Lovely day of shopping for the wife...

[jspbtown]

I don't know. I just got this car for less than the cost of a new Camry. 19k miles on it.

I think its a tad prettier

If I can get 100k out if it in the next few years I will be happy.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[jspbtown]

Its funny how every mechanic who works on certain cars always calls them turds.

Honda mechanics call Hondas turds (bad trannys, terrible paint, etc). Toyota mechanics call Toyotas turds (valve seals, oil consumption, etc).

I think its like cops who think everyone is a criminal. You see enough bad things in your line of work you expect them all to be bad.

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

[jspbtown]

I guess I have been really lucky.

No plastic coolant pipes for me. I did my research. Wrong years and wrong engine. I did have the center driveshaft bearing go and I replaced that myself. Kinda pricey but real easy. Its never been in the shop and has never broken down (knock wood). Although I hate doing the oil changes! I will get my 100k miles out of it and move it along. Just like all my other cars

Never paid $40k for a car. That includes me M3, my Jag, my MB, my Land Rover, my FX45, my Porsche, my SC430 or my BMW. Never paid more than the price of a new Camry for any of them. None of them ever went to a garage for service. I do my own oil changes and brakes. My MB once had a $28 sensor go though.

When my Ford Sport Trac started with the rattling timing chain at 40k miles I kinda swore off new cars. I will take a better car which already had its depreciation anyday. And that car was after my new Bravada chucked a tranny at 6000 miles.

I appreciate your post Skills. It brings me back to my days in an Oldsmobile/Pontiac dealership and the guys I worked with. It was a great time in my life.

Now back to the Porsche drama......Did I mention how big of a TURD a Fiat is???

[79SuperVert]

My friend only keeps his cars a couple of years, because he uses it for his business and can take advantage of company reimbursements and tax write offs. The number of bells and whistles on this car is unbelievable, and I shudder to think what it would cost to fix everything that can go wrong after a couple of years.

Things like electric window shades that come out of the sills and roll up and down on the rear windows, separate climate control for each occupant, seat heaters and coolers, all manner of accent, courtesy and reading lights, heads up displays, cameras everywhere to assist in parking and backing up, sensors to detect cars ahead of and alongside the car, soft touch door closing assist...the list goes on forever.

How many of these things will still be functional in 15 years? I bet not a whole lot. But my friend will never know, because he'll probably trade it in a couple of years down the road. Unless, God forbid, his car gets damaged like the OP's car. Then he'll find out how many things need to be repaired besides the obvious damage.
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

you are smart for dumping them at the 100k mark. problem is, the guys after you are the guys I get. mostly the "poser" crowd who doesn't have a grip on what it takes to fix "just an oil leak"

vert guy...you are right but it's worse than that...for example:

just did a car where the cluster took the network down. what's that mean? it means your power doors, windows, sunroof, climate control are knocked out.

it will however run and shift, but you can't pass smog because 1) the CEL won't illuminate and 2) the ECU flags a code for a malfunction in the CEL circuit.

it's crazy. the training is insane, you need a 5,000+ lab scope to diag most of this crap then when you do find the issue, it need software loaded into the car.

somehow, this is "better" and I understand Ethernet is in my future. it just will never end....
_________________

[jspbtown]

Well 3 weeks to the day I am scheduled to get the wife's car back today. According to the shop I will be getting $73 back from them...so no $500 deductible out of my pocket!

That apparently includes them mounting and balancing the 4 tires that I had shipped to their facility. It will be interesting to see how good it came out. For $6700+ I am hoping darn good.

The wife will be happy to get out at that tin can she has been driving.

For me I get the car back two days before we head out on vacation. I need to give it an oil change and try to fit the cargo carrier onto the rack.

Right down to the wire.

[ToolBox]

[jspbtown]

People seem to say Porsche is an issue. I have put about 70k on mine with no issues other than the center driveshaft bearing that I replaced.

Its been a real nice car and is excellent in the snow.

[jspbtown]

Well kinda good news and kinda bad news.....

Kinda bad news: At final inspection they found a small (pencil eraser) defect on the bumper cover so it needs a repaint. Since I am going on a 1500 mile vacation on Friday I took the car and need to bring it back when I get back for 2 days. They were the ones who spotted it so I gotta give them some credit. of course they had it for 3 weeks and they spot it on the day I am supposed to pick it up.

Kinda good news: I got $75 BACK from the repair place. No deductible due to some creative math I guess. So I did some fuzzy math:

Cost of rental.................................................$525.00
Gas savings ($75 per week x 3 weeks)............-$225.00
Value of mounted/balanced tires done at shop..-$100.00
Refund from shop..........................................-$ 75.00
Alignment (would have done with new tires).... - $75.00

Total out of pocket........................................$50.00

[mark tucker]

I wish I had the $$ to go shoping for a new wife....new car too

[Jon Schmid]

[mark tucker]

I would love to put a few miles on my porche......Ill probably be dead befor I finish it.