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Especially nowadays, when ex-smokers are anywhere near anything that smells like cigarette smoke, they immediately get repulsed.
My ex wife recently bought a Mustang convertible from my Son and we detailed her old car to sell it for her. It came out nice, except for the smoke smell. She is a heavy smoker and nothing we tried could get it out. I even shot disinfectant down the a/c intake while it was blowing, and the smell kept coming back.
My good friend wanted me to go with him to look at an 2001 SLK320 roadster he was thinking about buying.
We pulled up to the lot which I had heard of before several times but never in a positive light and looking at the cars I got an uneasy feeling. We went to the front office where some tatted up dude said "whats up guys" Not like "How are you what can do for you?" My friend said "not much man I'm here to look at the SLK." The sales guy said "oh yeah the runner is grabbin' it from our other lot." The car shows up completely filthy, covered in bird crap and dust and it just looked awful.
I did just a quick walk around and was completely disgusted what this lot was trying to pass off as excellent condition. Giant crack in the lower fascia, fog light tilted out of position, dent on front quarter panel the size of a quarter, a 8 inch long scratch on the door, a crease in the rear right quarter panel, sun faded rear bumper, right side of the bumper is missing plastic molding piece. Other than that it was "okay." The interior was pretty good except they had glued the glasses holder and coin holder shut and the mirrors were de-laminated.
Honestly, I would thanked them for their time and walked away.
So we drove it and he he had nothing but positive comments and was really excited. I felt I was between a rock and a hard place between killing his buzz and saving him from this car.....and I had an epiphany.
Am I too picky compared to what the normal person expects out of a used car?
He was all too happy to plunk down 7k for what I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole.
We drove for 30+ minutes. The car smelled hot, the transmission acted funny, the steering wheel was shimmying over 70. The engine made what I felt was a pulley noise.
He took my advice and did not buy the car. But then I though how many people would have bought that car anyway.
Now I don't expect a 16 year old car to be perfect.
The saga continues but we went to look at another one and it was even worse and had been wrecked and repainted poorly. My friend was none the wiser to anyone who knows anything about cars the paint was blatantly obvious not the original paint. Even after I told him he did not seem to mind.
Are there really people out there who don't care about the condition of a used car?
7000? I can get a really nicer car like avalon or older MB or BMW...Certainly not some junk coope...
My sister keeps buying BMW's even though they're garbage and tend to need expensive repairs after only 100k miles (the tranny crapped out on her last one at about 130k miles meanwhile my old Honda CRV has 275k miles on it and still runs flawlessly). She still keeps buying them though. Loves the performance and the image. I'm just sick of listening to her complain about how, at roughly a $40k/yr salary, she doesn't have any money yet continues to buy expensive, high maintenance vehicles.
My sister keeps buying BMW's even though they're garbage and tend to need expensive repairs after only 100k miles (the tranny crapped out on her last one at about 130k miles meanwhile my old Honda CRV has 275k miles on it and still runs flawlessly). She still keeps buying them though. Loves the performance and the image. I'm just sick of listening to her complain about how, at roughly a $40k/yr salary, she doesn't have any money yet continues to buy expensive, high maintenance vehicles.
It's really no different than working stiffs around here that buy used diesel trucks and about have a tantrum when something expensive breaks. These new ones, well they're not exactly like dad's old IDI Ford.
Honestly, I would thanked them for their time and walked away.
So we drove it and he he had nothing but positive comments and was really excited. I felt I was between a rock and a hard place between killing his buzz and saving him from this car.....and I had an epiphany.
Am I too picky compared to what the normal person expects out of a used car?
Are there really people out there who don't care about the condition of a used car?
The issues you noted are worrisome, but the dealer is also a jerk and frankly, if you see bad reports from buyers, there's a good reason.
Let me guess, you friend now wants to spend $5,000 bucks modifying the exhaust system, tweaking the engine, getting the frame either raised or lowered and buying the corresponding new tires, putting in obnoxious headlights, fitting it with a new blazingly loud sound system or any number of a hundred such things which are not only expensive, but incredibly douchy as well?
Perhaps this is also a symptom our our easy-credit society.
How accurate am I on this? I really am curious. No wonder so young people (I'm 29 but guessing your friend with the Roadster is younger) remain poor and living paycheck-to-paycheck, but that's what happens when you buy a douchy car and/or spend money on modifications.
Wow, what an incrediblyinsulting and douchey post.
My sister keeps buying BMW's even though they're garbage and tend to need expensive repairs after only 100k miles (the tranny crapped out on her last one at about 130k miles meanwhile my old Honda CRV has 275k miles on it and still runs flawlessly). She still keeps buying them though. Loves the performance and the image. I'm just sick of listening to her complain about how, at roughly a $40k/yr salary, she doesn't have any money yet continues to buy expensive, high maintenance vehicles.
I continue to buy BMWs because they are great cars that last a long time if maintained properly and give a driving experience that CRVs and Civics can't match. My current daily driver BMW 7 series has 160k miles on it and has never broken down on me or the PO. I plan on driving it to 300k miles. My last one I stupidly sold at 185k. My kid's BMW was still running strong at 250k miles when he traded it in on a WRX Sti. Ended up hating the WRX, so now he has 2 BMWs, a 2014 diesel 3 series waqon and an older 2004 330i ZHP car that is flawless.
The secondhand market for aging German and British cars is an interesting one. You've got the "wannabes"/ghetto rich looking for cheap bling as well as the enthusiasts who'll keep the thing going long beyond reason. "Car$ for Cheep" lots enable the former, and enthusiast forums will keep the latter going.
I was shocked at the prices being asked for cars with a virtually empty carfax, no records, high miles, and various little niggles (scratches, dings). There are (A) components that fail on schedule and (B) components that will fail without preventative maintenance. I need to either see those records or see some chunk component's cost reflected in the price.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
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Funny - all of my cars are maintained like new and look like new. And several of them are 20-30 years old. My parents are the same way and my dad's 1995 Buick Park Avenue with 225,000 miles would look like new on a new car lot.
That being said, most people don't take care of their cars and beat the hell out of them. Just watch the way pretty much everyone drives - jack rabbit starts, weaving through traffic, etc. They look at cars as appliances.
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