. poo poo, pretty much very air cooled 911 does it and they're collector's items. Even if you do all that, I don't see $450 worth of work.
I did a timing belt with all the parts and replaced a radiator on my EJ257 for less than $1300 including labor, so I think you may want to talk to someone else.

Putting $750 in a car that's still worth $2k isn't terrible.

$700-800 is what I've been quoted by the shop down the street and a shop that specializes in Subarus, both of whom I trust. It includes the water pump.

The oil leak is dropping somewhere hot. It's coating the underside of the engine and the very beginning of the exhaust, and I can smell it smoking after I've been on the highway.

I actually have two quotes for fixing the gasket. The place down the street says $229. The Subaru place is about equal, but they say that if the oil's coming out like I describe, they need to check and maybe replace the tube seals. (I don't know if a tube seal is a thing but that's what they told me.) Same with the spark plug wires - he mentioned oil getting into the wires. That all together was $450. He stressed that he might not have to do all of it.

ShimmyGuy
Jan 12, 2008

One morning, Shimmy awoke to find he was a awesome shiny bug.
Proposed Budget: <$30,000
New or Used: New
Body Style: Dependent on the other qualifications (No real need for a truck)
How will you be using the car?: I will be moving to a area of Idaho that deals with allot of snow, so I need something that can handle snow very well. I will also be taking the car up a number of mountains for rock climbing and snowboarding trips. Outside of that, I will just be driving around town, maybe going on road trips. I dont have a family to drive around so it doesn't need to be very large.
What aspects are most important to you? As mentioned above, I need a car with good handling. I would like the gas mileage to be average-good. I would love it if the car was a bit sporty, but with enough space to fit four people/snowboards at least.

HiddenReplaced
Apr 21, 2007

Yeah...
it's wanking time.
Proposed Budget: 25k

New or Used: Preferably new

Body Style: 3+ doors, compact

How will you be using the car?: Commuting to work, not especially long. Regular driving.

Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Luxury in name? No. Do I want a bunch of gizmos? Yep.

What aspects are most important to you?: I'm moving to downtown in Chicago within the next year and I want something significantly smaller and more easily maneuverability around the city. I would also prefer it still look a little cool.

Also, nav, backup camera, heated seats, blutooth, my car talking to me, etc...

What about the Kia Soul? Does anyone have an opinion on that?

Xguard86
Nov 22, 2004

"You don't understand his pain. Everywhere he goes he sees women working, wearing pants, speaking in gatherings, voting. Surely they will burn in the white hot flames of Hell"

HiddenReplaced posted:

Proposed Budget: 25k

New or Used: Preferably new

Body Style: 3+ doors, compact

How will you be using the car?: Commuting to work, not especially long. Regular driving.

Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Luxury in name? No. Do I want a bunch of gizmos? Yep.

What aspects are most important to you?: I'm moving to downtown in Chicago within the next year and I want something significantly smaller and more easily maneuverability around the city. I would also prefer it still look a little cool.

Also, nav, backup camera, heated seats, blutooth, my car talking to me, etc...

What about the Kia Soul? Does anyone have an opinion on that?

The Dodge Dart is a new compact car with very well reviewed technology. Maybe browse over to their site and check it out.

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad

HiddenReplaced posted:

How will you be using the car?: Commuting to work, not especially long. Regular driving.

Any preference on transmission?

Ingenium posted:

Proposed Budget: <$30,000
New or Used: New
Body Style: Dependent on the other qualifications (No real need for a truck)
How will you be using the car?: I will be moving to a area of Idaho that deals with allot of snow, so I need something that can handle snow very well. I will also be taking the car up a number of mountains for rock climbing and snowboarding trips. Outside of that, I will just be driving around town, maybe going on road trips. I dont have a family to drive around so it doesn't need to be very large.
What aspects are most important to you? As mentioned above, I need a car with good handling. I would like the gas mileage to be average-good. I would love it if the car was a bit sporty, but with enough space to fit four people/snowboards at least.

Do 4 snowboards fit into a midsize sedan's trunk? It's times like these when I wish I paid attention to stuff beyond performance.
New Mazda 6. The base motor can do 38mpg on the highway. Should be fun to drive compared to its competitors. The AI boilerplate about snow is to get snow tires and swap them as the seasons demand.
If you can't suffer snow tires, then Subaru Impreza or Crosstrek.

HiddenReplaced
Apr 21, 2007

Yeah...
it's wanking time.

kimbo305 posted:

Any preference on transmission?

Probably automatic, manual in city traffic is annoying and s/o will need to drive the car at some point.

diremonk
Jun 17, 2008

I'm needing a bit of advice regarding my current vehicle and if I should get a new one.

Took my current truck in (1998 Ranger with 116k miles) for new brakes in anticipation of a semi-long drive next month. The auto shop discovered a host of issues that need to be taken care of. I need new front and rear brakes (disc and drum), new rotors, front shocks, rear shocks, rear wheel seals and rear diff work related to the ABS sensor tripping. This is in addition to needing a new timing belt, plugs, AC work, probably new tires, alignment, etc. So from the estimate they gave me today and what I've been told it will cost for the other work, I'm going to be spending in excess of three thousand, probably closer to four thousand.

While I love my truck, I'm wondering if it is worth keeping it around. Blue book has it only worth between 4-5k. I don't really need a truck since most of the time I'm driving by myself and not hauling anything. Plus the fuel economy is not the greatest, getting 19 mpg on a good day.

I'm hoping to try and keep it for another six months till the fall. I figure I'll save as much as I can till then to have a larger down plus the trade in value. Is this wishful thinking?

Gucci Loafers
May 20, 2006

Ask yourself, do you really want to talk to pair of really nice gaudy shoes?


Here my situation,

I'm 27 Years old in Fargo, ND. I'm currently driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima with 140k - it's surprisingly well taken-care of and even mostly rust free. A month ago a I decided to see what would happen if I switched from All-State to another insurance company. I'm currently paying $50 for liability only but Progressive and State Farm will only cost me $60 for Comp, Collision, Uninsured.

I quoted them at some wild ideas, why not a ~$15k 2007 BMW or Honda? $5 more a month, or $65.

Which makes me think - what's the point of so much insuring the Nissan which is only worth $3k? I know I have good credit and I could probably get an auto-loan at 5%? $15k at 5% for four years only $1.5k in interest - although I'd probably pay it off a lot sooner.

The only catch is I've got about $17k in Student Loans which if I am careful I could pay-off next summer completely or with-in two years. I make a bit over $45k.

Gucci Loafers fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Mar 24, 2013

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Pay off your student loans on your car that costs you essentially no money.

Hotbod Handsomeface
Dec 28, 2009

diremonk posted:

I'm needing a bit of advice regarding my current vehicle and if I should get a new one.

Took my current truck in (1998 Ranger with 116k miles) for new brakes in anticipation of a semi-long drive next month. The auto shop discovered a host of issues that need to be taken care of. I need new front and rear brakes (disc and drum), new rotors, front shocks, rear shocks, rear wheel seals and rear diff work related to the ABS sensor tripping. This is in addition to needing a new timing belt, plugs, AC work, probably new tires, alignment, etc. So from the estimate they gave me today and what I've been told it will cost for the other work, I'm going to be spending in excess of three thousand, probably closer to four thousand.

While I love my truck, I'm wondering if it is worth keeping it around. Blue book has it only worth between 4-5k. I don't really need a truck since most of the time I'm driving by myself and not hauling anything. Plus the fuel economy is not the greatest, getting 19 mpg on a good day.

I'm hoping to try and keep it for another six months till the fall. I figure I'll save as much as I can till then to have a larger down plus the trade in value. Is this wishful thinking?

That sounds like a lot of money for mostly maintenance work, which engine do you have? I think that you should get a quote from a different shop. This is hard to comment on because you just listed a bunch of stuff that a shop told you needs to be done. I don't get the feeling that you actually know what is wrong and what is fine.

If you are willing to do a little bit of learning you can do a lot, if not all of that work on your own. Rangers are very common and parts are readily available. They are pretty easy to work on. If you have the 4.0 ohv then you don't need to change the timing chain unless there was a catastrophic failure.

diremonk
Jun 17, 2008

Hotbod Handsomeface posted:

That sounds like a lot of money for mostly maintenance work, which engine do you have? I think that you should get a quote from a different shop. This is hard to comment on because you just listed a bunch of stuff that a shop told you needs to be done. I don't get the feeling that you actually know what is wrong and what is fine.

If you are willing to do a little bit of learning you can do a lot, if not all of that work on your own. Rangers are very common and parts are readily available. They are pretty easy to work on. If you have the 4.0 ohv then you don't need to change the timing chain unless there was a catastrophic failure.

I believe I have the 2.5l OHC engine in my ranger. The shop did list a bunch of stuff, but the manager also took me into the garage and showed me the leaking seals on my front right shock and the leaking I'm getting from the seals in the back. I've known about the front shocks for a couple years now. I took a speed bump too fast while turning and since then it has made a strange noise when going over bumps.

As for the other stuff, I really didn't keep up with the maintenance schedule for a very long time. I've gotten quotes from two other shops, two chain and one local, and they all match up somewhat. Actually the place I took it to (Midas) was a bit high for some of the issues like the timing belt change not including the water pump. And I just forgot something else I probably need to have taken a look at, I'm still on the original clutch so I'm not sure how much wear I have left on that. But I'm very careful not to ride it or anything else that can burn it out fast.

I bought the truck and then got divorced so I didn't really have much money to spend beyond the very basics. So I'm waaaay over the line on plugs and the timing belt. I'm keeping an eye on the belt and it looks good, but I know I'm gambling. But from what they told me in AI, the engine is a non-interference one so if the belt goes it shouldn't take the engine with it.

I know at least two of my tires probably need to be replaced. Actually three since some bastard stole the spare from under the bed. The tires have a fair amount of tread left, but they are getting kind of cracked due to the sun. I've got no problem doing work on my truck myself, but since I lack the tools some of the bigger stuff like the shocks I'll have to let someone else do it.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

diremonk posted:

Actually the place I took it to (Midas) was a bit high for some of the issues like the timing belt change not including the water pump.

Get this kind of service done at an independent mechanic, not a brake chain-store. Midas and other similar chains do not have fully-qualified mechanics doing the work; they're OK for getting a basic inspection or oil change, but beyond that, avoid avoid avoid.

Ask around for recommendations for a local mechanic, or use Angie's List, or something. Getting repairs done at these cheapo chains will eventually lead to tears. (Also they're notorious for shamelessly padding your service with excess unnecessary items.)

ifuckedjesus
Sep 5, 2002
filez filez filez filez filez filez filez filez filez
Just wanted to showoff my new hotness. I looked at some Pontiac Vibes locally but all I found was overpriced or junk.
2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5I @ 64K miles for $7500 out the door. Has some dings, needs new tires, needs detailed inside in a bad way.... Anyways, it's awesome so far. Columbus Ohio is calling for 4-6" of snow tonight so we will see how it handles (probably 100x better if 2 of the 4 tires weren't bald).



Hotbod Handsomeface
Dec 28, 2009

I would just buy a Haynes manual and do all of the non rear axle and AC work myself. If the AC issues is just the clutch or a refill then that is no biggie.Rangers are pretty simple and very reliable. You should replace the timing belt and the water pump since waiting until it snaps adds more stress to the job. The blown shocks aren't a big deal, you just won't have quite as nice a ride, they might be stupid easy to replace like they are on my '95 ranger. Spark plugs and wires are pretty straight forward. Definitely go to an independent shop. They are usually pretty straightforward with what needs to be done and they have a reputation that they care about. Make a parts list of things that you were quoted needing replacement on rockauto.com and if the shops parts price list is more than that in a major way then don't use them.

Subraji
Mar 28, 2006

He's got an 'ead like a fuckin' orange. Baldy, Mancy 'eaded twat.
I was hoping to get some advice because I've never purchased a used vehicle before and I'd love your opinion(s).

I currently driving a 2000 Toyota Sienna CE minivan with ~200,000km on it. It was given to me by my father when I moved away for grad school.
The minivan is fantastic in most ways; it's immensely reliable, maintenance is very cheap, and I'm told it is in great shape (by mechanics) and that it will run forever. However, I feel a) really lame being a young single male driving a minivan, and b) it's sort of steep on gas.


Here's where my question comes in: I've been tossing around the idea of buying a used car. Specifically, this car:
http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2005-Subaru-Impreza-2-5RS-Wagon-MINT-CONDITION-AWD-W0QQAdIdZ466570871

The seller would accept my minivan at a trade in value of approx $2600-2700, bringing the Subaru he's got for sale down to around $3300 with tax.

The catch: the Subaru is a 'rebuild' -- here are three pictures of the damage it sustained: http://imgur.com/Wn2QY1e,uqKLAAc,JV5c1sB

The seller (actually the mechanic who bought and fixed the car) claims the damage was restricted to the front end and more importantly to the headlights, bumper and hood but not the engine.

I like the look of the car, and he's offering a decent amount for my minivan. I took the Subaru for a test drive and it rode really well.
What do you guys think? Be as honest as possible and if your gut feeling is to tell me I'm a moron, please do!

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

Without knowing your financial situation I think its foolish to trade in a known good vehicle that your familiar with for an unknown potential problem.

Now maybe your done with grad school and you want something a little nicer and you have 4K cash to blow on this. Knock yourself out. Get the car checked out by a reputable 3rd party though.

If you're still in grad school keep the minivan period.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
Do you have a bunch of free time?
Do you want to become a shade tree mechanic?
Is reliable transportation overrated?

If you answered "yes" to all three, go for it.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Subraji posted:

The catch: the Subaru is a 'rebuild' -- here are three pictures of the damage it sustained: http://imgur.com/Wn2QY1e,uqKLAAc,JV5c1sB

These three photos are not sufficient to determine whether there was damage to the frame, engine, or other critical components. You cannot take the word of the seller, since the seller has an obvious vested financial interest in representing the car as being roadworthy.

Moreover, assuming the car has a rebuilt title, it may be difficult or impossible to insure for a reasonable amount (because rebuilt title cars are regarded by actuaries as being statistically more likely to injure occupants in a follow-on accident due to compromised components, and also be more likely to damaged in a way that causes another accident) and have a very low insured value/resale value (both the insurance company, and any potential future buyer, should radically lower its value due to the rebuilt title, just as you should).

So unless you can be very confident in every aspect of the damage and repair, are willing to pay extra to insure it, will never try to resell it, and it's being offered for something on the order of 1/4 or less of what a non-rebuilt-title identical car would sell for... you should run away.

There are plenty of decent $6k cars out there that aren't rebuilt mystery-boxes. Pick any of them instead of this one.

Casus Belli
Jul 16, 2005

jumbo derrick clamp

Sits on Pilster posted:

Any Eurogoons have experience with a high mileage first-gen Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi? There's an '09 for sale near me for a great price with about 160,000 km/100,000 mi. I would be curious to know how it might react to me driving it 80,000 km in the next two years - all highway. Seller says he has all maintenance documentation.

Super late reaction, but I own a 2007 I30 1.6 CRDi (diesel) and it has run 230.000ish km without any hassle besides some small and expectable maintenance costs. Its an ugly but super reliable car.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





diremonk posted:

I believe I have the 2.5l OHC engine in my ranger.

I've got no problem doing work on my truck myself, but since I lack the tools some of the bigger stuff like the shocks I'll have to let someone else do it.

Hi truck buddy! The shocks on this thing are easy as gently caress. Your tool list would be:

*Socket set including large-ish metric sockets - if your set covers between 12mm and 21mm you should be se, and that included doing nearly the whole front suspension.
*Torque wrench
*Vise grips since the upper shock nut will probably spin the shock shaft at first

I added an airgun to this because I was doing balljoints as well, and it makes working that balljoint press a lot easier. I documented a good bit of it in my thread but there are also countless videos of this (and Explorers) on Youtube.

If you don't have a single tool for the job, you should be out the door at Harbor Freight for about $200-300 including buying a jack and stands, and the shocks can be had at Rockauto for about $30 each.

The Ranger is a really, really simple vehicle to work on, and parts are cheap - I'd say it's one of the cheapest vehicles to put on the road. Of course, all of this comes with a giant caveat for me - I'm at the point where I'm putting enough mileage / spending enough in gas on my 2.5L Ranger that the lease + insurance increase + electrical costs on a Leaf are in spitting distance of what I spend on gas and parts alone for the Ranger, and I'm at the point where the back seat is more desirable than the bed most of the time. Once I get a charging station at work, I'm probably ditching my Ranger and going in on a leased Leaf.

IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Mar 26, 2013

Literally Lewis Hamilton
Feb 22, 2005



Leperflesh posted:

These three photos are not sufficient to determine whether there was damage to the frame, engine, or other critical components. You cannot take the word of the seller, since the seller has an obvious vested financial interest in representing the car as being roadworthy.

Moreover, assuming the car has a rebuilt title, it may be difficult or impossible to insure for a reasonable amount (because rebuilt title cars are regarded by actuaries as being statistically more likely to injure occupants in a follow-on accident due to compromised components, and also be more likely to damaged in a way that causes another accident) and have a very low insured value/resale value (both the insurance company, and any potential future buyer, should radically lower its value due to the rebuilt title, just as you should).

So unless you can be very confident in every aspect of the damage and repair, are willing to pay extra to insure it, will never try to resell it, and it's being offered for something on the order of 1/4 or less of what a non-rebuilt-title identical car would sell for... you should run away.

There are plenty of decent $6k cars out there that aren't rebuilt mystery-boxes. Pick any of them instead of this one.

All this. Also, a common tactic is to repair a lot of the damage, take pics, claim this as all the damage. I highly doubt the pics you are seeing is the original damage. I've had claims where we total a car, sell the salvage and then see it for sale later, with the original damage half fixed as the "before" pics. Often with a load of bullshit like, "I don't know why insurance totaled it! Barely any damage! Their loss is your gain."

In short run away.

Subraji
Mar 28, 2006

He's got an 'ead like a fuckin' orange. Baldy, Mancy 'eaded twat.

Bovril Delight posted:

All this. Also, a common tactic is to repair a lot of the damage, take pics, claim this as all the damage. I highly doubt the pics you are seeing is the original damage. I've had claims where we total a car, sell the salvage and then see it for sale later, with the original damage half fixed as the "before" pics. Often with a load of bullshit like, "I don't know why insurance totaled it! Barely any damage! Their loss is your gain."

In short run away.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input and I'll stay away from that car.

diremonk
Jun 17, 2008

Thanks all for the advice, I'll try and keep the Ranger going for a couple more months. I might even bribe a friend who has a bunch of tools into helping me. Not gonna drive it to Vegas next month though, gonna spring for a rental. Would not like to break down between Barstow and Baker, or any other part of the route.

IOwnCalculus, I have the exact same fruity green stripe on my Ranger too.

Modus Man
Jun 8, 2004



Soiled Meat
I had received some sound advice earlier in this thread and it got me looking in the right direction at some nice and SENSIBLE '09 Foresters/Outbacks and '11 awd Journeys. I haven't seen one yet to make me jump on it and my '99 Jimmy is still running strong (although, it seems like every day something breaks on it, I will soon be left with just a running motor).

Then today I stumble across a treasure of '09 Saab 9-7X's being unloaded at what seem like too good to be true prices. Perhaps it is because the Saab brand doesn't exist anymore so people are afraid of these vehicles, but I know that the guts are all Gm parts. These bargain priced SUV's include the 9-7x Aero. An LS2 powered AWD saab, which is just a re-badged Trailblazer SS.

Are there any reasons not to get a 9-7x Aero other than terrible fuel economy? I feel like I can live with terrible fuel economy as long as there isn't some other glaring issues that I have not been able to find through the internet.

Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


Proposed Budget: $25k, as high as $30k if that puts me in range of a spectacular deal
New or Used: New or certified pre-owned
Body Style: Not picky, but needs to be comfy for a big guy. But not truck, SUV, etc. I guess a hatchback would be nice
How will you be using the car? Mainly daily commute and in-town travel, very infrequent inter-city/inter-state travel (once per year)
What aspects are most important to you? In order: comfort for driver and one passenger, reliability, practicality, mileage, bluetooth phone connectivity, iPod connectivity, being able to get up a highway onramp and reach highway speeds in time (read: not my old 4 cylinder civic)

I'm posting this wondering where I should be looking in my budget for the proverbial 'couch on wheels' that'd be comfortable for a tall fat guy. I don't have any interest in larger vehicles like SUVs or trucks, though--in fact I rather like smaller vehicles, except for the comfort thing. I don't care much about performance, save that it's got enough grunt to get up a ten degree 800ft onramp and make it to 65MPH by the end of it (this was the irritating part of my daily commute when I drove an '05 civic).

So I guess I'm looking for smaller sedans or coupes with larger seats, really. Not sure what makes to even look at, let alone models, so any thoughts?

Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Mar 27, 2013

Xguard86
Nov 22, 2004

"You don't understand his pain. Everywhere he goes he sees women working, wearing pants, speaking in gatherings, voting. Surely they will burn in the white hot flames of Hell"
your best bet is to go sit in/drive some cars at various dealerships around town and see what you find most comfortable. Its really hard to say what you might prefer.

The posters here can probably help narrow it down once you know what you like.

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Ciaphas
Nov 20, 2005

> BEWARE, COWARD :ovr:


Fair enough. I know precisely dick all about cars, so I was rather hoping some makes or models might be better known for being more comfortable for bigger guys (okay, fatasses) like me.

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