- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Leperflesh posted:
Despite the hot weather and being cooped up with my family for three weeks, it was fantastic. I have fond memories of that trip (and another we took later). I had a little 110 kodak camera and I took a bunch of photos I still have somewhere of places like zion and bryce and the grand canyons.
Aside from the lack of A/C it was perfectly comfortable... big bench seats are fine for kids, really.
You probably remember it fondly but i bet your parents remember you complaining the whole time.
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Jan 30, 2012 20:17
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May 21, 2024 04:06
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Binary posted:
My 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS is having transmission issues. Assuming the worst a new transmission will probably cost $2000-$4000 with labor I'm sure. The car has 167K miles on it and is paid off. Is it worth it to replace the transmission or to use the money for a new car? There's a dealership here with a 2002 Toyota Celica with 104K miles for $8500 that caught my eye. Is dumping the Eclipse for the Toyota a better call? I can pay cash for it, though it will come out of my emergency fund, so no financing will be involved.
If the rest of the car is in perfect shape, you like the car, and it would be more than the cost of repair to replace it with a similiar car, i would repair it.
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Feb 10, 2012 02:16
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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FISHMANPET posted:
Doesn't it also have something to do with how the frame is built? I don't remmeber the specifics but the frame on the CV (and the Caprice before) was solid and in some way different from cars now, so it made them much easier to repair after ramming a car or whatever.
Yep, they can throw it up on a rack, pull the frame and put it back in service.
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Feb 17, 2012 16:56
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Kefit posted:
Nevermind the Saturn Astra idea. Research indicates that it's full of electrical gremlins and other reliability issues. A shame, since the rest of it seemed to be so in line with my needs/desires.
I'm currently looking at a 2007 Mazda3 Grand Touring Sedan with 75k miles on it. Yes, my desires for a car have changed substantially, and I'm glad I took the time to think over and research my options. Anyway, my car knowledge says that this mileage is high, but not unreasonable if the car has been well maintained and if passes examination by a mechanic. While I don't mind driving a higher mileage car (I only drive ~8k a year, so it should last me a looong time yet), I am concerned about all the electronic doodads. I remember all the electronic stuff in my dad's Maxima breaking way back in the day, and I'm concerned the same thing could happen here, long before the useful life of the car runs its course. Has the quality of these kinds of accessories improved enough over the years that I don't need to worry about this?
Also, my friend says to avoid Mazda3 sedans because the car was designed primarily for the hatchback body style and that the sedan might be lacking in safety and maneuverability. Can I safely ignore him?
On another subject:
This might not be the proper place for this, but I figured I'd ask the question here since I'm just looking for a quick easy answer for the purpose of selling my vehicle. As you can see above one of the reflector thingies is hanging loose on the front right corner of my Saturn. Last summer I used some strong glue to glue it back into place, but it eventually wore off and the piece fell out again. I figure I'll glue it once again, perhaps with an adhesive that is more suitable to the task. But I don't know whether I should reveal this issue to a potential buyer. I wouldn't feel like I'm scamming anyone if I kept quiet since it doesn't affect the drivability of the car in any way, but I could see the buyer getting pretty irritated if it just falls out on them one day. Thoughts?
Unscrew the broken part off, repair it with 2part epoxy and screw it back in.
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Mar 10, 2012 16:00
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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OctaviusBeaver posted:
I have a 2001 Toyota Celica with about 105,000 miles on it. I bought it ~18 months ago for $5,200. It has been burning oil for a while and it died the other day, though now I can start it and drive it again. I took it to the dealer for a diagnosis and they said that it isn't worth putting any money into and the engine is about to go. I can get a rebuilt engine with a 3 year warranty installed for $3,800. It is in pretty good shape otherwise, aside from some scrapes and dents on the rear bumper that were there when I bought it. My gut instinct is to go ahead and spend the money, but I'm not sure if there are other options I should look at.
You should be able to find a used engine and get it installed way cheaper than that. Here is a reman on ebay for $1600 shipped
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-1ZZ-...f#ht_5037wt_936
Ive seen used ones go for $900 or so. Do you have a GT or GTS?
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Apr 18, 2012 21:58
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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OctaviusBeaver posted:
I'm actually kind of doubting whether the guy who told me that has any idea what he is talking about. I don't know that much about cars but between:
1. Low power
2. Copious white smoke
3. Burning oil
It seems to match up with a damaged/blown head gasket. I'm going to pull the spark plugs out and check for gunk and maybe look into replacing the head gasket, which looks tough but not as bad as pulling the whole engine.
A blown headgasket doesn't mean your engine is dead. It means you just need to replace the headgaskset. Basically unbolt everything off the head and remove the head. Does the car knock or anything when you drive it? If not the internals are likely fine.
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Apr 19, 2012 19:53
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Phone posted:
I'm not sure if the 1ZZ in the Celica is as prone to self-destructing as the same engine in the MR-S due to pre-cat issues, but you should be able to pick up a junkyard engine for peanuts. The 1ZZ is literally the 2000s Corolla engine and they put it in Corollas, Celicas, and the MR-S.
I've heard they have some oil loss issues but they don't have the precast the mr2 does which is the cause of the mr2s suddenly crapping out.
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Apr 21, 2012 14:28
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Removing the dent is probably the majority of that.
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May 2, 2012 19:10
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Chains are usually the lifetime of the vehicle. Unless they are making noise you leave them alone.
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May 4, 2012 20:47
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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shredswithpiks posted:
Argh. Yeah, if you're looking in the 2-4yo range you're probably not going to find a bargain Subaru. I'm a big fan of Subaru 2005/2006 MY, and if you're willing to travel a ways to pick one up you can find a really good deal. If you're set on sticking with something 09+, then I might still stick with the Forester as a recommendation (although you're gonna be towards the top of your 20k range), and possibly the Subaru Outback (not legacy or impreza outback... just outback so you get the extra clearance) for something a little smaller.
If it were me, I would go out of my way to not finance any of it and stick with an 05/06.
Until MY2010 legacy outback and outback are the same vehicle. If you look at legacy outbacks just make sure its the wagon and not the sedan, unless you want the sedan that is.
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May 7, 2012 23:06
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Dreadite posted:
Hey guys, what's the lesser of two evils here?
I have a lease right now that is affordable for me (around $200 a month) and I've put very little miles on it. However, I really don't like the "renting" aspect of it, I don't like driving the car very much, and I think I'd rather buy a new car.
Dealerships right now are willing to buy out my lease entirely and give me 1% financing on a new vehicle with $0 down, but I'd end up paying $100 a month more in payments (which I can afford just fine) for a 72 month term. Over the term I'm only paying ~$1100 in interest, so despite the long term, that isn't really bad right? (I am under the impression that the reason 60-72 month loans are so bad is because they eat you alive in interest).
I would like a new car for the warranty/maintenance reasons and I would try to keep it for 10+ years. That should be easy because I only put about 8k on a car yearly. Is there something foolish about this that I am going to be regretting?
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May 13, 2012 01:25
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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If you arn't in a hurry, calculate the car payment and pay it to yourself every month into an account and see how much it hurts you.
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May 18, 2012 23:01
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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You might get a base my2010 outback for close to 16k. They started at 22000. Carseats fit very well. Rear facing ones can be tight in Mazda 3s.
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May 22, 2012 13:06
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Also, take your car seat with you when you go buy a car and test fit it.
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May 22, 2012 14:41
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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This is great information; thanks! I'm interested in the Prius, but they're hard to come by in my price range. It also seems like people buy those and then drive the crap out of them, so the ones I'm finding tend to have a lot of miles. I was hoping that by the time I needed a new car, there would be more hybrids or all-electrics out.  I loathe even paying The Man for gas at ALL when I feel so strongly about the horrors of fossil fuels.  Realistically, I have to get around somehow, money is tight and I can't afford some fancy eco-car.
I'm worried about car seats and cargo space in the smaller hatchbacks, but we'll be bringing the seat (and possibly the baby) with us when we test drive. Rear-facing seat accommodation is a must, and my husband is over 6 feet tall. The car I'm replacing is a Saturn coupe, so I'm sure pretty much anything is a space upgrade. (I did have the 3rd door, though, and that was nice.)
Our mechanic buddy recommended the Matrix, but I wasn't thrilled about the fuel efficiency. Any thoughts about the Scion XD?
If you want a matrix, buy the pontiac vibe instead. Its the same car but with a cheaper pontiac badge. Also dont take the baby with you if you can. You dont need the baby to fit the car seat.
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May 22, 2012 16:40
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Dont justify a new car with maintenance costs on an old car (except of course major repairs that are more than the car is worth).
It will almost always be cheaper to maintain your old car, plus a new car still needs oil changes, and filters, and tires, and brakes, and everything else.
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Jun 6, 2012 22:57
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Interesting factoid as we're talking about warranties.
Subaru's B2B (3/36k) covers brake pads, clutches, and windshield wipers even if they wear our for reason other than defect.4
So get your launches done in the first 36,000!
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Jun 13, 2012 02:14
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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You could get a Regal GS for about the same per month as the BMW. Why do you hate America?
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Jun 13, 2012 03:06
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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I'm looking for a recommendation for a used car. I live in Australia, and my budget is very low.
Proposed Budget: Up to $5,000
Body Style: Station wagon, hatchback, or van.
How will you be using the car?: Mostly short trips, sometimes with lots of lightish stuff inside (homebrew vats, computer parts, stuff like that). A Holden sedan is big enbough for that part, or a Camry or something. Once a week, it will travel roughly 100km in a single day going across the city via freeways. It must seat 4 adults on that trip. Comfort isn't a huge issue, but most of my friends are tall, so tiny cars are right out. A Corolla is fine for that part. Edit: Once or twice a year, it will go 500kms or so on a short roadtrip. If it turns out not reliable for roadtrips, no big deal, we'll use someone else's car.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: No. Power steering is a must. Aircon is a bonus. Everything else being manual would be fine. CD player nice but not necessary, I can build my own stereo/ipod/whatever setup. Edit: gently caress, my girlfriend informs me she can't drive a manual, so auto transmission is a must too.
What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style): Reliability, cost of maintenance, running costs. I can do basic maintenance myself, and while I'd be happy to say I know jack poo poo about cars, I did once change a head gasket, mostly because I'm a loving master at following instruction manuals.
If you do not live in the U.S. you should probably say so because what's available can vary a lot: Melbourne, Australia.
Cars I've looked at: Early 2000s Corolla wagon. Late 90s / Early 2000s Mitsubishi Magna wagon (best choice, I think). Mitsubishi 380 (too pricey, but I really like it). Early 2000s Camry. Various vans (I kind of like vans, but if I got a van it would need to have a comfortable rear seat). I don't want another holden, all my cars have been shitbox holdens, and they're awful.
I don't expect to get much for the price, but stuff like scratches and dents bothers me not at all.
Did you get the Honda accord wagon over there?
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Jun 14, 2012 17:22
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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What exactly is your budget, what could you get for the focus plus cash?
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Jun 16, 2012 14:39
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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With an income of roughly 200k, half of it tax free, how bad of an idea is a '13 Viper? Because I'm leaning towards it being both the best and worst idea ever.
Do you have a few million in the bank?
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Jun 17, 2012 05:13
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May 21, 2024 04:06
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- Don Lapre
- Mar 28, 2001
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If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.
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Desperately need advice on a new car. I have no idea what I want.
Proposed Budget: $25k?
New or Used: Don't know!
Body Style: 4 door or hatchback. Compact or midsize.
How will you be using the car?: Commuting 16 miles round trip. Running errands and occasionally hauling stuff.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?) Bluetooth and USB would be nice, but not a must. Don't really care about high performance.
What aspects are most important to you? Decent winter weather handling as I live in MN. Although as a baseline I drove a 2003 Toyota Corolla with all season tires no problem. Resale Value and depreciation (who knows where I'll be in 6 months and also I hate cars). Good outward visibility. At least 30 MPG combined so I can look myself in the mirror. Comfort, I have a 33" measured inseam. Automatic transmission.
I mentioned the Corolla...I HATED driving it because of the cramped seats and typical compact sedan visibility. I drove a Honda Fit during an hourcar rental and loved it but I'm very concerned about driving up hill in the winter to my parking spot. I really don't want to have to put winter tires on it. I've driven lots of mid-size sedans for work rentals and liked pretty much all of them.
Also I don't have a car which makes car shopping very difficult...
An impreza meets your needs. The outback is more comfortable but you wont do 30mpg combined, only highway.
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Jun 25, 2012 14:42
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Jan 30, 2012 20:17
