Buying used cars... bleah...

I

imported_Aurora40

New member
Every time I look at used cars it makes me think I could only be happy buying a cheapie beater to bomb around in. Spending real money on a used car just means I'll be annoyed or concerned about the way the previous owner cared for the car. I like to keep things in mint condition as much as reasonably possible for as long as possible, but that's not true of most people.



While buying new can certainly cost some coin, it gives me immensly more peace of mind. And I try to keep cars a long time. I think when you buy a used car, there will always be things about it that crop up due to previous ownership, or that are perceived to be due to previous ownership. I think over time you'll either grow to love the car in spite of those things (it helps if the car doesn't have a major failure that could possibly be attributed to dubious maintenance or use of the car), or you grow to absolutely hate it and regret ever buying it.



While I'm sure the same can be said of a new car, I think in reality it is a lot less probable that you'll get burned on a new car vs. a used car. For one, used cars had the same potential of being a lemon when they were new, but now there is the added factor of use and time. And at least everything is spotless on a new car. It's as nice as it will ever be unless you spend a fortune on nicer parts.



Also, getting a used car that has normal wear and tear (well, normal for a non-Autopian) may save money, but if you decide you want to replace the wear and tear items with new ones, you'll spend a heck of a lot. It's much cheaper to keep things like new than to try to make them like new again.



I dunno... I guess I'm just rambling. But looking at Corvettes from 15 years ago, I just can't help but think screw it, get a new one. A 400hp C6 doesn't quite have the same panache to me as a 400hp TT C4, but it'll ride a lot nicer, handle a lot better, be more useable in inclement weather (perish the thought), etc. It costs more, they are everywhere, and the body just isn't as attractive to me as the C4 was, especially the pre-1991 C4, but I won't constantly be thinking "I wonder what that guy did to the engine" or "I wish he hadn't broken that piece of trim", or "I can't believe he chipped the paint there"...



If a GTO had stability control, a less weird trunk, and wasn't made in Australia, I'd probably hop on one...
 
Ever thought of a C4 ZR1? Might be less prone to problems since it isn't as mechanically complicated but, similar power.



I know it is a little out of your way but, I used to swing by this place all the time when I lived in Orlando. Rogers Corvette sells Corvettes exclusively and 99% of the cars are "mint" with very low miles. He is a serious enthusiast and collector.



http://www.rogerscorvette.com/car.php?CarID=1321

http://www.rogerscorvette.com/car.php?CarID=1472

http://www.rogerscorvette.com/car.php?CarID=1473

http://www.rogerscorvette.com/car.php?CarID=451
 
I dont have much experience/knowledge with corvettes.... but maybe.....



If you bought a new one, you would kinda grow into it... and many years down the line, it could become a very classic looking car and you will have enjoyed owning it for all of these years :)



Just a thought... hope this makes sense :D
 
rjstaaf said:
Ever thought of a C4 ZR1? Might be less prone to problems since it isn't as mechanically complicated but, similar power.[/url]
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Hey Bob, the ZR-1s are a lot more mechanically complex, I think. They have DOHC motors, dual-stage intake plenums, 16 injectors, etc. The TT setup on the Callaway is pretty sweet, but not overly complicated. It's a smallblock that has been magnafluxed, blueprinted, and beefed up (and of course twin-turboed and intercooled). But still very straightforward. I think it would be an easy car to work on, but one with a few very expensive parts.



I imagine you were just looking casually at the cars you saw? If you were thinking of buying one, you'd probably notice more flaws on the cars. They are about the same era as the Callaway (Callaways stopped in '91, ZR-1's in '95) and I imagine have the same types of owners.



As to power, I think they are pretty different. Different approaches. The ZR-1 revs to ~7,500 rpm. The Callaway ~5,500 rpm. The most powerful production ZR-1 made 405hp/385lb-ft. The most powerful Callaway available as a Chevy option made 403hp/575lb-ft. The Callaway also responds incredibly well to exhaust and intake improvements, I've seen one guy's 1988 dyno which made 425hp and 575lb-ft at the wheels. He just had upgraded intake and a dual 2.75" exhaust. Though his baselines showed the car to be a bit underrated in the first place. :)



Anyway, I was just thinking in general about non-beater used cars, not necessarily Corvettes in specific. I guess I have a hard time getting over the used-ness of them. :wavey
 
Hmm, just checked out those links... Two of the cars had under 650 miles... In that case, they may be quite mint. But they wouldn't be worth what the asking prices are, at least not to me. $50,000 for a 10 year old ZR-1? If you look at prices of ZR-1s in general, they are hardly collectibles, though they are quite cool IMO. And it's unique as the only DOHC 32-valve factory Corvette engine ever. Though, the Callaway B2K was the only factory twin-turbo option ever...
 
I buy 2 to 3 yr old cars for half the price of a new one. That gives me about $15 to $25K fix something that bothers me.

I'll probably never buy new.....
 
kempie said:
I buy 2 to 3 yr old cars for half the price of a new one. That gives me about $15 to $25K fix something that bothers me.

I'll probably never buy new.....
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I hear you. Though you must buy upscale cars to save $15-25k on a car. But say if you wanted to keep it forever, or for a very long time, you'd probably want everything perfect. If it had a few small wear areas on some leather, maybe a mar or two on some interior pieces, possibly some scratches in the paint... If you wanted to repair all those to like-new, vs just do the best to make it less noticable, you'd spend a fair amount of coin.



And I doubt you'd want to spend $15k on new paint and replacing less-than-mint trim bits, even if you saved $25k by purchasing a used car. Because that money would be money that won't improve the value of it at all, it'd just satisfy your urge to own a mint car.



That's mainly what I was trying to get at. :)
 
I'll never buy new either. I just bought my 2001 Yukon Denali with 50k miles for $28,000 and its the same style as the current one which currently stickers for $55,000
 
I saved a ton of money by buying a 4-year old van. I wouldn't have it any other way, and I didn't care about minor cosmetics for a utility vehicle.



But...couldn't the $*&@*$@^ previous owner either replace the windshield wipers or not use them as they reduced to bare metal! I have to look at these stupid deep scratches every mile I drive the thing. :(
 
Aurora40- I see you're still thinking about those TT 'vettes :D



FWIW, the fact that they were "factory" wouldn't give me much peace of mind in and of itself. A financial deal between Callaway and GM doesn't mean the Callaway was perfectly scienced out ;) And generally, IMO older tuner-cars with forced induction are trouble waiting to happen, usually to the next owner (i.e., you).



But yeah, the ZR-1s can be a headache too. I remember a time when you couldn't get waterpumps for them. As in, coudn't get them *period*, there were cars sitting around unused because of it. And that was when they were still building them.



And I dunno about buying a car that only has <1K miles on it...unless those were all properly intervalled maintenance miles, you could be asking for trouble. My XJS develops more problems from not being driven enough (17K in 19 years :o ) than it does when I use it. And I recently looked at another mid-eighties XJS with only 3400 (verified) miles. It wasn't even *close* to the condition mine is in; I wouldn't have touched it at any price. You just can't go by the miles.



For what I *think* you're after, I'd get something new. I've had a few "slightly used" cars that were *wonderful* but I think those were pretty unusual and I wouldn't like to gamble on it any more. You know what the worry is: you get it home under the lights and discover it isn't as great as it looked before you bought it.
 
BoxsterCharlie- Yeah, there are other cases where used is a great way to go. Just bought my latest 9C1 (cop) Caprice- a '95 with 113K on the clock. Looks better than most non-Autopian cars that just drove off the lot due to its properly car-crazy previous owner, and it was obvious that the VA Statie who had it originally took unusually good care of it too (gotta love the "assigned car" policy that some states have, there are some car nuts in police depts. too).
 
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