Car buying

[DapperButch]

Yes, something important to remember when buying a car is you are buying the cost of future parts and future labor, as well. Some cars cost more to maintain, especially the luxury models. It isn't only the initial cost of the vehicle, it is the future costs to maintain it. You need to be able to afford both.

[DapperButch]

<Theo's post>

When I bought new, I had a list of all dealers in a 150 mile radius and called each one asking them for their best price with the options I wanted. The best price was about two hours away in a town I had never heard of. Had to come that day for that price, but that was no problem for me!

[Blade]

Miss Tia, where would you put your groceries in a Fiero? Not to mention a Fiero is so low to the ground you'll have asphalt burns on ya arsephalt.

The life of a motor is maintenance.....oil change. Toyota, Honda and Nissan make great long lasting motors, even though some are not well maintained they take a lickin and keep on tickin. However, most of them require a timing chain/belt replacement every 80-100 thousand miles. Should you get something high mileage check to see what has been done to it and what is due.

Don't ever tell a car dealer you have cash to put down or a trade until you've settled on a price for their car. Also if buying used pay for the ext. warranty. I never did this before and I bought a used 95 F150 in 98. It had 18,000 miles on it. The finance man encouraged me to get the warranty. He told me he had bought a used truck and didn't get it and six months later the tranny fell out. I thought he was just trying to get his commission. Then I decided well Ive never bought used before and Daddy always said when you buy used you are buying someone else troubles (i don't agree with this) so I bought the warranty. By March it was using a quart of oil about every 900 miles. I had to fight to prove my case but Ford had to put a new motor in the truck. So now I have a 95 model truck with only 40,000 miles on the motor. But had I not had the warranty I'd had to pay big bucks for a new motor and to have it installed.

Do your homework. You have the world at your fingertips. Research research research.

[Soft*Silver]

[QUOTE=Blade;663133][COLOR="DarkOrange"][SIZE="4"][B]Miss Tia, where would you put your groceries in a Fiero? Not to mention a Fiero is so low to the ground you'll have asphalt burns on ya arsephalt.

oh my Blade! You made me laugh about my arsephalt! But this was a consideration too! I cant get out of a low chair, let alone a low car very easily!

I thought about the grocery thing too. I think once I would have sat in it, I would have known it wasnt for me. But my mechanic's "NOO!!!!" was all I needed. I wasnt expecting him to be so blunt! I thought he would hedge and not want to say anything (you know how professionals are nowadays) but he held nothing back! LOL

[Soft*Silver]

I hate selling things out of my home. I thought I had the truck sold. They asked me what name I wanted on the Money Order. They agreed on a price. We agreed on a time and day. Then I said I needed to make sure they got there before my bank closed so that I could cash out the MO. And I said if they didnt, I wouldnt turn the truck over.

First they said they had things that prevented them from getting there by then. I held firm.

Then they said they had to come later, about an hour after my bank closed because of...(reason not being shared) I said no.

Now, I gave them a better cash deal because they could get it this weekend. I had another cash offer, $250 more, but she couldnt get it until next weekend. I would lose my PT Cruiser if I didnt get the truck sold this weekend. So I was losing $250 if I took their deal but it was worth it if I could get the car of my dreams.

Then tonight, 16 hours before they are to show up with all that money to buy it, they tell me in a PM that they want to drive the truck up to their town, an hour and a half away, and have their mechanic look at it.

I understand inspections. i get them done. I would have GLADLY driven the truck up there myself, taken time out of my store, paid someone to watch it, (more money out of my pocket) and had it done so they could rest assured the truck would pass. I know it would as I just had it at my mechanics and the oil change place, and pumped over $300 into it to get it ready for sale.

But I saw this as a stalling measure. And, they wanted to take my truck, not me. Far away. On a spare of the moment. NO! No one takes my car that far. Not without me. And, bottom line, the deal was done, and they knew I was under a time limit. I think they didnt want me to cash out the MO. That seemed to be the sticking point. Something fishy was going on.

I dont think I was being treated fairly. Now I have to start all over again to sell this truck because my other cash offer has chosen and put money down on another truck. I am going to lose my PT Cruiser. Bastards!

[Soft*Silver]

and the saga drama continued today. They told me via a series of phone calls on my business phone (that I missed) that they had come to my house today, been to my store, had a cashier's check for the amount of the truck, and still wanted to buy the truck...even if they couldnt get a mechanic to look at it.

So I called them. And told them that

1) my dogs would have gone balistic had anyone pulled into my drive..and they didnt.

2) I had people at my store this AM who opened for me. And they said no one came in looking for me

3) and I had told them NO CHECKS. CASH ONLY.

4) they were to meet me at the bank, which I had provided a map and address for...so why would they have gone anywhere but that , but more importantly

5) I had said the deal was OFF. Why would they drive an hour and a half to come do a deal that had been called off?

6) if they wanted the truck now they had to pay extra, for making me lose the other deal and it had to be cash and they had to meet me at the bank and go in with me so that the bank could check their money for conterfeit bills.

well...they told me I was being unfair and that they werent willing to go to my bank, bring cash and pay extra. So I said, no thanks..dont bother me again...end of deal...

so I have a truck up for sale yet...and I am going to lose my PT Cruiser..:::Pout::::

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

and the saga drama continued today. They told me via a series of phone calls on my business phone (that I missed) that they had come to my house today, been to my store, had a cashier's check for the amount of the truck, and still wanted to buy the truck...even if they couldnt get a mechanic to look at it.

So I called them. And told them that

1) my dogs would have gone balistic had anyone pulled into my drive..and they didnt.

2) I had people at my store this AM who opened for me. And they said no one came in looking for me

3) and I had told them NO CHECKS. CASH ONLY.

4) they were to meet me at the bank, which I had provided a map and address for...so why would they have gone anywhere but that , but more importantly

5) I had said the deal was OFF. Why would they drive an hour and a half to come do a deal that had been called off?

6) if they wanted the truck now they had to pay extra, for making me lose the other deal and it had to be cash and they had to meet me at the bank and go in with me so that the bank could check their money for conterfeit bills.

well...they told me I was being unfair and that they werent willing to go to my bank, bring cash and pay extra. So I said, no thanks..dont bother me again...end of deal...

so I have a truck up for sale yet...and I am going to lose my PT Cruiser..:::Pout::::

What about the other buyer you mentioned? Are they still willing to buy the truck? And would you still get the Cruiser then?

[Glenn]

... while you are still pouting and stamping your feet...type in ptcruiserproblems.com and click the owner complaints about the rental car dealer who had a fleet of them.

[Tony]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

and the saga drama continued today. They told me via a series of phone calls on my business phone (that I missed) that they had come to my house today, been to my store, had a cashier's check for the amount of the truck, and still wanted to buy the truck...even if they couldnt get a mechanic to look at it.

So I called them. And told them that

1) my dogs would have gone balistic had anyone pulled into my drive..and they didnt.

2) I had people at my store this AM who opened for me. And they said no one came in looking for me

3) and I had told them NO CHECKS. CASH ONLY.

4) they were to meet me at the bank, which I had provided a map and address for...so why would they have gone anywhere but that , but more importantly

5) I had said the deal was OFF. Why would they drive an hour and a half to come do a deal that had been called off?

6) if they wanted the truck now they had to pay extra, for making me lose the other deal and it had to be cash and they had to meet me at the bank and go in with me so that the bank could check their money for conterfeit bills.

well...they told me I was being unfair and that they werent willing to go to my bank, bring cash and pay extra. So I said, no thanks..dont bother me again...end of deal...

so I have a truck up for sale yet...and I am going to lose my PT Cruiser..:::Pout::::

I'm sorry to hear both your deals fell through Miss Tia. But from a mechanic's point of view (and I'm damn good at what I do) you can consider yourself lucky. The PT may be cute (or I've heard people say) but they are mechanically problematic & costly to repair. I believe everything happens for a reason so I feel there's a much better deal coming right around the corner for you that you are going to be very happy about. Good luck with that. Feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions for you or be of any help.

[WolfyOne]

I haven't read previous posts and not even all of yours because the moment I saw Fiero, I had to start typing.

When I first started out selling parts at a Pontiac dealer years ago, the Fiero got a lot of laughs from mechanics there. So many problems and so much extra money for mechanics to make with repairing them. There were many reasons they stopped making the car and none of them were good ones.

And now I'll go and read what others are saying about this crappy, yet cool looking car of days gone by.
Experience tells me that cars like people can be deceiving when we only look at an outward appearance.
When looking at used vehicles, check out all recalls online first and see what others who own(ed) them say.