The Garage » used-cars

Carmax reveals Top 10 searched vehicle features

Gary Grant — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:53:20 +0000

One of the guys I work with is looking for an older VW of some sort. I think it’s a supercharged Passat or something, I wasn’t really listening, but what he wants is very specific. It must have a sunroof, 5 speed, leather and cannot be red. Apparently there were only a couple of hundred sold here in Canada. He’s not likely to find one.

It used to be that people looking for a used car would just find the car they were looking for and then live with whatever options came with it. Now, we have some really great used car search sites like Carmax. The folks at Carmax have released the Top Ten options searches that have been performed on their site during the first month of their new enhanced vehicle search feature.

Top Ten after the break

Carmax Top Ten vehicle features:

1 Leather Seats
2 Navigation System
3 Sunroof
4 3rd Row Seat
5 Seat Heater(s)
6 ABS Brakes
7 Cruise Control
8 Manual Transmission
9 TV/DVD
10 Power Seat(s)

I’m surprised my current fave isn’t there: Aux jack for an mp3 player

Car sales: It’s a dangerous job, but somebody has to do it

Gary Grant — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:09:31 +0000

From the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia comes a the bizarre story of the car exporting business gone bad. A Lithuanian ex-pat who exports American cars to his home country has been charged with the murder of his two salesmen.

Apparently the man was in financial trouble. When his salesmen, fellow countrymen, asked for a raise he lost his mind and put an end to their sales career. Oh yeah, and their lives!

And you thought Tony Soprano was the only one who had human resources issues!

Source: IHT via Jalopnik

Gone in 60 Seconds: Portugal Style

Gary Grant — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:59:38 +0000

The only thing missing from this story is the real life Nick Cage. A warehouse sites unattended for a decade and a half, until someone decides to see what’s inside. Only one problem, the place is welded shut. No sweat, cut it open and let’s see what’s hiding in there.

It’s an entire fleet of classic and race cars, crusted with the fine sheen of bird droppings. No one has stepped forward to claim the cars, as if that’s any real surprise. These guys are probably rotting in a prison somewhere for some other misdemeanor.

via Jalopnik

Correction: We’ve all been scammed! I feel somewhat silly that I didn’t hear about this sooner and straighten things out. According to the folks at Snopes, this whole deal was an urban legend. The owner of the property was a car dealer in Portugal the Seventies & Eighties who stashed away some of the cool cars that came through his store. The photos are indeed real, but were taken by an insurance type who was cataloging the collection for the owner who is alive and well.

Should I fix it? How much is too much?

Gary Grant — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:19:48 +0000

One of the most common question I’m face with owners of old cars is: It’s a lot of money. should I fix it?
It’s quite a dilemma, and it’s a question with no easy answer.

The scene is almost always the same. The customer is driving a 10 or 12 year old second hand car. A couple of years ago they scraped together to buy it and have done next to no maintenance. They have developed a problem that is beyond the skills of the local major tire chain and they have to come to a dealer. The car has many faults, several of which are not only terminal, but expensive. The car isn’t safe to drive. The repairs needed to make it safe will cost more than the car is worth and they likely don’t address the driveability problem that brought them in in the first place. Then comes the question.

Sometimes even the pros fall into the same trap, as we have the turbo Volvo wagon that prompted a series on Used Car Buying Tips. So how do you answer the question. When is it too much?

The way I usually answer is a bit obscure. If the body isn’t rusted, there will always be someone waiting to buy your problem. They will always spend that $1000 or whatever is needed to get the car rolling, provided that you sell it to them cheap enough. That’s why it is so hard to tell someone when they’ve spent enough money.

Recently, it looked like I was going to have to put my own car on the road again. It’s been 7 years since I’ve had to own my own car. We looked at a few options. We looked in The Garage at the 740 Turbo with the blown engine. A used engine was going to cost a grand. The car might be worth $2500 at best. so what did we do? We put an engine in the OVLOV. A grand for the engine, a few hundred in labour to one of my techs and a couple hundred in assorted bits & a battery brought the total to about $1500. We now have a nice looking, nice driving 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon.

If the work was done at retail, it would have cost a consumer close to $2500. Would I have recommended a consumer spend that money? No, I wouldn’t because the car still has some problems that the average driver wouldn’t be happy with. If it would have cost me $2500, I wouldn’t have put the car back on the road. But someone would have bought it from me for $500 and put the engine in themselves. The body is good, so there will always be a next owner waiting in the wings. Just so long as I price it right.

So, how much is too much? When it feels like you’ve had enough, but the car’s body still looks good!

Used Car shopping series #3: The Road Test

Gary Grant — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:34:02 +0000

Just a note before we begin: This post was originally destined to be a follow up list of Used car Buying Tips, but the Road Test is so important that it has become a post all on it’s own.
So you’ve taken your time to shop, you’ve compared prices and sought out an experienced opinion. You’ve asked all manner of questions and done a walk around of a potential car. At this point you’ve either fallen in or out of love with the car, so what to do next?

The Road Test Now is the time to head out on the road. If you’ve fallen in love, this could send you over the top, or it could bring you back down to earth. Fast. But what if you’ve already decided it’s not the car for you? If you want this model, then drive it anyway. It will give you a base point to compare other cars to.

So you want to drive the car and the seller won’t let you. What do you do? You run away as quick as you can, because something’s not kosher, unless of course you are 19 and trying to road test a Corvette. In that case you will have to do your best to convince the seller that you are serious.

A road test isn’t just a joyride to see if you look hot behind the wheel. This is the time you should be overly aware of what’s going on around you. First, turn on the ignition, but don’t start the engine. Are all the warning lamps lit? If the car has airbags or abs brakes, there will be warning lamps for both. If they’re not lit now, the car has problems with very expensive systems that will need to be fixed. If your local laws require a real safety inspection for licensing, they may need to be fixed before you can transfer the ownership from the seller to you. Start the engine and make sure it starts easily, without any weird noises. When you head out on the road, you want to listen for any unusual creaks, rattles, clunks from inside or outside the car. Watch the rear view mirror for signs of smoke from the exhaust. Take the car on the highway. Does the car accelerate smoothly? Is there any vibration through the steering wheel or body. Does the car track straight on the road? Is there any vibration under braking? Does the car stop in a straight line? Make a note of all these things for the next step towrds buying the car.

The other thing to watch for are the little things. Do you actually like driving the car? Look at things like blind spots and even cup holder placement. If you hate the reach to your morning coffee, this might not be the model for you. Years ago, I remember a customer who wanted to take a major Swedish manufacturer to court because she couldn’t see to back up because of the height of the head rests. The lady was 4 foot 8. When I asked why she didn’t notice this on the road test before she bought the car, she said she hadn’t driven one before she bought it. She bought the car strictly based on it’s reputation. Never mind the fact that most cars are designed with an average sized North American male in mind and she was two thirds the size.

Remember, you are investing a lot of money in a used car. You need to make sure that the car is everything you had hoped for in the performance and reliability departments, but you also want to make sure that you will actually enjoy driving it. Oh yes, If it’s important to you, you also want to make sure you look good in it!

Used car shopping series #2: First Five buying tips

Gary Grant — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:34:44 +0000

Buying a used car is a crap shoot. No matter how well prepared you are, you still run the risk of buying someone else’s problem. Somebody is selling the car, and there has to be a reason. Sometimes the reason is simply that it’s time for the owner to move on, yet other times it’s because they are at their wits end with it. Fortunately, you can prepare yourself and minimize the risk somewhat. With this in mind, here are a few tips to help get past some of the hurdles that we’ve come across personally, or from watching customers struggle with.

Take your time: Patience definately is a virtue when buying a used car. It never fails, that you are looking for a car and you need it now. The worst possible time to buy a used car is when you have an impending deadline, as you may tend to overlook things that you might have seen if you were more relaxed. A perfect example is sitting in The Garage right now. The tranny had blown up on our 92 Voyager (there’s a surprise) and we needed wheels by the end of the week. I found a really nice Volvo 740 turbo wagon with fresh paint and the 3rd seat. The car drove well and had new tires and brakes all around. I fell in love and bought the car on the spot. 3000 km later, the engine let go. It has now sat in The Garage for a year and a half. If I’d had the time, I would have done a compression test beforehand and known that the engine was weak.
Compare prices: Every city has some sort of online car shopping portal, or even the good old fashioned print version. Here in Canada, we look to autotrader.ca to shop for used cars. These places are your best resource for pricing when looking. You’ve decided upon a model, now watch the trader for a few weeks to see what’s out there and what people are asking for their cars. Notice how a car with high mileage will usually be priced lower than one that has barely been driven. When you finally go out to see a few cars, you should already have some idea what you should pay for your new ride.
Get Experienced: If you aren’t really experienced, get help. I mean it. Just because you can swap your spare tire for a flat doesn’t mean you know what you are looking at. Even experienced guys miss things (see #1) so don’t trust your own judgement here unless you really do know your stuff. Find a friend, or a friend of a friend who is a tech. Buy him a beer or 5 after he comes out to look at cars with you. If he knows the particular brand, even better. If you can’t find someone, then spend a bit and have a local dealership check a car you like out for you. Most shops will charge you about an hour labour and will be more critical of the car than the corner shop will. You want them to be critical, as it is your money they are protecting.
Ask Questions: How long have you owned the car? Why are you selling it? What are you buying to replace it? Where did you have the maintenance done? Do you have receipts? Has it ever had an accident that you are aware of? Does the car have any strange quirks or habits? These may seem basic, but it’s amazing how much you can learn from the way a seller reacts to some of these questions. An honest seller will answer straight up, while the dishonest seller may ignore a question or not have an answer. Don’t forget to ask seasonal questions. For example if it’s 90 degrees in the shade, you can’t tell if the heater works. Likewise, it’s hard to tell if the A/C works in the dead of winter.
Visual Inspection: There is a lot you can learn from a car just by walking around and opening your eyes. Even on a good used car, there are clues as to what type of life the car has led. Is the car clean in general? I don’t mean the super wash most people give a car before showing it. Look at the carpets, are they worn out or have they been looked after. Are the seats worn out? Look at the tires. Is the wear on all the tires equal? Are one or more tires worn unevenly, or worn out completely. Are the rims all scuffed up from someone parking by feel. Is there any chunks missing out of any of the rims? Is the shine the same on all the body panels? If not, this may be a sign that the car has been in an accident. Open the hood and look around. Is it relatively clean? Check the oil. It should be light to medium brown, not black & gritty feeling. The underside of the oil filler cap should just be oily, there should be no heavy sludge build-up, or worse milky build-up. If it’s an automatic transmission, pull the tranny fluid dipstick. The fluid should be bright red and should not smell burnt. There are many other things to look for and we’ll cover some of these later in the series.

Watch over the next couple of days for the next installment of the Used Car Shopping Series, when we’ll go over the Road Test, Documentation, Haggling and more.

Mazda will not sell vehicles from Cougar Ace as new

Gary Grant — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:31:54 +0000

While the condition of the cargo inside the Cougar Ace has not been fully determined, Mazda has confirmed that none of the vehicles will be sold as new. They may however be salvaging some cars to be sold as used cars.

Mazda press release after the break.

No Mazda Vehicles on Car-Carrying Vessel Cougar Ace will be Sold as New Vehicles

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that the Mazda vehicles aboard the car-carrying vessel, Cougar Ace, which ran into trouble on July 23, 2006, off the Alaskan coast, resulting in her listing some 60-plus degrees, will not be sold as new vehicles.

“While we do not, at this time, know the full extent of the damage to vehicles on board, none of the Mazdas will be sold as new”, said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of MNAO. “Those beyond repair will be immediately scrapped. It is possible that those vehicles which are repairable would be made available for sale as used cars through Mazda’s dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. We will only be in a position to decide on any used car sales once the vessel has been unloaded and each unit comprehensively inspected.”

“In the interests of transparency and customer peace of mind, we will post a listing of all vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on our consumer Websites, www.MazdaUSA.com and www.mazda.ca so that there is no confusion as to which vehicles were on the ship,” stated O’Sullivan.

Slightly more than half of the cars are MAZDA3s and about one-fourth are Mazda CX-7s. The vehicles were headed to the ports of Vancouver (Canada), Tacoma and Hueneme
(U.S.).

The Cougar Ace sailed from Japan to North America with just over 4,700 Canadian- and U.S-bound Mazdas aboard. She became stricken when an issue during a routine ballast-water change caused her to list. Thanks to heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, all 23 crew members were transferred from the ship within hours.

After the ship was stabilized, she was towed by her owners to sheltered waters in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where she was returned to an even keel. She is currently under tow to the Port of Portland, Ore., where she is expected to arrive on September 12 (the same date in local time). Upon arrival, her cargo will be further evaluated and unloaded.

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

The Garage » used-cars

Carmax reveals Top 10 searched vehicle features

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