Mounting repair bills on my 2 older cars

[MightyMaxxedOut]

[quote=ike529az;7144728]Because of my mechanic's conflict of interest in both selling me the 2 cars and then repairing them as well I was given some going forward advice before I came on here by a forum mechanic. I'm not bashing my mechanic. He's done lots of free work and let me bring parts in. The forum mechanic had told me that the broken axle repair price of $400 seemed really high. He also said that if I was thinking of selling these 2 cars I should think of getting them checked out by an independent mechanic to see just what kind of shape they're in. I followed up on that by 1st taking in the Buick for a full car analysis with a recommended mechanic and also to get a quote on fixing the temp. controller. He called me back on Fri. and said the car overall was fine but he could not fix the controller. I'm scheduled to pick up the Buick and drop off the Sonata tomorrow for the analysis and get the broken axles quote. Its free however he might not like keep doing this for nothing and I don't blame him. I'll offer him money for his time.

I looked at NADA - you were right $2000 on the Sonata however most people here quote Kelly Blue book for car values even though they are inflated. Before that I had wanted to see what the lifespan was on the 2003 Sonata was and what owners thought in terms of repairs they were having to deal with. I was shocked to find out of 300 owners this car had a 8.5 rating out of 10, go figure. Comments like I love it, problems were cheap to fix... However a car site flagged transmission issues. You could to talk to one person and its their dream car and to another, its their worst nightmare. I've owned it 2 1/2 years - 129k miles right now: I had to have new brakes front and back/ok -new tires/ok - then a condenser then brake line, now - gas line (I could be wrong on the last one > the exact repair - he showed me / I was clueless). I will know shortly what the deal is. When I quoted the $2500 with all my limited car knowledge I was including brand new stereo - tinting - modified muffler - bodywork ---> I just bought 4 new 70,000 Brigestone lifetime warranty tires a couple of months ago! - flawless interior - sharp hubs. My thought was a young buck would see and hear car this an pay a premium. I paid $2300. I would split the axle repair and I think it will be cheaper than $400. I would negotiate down, I'm a realist -- or am I? HaHa

What if the mechanic comes back and says yeah the broken axles and the other thing need repair, but after those its fine. Might someone else say, hey you put all this money into the Sonata and now you're gonna dump it and take a huge hit?
Why not sell the Buick while you haven't paid a penny in repairs and then run the Sonata into the ground and get some use out of that car you just pumped a ton of cash into the last 6 months? You can then take that Buick sale cash and then build more cash for that better quality later model car you want. What do you think?[/quote

What do I think? I think someone can second guess themselves 'til the cows come home. Don't be afraid of making the wrong decision. You know what you need to know and what to do- just pull the trigger.

I was in a doctor's office for an appointment and picked up a magazine and started reading. It was Forbe's or some mag like that and the article was about the CEO of Hyundai. It outlined the history of the company and was pretty adamant about stating that Toyota is "scared to death" of them. They are beating Toyota at their own game. High quality cars at a price than can't be beat. They are for real and they have come a long way since their start in the U.S. in the 80's. They use to be the butt of jokes in the business. Not any more.

A car is worth what a person is willing to pay at that moment for it. Not what you think it's worth. In the case of the Sonata, bottom line you put some money into it, but did not add any real value to it.

You know what to do now. Just pull the trigger.

[MightyMaxxedOut]

Hopefully I didn't sound rude or brusque, I just detected some "woulda coulda shoulda" in your last post. That advice I gave you is sound, all you have left to do is to do it.

One of the biggest fallacies the automotive public clings to is the notion that "I've put a lot of money into it recently now I can't afford to sell it..." That's nonsense, it is a depreciating asset for pete's sake. How much $$$ person put into repairs has no bearing if they should sell it. That's just another fallacy that people cling to to justify their decision not to sell a car. The fact is, you can never afford not to sell a car if selling is the right move.

Good luck

[ike529az]

Your detection was spot on! I believe that after plunking down $2000 a couple of months ago for the Buick and then viewing the flashbacks in my mind of the several repair bills and or car part purchases of $300 or $400.00 multiple times in the past several months on the Sonata, that yes in deed, I did have a little hesitancy & indecision of then, moving forward and spending almost $9000 on a new used car which may or may not have issues of its own. But I think I might have mentioned in the past that at one point the decision might be made for me.

The independent mechanic just called me on the Sonata analysis and it was brutal. He said it needs new wheel bearings, belts, front axles, and the gas line could last 2 weeks or 5 years. The estimate for the initial repairs is around $800. I asked if this was a car that would last me another 5-6 years after it was fixed. He said more like 2-3. I told him to just fix what's needed to make it safe to drive on the road and make it sellable. He said $165 and I can pick it up tomorrow. He said if you're gonna buy a used car, buy a Buick.

What I'm realizing is this will take time. I say that because I won't sell that Sonata overnight. Also, I checked Craigslist and out of the 300 listings within the parameters you and I targeted there was only one hit - 2005 Lincoln LS - 80K - $6500 which is right where the dealers are selling at! The good news is I only need one car. I can get a loan same day. The Sonata shouldn't be too hard to sell - has a sharp look inside and out. Once I sell it I have the Buick which the mechanic signed off on as ok. I'll continue to build cash as I look for the new car. That means I can be picky and walk away from cars I'm not in love with. I'd still like to get your advice on cars that I come across, if that's ok Thanks.

[ike529az]

Here's the ad - its an older woman who teaches singing - I'm seeing it tomorrow:
2005 Buick LeSabre Custom. Low Milage, 56,000. Very good condition, interior and exterior. Sound, safe mechanical condition. AC, ABS, Power Windows and Doors. Almost new tires, brakes, seatbelts, hoses. Excellent winter car, solid in snow. Here's the pic:
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/4680792964.html

What do you think?

[MightyMaxxedOut]

Originally Posted by ike529az

Here's the ad - its an older woman who teaches singing - I'm seeing it tomorrow:
2005 Buick LeSabre Custom. Low Milage, 56,000. Very good condition, interior and exterior. Sound, safe mechanical condition. AC, ABS, Power Windows and Doors. Almost new tires, brakes, seatbelts, hoses. Excellent winter car, solid in snow. Here's the pic:
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/4680792964.html

What do you think?

That'll work.

I had a chat onetime with an independent dealer who was a sales manager at dealers for years before he struck out on his own with his own dealer. He told me that 90% of what you need to know about the mechanical condition of a car will be made known by the tires. Do all 4 match brand and model tire? Do all 4 have equal wear? Do all 4 have about equal wear left? There is no surprise that if you can answer yes to all those questions, the owner will have the service records at hand.

Have it checked out, that is a good car. In fact, that is the one of the last LeSabre's made before the full size Buick was replaced in the Buick line up by the Lucerne.

Go check it out.

Older teacher???? Run, don't walk!!!! LOL

Curb your enthusiasm when you are there looking at it, and use the guideline I suggested about roughly halfway between NADA avg. retail and trade-in.

If it checks out by a mechanic, and the price was fair I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[ike529az]

I am excited about this current situation's potential outcome. Right now I have 2003 Sonata w/129k miles on it with lots of problems and a mechanic who tells me it has 2-3 years left after I spend more money & fix it. I also have the additional expense of a 2nd car with an almost 20 year old Buick Park Avenue which has an expensive outstanding temp. control programmer repair needed. It's a great car, but still 20 years old which means it will start to fall apart. I also pay 2 insurances, plates, oil changes, supplies, etc.,

I might be able to sell those 2 and possibly get somewhere around $4000. The Sonata goes on my nearby mechanic's lot with a For Sale sign tomorrow afternoon.
If I buy this Le Sabre, I will then have only one car -- a 2005 high quality Buick with low mileage for under $6000. It gets 18/27 w/avg 21mpg so I get my 20+mpg!
This is a car I'm hoping with good care and maintenance will last me 10 years. since I only drive 8 or 9k miles a year locally.
I can then pay off the difference between what I get from selling the 2 cars and what I pay for this car in a year or 2 and be free and clear with a decent reliable car.

The NADA is quoting: Rough Trade in $4200 - Avg. trade in: $5100 - Clean trade in $5850 - Clean retail $8050. I read over the definitions of these prices and they appear to be from a dealer's perspective, in other words the value when preparing the car to be sold at a dealer. Maybe I'm interpreting it wrong. Kelly Blue Book seems much simpler and straightforward although I understand NADA may be more accurate and even in my favor in this situation. All I want is a private seller estimated value price.

I met them this afternoon and saw the car - looked great except for cosmetic scratches, scrapes and minor discoloration spots which they said they were willing to adjust the price on. A little rust on the bottom of the right door trim -- same side rocker panel a little loose as well. The interior was pretty good but not great - a few very hard to see stains. I pointed all the issues out to them in a nice way. I said I my mechanic could check it out on Thurs. - they said ok. What I found interesting was they told me the guy that sold it to them 3 years ago SAID his older mother was the only one that drove the car and he was selling it for her. He showed them a picture of her but, they never met her. They said he looked and sounded honest so they had no reason to doubt his sincerity. Hmmmm... It has brand new tires, The husband said he paid $800 for them - wasn't a well known brand but they looked great. He says its has new brakes, hoses and belts. They are preparing the service records for me but they said they only have them for the 3 years they owned the car and not sure what they have. They don't appear dishonest or crafty, just seniors selling a car they don't need anymore..

Say the records are ok, the mechanic checks it out and says its in good shape like they say. Its been on Craigslist a little while - they seem motivated. I'm not trying to rip them off. Based on my description and I know its tough without seeing the car but what comes to your mind in terms of a basic FINAL offer price? The value of anything really comes down to what someone is willing to pay for it at any given moment. They're asking $5800. I was thinking of just throwing out $5500 and see what they say. That's a price before your NADA comments and basically just taking off for the cosmetic damage that I'll have to take to my body repair guy.Thank you.

[MightyMaxxedOut]

Originally Posted by ike529az

Because of my mechanic's conflict of interest in both selling me the 2 cars and then repairing them as well I was given some going forward advice before I came on here by a forum mechanic. I'm not bashing my mechanic. He's done lots of free work and let me bring parts in. The forum mechanic had told me that the broken axle repair price of $400 seemed really high. He also said that if I was thinking of selling these 2 cars I should think of getting them checked out by an independent mechanic to see just what kind of shape they're in. I followed up on that by 1st taking in the Buick for a full car analysis with a recommended mechanic and also to get a quote on fixing the temp. controller. He called me back on Fri. and said the car overall was fine but he could not fix the controller. I'm scheduled to pick up the Buick and drop off the Sonata tomorrow for the analysis and get the broken axles quote. Its free however he might not like keep doing this for nothing and I don't blame him. I'll offer him money for his time.

I looked at NADA - you were right $2000 on the Sonata however most people here quote Kelly Blue book for car values even though they are inflated. Before that I had wanted to see what the lifespan was on the 2003 Sonata was and what owners thought in terms of repairs they were having to deal with. I was shocked to find out of 300 owners this car had a 8.5 rating out of 10, go figure. Comments like I love it, problems were cheap to fix... However a car site flagged transmission issues. You could to talk to one person and its their dream car and to another, its their worst nightmare. I've owned it 2 1/2 years - 129k miles right now: I had to have new brakes front and back/ok -new tires/ok - then a condenser then brake line, now - gas line (I could be wrong on the last one > the exact repair - he showed me / I was clueless). I will know shortly what the deal is. When I quoted the $2500 with all my limited car knowledge I was including brand new stereo - tinting - modified muffler - bodywork ---> I just bought 4 new 70,000 Brigestone lifetime warranty tires a couple of months ago! - flawless interior - sharp hubs. My thought was a young buck would see and hear car this an pay a premium. I paid $2300. I would split the axle repair and I think it will be cheaper than $400. I would negotiate down, I'm a realist -- or am I? HaHa

What if the mechanic comes back and says yeah the broken axles and the other thing need repair, but after those its fine. Might someone else say, hey you put all this money into the Sonata and now you're gonna dump it and take a $1300 hit?
Why not sell the Buick while you haven't paid a penny in repairs and then run the Sonata into the ground and get some use out of that car you just pumped a ton of cash into the last 6 months? You can then take that Buick sale cash and then build more cash for that better quality later model car you want. What do you think?

What if a frog had wings?

He wouldn't bump his ass.

I'm not spending any more time trying to help you.

I have in good faith tried to help you, but I have become convinced you are just content to jerk my chain. That makes you an internet troll.

Do whatever the hell you want to do.

That's what most people do anyways.

[ike529az]

You were helpful so I'll be the bigger man and not go off on you.
I lived in NYC half my life and half a thick skin, it would take more than your little spout off and silly emoticon to bother me even a little, trust me. I sometimes find this kind of behavior in forums where more experienced members get impatient with rookies because they don't catch on or move on things fast enough, or don't process facts in perfect order. Perhaps its because they don't have 20 or 40 years of experience and they learn by asking lots of questions and yes they are in many instances unsure of themselves and second guess. Maybe you should consider that before passing judgement and unloading your anger. I bought the car this morning and a lot of it was due to your advice. I appreciate all the time and knowledge you gave me. I won't respond to you or contact you again and I'd appreciate the same. Take care.