Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: danny_galaga on April 28, 2016, 09:07:52 am
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I finally relented and bought a new car. A new Honda Jazz, because people have told me they can fit a pinball machine inside theirs ;D
I've always been a believer in buying cheap second hand cars and as long as the maintenance is basic keep it running until it's too far gone and then buy another cheap car. I still maintain that as long as the security of the nation doesn't rest squarely on your shoulders, it's the cheapest way to go. I argued black and blue about that on this here very forum! I know some of us are brothers-in-arms with this philosophy, Shardian and Paigeoliver come to mind.
But, as I get older, I find I am less inclined to stay on top of repairs to my old car. For instance, the seat rail broke, so for the last two years one side of the seat has been sitting on a piece of (now very fuzzy!) MDF! As well, I needed to get something nicer and more reliable to drive my mother around in. It's one thing for me to be broken down on the side of the road (which actually only happened once in the nearly ten years I've owned The Master, and then I was 200 meters away from home!) but I don't really want my mum to be in that situation with me. And wouldn't it be nice for her to have an airconditioned ride? Also, my old car is not ideal for handyman stuff. Hard to fit anything in it.
The last thing that prompted me was my girlfriend. Many different thoughts, but the one she probably wasn't thinking of was the fact that her own car is 20 years old now and still in fine condition. She is looking to getting something else herself. I'm 46. With luck my car can go 20 years. And who cares about when I'm 66, my car will probably outlive me ;D
I will give my old car a clean up and put it on the market in time. I paid 2500 for it nearly ten years ago, and because hipsters are stupid, I am hoping to get 5 or 6 thousand for it now, without rego! If I lower the suspension and smear it in yoghurt, I could probably add another 2k to that. You gotta love hipsters. Good times :cheers:
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A couple of views of old and new. If the old car was The Master, what would I call the new car with its blue paint and it being bigger on the inside? ;D
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I heart your old car.
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Love the Tardis on your car.
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I had a first generation Jazz (Fit in the states)... got a battlezone in mine... ;)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=94443.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=94443.0)
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A couple of views of old and new. If the old car was The Master, what would I call the new car with its blue paint and it being bigger on the inside? ;D
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Congrats!
After years of driving used old "fixer upper" cars, when the opportunity came to own something new (or nearly new), I jumped on it. Just the peace of mind of knowing that when I get up on a cold winter morning to go to work, the car was going to start. If that wasn't enough, the fact that I was no longer having to do maintenance, which could cost anywhere from a few dollars each month to several hundred, also eased the mind quite a bit. There is something to be said for being able to budget an exact amount of money each month for car payments over not knowing if this month you would get away without spending money or end up paying more than a payment would be.
Sure, over the course of a year, the old used car probably cost me a lot less in money, but it made up for it in stress alone.
In the nearly two decades I have been driving new(ish) cars with me being the first or maybe second owner, I have only been left stranded once, and it was my own fault (battery was getting old and I left the key on with the radio playing for my kids while I was in a store).
On the other hand, a couple years ago I bought an old Nissan pickup (86.5 Hardbody 4x4), wanting a little reliable pickup to drive to the hardware store a few times per year. What started as a $1500 pickup has turned into a $10,000 pickup, in small enough increments to make me keep it in lieu of dumping it before it got out of hand. When it came to the biggest expense, the engine, my logic was simple: I had several thousand into replacing nearly every item on the car that wears out already, and dumping it and starting over with a $4k pickup was no guarantee that the engine or transmission could go out at any time, leaving me even deeper in the hole. At least with this one I get a 7 year 100k mile warranty on the engine and I know the vehicle's history now. Sounded logical.
Since then, I have driven the pickup 5 times (that was a year ago now). The first couple times was in the dead of winter when it was cold and sure enough, after sitting for several months, the battery was dead. Then, a couple months ago, I got it in and it started right up and ran smooth, so I took it to a lumber yard to get some cherrywood. After loading up, I got in and it cranked and cranked with no start. I was at a loss. It had been years since I was stranded in a vehicle, and I had no idea what to do. I started calling friends, most of who were busy or out of town. I managed to get someone on the phone and get a ride (with a truck for the wood). The next morning I went back to the truck and it started right up, so I drove it to the gas station, filled up, and was promptly left stranded yet again. After a tow and $300 in repairs, the faulty temp sensor was replaced (was telling the computer it was 28 degrees below zero F, so it was running super rich and flooded the plugs). A week later I had my son load it up with stuff for the dump, and then he was going to haul some stuff to storage. Between trips he managed to lose the key, and it turns out he lost the spare a few months before. That cost $100 for a locksmith.. So even though I have a new engine, trans and clutch are only a few years old, brakes, tires, battery, alternator, starter, belts, some wiring, exhaust, plugs, coils, and hoses all being new, Every time I drive this thing it seems to cost me some money.
This is all on top of my son's car needed a new engine a few years ago, my daughter's car needing a new transmission, then my son's GF driving his car out of oil and blowing up the rebuild I did, and my history with used cars picked up right where it left off 20 years ago.
The moral of this story, at least for me, is buy new (or 1 year old with warranty) so I not only have that warranty, but know the history and am perpetually in a lower mileage car. The extra money it costs is worth the peace of mind.
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Sweet Notch!
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I heart your old car.
Malenko speaks the truth.
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I was half expecting a postal van.
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No way a pinball machine fits in that thing with the hatch down.
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No way a pinball machine fits in that thing with the hatch down.
You'd be surprised.
The back seats and front passenger seat can all fold down into one giant flat-ish area.
I sold mine though, wasn't reliable for me.
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No, I wouldn't be surprised. I test drove them and they are hilariously small inside.
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I heart your old car.
So do I. I will be very sad to see it go :(
No, I wouldn't be surprised. I test drove them and they are hilariously small inside.
Compared to a F250 maybe, but it is the roomiest of the hatches. I only wanted a small car (although now I've parked it next to my notch, it seems large!). But I thought if I have a hatch back, I might as well get one with the most room. I rather like the Nissan Cube, but that is a grey import here in Australia, and you would only find fairly used ones anyway. And probably stolen in Japan.
Anyway, here is a pic of a Honda Jazz (known as a Fit in some regions apparently) with a pinball machine in it (",)
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Yeah, it fits.... with the hatch open.
I sat in one of these, didn't fit in the Fit, immediately said nope, and that was the end of that. I test drove all the box cars and ended up with a Scion xB. But I am an enormous person.....
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From the picture it looks like the hatch will close with no problem...
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If I had brought my tools and could have taken the step off, the battlezone would have fit with the hatch closed.
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It's completely possible Fit vs Jazz has differences in sizing inside, outside or both even though we say they are "the same but in name".
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Well, I couldn't sit up straight in it. I'm glad you're enjoying your fartboxes.
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Well, I couldn't sit up straight in it. I'm glad you're enjoying your fartboxes.
I just traded mine in a few months ago for the HRV. Bigger inside, more comfortable, easier to get the kids in & out, etc.
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Well, I couldn't sit up straight in it. I'm glad you're enjoying your fartboxes.
I feel your pain. It seems like a lot of modern cars must be made for little old ladies or the Japanese .... I'm not a big guy by any means but my head scrapes the ceiling of many compacts. People ask me why I have a Camaro with T-tops when they are such a pain in the butt, the reason is so my head doesn't hit the ceiling. ;)
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I think I remember when you got that car. Didn't you paint it yourself?
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I bought a 98 Bonneville about 8yrs ago.
southern car with 150k on it.
Hardly any rust which is rare in Buffalo.
Drove it for 2yrs then the engine blew.
It sat for 6yrs in my driveway.
Until I found another 98 bonneville that's frame was rusted out but had a running engine, perfect interior, new suspension, ect. for cheap.
My buddy had a lift so I spent 3 days in his garage replacing the engine and everything else from the donor car that was basically brand new.
The story I got was the retired woman who drove the car brought it into a garage because it wasn't steering right and they went wild replacing everything.
So I got it real cheap.
The car still needs some paint but the body is still solid & I love driving those older bonnies.
Plus it's paid for.
But i may go for something new whenever this one bites the dust.
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From the picture it looks like the hatch will close with no problem...
Yeah, will definitely close. PBJ, I am about 75kg (165pounds) and about 6'2". I fit in it, this is what matters (",)
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I had a first generation Jazz (Fit in the states)... got a battlezone in mine... ;)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=94443.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=94443.0)
Ha! Didn't notice your link before, nice one ;D
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Well, it's been a month and I'm really liking the new car. One thing I do miss though is a bonnet (hood) to tell me where the front end is. Where I would have sailed right in with the old car, with this I'm parking it like an old nanna :banghead:
It feels like the windscreen view in Daytona ;D
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Well, I finally sold my old car
http://youtu.be/Lw0s0U1Yo-E (http://youtu.be/Lw0s0U1Yo-E)
Off he goes! Into the wild blue yonder. Sad to see him go, but the 4 grand I got for him soothed the pain for a while ;D
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I love Hondas, fantastic cars and excellent engines.
I had Accord, a Civic and now ime back to the Accord again.
Ive never had any problems with any of them and plan on having nothing else.
Welcome to the club :p
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I loved my Civic. Made me very sad every time it was stolen. :banghead:
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Civics are for aspiring ---uvulas--- that can't afford a BMW yet.
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No self respecting Civic driver would ever get a BMW!
Once you go Jap theres no going back!! :o
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In my case it was more like "need a car that will last me ten years because those student loans won't pay themselves". I'm not a car person, though. I don't care about sports cars. BMWs have no appeal to me other than that they are reliable and you can get that at a fraction of the cost.
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Magic Seats™ FTW :woot