Driving in Cars with Boys
Jan. 28th, 2003 11:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muscadineLast night we took another few steps towards ending the car crisis. Advice welcome and appreciated.
To catch you up, the first week of January my car had problems with the distributor, and the engine in Allen's car (that he'd just bought from his parents) kicked the bucket. Replacing the distributor was a hefty sum, which along with my application fees emptied our savings. And to replace the engine on Allen's car was going to be upwards of $2000, on a car that was only worth that to begin with. So, he's been driving one of the company vans back and forth to work until we arrive at a solution.
Well, this weekend we went out car shopping, found a few possibilities, and became especially interested in 84 and 95 Honda Accords we found on two separate lots. The 84 we'd seen back in October. They've been cutting the listed price over and over. The KBB is about $1000, and it's currently listed at $1875 (but it's been $3995, $2995, and finally $1995 in the ad last week). It has about 125k milage, and the interior and exterior are in great shape, except that the trunk leaks (so does mine :P ). But when we test drove it last night it ran about how you'd expect a 20 year old car to run. It's get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went. But it'd probably be OK as a back-and-forth to work car. Maybe. But if the engine went out...we'd be screwed.
As to the 95, well, we weren't even looking for something that new, but we were at a lot looking at some other cars and the salesman pointed out this 95 Accord...with 225k miles. Yikes! We normally wouldn't have given it a second look both because of the year and the miles. But the guy said they had it listed at $3000, and he didn't personally think they'd be able to move it at that price. (I looked it up on KBB, and even with the miles it's worth $3300.) So we decided to go ahead and give it a whirl. We can always try to low-ball them and see if they bite. It looks almost brand new inside and out, and we didn't notice any problems with the engine. And, being an Accord, it probably has another good 100k on it. And as a back-and-forth car, that should mean it'll be fine for quite some time to come. Maybe. But even if we did eventually have to replace the engine, at least it would be replacing the engine in a car that has a good value, and holds its value.
So, all that to say, we were looking at the 84 as being the #1 car til last night. With the plan of trying to buy it for around $1000 Thursday, if Allen's Uncle Bob cleared it. I had thought Allen wanted to move soon so that he could stop driving the van back and forth. But he expressed the opinion last night that he felt we would hold on for a week or so more while we wait to build up some more savings, and get some refund checks in, and then see what we can manage. So now we are seriously looking at the 95 as our first effort. I feel more comfortable with it, but then I know relatively little cars, be it mechanics or sales. Though I'm now making some effort to learn.
Anyways, his parents seemed to agree the 95 was the better choice when we talked to them last night (that was an awkward segue, if you didn't notice). We actually went over to their house to discuss the original car he got from them. The original deal was that he would sell them his minivan, in return for them giving us their old car as a back-and-forth vehicle for work and us taking the car's value off the price. It seemed like a sweet deal for both parties, up front. We weren't out any money, and we arranged basically a no-interest, absurdly low payment schedule for them to pay for the remainder of the van's price. Family deals always turn sour somehow, though. That's got to be one of Murphy's Laws. The car showed signs of trouble before it officially changed hands, but his dad thought it was something else. But it wasn't, and it turned out it had a burned-out valve. Ugh. So then the touchy subject of what to do was bound to come up.
Well, initially his mom seemed very sympathetic, and his parents started talked about how "they" would look into what it would cost to fix it, or who "they" could possibly sell it to. Last night we proposed to put the value of the car back onto the van price, and then the repairs to the van, plus whatever they could get for the car, would be taken back off. Well, she changed her tune for a bit then. Started talking about how if we took the family out of it, we'd be out of luck and just have to take our losses. But of course that isn't realistic, because family was the only reason the deal was worked out as it was in the first place. Anyhow, after much bickering between Allen and his mom, she finally agreed that she guessed it'd be alright. And I've told Allen that if they have any other necessary repairs to the van before it is paid off, that we should deduct it from the price. So, they're going to see if a friend of his dad's will buy the car for about $500, and then give us that as part of the van payment. Which will mean more money towards the new car, or savings.
So, let's hope nobody snatches up the cars we're looking at before we can get the money together. Or else that something better comes along. Soon.
To catch you up, the first week of January my car had problems with the distributor, and the engine in Allen's car (that he'd just bought from his parents) kicked the bucket. Replacing the distributor was a hefty sum, which along with my application fees emptied our savings. And to replace the engine on Allen's car was going to be upwards of $2000, on a car that was only worth that to begin with. So, he's been driving one of the company vans back and forth to work until we arrive at a solution.
Well, this weekend we went out car shopping, found a few possibilities, and became especially interested in 84 and 95 Honda Accords we found on two separate lots. The 84 we'd seen back in October. They've been cutting the listed price over and over. The KBB is about $1000, and it's currently listed at $1875 (but it's been $3995, $2995, and finally $1995 in the ad last week). It has about 125k milage, and the interior and exterior are in great shape, except that the trunk leaks (so does mine :P ). But when we test drove it last night it ran about how you'd expect a 20 year old car to run. It's get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went. But it'd probably be OK as a back-and-forth to work car. Maybe. But if the engine went out...we'd be screwed.
As to the 95, well, we weren't even looking for something that new, but we were at a lot looking at some other cars and the salesman pointed out this 95 Accord...with 225k miles. Yikes! We normally wouldn't have given it a second look both because of the year and the miles. But the guy said they had it listed at $3000, and he didn't personally think they'd be able to move it at that price. (I looked it up on KBB, and even with the miles it's worth $3300.) So we decided to go ahead and give it a whirl. We can always try to low-ball them and see if they bite. It looks almost brand new inside and out, and we didn't notice any problems with the engine. And, being an Accord, it probably has another good 100k on it. And as a back-and-forth car, that should mean it'll be fine for quite some time to come. Maybe. But even if we did eventually have to replace the engine, at least it would be replacing the engine in a car that has a good value, and holds its value.
So, all that to say, we were looking at the 84 as being the #1 car til last night. With the plan of trying to buy it for around $1000 Thursday, if Allen's Uncle Bob cleared it. I had thought Allen wanted to move soon so that he could stop driving the van back and forth. But he expressed the opinion last night that he felt we would hold on for a week or so more while we wait to build up some more savings, and get some refund checks in, and then see what we can manage. So now we are seriously looking at the 95 as our first effort. I feel more comfortable with it, but then I know relatively little cars, be it mechanics or sales. Though I'm now making some effort to learn.
Anyways, his parents seemed to agree the 95 was the better choice when we talked to them last night (that was an awkward segue, if you didn't notice). We actually went over to their house to discuss the original car he got from them. The original deal was that he would sell them his minivan, in return for them giving us their old car as a back-and-forth vehicle for work and us taking the car's value off the price. It seemed like a sweet deal for both parties, up front. We weren't out any money, and we arranged basically a no-interest, absurdly low payment schedule for them to pay for the remainder of the van's price. Family deals always turn sour somehow, though. That's got to be one of Murphy's Laws. The car showed signs of trouble before it officially changed hands, but his dad thought it was something else. But it wasn't, and it turned out it had a burned-out valve. Ugh. So then the touchy subject of what to do was bound to come up.
Well, initially his mom seemed very sympathetic, and his parents started talked about how "they" would look into what it would cost to fix it, or who "they" could possibly sell it to. Last night we proposed to put the value of the car back onto the van price, and then the repairs to the van, plus whatever they could get for the car, would be taken back off. Well, she changed her tune for a bit then. Started talking about how if we took the family out of it, we'd be out of luck and just have to take our losses. But of course that isn't realistic, because family was the only reason the deal was worked out as it was in the first place. Anyhow, after much bickering between Allen and his mom, she finally agreed that she guessed it'd be alright. And I've told Allen that if they have any other necessary repairs to the van before it is paid off, that we should deduct it from the price. So, they're going to see if a friend of his dad's will buy the car for about $500, and then give us that as part of the van payment. Which will mean more money towards the new car, or savings.
So, let's hope nobody snatches up the cars we're looking at before we can get the money together. Or else that something better comes along. Soon.
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no subject
Date: 2003-01-28 11:17 am (UTC)If you're thinking of the 84, then offer them less than $1,000. That's just a good bargining practice. If you offer them $1,000, they will possibly counter with something between $1,000 and whatever the price is at currently. If they don't bite, at say, $800, then you can jsut say, well, okay, what about $1,000? If they don't take it, then go away and come back a few days later - they will quite possibly have reconsidered. A car of that age really isn't going to do them much good just sitting on their lot, and look at how long its already been sitting there. It behooves them to move it.
On the 95 I'd also offer below what they're asking, on account of the high mileage. I'd also ask if they'd be willing to attach any kind of warranty on it. A few years ago we bought a 85, and they were at least willing to attach 90 days parts and labour warranty to it, you should be able to manage that on a car ten years newer, and if they don't, take that as a sign of what they think of the car, and use it to lower your offer more.
I'll stress again that if its at all possible, to get a mechanic to look at it. My uncle (who was effectively my stand-in father) was a mechanic all of my life, and that's the one thing he really impressed upon when it came to buying cars.
no subject
no subject
Date: 2003-01-28 12:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Cars
Date: 2003-01-28 06:00 pm (UTC)I actually have quite a bit of experience with cars, work on them on the side, and have a mostly restored (by me) '56 Plymouth in my garage.
Personal recommendation - the '95 Accord. Great car, good reputation for longevity, will be easier to find parts for than an older model, and finally... you might even be able to resell it later should you decide to.
It sounds like it is a highway-mileage car given the extraordinary miles racked up on it. These are usually in the BEST condition of all used cars and are usually sold or traded because of the mileage and not some other underlying problem.
The '84 was way too high to start with and is only coming down as they become more desperate. Why would someone try to get $4k out of a 20 year old car? Probably because they had that much sunk into it.
Get an inspection or have a knowledgeable car guy or gal go with you to check out the '95. It will probably get you back and forth for years to come. Good luck!
Re: Cars
P.S. - I looked over your journal and was very impressed. I added you to my friends list.
Thanks
Date: 2003-01-29 08:33 am (UTC)