The pandemic and supply chain impacts from it are still at-work on the auto industry. Car companies can’t make new vehicles fast enough to meet the demand because of a global semiconductor shortage — among others. Production has slowed and can’t meet the demand that started during the pandemic.
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And those highest ever cash offers are being passed right on down to the next buyer which is why I'm having my engine replaced in my F-150 instead of buying another vehicle.
I checked several places for prices on used vehicles and what I found all had over 100,000 miles with an asking price of $30,000 or more. Unfuckingbelievable. I was going to be stuck with a choice of either an outrageous and unaffordable payment for a vehicle that was going to be worn out before it was paid off or rebuilding my engine.
It wasn't a hard choice - the truck I own now isn't in bad shape for being 20 years old, and I had put $5k into it the past couple years between a new transmission and a new fuel pump.
The only problem is that everybody else is rebuilding too instead of buying so there's a wait time of a month or more before my shop can get to it. Hopefully I'll get a call within the next week or two to bring it on in.
Yep. I bought my 2006 diesel Duramax Chevy Express 2500 van 3 years ago with 216,000 miles on it as a former locksmith vehicle for just $4200. Now, with 269,000 miles on it, I could demand $9000. But I'd have to spend at least that much to replace it.
ReplyDeleteAn 80 foot tall white oak fell on my truck and car last July. I was able to beat the roof of the car out enough to replace the windshield and back glass but it killed my work truck.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to find a truck or van but prices are outrageous and out of reach. I finally found a van that needs a computer and the guy just wanted to quit fucking with it so I got it cheap. It also needs some other stuff but since I'm a mechanic it's not that big a deal for me. I just have to put a little "sweat equity" into it.
Suck it up cup cake..... break out the tool box.. too bad I still don't have my old '1965 VV van!!! I had to drop the engine twice .. once to change the oil cooler rubber nuts that got hard from heat... 50 cents for te to ntz!! once because i had to change the clutch throw out lever!! about $5.00 a little grease and dirty finger nails but go find a old VV and a John Muir "How to hep yur VW alive for the complete idiot!" Manual in any Book store.. if they are still on the shelf!!!!!! I have "a greasy one!!" DO YOU????
ReplyDeleteskybill
I helped a good friend replace his '59 beetle throw out lever, twice. The second time he learned (because he asked the dealer) that the 2-1 downshift was not synchro and his penchant to lean on the gear shift lever waiting for the mesh to occur at near stop was causing the breakage. Cut my mechanic teeth on that thing for nothing other than a ride around town when I was too young to get a license. Learned a bunch, though.
DeleteThat guy's dad worked for NASA and got early notice of some contract. My friend's uncle bought an old DC-3 and I did a bunch of labor on fitting it out; it was cash under the table. When they went to apply for the contract, they found out that the old DC-3 had never been issued an air worthiness (sp?) certificate. They lost a shit load of money on that deal, even though the plane was correctly set up except for the cert. Lucky I don't have lung cancer from the fumes of the shit we used to strip that thing down to bare metal.
The old vans and beetles are red hot around here with the resto guys.
DeleteMy newest car is a '96 Volvo 850 turbo.
DeleteI have an '86 Syncro Vanagon w/ a Subie Frankenmotor.
Current project is a '69 standard Beetle.
Have you seen the prices of Split Window buses lately?
Had a '71 beetle for years.
DeleteThat John Muir book, in my opinion, is the best written technical manual ever.
It is the only car maint book I have seen with the 'why' and is very readable.
I ended up with two copies - the first, very greasy one for actually doing the work, and a clean copy for preparing to do the work.
sold my 2017 ram for more than i paid for it after putting 80k miles on it. it had that hemi lifter tick, so it was a matter of time. been driving my 20 y/o ram since i had to quit my job to avoid the jab. God was looking out for us.
ReplyDeleteWonder what my '85 Square body is worth now?
ReplyDeleteWhat's price for thta f150 engine?
ReplyDeleteLet's just say I almost stroked up when I heard the price.
DeleteWe have a '14 Fusion, a '16 Passat and a '06 Tundra 4x4. All have over 100k miles. So far we have received letters from dealers offering to buy the cars but not for the pickup.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago I insured my ‘68 Mustang for $27k - I believe I might have to ramp up that number.
ReplyDeleteCrate engines are the way to go.
ReplyDeleteYep, and they bring it to your door. Bought several Honda engines that way for around $600 from Tiger. Easy peasy.
DeleteI cannot understand the fetish with buying a new car/PU at todays prices. It makes no sense considering anymore a 20 yer old junker is just as reliable as the new ones, and tons cheaper to fix.
ReplyDeleteAbout 7 years ago I worked with a guy that had a Neon economy car for work transportation. It was having more and more go haywire on it. He decided to buy a new 1/2 ton GMC PU. I figured out for him the price for rebuilding the Neon. Complete rebuild of trans, rear end, cooling system, steering in it's entirety, and reupholster the seats. Basically a mini restoration of the entire car. The total rebuild price was LESS that what he paid in sales tax for the new truck that he was going to pay on for 6 years. NOW tell me it's better to buy a new one! And he liked driving the Neon back & forth to work. The truck uses 2 times the fuel.
I hated junking my Fords. The engines were great it's just that the frame rotted out. It seemed like such a waste.
ReplyDeleteI guess I should keep my old '96 F-250 extended cab 8' bed, 4wd huh? All it needs is new rubber, heater core, flush/fill and new hoses. It's in decent shape. 460 auto with power to spare. Only 170k. Paid 5k for it 8 years ago. Wonder what she be worth now? Ohio Guy
ReplyDeleteNobody ever walked in to a car dealership or a whorehouse without expecting to get screwed.
ReplyDeleteThe guy to watch VERY carefully is the "closer" who does all the paperwork. The price you haggled with the salesman is merely the starting point. The price goes up from there. The closer is not your friend.
I'm still driving my '05 Trailblazer with 158k on it. Even with all I've put in for repairs over the years, it's still way less than the 6 years of payments on a used 2018 Traverse. The 4.2 L engine still idles as quiet as when I bought it used with 35k on it and still has as much power. Just use a high quality synthetic oil and change it every 6k.
ReplyDeleteDaily I get someone or dealership wanting to buy my paid off home or paid off wheels. Morons, I suppose I could walk and live in a cardboard box because I'm not going to pay 500,000 for 1300sq ft house on 50000 for piece of shit 2021 that has been sitting in field waiting a damn chip.
ReplyDeleteScotty Kilmer on youtube has covered this for weeks and like he says your best bet is an older car without all the modern tech and go for private sales rather than ripoff dealers.
ReplyDeleteIt's unlikely things will change for years so if you have a good reliable car keep it!
'03 Dodge Ram 2500 van...188,000 (now)
ReplyDeleteOil change every 3-4k (Castrol high mileage)
Tire rotation every other oil change
Replaced the intake gasket kit in 2019...
Shop keeps 5 certified master mechanics on staff.
Dropped it off around 8:30 am...picked it up
around 6:30 pm that same day...
They pulled the grill, radiator, ac, and everything
else needed to get to the intake...put it all back together...
1 master mech performed the work...
Haven't had any problems since...
These guys are terrific !
Still runs and purrs like a kitten...
I have 2010 Hummer H3 and a 1996 Ford F150. Won't consider replacing them. However, excluding a desirable 4WD vehicle, I also have a 2003 Nissan 350Z with 46K on it... still like brand new. We are looking for another vehicle for the wife as she gave her 2016 Honda HRV to our daughter when we moved 1200 miles. We went into a local Nissan dealer with the Z and I inquired about an oil change. The conversation went sour immediately as some desk jockey, who refused to get up, tried to sell me an oil change for $60.00 because, as he said, it was a Z. A woman sitting at a desk next to him then replied "No Jim, the oil change is $39.95". To which Jim then replied "Zip it Jan - It's $60.00! WTF? Then, as I knew this guy was just gonna give more BS, I asked him what a trade-in value might be on the Z. He said... $2000.00 without asking a single detail about the car. WE LEFT immediately. Now I know nobody wants a car like a two seater these days but, that was ridiculous and rude. So, my point is, these dealers aren't necessarily looking for anything they can get their hands on, they're looking for anything they can make a killing on. I wouldn't sell the 350Z anyway! :-)
ReplyDeleteSmart move to rebuild it.
ReplyDeleteonce upon a time I pulled an engine from my f-150 and had the replacement in over a weekend. I miss those days.
ReplyDeleteSo happens I work for an honest dealer; I 'go fetch' off-lease cars/trux at other dealers' yards. Prices on those things have exploded upward, too. We can't sell it for LESS than we paid, friends.
ReplyDeleteAnd since about August, we've almost stopped buying at auctions. $35K for a 70K-mile truck? Our customers won't, and neither will we.