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Post by gaetzchamp on Jun 9, 2006 22:36:02 GMT -5
Well, I've had my current car for nearly 13 years (geeez that's almost 1/3 of my life) and it's time to put a bullet in it. With the latest addition to the family, we are going to buy a used Honda Odyssey minivan. We've got the funds, now it's time to start hitting the pavement and showrooms. I can't think of many things more stressful than this. I'm no pro at this and I'm afraid I'm gonna get screwed!!!! I hate this process, will someone just shoot me first?  gaetz |
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 9, 2006 22:57:08 GMT -5
hahaha hey geatz i bought two trucks in a matter of about 4 months and i feel for ya man hahaha------ i did alot of lookin on the net to get a feel for the prices so when i went in person i had an idea of what they where worth in dif shape so i could barter alittle better and not look like a mark -- cause i can barter pretty good but i didnt know what cars where goin for used so it payed to do some homework
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Jun 10, 2006 0:11:21 GMT -5
Good-Luck Gaetz...gotta love those car salespeople. I don't think they're as bad as they used to be though...but they still act like a bunch of bloodhounds!
Steve
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Post by joe on Jun 10, 2006 0:41:11 GMT -5
I'm with you Gaetz! I had my last car for twenty years. I loved that Subaru and I hate shopping.
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Post by xenaswolf on Jun 10, 2006 1:14:06 GMT -5
Check on carfax.com I believe it is. They can help you find what you are looking for to narrow it down. Think they also give you a report on the car you are buying to see if its been wrecked etc. Good luck!
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Post by cpdad on Jun 10, 2006 9:21:52 GMT -5
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jun 10, 2006 11:13:46 GMT -5
Mini van? You should go buy a quad-cab dually pickup with a turbo diesel. ;D
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jun 10, 2006 11:29:44 GMT -5
I've already got a quad-cab pickup (no dually, turbo diesel though) but sitting 3 people in the front is not too fun when driving around town. It's OK and doable when camping but not for everyday use.
gaetz
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J9
having dreams about rocks
Never met a rock I didn't like
Member since October 2003
Posts: 66
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Post by J9 on Jun 10, 2006 18:36:28 GMT -5
I feel your pain Gaetz... I have to find a car for my teenagers to share - don't want them learning with my newer Subaru. I don't want to pay much, but need something reliable. Just the thought of dealing with dealerships or even people for that matter makes me want to scream!
Janine
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Post by docone31 on Jun 10, 2006 22:14:20 GMT -5
Dude, an Honda? You cannot keep them running after 150,000 miles. The expenses getting them there are hideous.
Right now, with fuel prices soaring, and going higher, go to a lot, and look for the off brand conversion van. Swap out the cam, manifold, make the rear taller, and enjoy for a long time to come. Stock, the fuel mileage is nothing to brag about, with the cam swap, and rear change, it pays for itself in six months. Parts are in every boneyard, and auto parts stores have lots of them.
You get size, space, reliability, and get there and back. Down here, they are stacked up like cordwood. Everybody is doing the Honda swap, and everybody is sorry they did.
For the few less advertised miles per gallon, the interest on a loan, and the expense of making it keep going actually puts the miles per dollar higher than with a potential hog.
We got our Suburban. It was an '87 and cost 2500$. It had 87,000 miles on it. It has a 454.
Advertised mileage is 14hwy. I turned up the chip from 265hp, to 360hp. I now get 16mpg around town, and emissions is lower than stock. With the cam swap, it will be 450hp and should get 22mpg highway. It is tow rated at 12,500lbs tongue, 30,000 two. The Honda Minivan gets 26mpg highway, and that is with 1 person on board.
Complete exhaust for the Suburban is 250$, with crossover, cats, mufflers. Exhaust for the Honda is 900$ for a cat back set up. The engine is so critical to back pressure it cannot use aftermarket parts without serious sacrificing mileage. Complete brakes for the Suburban is 400$ with labour. Brakes for the Honda is 800$ using the original drums and rotors. The AC compressor for the Suburban is 200$ installed and R-134 installed. The Honda is over 600$ and you have to get a new clutch as an extra.
Get a Chevy G20 full size. Go 2:73 rears, with TH350 shift kit for braking, and firmer shifts, swap the cam for a Crane Powermax cam, go with roller tip rockers, enjoy the power, and mileage.
My rig made it from Ft. Myers Fl., to Los Angeles, and back averaging 22mpg with 6 tons on board! A tank of fuel lasts a week and half average driving, highway, around town, and it hauls my shop every day.
Go with a SBC, and enjoy the ride.
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jun 10, 2006 22:44:23 GMT -5
Doc-
Dang, you are a madman ( I mean that in a good way).....LOL. I understood about 1/8th of what you wrote!!! I'm not a "wrench" and can barely change my own oil, let alone instal tip rockers, shifts, cams, chips, cat backs etc. I think it's awesome that you can do this, but I'm not that skilled w/ this stuff. I have some good skills, but auto "anything" is not my strong suit...LOL.
gaetz
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Post by docone31 on Jun 11, 2006 17:46:14 GMT -5
Gaetz, there are good "wrenchers" where you are at. A cam swap is tough, but you can do it step by step and ask questions every step of the way. A little networking, good parts up front, and poof! it is done and rolling. Everybody is dumping the highmilers at this time, and savings come from not having a loan on it, pulling the hp, and just keeping it. I get most of my stuff from Summit Performance, and some from JEGS. Vehicles are simple. They are heat generators. Under control, like any machine, they perform predictably. We won't go into details on power curves, porting, port matching. Although, a lapidariast is more capeable of doing that than a reglar "wrencher" working with stones gives us an edge. Think aforran you get a crunch rocket. They are cheap to get, and expensive to keep. When they go, they go fast.
I bet, going to your favourite auto shop, they have an off brand full size van with reasonably high miles that is going for a song.
The only hard part on a cam swap is not nicking the cam bearings. The rest is part swapping.
Think on this. You will have this for a long time.
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jun 15, 2006 10:48:40 GMT -5
Geeze I got a sweet 86 CHevy One Ton Dually for sale- Seats 6 ADULTS very comfortably- 454 motor- new tires, only 60,000 miles- no rust- 4 doors- tow equiped with 4:10 gears and helper springs to bring the cargo cap up to 2972 Lbs!!!!
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Post by driftwood on Jun 15, 2006 13:40:24 GMT -5
A Honda ? Be patriotic, buy American . Support our country !!!
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textiger
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2005
Posts: 946
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Post by textiger on Jun 15, 2006 16:16:47 GMT -5
My car-buying strategy is to go to a no-haggle lot first. That way, there's no sales pressure. It gives me a chance to test drive at my leisure. Then I go to a place where I can negotiate a price. Of course, the last time I did this I went to carmax and wound up getting a good deal on a 2005 camry with less than 18,000 miles. But I definitely recommend going to a no-haggle dealership to make a decision on what kind of car to get.
matt
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