Buying an Old Car

January 8th, 2018 at 3:36:27 PM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
Quote: Evenbob

Lincoln, nicest riding car, it floated down the road.



Does that have suicide doors? Nice.
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury. GW
January 8th, 2018 at 3:38:30 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
These are one of the smoothest and sharpest luxury cars of all time. No wonder they brought it back.
The President is a fink.
January 8th, 2018 at 4:29:16 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: petroglyph
I would like for you to have it, except then I would be out looking for a rig. They really don't seem to hold their value after being 10 plus years old?

I've seen many under 10k, with lots of miles left on them. New ones are pretty dear though. My god, my first two houses total, were less then a new truck these days.

That is one of my worst fears, having to go vehicle shopping again. I hate it. Although I have been eyeing a 70 +/- El Camino, or full size K-5 Blazer.


Dude, it's the worst. My girl now, the deal went quick, sure. But every minute of the paperwork time, 60 min at least, I was in, on, and all around her. Like, pulling guards off and checking seat mounts, door drain holes, main seals, stuff a "little too clean". So paranoid I'm gonna get screwed, intentionally or otherwise. And I haven't had a payment in over a year. Close to two, maybe? Ugh. Then you gotta get used to all the new bumps and knocks. Find, usually the hard way, what's already worn or on its way out. Put full coverage on it. Ughhh. You know I've only ever hit one deer in my life? This year I nabbed SIX. Six, and all just between Oct and early Dec. I'm gonna miss not caring about deer and snow banks and small trees.



Quote: petro
The new stuff confuses me if I look under the hood and can't find the motor.


Ha! Engine's nothing. Just behind that smooth vinyl dash lies the stuff of nightmares. Oh, your defrost switch doesn't work?



That'll be $1,700.


Quote: beachbumbabs
I really appreciate the thorough and knowledgeable advice, guys. I will be taking a pass on this car. (sniff, sob).

I'm sure I'm an ignorant Luddite on cars. I liked:


To assuage ignorance...

Big engine "winning" is old-think. It's all engineering and design now. One of those Focus RS sports compacts will win vs an H2 Hummer. Maybe even a Range Rover. You can sometimes judge safety on brand (Volvo/Saab always good, for instance), but it really takes looking at the rating. If I just rambled off 20 cars rated 3-5, I bet you wouldn't get 5 right. And neither would I. It's not something readily apparent, unless you see the results. Same for power. Honda 4 bangers are putting out 200hp easy with no boost. Those ecoboost compacts of Fords are can get well past 200hp in engines I could pick up and carry by hand, whereas my V8 might have 190.

To all the rest, forget about it lol. Only way you're getting even one of those is to get a Harley. I take that back. You might be able to get one of those rarely seen Suzuki or Subaru (yes, Subaru) mini vans. Those might have the 3 cylinder, which has that modular simplicity. But other than those two terrible options, there is no way you're getting a carb or away from an ECU. Well, other than going classic. My '87 is carbed and sans computer. Olds made a Cutlass in '87. Big car feel, muscle feel. It's kismet =)







Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
January 8th, 2018 at 5:19:58 PM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
Quote: Face
Oh, your defrost switch doesn't work?
What is this defrost switch you speak of?

Quote:


That'll be $1,700.
OMG, nooooooo.


Quote:
Big engine "winning" is old-think.
Still works though, sort of like gravity.
Quote:
It's all engineering and design now. One of those Focus RS sports compacts will win vs an H2 Hummer.
Can I watch? I'd like to see that engineers face when my front pumpkin takes out his steering wheel. ; )
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury. GW
January 11th, 2018 at 1:58:10 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Huh.

I went out. Far out. Far enough that folks from there would say they're "from Rochester". The plow truck was gone. Sold the same day it came in. Was SUNY Syracuse's lot truck. Damn the luck. But the Ford was still there, so I gave it a whirl.

Not bad. No body rust. Underside looked good, but there were a few things (tank straps) that looked s#$%ier than they should. In all, nothing worth walking away over. Took it for a ride and it felt real tight. Might just be shock from being inside a rattle trap for so long. Found myself an unplowed lot, tested the 4wd, and then the f#$%ing traction control kicked on.

Seriously, what is it with all this nanny state bulls#$%ery? ABS, TCS, ASC, that's fine. But how in all hells does pushing the "turn this s#$% off" button NOT turn this wretched s#$% off? No matter whether on or off, any yaw causes throttle to kill and brakes to apply, snapping you back front and center. Had I not realized until in a pickle, that s#$% would've killed me.

I guess the newer trucks have a way to fully kill it, essentially just holding the button for an absurd amount of time. This one wasn't new enough, but I got the "fuse and speed sensor fix" (aka pull it all) from the ASE guy I dragged out of the shop. That's good. Last issue I had was what sounded like valve train noise. The same ticka-ticka as when my ride is a quart low. Thing is, it wasn't. Rev to 1,250 in neutral or park, smooth as silk. Do it in drive, though, and ticka-ticka-ticka.

I don't know why it would do it under load but not while spinning freely; only thing I could come up with is something striking due to the torque of the motor. Fan to shroud or something similar, though it sounded quite a lot like valve train. I dunno. In any case, there's a soft agreement that once the noise is gone, it's pretty much sold. Dude said great and he'd text me the next morning.

It's been two days.

Might have to get the old race car running just to get to work =)
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
January 11th, 2018 at 2:34:53 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Face
Huh.

I went out. Far out. Far enough that folks from there would say they're "from Rochester". The plow truck was gone. Sold the same day it came in. Was SUNY Syracuse's lot truck. Damn the luck.


SITYS! Great deal!

Brockport?
The President is a fink.
February 22nd, 2018 at 11:41:56 AM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Quote: AZDuffman
SITYS! Great deal!

Brockport?


Little south, but close. And none of it matters anymore.

Just got tired of it, the typical salesman string. Like, that's fine if you want to play the bumbling "don't know nothing" type. It's sweet, I get it. Just don't string me along, ya know? If you don't know, tell me. I get not knowing. If you forgot, tell me. S#$% happens, I get it. But don't tell me "It's fixed" just for me to drive some 4-5hrs round trip to find you forgot what my issues was entirely and haven't touched the thing I said was broke.

Best of all, THAT didn't even put me out. I've already set aside this time to invest, and 2 or even 3 more trips won't sour me, so long as we're making headway. But he finally dropped the ball one too many times with the no call backs or check ins so I just let it go. Perhaps a good thing, as I found the problem before he did. Cam phasers. Guess they're junk in that model year motor, and a replacement just buys time. Proper fix is ~$4k to do what FMC didn't, including disassembly and re-cut of the cam lobes. On a $16k truck I can't 'Ford that, so I guess I Dodge a bullet. And something something Chevy pun. Anyway...

Long story short, I'm now just about done. 100+ bookmarks behind me, I'm finally hot on one. '08 F350 4x4 extended cab with a 5.4L petrol and six speed manual with lo range and O/D. 105k on the clock for a Value Meal short of $10k. It's def a fleet truck, looks to be former Water or DPW. As such it's worn and scuffed, has the blissfully spartan, manual everything, rubber everything interior, just as I wanted. FOUR diamond plate tool boxes flank the bed (will likely remove), full switches for plowing (will likely convert to trailer stuff with enough left over for disco ball), even has a lil weeooeeoo bubble on top (will likely remove so it doesn't rust / so I don't get into trouble). Nothing on it looks BAD, I guess it's just worry because I haven't seen it. There's rust IN the bed, but that looks to be more from the raw metal toolbox frame, or perhaps what they carried in it, as opposed to the bed itself. Especially since the exterior is clean. The front bumper looks like it may be starting to surface, but it certainly doesn't look rotten. I think what gave me the most confidence was the rockers. You can clearly see something has worn or smashed it down through the paint, but the scratches are all smooth and black. No hint of brown or orange. And if the rockers are good...

Called the guy Friday or Saturday and just got off the phone with him minutes ago. Truck's still there, waiting for me to come get it. Just got back from the credit union, $10k check sitting on my stove.

Now alls I gotta do is decide whether to try putting a 6,000 lb truck on a 2,000 lb trailer with no brakes, or find one of my zero friends to give me a ride.

Hey, SOOPOO! Wanna go to Cleveland? =p
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.
February 22nd, 2018 at 11:55:10 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
"Nothing on it looks BAD, I guess it's just worry because I haven't seen it."

You're paying 10K for 10
year old truck sight unseen?
The universe has a way of
punishing things like this
pretty severely..
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 26th, 2018 at 1:44:41 PM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
Are you now the proud owner of a mighty Ford?
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury. GW
February 26th, 2018 at 2:02:58 PM permalink
Face
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 61
Posts: 3941
Be bold and risk defeat, or be cautious and encourage it.