In these violent times, do you find it difficult to afford your car? Cut hrs, lost employment, bills piling up, etc. Is it worth it?
In these violent times, do you find it difficult to afford your car? Cut hrs, lost employment, bills piling up, etc. Is it worth it?
Where's Radioactive Man?
I never liked the high end cars like the ones you listed because it is so difficult to get parts at an affordable price.
I never had a car payment. Always paid cash and bought my cars used.
Luxury to me is a Lexus or Acura or Toyota 4runner/truck or an old muscle car. Nice but I can still gets parts easy and do most of my own repairs and maintenance.
In these unpredictable times I wouldn't take on an expensive new car payment unless you have good job security.
Also I used to make my cars bling with rims and custom paint jobs and expensive stereo systems but now I see the advantage to being able to just blend in, keep the stock wheels, go unnoticed. I still go dark tint though.
One day I'd like to finish restoring my '70 chevelle when I have more time and spare money. It needs to be reupholstered, needs tune up, needs new clear coat, some small bits of rust to address, new window thresholds...
https://i.postimg.cc/zBJHNPrX/9a-12.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/MTdMpb60/cf-12.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/FzzfddzM/chevelle2.png
Ironman, you still haven’t paid off your Pontiac Grand Am??
The key to affording these vehicles is to not have an insane mortage/rent payment. I know to many that got that 2 to 3 grand mortage payment. Got way more house then they need. Cant even to afford to furnish the whole thing. I dont have a luxury vehicle, but do own a newer suv and truck. And got a sedan that will be paid for before the end of the year. But not having debt every else make it possible.
Sorry for what might seem like a dumb question but does car ownership get taxed in the US? You see over here it does. Luckily it's not a progressive tax, if you owned 3 cars like b-dolo you'd pay the same tax 3 times over, not more.
The taxes are supposed to go to road maintenance but are clearly used in other government departments.
@Sense-A : nice Chevelle
My parents were 'late' drivers. They were well in their thirties when they learned how to drive. Because of money being tight they went w/ 3rd or 4th hand muscle cars. (This was before muscle cars became expensive.) They owned 3 Opel Mantas in a row, a muscle car with a doubtful reputation in the public eye, but actually a nice car.
I don't drive (distances here are much more limited, especially in the city), which saves me about $450 a month or slightly more in car down payments, gas, taxes and insurances.
Ironman, I do not know any people down here who have changed car models or just plain sold their car without getting another one. The only exception being couples who own 2 cars. One car gets sold and traded in for a cheaper one or a motorcycle. Losing the 2nd car altogether is mostly a no go because couples who have 2 cars here only go this route because their jobs are in very different places, not because they want a nice extra car for the weekend.
Btw a lot of companies provide a company issued car where you can decide on your own model from a large catalog (mostly sedans). It's part of job payment and a way for people to avoid car taxes and insurance, as the company pays for those.
I have to pay taxes yearly on each vehicle. Plus sales tax when purchased. Tax on any service to the vehicle. The U.S are the Michael Jordan of taxing their citizens. I wish I could say the roads are paved with gold and paying the taxes was worth it. But in the past i had to make repairs to vehicle based solely on poor road conditions in this country.
That's a lot of taxes, more than I had expected.
Some states tax their vehicles each year. I know West Virginia does. They fall into “property tax” there
So your saying you live in your car in West Virginia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Cool man.
What the fuck?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Seer
As far as I know all we have to do is get an e check and that’s free now. And stickers for the plates every year.
Property taxes on my cars are only about $25-$50 per year. Insurance is about $700 every 6 months for liability.
Thank God my state doesn't require car inspections. What a waste those were.
Add this to a long list of reasons why red Republican states are better than your blue demoKKKrat riot/rat infested shitholes. Until you change the way you vote, stay there.
West Virginia gets too much undeserved hate. It's like a slept on underground hip hop album that no one listened to because of poor marketing and a boring album cover.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dooch
It's one of the most free states in the union. And I can fuck with some 3 string barefoot banjo bluegrass music. One shot of moonshine gets you more drunk than a 12pack of watered down domestic beer with a lot less pissing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rP2rofuqPE
I believe Grave owns several high ends cars. Porsche is one of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by zooruka
Thats Grand Am GT is gone. Ford Fusion Sport paid off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Good to know that you have no car payments.Quote:
Originally Posted by b-dolo
In Michigan, we only have registration to worry about.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Seer
I know some people are leasing/buying cars that they can't afford. 25% interest on a car loan is insane. People purchasing German cars but can't afford the maintenance is even worse.
that sounds a bit high. How many accidents have you had in your Uncle Jesse pickup truckQuote:
Originally Posted by Sense-A
I used to do an overnight once a week for work in WV. There was a bar I’d go to all the time and these banjo playing retards must have realized I was from Pittsburgh because I had more than 3 teeth and wasn’t wearing wranglers. Well they begged me to bring them a case of yuengling the following week because even yuengling wants nothing to do with you backwards fucks. They said they would trade me for some moonshine. But I wasn’t falling for their rape fantasy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sense-A
I’ve driven through WV many times and used to always stop at Tamarac rest stop.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sense-A
Or Breezewood but that might be PA I’m not sure.
That's insurance for 3 cars though. Total. It would be half that much if I only had one car. Insurance costs differ a bit from state to state. Insurance companies usually run actuary models based on each state's laws and accident rates, etc. Each state has different minimum coverage requirements.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Pittsburgh? Man you're in a strict commonwealth state. I did some time in a PA prison before. And it wasn't easy time either. They got you waking up at 5am to do labor. I think I barely escaped having to do work at a landfill and got kitchen duty.
Outside of the negative stereotypes that everyone in WV is missing teeth and is incest, it really is a beautiful state. Lots of mountains and land undeveloped. Good hunting and fishing. Low taxes. Gambling is legal. Strip clubs are legal. Not much regulation. Like I said before in another thread. It's not where I'd go to start a career or try to meet women. A buddy of mine went up there and did some white water rafting and had a blast.
I'd prefer WV over VA or PA or MD. Fuck the commonwealth states.
I'm going to have to make a thread about Hillbilly Blood, one of my favorite shows of all time.
If I didn't have any kids and fam and a mortgage and job all anchoring me down, I'd probably consider moving to Tennessee. Great music, food, attractive women, low taxes, Republican.
Too many bitchy limp-wristed pseudo-liberal demoKKKrat regressive neo-marxists have infiltrated where i live now which has me working on an exit plan before I go Pee Wee Gaskins on them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_pyF5vZv4
Pee Wee Gaskins murdered like 50 people around where I live now. They could never find the bodies cuz he always fed them to alligators or buried them in the swamp. And when you can't find the body you can't prove someone is actually dead. So he always got away.
Me doing 100 in the Ack Legend
https://i.postimg.cc/SRPSBVbF/Ack-dash2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/bJNqd4zf/WP-20131208-013.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/HnFmZxbT/00w0w-...at-600x450.jpg
Everything is tightly packed under the hood of the Legend. This car isn't as easy to work on. Inline 6. Mine is manual 5 speed. (They have highly coveted 6 speed versions). Large support community online, lots of custom aftermarket parts. Even have Legend car clubs. Mine is all factory but I do want to update the stereo system.
What the he’ll does a commonwealth state mean? What’s the difference....
Strange places those original 13 states...
I've been through WV and it was nice. The people seemed decent. Most outsiders do not know how to drive through mountains.}:| Lol. Don't apply brakes down mountains. Downshift!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Sense-A
87,000 miles? Nice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sense-A
So, it's you, Art, Grave, and a few others who own high end cars. Nice. My dream is an either a BMW M3 or Mercedes E63 AMG.
I no longer have a high-end car. It’s not worth it unless you have real money to burn. I do too much driving to have anything nice. They lose their value to quick. My current company covers the cost of my car, insurance and gas, for what I have now. They wouldn’t be doing that if I had something expensive.
Everything for me now is about investing money in my house. Interest rates are so low, everyone should be looking to buy a house or remortgage their loan if they haven’t already.
The deal with high end cars is don't be suckered in by dealers with their fancy words. Research the cars, know what it's all about and search the market like crazy for a good deal.
Nothing wrong with running high end vehicles, get a good one and it will treat you fine. As for payments well it's all to do with budget. Set a budget and do not go over it. If you search the market well you should find a good deal. Financing is an issue, I mean if your not smart about it the dealer will fuck you over. There are even some dealers who do not accept you pay full in cash, they want you to go on finance which is bonkers but it's the way the industry is. Best way I say is to find a car private, go get a loan from your bank and buy it like that. Unless ofcourse your good pals with a dealer and he will get you the best deals out there and not try to screw you over. That's a different story though.
The only issue you will have when running these cars is servicing costs as you can get easily screwed over there. Just yearly check ups can cost a fortune with some car manufacturers.
Ok. I understand. Cars are nothing more than an expense, not an investment unless it's a super car with low miles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Our house is slowly but surely getting repaired. The porch getting repaired this weekend.
I can purchase either a BMW M3/M5 or Audi S4 but the maintenance costs will kill me in the end. It's not worth it unless I purchase a good warranty.Quote:
Originally Posted by HANZO
Good solid advice, Han.
Maintenance on them isn't that bad, it's just servicing costs which are a pain because the dealerships make money that way. Ideally you would want them serviced at dealerships so when it comes to selling you can say its been taken good care of. I don't know about the Audi S4 but I know the RS6 is incredibly difficult to fix and it's to do with the fact that if something goes wrong the mechanics have to remove the front end of the car. It's not like they are prone to failure, for some reason Audi just made it difficult to reach certain places on the car. The S4 though is a great car, I always prefer modern Audi's to modern BMW's. Honestly you can't go wrong with either. S4 or M5 for me. Can't say I'm a fan of the new M3/M4's. You can get a very good F10 BMW M5 now though, if you can find a good one it's a no brainer.Quote:
Originally Posted by IrOnMaN
You could always buy a Ferrari and get that 7 years free servicing and warranty lol.
That's how it is though. My dealer's given me cars to drive for free. Just to try for a month and see if I wanted to buy. All I pay for is insurance for a month and running costs. This way I've tried out a lot of cars and it makes owning one hard cause I get bored of it quick.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Seer
Smart! I'll try this because car salemans can be snake oil at times. There are so many rules when it comes to purchasing a car.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Seer
1. Never say that you're paying cash. They'll charge you the highest price and won't provide a good deal.
2. Never say that you're driving out-of-state to buy a car. It could lead to a bait and switch.
3. Don't get stuck on a certain car. They can take advantage of you that way.
4. Appear very confident and well informed. If you appear nervous, they'll try to bully you.
5. Negotiating is not a skill everyone is good with. If the won't work with you on a deal, just leave.
6. Very be desperate. If your car is on its last leg, don't tell them.
Yeah. Ferrari servicing is a nightmare if an owner doesn't have a warranty.Quote:
Originally Posted by HANZO
I'm like Art when it comes to driving. I drive way too much for work and family. If I can get an S4 with good miles and an excellent warranty, then I'll take it. No question. If not, 2019 Ford Fusion Sport would be the next option.
I had a hell of a time with the truck this weekend.
So last week the AC belt broke. I figured out that the hose coming from the top of the radiator cap to the overflow tank was punctured and sprayed hot antifreeze onto the belts, causing the AC belt to break off.
So I got a new AC belt and Power steering belt and planned on fixing it this weekend.
But Friday the engine began running hot so I figured now I have to fix the overheating problem first since that will be catastrophic if now fixed. Note here. If you see the temp gauge go into the red, turn off the road and shut everything down immediately. Trying to make it to the next exit or continuing to drive with a red lined temp gauge is going to warp your valves and burn up your gaskets. You'll destroy your engine. Open the hood and blast the heat inside the car to pull out heat from engine bay.
First I replaced the radiator cap figuring the old one might not be keeping the pressure in the system. A pressurized system has a higher boiling temperature. If the radiator cap is releasing too much pressure, it lowers the boiling point and you get overheating. Sure enough, the old radiator cap was cracked underneath, but I wasn't positive if it was releasing pressure or not. A cheap $12 fix nevertheless.
Truck overheats again. Fuck. Okay let's try thermostat next. Another $12 and some antifreeze.
I took the old thermostat out. Spilled the old radiator fluid on the driveway so I can help contribute to climate change and hope a dog licks it up and dies.
Noticed that the old thermostat had an old gasket in there as well as the one on the old thermostat, which may have been tangling with the spring mechanism or preventing the thermostat from entirely closing.
Note: The aftermarket thermostat is not as good quality as the OEM part.
Put in a gallon fresh asian Toyota red coolant (not the cheap green shit).
Still overheating. WTF? Realized that 1 gallon wasn't enough. Put in another 3/4 gallon and now I'm running cool again!
On to the serpentine belts. Getting the power steering belt off was a bitch. One 14mm bolt in particular. I couldn't get a socket wrench in a couple places. Realized I'd be working all day using old school wrenches. Went to harbor freight and got this for $8 after a 20% off coupon.
https://i.postimg.cc/7LNYrwDV/image-20420.jpg
The blue 14mm wrench made the job possible in less than 1 hour. Engine was still hot. I burned my arm and knuckles loosening the pulley tensioner bolts. An Obama/Biden supporter would have cried like a bitch and taken it to a mechanic and then went to the ER for burns. Big dick Republicans do what it takes to get the job done.
Now my truck is cooling better than it used to (I installed a thermostat that opens 10 degrees lower), has fresh antifreeze, and new serpentine belts. Running cool and the AC is cold.
Spent less than $50 total and thanked the Good Lord I didn't have to do a water pump change (which would take me all weekend). Took the kids out for ice cream to celebrate my hard work. I'm going to go back to harbor freight and pick up the SAE pack of ratcheting wrenches. These have bends in them which worked in this case. I'd like a set of straight arm ones too. Damn the things make loosening bolts in tight places so much easier when you can't get a socket wrench in there.
I'd show you pictures but my phone digitizer is busted. Expecting the part to arrive Tuesday so I can take my phone apart again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IrOnMaN
I did similar sales a while back. The big thing they do is try to pin you down to a payment. Ask you what you are comfortable paying, and they try to get you under that number. Obviously, know what your budget is, but don’t overpay for a car just because they stretch the terms of the loan to get you under your monthly budget. They’ll try to use your own words against you. “But you said if I could get your monthly payment below X, we’d be doing this deal.”
When buying a new car, typically it’s a waste of money to buy an extended warranty. 4 out of 5 times, you lose money because the repairs don’t end up costing as much as the warranty. When you add the price of the warranty into the loan, it comes out to be around 15-25 per month. If you just save that money in a seperate account every month, you will be able to pay for just about any repair you need if something happens after the factory warranty runs out. And if you don’t have anything go wrong, you have a nice down payment to put on your next car.
Yea you better know your shit or they’ll try to stick it to you. I like catching them in a “lie”. I enjoy making it alittle uncomfortable if they lie about fair market value. Let them go back and “talk to their manager” and if you don’t get your price walk out. They may call you back in a day, they make lower it just to make you stay. They may not.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
I’ve dealt with some dudes that straight hooked me up and I think they did something shady and I’ve dealt with dudes who are pricks and won’t budge.
The key is never go In that day with the expectation you’re gonna buy something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IrOnMaN
yeah, and george costanza has a place in The Hamptons.
https://youtu.be/d-MtW7hbzWk
Prickly PorscheQuote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Good. Thanks. Extended warranty is only good for BMW. LolQuote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
That what he said. Isn't Grave well off?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Artsdradamus
Ghost Dog driving scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=advuEzBGu5M
Can someone explain to me in simple terms what the difference is between all wheel drive vs 4 wheel drive. I see new vehicles claiming awd system. I'm thinking its not the same as a traditional 4×4 truck/jeep. That maybe you are paying extra for a substandard feature.
I don't know the first thing about cars (sorry) but I had a look around and the link below seems like a good explanation? I only read the first 3 lines though lol.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ces-explained/