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Lizzie2
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Getting a "New" Car
« on: Aug 8th, 2007, 2:45pm » |
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OK ok so some of you know about me and my rather infamous car troubles: the time my brakes caught on fire, the time I put antifreeze in the winshield washer compartment, the accident in February where I rearended a hasidic Jewish man in a very old car and my car crumbled like a cookie, and so on and so forth.
What I have not told you were the more recent car troubles with my 1994 Maroon Mercury Sable with only 78,000 miles on it! So, it started acting up around turns....really jerking and practically stalling out. This is an automatic car - it's not that I'm a bad stick driver - I have no manual tranny here! So something wasn't right... Back in July when we went on vacation down the shore and then out to Ohio for a wedding, we took the car in to get the transmission looked at and to get it inspected. To make a long story short - it didn't pass inspection, and it had a large laundry list of things wrong with it! We got the car for only $3000, and it wasn't worth it to fix.
Unfortunately, I'm in no financial position to buy a new car right now, since I end up at the end of the month with very little moolah left. I took out a loan to pay off credit card debt, and I'm living on a very tight budget at the moment. Even going back to 40 hours a week (have been working 36 hour weeks since October) mid-September so that I'm not living so dangerously! ha...
So what we decided to do was that my parents are going to continue with my car insurance payment (the only thing they still pay for me...), and my dad decided to sell my 1994 Sable (worth about $500) and his Ford Explorer (can't remember the year, but was worth about $5000). We go through this guy who has gotten us all our used cars at auctions - he buys the cars, fixes them up, and then sells them. So my dad told him that he wanted to get a new Explorer for himself - and Jim (the guy) found him a really nice one....I know what he originally found, which didn't end up working out, but I think he got a comparable new one - very nice Explorer in good condition. My dad is taking on that car payment - and then we asked Jim to find me a car worth $5500-6500 (cheaper being better) but I didn't want another Taurus or Sable (I've had 2 of each), and I basically wanted a slight step up from what I had been driving since I was 17! hehe
Today, Jim finally found me a car after 2 weeks of looking!! He found a 2000 Charcoal Nissan Maxima. I'm not sure which edition yet - so I don't know what the interior is made up of or anything. It has 117,000 miles on it, but it is in excellent condition. Jim wouldn't buy anything that wasn't in top shape - he knows we can't afford to have the car in for repairs all the time. The car still had the original price sticker inside it, and so in 2000, it cost $30,000. Sweet! I'm all excited!!! Don't know when I'll be getting the car, but I will post pics when I get it!! I know this year I had hoped to buy a new car, but I'm just not ready to do that - and I'm really excited about this car!! 
Just thought I'd share - especially for those who have followed my rather amusing car stories over the years.  :-P
Hugz,
Carrie
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JimLaff
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #1 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 3:07pm » |
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Hey Carrie - I am very good friends with the owner of Granite Run GMC. We (my entire family) usually buy all of our cars from him and he gives us a great discount. He is actually the only car guy I know who will not BS you. If you want me to give him a call on your behalf and set up a meeting please do not hesitate to ask. They are located near the Granite Run Mall. Also, I know someone at Fred Beans Ford in West Chester. Let me know if I can help.
- Jim
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Lizzie2
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #2 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 3:24pm » |
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Hi Jim!
Thanks!! I should have posted about this earlier!! I think the Maxima is a done deal now. This guy (his name is Jim Nelms) is very well known around here. My best friend, Lindsay's dad is really into cars, and he only buys used from Jim, too. We got all of the cars I've ever driven from him, as well as my dad's current explorer that he's selling - and the new one he's getting. He's always been very trustworthy and gotten us good deals. The Maxima was gotten at an auction in York (auction happens every wednesday) and the cars are all off-lease. This is the 3rd week that Jim has gone and looked for me - at first, we had to figure out my financial situatioin - I just took out a loan from Keystone FCU, and I'm working with a local financial planner - and my dad had to decide what he wanted to do about his car. It's been a rough month or so for me in terms of financial things - which ultimately ended in me deciding to pick up more hours at work in order to survive!! Renting sucks....
At any rate - Lindsay (aforementioned best friend) is one of the few girls I know who knows more about cars than most guys, and she also swears by the guy we use - Lindsay owns her own copy of the Blue book even...hehe Her husband works for his family's car repair business in Downingtown - Miller Automotive I think it's called - Keith (Lindsay's husband), even helped me with a car boo boo a couple months ago.... (Unbeknownst to Mom and Dad!!)
But thanks for the offer to help. I really am excited about this car. If anything falls through with it though (I know the first Explorer he found my dad, he ended up taking it back because it was making a noise at 35mph - my dad never even drove it because Jim caught it on the drive home and returned it), so if anything happens to botch up the Maxima, then I may be letting you know!! Thanks!!
take care,
Carrie
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Dape
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #3 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 3:28pm » |
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Good luck Carrie,
I hope it all works out ok and you are driving your new car very soon.
Dape
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Jonny
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #4 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 3:35pm » |
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
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JimLaff
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #5 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 3:38pm » |
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No problem. Hey - Cyn and myself are looking at putting together a proposal to have next years convention here in Philly. You want to be in on it?
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Where do I take this pain of mine
I run but it stays right my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps
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echo
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #6 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 4:06pm » |
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You'll love the Maxima! Great ride, dependable and snappy. Enjoy. 117K is nothing on a Nissan.
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Brew
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #7 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 4:22pm » |
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Does the Maxima have the Bose sound system? If so, that might be the clincher. Sweet f'n sound system.
And a great car to go along with it. I traded in a '95 Maxima that had the gold trim package - leather seats, Bose system, had 185,000 miles on it and it was still in great shape. Had to replace the fuel injectors when I first got it because of a design flaw, but I think they had that corrected by 2000.
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Charlie
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #8 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 10:49pm » |
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Charlie 
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Lizzie2
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #9 on: Aug 8th, 2007, 11:59pm » |
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Jim - Yes!! I'd be glad to help!! I offered to in another thread, but nothing official. I once was going to do a proposal for Philly a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it. Just didn't have the time or the know-how back when I tried before! But we have strength in numbers!!
Brew - Yup - it's got the Bose!!
So here's the deal on the car....it is charcoal gray with light gray leather interior. Has a moon roof, Bose stereo system, great a/c, lots of room, and about 115,000 miles on it. It is 6cyl 222 HP engine. It's the SE. Best car I've ever owned!!!
So on the way home tonight to test drive the car - Jason (new boyfriend!) came with me. My car was reallllllllly shaking badly. (This is the maroon Sable.) Then, as we were on 202South, we started hearing this banging noise on the driver rear side. At first I wondered if it was a tire, but it completely went away when we were driving slowly, so we didn't stop to check anything - just drove home slowly. As it turns out, the rear passenger tire was SHREADED!!!! And I'm missing the front sway bar for the Sable, so all those things combined may have contributed to the shaking in the car. My dad was none to happy that I didn't pick up on that!! When it failed inspection, one of the things they said was that I needed 3 new tires, so this one just wore way down - looked like the treads that come off a big truck. A whole chunk of the tire was missing!! Leave it to me to have the crazy car stories!!
So we test drove the Nissan for about an hour tonight - it was great!!! I d idn't even notice that I was going 60mph at one point!! My old spedometer only went to 90mph or so, and this one goes to like 170!! It's so smooth!! It feels like I'm driving a luxury car - it's actually fun to drive!! Because my car was such a wreck by the time we got it home, we ended up driving the Maxima back here to my apartment. The guy we're purchasing it from is away for a few days, but I think it's going to be made official in a few days!! It will just have to be inspected, and my dad is going to deal with getting it insured. It has a temp plate on it right now, but we'll switch the plates over.
Jason and I are going to Ocean City, NJ tomorrow, but we're not taking the new car!!! The a/c in it is so good that we both actually got too cold and had to turn it down. Amazing!! And I love that it has leather interior. I'm so excited!! My mom gave me a whole "lecture" on how to take better care of this car - and I promised I would. No mistaking the antifreeze for winshield washer fluid this time...!! I told her I will take complete responsibility for getting it routinely checked out and all the other things. I have to learn this stuff!!
Anyway - will post pictures soon!!
Hugz,
Carrie
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George_J
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #10 on: Aug 9th, 2007, 1:31am » |
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You'll like the Nissan, Carrie. Sweet ride. Very dependable and well-made.
Funny this should come up--after 17 years and 267,000 miles, I decided to trade in my fishing car today--a 1991 Subaru Legacy. Still ran like a sewing machine, but it was beginning to look more than a little disreputable. 
So I bought another Legacy--a 1998 LS AWD with the 2.2 liter engine (that one's superior to the 2.5 liter engine in the 2000 + models). I had them replace the clutch (it's the 5 speed standard) and the timing belt, pull the engine and replace all the seals. Should be good to go for a long time, with luck.
I'll never own anything other than a Subaru. I've had 4, and they were all more or less eternal. EJ drives a Legacy too.
Didn't buy a new one, because (a) I'm allergic to car payments, and (b) the places I take them would scuff up a new one very quickly.
Best,
George
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sandie99
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #11 on: Aug 9th, 2007, 5:56am » |
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Carrie,
lots of ((((((((great car))))))) vibes are on their way! I hope that this one will be one trustworthy companion for you.
Hugs,
Sanna
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Brew
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Re: Getting a "New" Car
« Reply #12 on: Aug 9th, 2007, 7:24am » |
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on Aug 8th, 2007, 11:59pm, Lizzie2 wrote:| So here's the deal on the car....it is charcoal gray with light gray leather interior. Has a moon roof, Bose stereo system, great a/c, lots of room, and about 115,000 miles on it. It is 6cyl 222 HP engine. It's the SE. Best car I've ever owned!!! |
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That is one bitchin' ride you got there, Carrie. With 222 horses under the hood, it borders on being a muscle car. And you're right - if it's aligned properly, you won't notice how fast you're going. Keep your eye on that speedometer or the cops will let you know how fast you were going!
Congratulations!
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