Cars..

[Hosstage]

43 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

In the parking lot after gym session.  Nice M across the way, too.

Subtle...

[Skywagon]

Having owned several of those cars, that doesn’t mirror my experiences with one exception. The worst car I ever owned was a Jeep Wagoneer. Total piece of crap. Second worst was BMW, best is Lexus and Chevy Tahoes. 

[9Mary7]

My experience is that BMW and MBZ should be swapped.

[John Ranalletta]

42 minutes ago, 9Mary7 said:

My experience is that BMW and MBZ should be swapped.

IMO, these surveys are like asking an accident victim in his hospital bed, "How was traffic?"

 

My experience with BMW is good, exc for warrantied DEF issues with the 335D.  My worst was a early 90s VW Jetta.  So bad I got a $3k check from VW for my troubles.

[Hosstage]

I read another article about the CR findings, it stated that electrics and plug-in hybrids did not fare well with maintenance compared to standard power trains, or even non-plug-in hybrids. It seems the idea that electric vehicles have much less maintenance than ice vehicles may be proving to be a misnomer.

[EdM]

Can't really relate these rankings to past performance as they are representative of 2021 new car sales only.

[John Ranalletta]

1 minute ago, Hosstage said:

I read another article about the CR findings, it stated that electrics and plug-in hybrids did not fare well with maintenance compared to standard power trains, or even non-plug-in hybrids. It seems the idea that electric vehicles have much less maintenance than ice vehicles may be proving to be a misnomer.

Is that an EV problem or a Tesla problem?

 

From Fed/2021

[Hosstage]

7 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

Is that an EV problem or a Tesla problem?

 

From Fed/2021

It mentioned other brands as well, but Tesla was the main offender, by far.

[wbw6cos]

Nice.  (MKII 3.8)

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

 

[roadscholar]

That dude’s FOS, first its 1200 a year then 1200 a month then he keeps bumping the price of the car, I think people watch him because he likes to bitch. As if he knows more than Merc’s marketing dept, they've been gouging rich dumb Americans for decades because it’s easy and have it down to a science, the man is clueless : )

 

It’s nothing new, the options list on American cars used to take pages, if you wanted the latest and greatest whether performance or luxury it’ll cost, it’s usually more about prestige than substance anyway and the manufacturers know it. It’s just that now they have the ability to turn it on and off, what would one expect.

 

Most of their customers could care less if it does 0-60 in 3 sec or 6 sec, they aren’t buying it to go to the dragstrip or race mustangs at every stoplight (although I did tangle with a bigTesla the other night that had to prove it could outrun my 170hp Z3 : ) The ones that do pony up won’t use it much either after the novelty wears off, it’s more about bragging rights than anything else.

[roadscholar]

Think I found my dream car.. on 2nd thought probably just look for a 20 YO C4 and do the suspension mods and tire pkg... and maybe add a roll cage. If anyone sees a 9II on `Black Bear Pass this Summer, wave : )

 

 

[MikeB60]

Tyler Hoover of YouTube fame just bought a ragged out 2001 911 turbo and is discussing doing just that.  I think he said the kit alone was 11,000.  

 

[TEWKS]

[roadscholar]

10 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

Tyler Hoover of YouTube fame just bought a ragged out 2001 911 turbo and is discussing doing just that.  I think he said the kit alone was 11,000.  

 

 

Reminds me of the old saying, there's no such thing as a cheap German car. May have to look into that Safari build a little closer : )

[John Ranalletta]

BTW, these financial genii didn't invest their own money.  They invested investors' fund.  How smart are these guys away?  They probably invested in FTX as well.  Like many dumb individual investors, they buy at the top and sell at the bottom.

 

Carvana Co. shares crashed to a record low Wednesday after Bloomberg reported a group of the company's creditors formed a cooperation pact to prevent creditor fights in the event of a restructuring. 

Apollo Global Management Inc. and Pacific Investment Management Co. were among some of the top creditors that signed a deal to act together in credit negotiations with the company. BlackRock Inc., Ares Management Corp., and Knighthead Capital Management are also part of the group, which is being advised by White & Case LLP and PJT Partners Inc. and includes less than ten lenders in total, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. 

[John Ranalletta]

Another high-end car co. wants to nickel 'n dime buyers to death.  Hope they go bankrupt.  

[Dennis Andress]

This thing started misfiring and throwing codes last Saturday. Service at the Tucson dealer is open on Saturdays so I dropped in. Talking with the tech I mentioned that my car was very upset. He chuckled and said "That thing is pissed."

 

[roadscholar]

Air-cooled 5.4L flat I2, I765 lbs, 640hp N.A., clocked at 249mph on Mulsanne straight at Lemans, 53 YO.

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

Latest development in cratering consumer car market:  WAIVES THE OPEN AUTO STIPULATION = Lenders are willing to lend to buyers with existing car loans without the existing loan being paid off.

 

The customer simply defaults on the first loan and the car is repo'd.  Obviously, there's a negative impact on the buyer's credit record/score, but that's the least of the problems faced by these customers.

 

In the lending biz, it's dog eat dog.  Dealers don't care as long as units move off the lots.  Look forward to repos and Ian-damaged cars flooding the used market. 

 

p.s. Never buy a repo.  An owner who isn't making payments very likely isn't changing the oil.

[Rougarou]

23 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

 

p.s. Never buy a repo.  An owner who isn't making payments very likely isn't changing the oil.

 

This is kinda funny.

 

U. S. drivers average about 12-13k miles per year.  Many newer cars recommend oil changes at 6-12k.  Most repo's are started after about 90 days or three months of missed payments, let's just say it takes six months for the repo to actually happen.......whats that, 8-9k miles (from first missed payment to repo).

 

So, is it assumed that since the person got the vehicle that they did "NO" maintenance at all, ever?  Or is it assumed that when they did hit the hard times, that they quit maintenance, thus missing an oil change or two,......if it is the latter, in reality, what real damage could happen by missing one or two changes?

 

I've not missed a payment, but I've missed plenty of oil changes.

[John Ranalletta]

1 minute ago, Rougarou said:

 

This is kinda funny.

 

U. S. drivers average about 12-13k miles per year.  Many newer cars recommend oil changes at 6-12k.  Most repo's are started after about 90 days or three months of missed payments, let's just say it takes six months for the repo to actually happen.......whats that, 8-9k miles (from first missed payment to repo).

 

So, is it assumed that since the person got the vehicle that they did "NO" maintenance at all, ever?  Or is it assumed that when they did hit the hard times, that they quit maintenance, thus missing an oil change or two,......if it is the latter, in reality, what real damage could happen by missing one or two changes?

 

I've not missed a payment, but I've missed plenty of oil changes.

At START in Blairsville, a car hauler parked near the hotel.  I asked the driver if he was loading up with cars for the auction.  He said they were all repos.  When I asked why many had body damage, he said many owners, knowing they'll lose the car, will intentionally or carelessly wreck them before the repo truck arrives.  Likely, these folks didn't change the oil or scurry off to diagnose a dashboard warning light.

[Rougarou]

9 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

At START in Blairsville, a car hauler parked near the hotel.  I asked the driver if he was loading up with cars for the auction.  He said they were all repos.  When I asked why many had body damage, he said many owners, knowing they'll lose the car, will intentionally or carelessly wreck them before the repo truck arrives.  Likely, these folks didn't change the oil or scurry off to diagnose a dashboard warning light.

 

Ok, nice, but the focus is oil changes, not body damage.  Again, is it assumed these folks do "no" oil changes since purchase or was it only since hitting hard times/first non-payment, and how much "real" damage will occur by missing one or two oil changes?  Watching too many Operation Repo and Lizard Lick shows.  One of my old neighbors used to yank cars,....he said those shows were bogus and that folks understood why their car was being yanked and let them go, handing him the keys.

 

 

[roadscholar]

For years I was an MB wholesaler (only went to one dealership), many of the trade ins were 10-15 YO one owner with complete service records. Remember one in particular, 94 350SD with 235k in about ‘04, looked new, every oil change on time (diesels are critical because 22/1 compression kills oil pretty quickly) stamped in the service booklet(s). Sold it a couple months ago to a guy that couldn’t wait to get his hands on it.

 

[John Ranalletta]

18 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

 

Ok, nice, but the focus is oil changes, not body damage.  Again, is it assumed these folks do "no" oil changes since purchase or was it only since hitting hard times/first non-payment, and how much "real" damage will occur by missing one or two oil changes?  Watching too many Operation Repo and Lizard Lick shows.  One of my old neighbors used to yank cars,....he said those shows were bogus and that folks understood why their car was being yanked and let them go, handing him the keys.

 

 

If you're good with taking the chance, go for it.  

[Rougarou]

4 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

If you're good with taking the chance, go for it.  

 

Meh,... I bought a house site unseen, so I think I'd have no issue buying a used car, repo'd or otherwise.

 

If you've read some of my purchase history, you'd see that I have rarely test driven anything I've purchased.......and I've never been burnt on a purchase.

[Hosstage]

2 hours ago, Rougarou said:

 

 Watching too many Operation Repo and Lizard Lick shows.  One of my old neighbors used to yank cars,....he said those shows were bogus and that folks understood why their car was being yanked and let them go, handing him the keys.

 

 

An owner that says "yeah, sorry, missed my payments and knew you were coming, here's the extra keys, manual, receipts and extra seat covers I was going to put on", doesn't entertain an audience quite like some jerk acting like a total jerk. Hence, "reality shows".

[Hosstage]

10 hours ago, roadscholar said:

Air-cooled 5.4L flat I2, I765 lbs, 640hp N.A., clocked at 249mph on Mulsanne straight at Lemans, 53 YO.

 

 

That is badass!

[roadscholar]

4 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

If you're good with taking the chance, go for it.  

 

Those little buy here/pay here car lots where the purchaser pays weekly in cash want the car to break down so the owner defaults, heard stories of them selling the same car 6 or 7 times : )

[John Ranalletta]

23 minutes ago, roadscholar said:

 

Those little buy here/pay here car lots where the purchaser pays weekly in cash want the car to break down so the owner defaults, heard stories of them selling the same car 6 or 7 times : )

Once had BHPH chain for a client.  Wanted to take a shower after each meeting.  Not the same company, but an Indy used car dealer, A & B Used Cars printed their trunk decals that appeared to read, ABused Cars.

[roadscholar]

14 hours ago, Hosstage said:

That is badass!

 

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a1906436/your-chance-own-worlds-most-legendary-porsche-917k/

[John Ranalletta]

Patrick is a brilliant financial pundit, but the first 5 minutes of this video about cars scammers buy is a hoot.  The rest is interesting but not about cars.
 

 

[roadscholar]

Brief history of the 9I7.

 

 

[lawnchairboy]

On 6/4/2022 at 9:36 PM, TEWKS said:

Cha-Ching. 

 

 

I'll have the Wraith, with the driver. 

 

If that is even legal....

[roadscholar]

One more, I drove a 962 at Moroso once, they turned the boost down to 500-550hp to help me acclimate (and with less probability of destroying it : ) But like Chris said, an easy car to drive, it doesn't do anything bad, no understeer, no oversteer, just goes where you point it. Most modern racecars are relatively easy to drive, you just have to acclimate to the speed and g-forces. And the brakes. I also got to meet Norbert Singer once in the garages at Daytona when driving a 9II in the 24Hours, I had my 9I0 there too from the vintage race and he came over to talk about it, really nice guy and brilliant engineer responsible for the majority of Porsche's victories.

 

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

Interesting data on vehicle longevity... https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/these-are-longest-lasting-cars-miles

 

Japanese autos/trucks for the win.

 

[Rougarou]

Ya, Japanese have longevity and are quite known for it.  The vehicles are not nearly as sensitive to maintenance needs as other vehicles and not as prone to quality issues as others.

 

Of course, the above are averages, here are the "exceptions" to the above

 

https://www.hotcars.com/15-cars-with-the-highest-mileage-ever-recorded/

 

Of course, how much trust in the article when the author states that a 2006 F250 has a 7.3,.......the 7.3 went away in 2003, the 2006 would have had the 6.0.

[John Ranalletta]

CarDealershipGuy  @GuyDealership

 

Market is literally FLOODED with Buicks. They're rotting on car lots like trash. You can score a deal on these if you're willing to suffer the embarrassment of being seen in one.

[John Ranalletta]

Agree or disagree, thought provoking... EVs Not-so-little Dirty Secret

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

[John Ranalletta]

Dealers likely be dealin' on the bottom half...

[roadscholar]

Buick is (almost) off the chart, you're right discount city if you don't mind being seen in one, oh the humanity : ) 

[Hosstage]

Sadly Buick has one of the worst reliability records. They are in a weird spot, trying to be a premium vehicle using a basic platform. And, it's an old people's car!

[roadscholar]

They're a tweener (Caddy and Chevy) in search of an identity and evidently failing. You're right I think GM has been moving Caddy into a high end performance roll to compete better with the Germans and substituting Buick for the geriatric set. I'm seeing all types driving them here though including more than a few aggressive nimrods that never wash or seem to care about them too much : )  

[roadscholar]

When your Bronco/Range Rover/Hemi Gladiator just doesn't cut it anymore.

 

 

[JSCOTT]

On 5/11/2019 at 1:10 PM, mickeym3 said:

Wife thinks I have a BMW “problem”.....

 

I will have to go with the E30M3.  I see no problem although... it looks like there is room to add a E46 or E92 too :)

[roadscholar]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:15 AM, JSCOTT said:

 

I will have to go with the E30M3.  I see no problem although... it looks like there is room to add a E46 or E92 too :)

 

Anyone noticed E46 M3 values are in skyrocket mode lately, E36's aren't doing too bad either but nothing like an E46.

 

[John Ranalletta]

Free fall

 

[Hosstage]

A major cut on retail prices for new Teslas as well, from what I've read.

Turns out your politics, or your side business, can affect your business model.

[TEWKS]

First mods to the new truck. 5.0 coyote V-8 door badges and a red accent stripe. LineX spray in bed liner next week.