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Nitrox posted:That car in the deterred maintenance sweet spot, I'd be very careful looking at what actually needs to be done to keep it on the road. And whether those maintenance items were completed by the previous owner. Yes, but as KYOON said, it's GM partsbin poo poo. The scheduled maintenance literally only covers engine oil/filter changes, air filter changes, ATF/transfer case fluid changes, spark plugs every 60k, and antifreeze/brake fluid changes every 5yr/150k. You could DIY all of that in an afternoon with fluids easily available at Walmart.
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Oct 15, 2025 16:27
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Nitrox is also correct in that ~120K miles is where you start wanting some suspension components refreshed and things like that, though.Number_6 posted:I'd make sure it runs with no misfires, roughness, or smoke. this is uhhh pretty important to do with any car you're considering purchasing
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Oct 15, 2025 16:47
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IOwnCalculus posted:Yes, but as KYOON said, it's GM partsbin poo poo. The scheduled maintenance literally only covers engine oil/filter changes, air filter changes, ATF/transfer case fluid changes, spark plugs every 60k, and antifreeze/brake fluid changes every 5yr/150k. You could DIY all of that in an afternoon with fluids easily available at Walmart. The fluids and filters are pretty DIY friendly of course. But most people don't do their own maintenance at all, and you should assume that to be the default option
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Oct 16, 2025 04:01
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I think all Ecotec 4 cylinders use chains, the gen 3 in the ATS definitely does.
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Oct 16, 2025 13:53
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Good lord the toyota dealership called me every 2-3 days for 6 weeks. I was curious how long they’d go without me answering and they won the battle of wills.
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Oct 29, 2025 05:02
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I would like to donate / sell my 2002 Mazda to someone in town that needs it (already have someone identified). Having never sold a car before, I wanted to know how to go about this process legally (what forms to fill out, do I need to go to the DMV, what do I need to have the person sign)? I live in Virginia if it makes a difference. Edit: Figured it out - the Virginia DMV site has all the information: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/buy-sell Edit 2: I do have a question. As the seller the instructions tell me to remove the plates before letting the buyer drive away with the car. How is the buyer supposed to drive the car without plates on it? Jose Cuervo fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Nov 8, 2025 |
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Nov 7, 2025 23:58
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The buyer takes the signed title to your motor vehicle department and registers it and gets their own plates.
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Nov 8, 2025 00:27
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Don't let somebody else drive with your plates on the car, you are going to be liable for all those parking tickets and toll fees
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Nov 8, 2025 00:39
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Jose Cuervo posted:I would like to donate / sell my 2002 Mazda to someone in town that needs it (already have someone identified). Having never sold a car before, I wanted to know how to go about this process legally (what forms to fill out, do I need to go to the DMV, what do I need to have the person sign)? I live in Virginia if it makes a difference. There's usually an exception for the period immediately after buying the car. As long as you're on the way to the Title Office/DMV to get your plates, the cops will let you slide. The buyer needs to keep a Bill of Sale handy, or the title signed over to them, and have proof of insurance.
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Nov 8, 2025 00:44
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Deteriorata posted:There's usually an exception for the period immediately after buying the car. As long as you're on the way to the Title Office/DMV to get your plates, the cops will let you slide. The buyer needs to keep a Bill of Sale handy, or the title signed over to them, and have proof of insurance. Nitrox posted:Don't let somebody else drive with your plates on the car, you are going to be liable for all those parking tickets and toll fees tater_salad posted:The buyer takes the signed title to your motor vehicle department and registers it and gets their own plates. Got it. Was definitely planning to take the plates off, I was just wondering how the car could be driven without plates.
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Nov 8, 2025 00:52
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Jose Cuervo posted:To be clear, it is NOT my responsibility to make sure the person buying the car has insurance for it before I sign the title over, correct? Once I sign the car over and they drive it off, they are the responsible party, right? Correct. It's their problem, not yours.
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Nov 8, 2025 01:43
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Jose Cuervo posted:Got it. Was definitely planning to take the plates off, I was just wondering how the car could be driven without plates. You buy a temporary (paper) player from the DMV for $20 and it's good for a month.
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Nov 8, 2025 21:46
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So, I need to buy car before the end of the year. It'll probably be some Audi, BMW or Mercedes. If I go with the used non-cpo how exactly do I get this checked out? Do I just ask the dealer if I can drop off the car at a different shop for a pre-purchase inspection?
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Nov 20, 2025 02:28
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make friends with your local German indy because you are gonna want to be friends with them and you want to trust them. make sure they are cool with doing PPIs. when you are going to buy a car you ask the seller if you can take it to Hans and Frans' Haus of German Imports for a PPI. if they say no you walk.
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Nov 20, 2025 02:32
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Gucci Loafers posted:So, Once you find a mechanic that works on (and preferably specializes in) German imports, the exact order of operations is more or less as follows: 1) Confirm that the dealer will allow an offsite prepurchase inspection. Most reputable dealers will - it is a red flag if they will not, so keep looking. 2) Make an appointment with the mechanic doing the inspection. 3) Go to the dealer on the date of the inspection, maybe take a brief test drive first to make sure you like it and nothing is obviously wrong. 4) The dealer will make a copy of your DL for security and possibly have you fill out a form saying you are having the car inspected, then give you the key so you can get it inspected. 5) Drive the car to the mechanic. They will poke at it for an hour or two and let you know what they found. 6) Drive back to the Dealer and either buy the car, negotiate based on work needed, or tell them you're not interested. 7) If you bought the used German luxury car, enjoy your new (to you) money pit!
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Nov 20, 2025 14:45
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You forgot the part where you give the German import shop a box of donuts.
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Nov 20, 2025 16:38
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Gucci Loafers posted:So, Buy my M4 that I have to sell before the end of the year. I will give you the Goon Guarantee (TM) that it's in good shape.
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Nov 20, 2025 16:49
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Mustache Ride posted:You forgot the part where you give the German import shop a box of donuts. This poo poo right here is how you make friends. Honestly just bring a box of donuts every time you bring it in, they will remember your car after the second time. The cost is incredibly low and the benefits are incredibly high. Like using an absolutely identical VW part vs an Audi one at half price.
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Nov 21, 2025 02:03
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obligatory off lease awd 750 grumble grumble i had to park an suv downtown just today and sorta understand where you're coming from on the parking thing, but i think, but the 7 is a lot easier to park in an urban setting than an suv
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Nov 21, 2025 02:18
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This thread played some part in me getting a top trim 2015 Mazda3 hatch. I've owned it for a year now and im really glad I got it over a hybrid. After doing the math, I wasn't driving all that much compared to the average american, and I could end up getting a much nicer car in exchange for ~$40 more in gas a month. Cute car, back seats being able to go down all the way helps with the occasional IKEA trip, yet the car is still small enough to get into most parking spots in Los Angeles. The weakest attributes about the car are the infotainment/phone pairing, but from what I understand, I also incorporate my phone into my car in a way most people don't. There's something to be said about the simplicity of an aux cable. But yeah, happy as a clam. Sucks cars arent small anymore like the 2002 Corolla it replaced, but this feels like a lot of car in a semi-small package.
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Nov 22, 2025 06:08
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buglord posted:This thread played some part in me getting a top trim 2015 Mazda3 hatch. I've owned it for a year now and im really glad I got it over a hybrid. After doing the math, I wasn't driving all that much compared to the average american, and I could end up getting a much nicer car in exchange for ~$40 more in gas a month. Those 3s really are great cars. Far superior to anything else in its price range. A few years ago I talked my daughter-in-law into buying a 2016 and she absolutely loves it. They've put close to 100,000 miles on it and haven't had a lick of trouble.
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Nov 22, 2025 06:36
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