Uncle Willy
New member
Friday my starter conked out stranding me at the bank and my wife ( in her wheelchair ) at the beauty shop. By the time I rented a van to pick her up, had my van towed to the garage, paid for the mechanic to put a starter on, and rented a van for almost four days, that stinking starter cost me $510. There went my finds for the year.
But one nice thing came of it. I rented a Dodge Grand Caravan with everything on it but an automatic douche and after I picked the old lady up she says, " Oh this is nice, we have to get one of these."
I replied," I ain't buying no new van." She replies," Well you don't have to, I'll buy it." " You just take my checkbook and go find one and buy it."
To which I replied, " Well okay, since you put it that way."
Now she is on my butt every day to go find one. But the weather has been crappy so have a good excuse not to. Besides, even though my van is old it only has 70,000 miles on it. I don't generally get rid of one until it's got a 100,000 to 150,000 on it, unless it starts nickle and diming me to death. I like to get my moneys worth.
I ran into a guy the other day driving a sixty something Volks Beetle with 450,000 miles on it and he drove it every day. Man was it ratty but run great. I have never bought a new car in my life as I don't believe in it. Learned a long time ago from some very wealthy folks, including car dealers I worked for, that the single worst investment you can make in your life is to buy a new car, and worse if you finance it. Even if you pay cash for one soon as you drive it off the lot it becomes a "used car" and you have lost $5000-$8000 in those few seconds. It's just real lousy arithmetic.
So I've always bought used, usually a year old, after the first owner took the big hit for depreciation, recalls, etc. And I've always paid cash, so no hit for financing. Since I worked in the car business I know how to buy cars for many bucks lower than the asking price. I have purchased cars, drove them for a year or so, and sold them for $500 more than I paid for them. When I bought this last van when it was a year old I bought it for $5000 under book. Dealers all over town wanted $17,000 and there abouts for one just like it. I bought it for just what the owner owed on it, $11,900 - with four years of warranty left on it. He started out advertising it for $15,995.
This is the first problem I have ever had with it so ain't anxious to unload it but if Momma wants to blow her money who am I to argue, but I did convince her to buy a new 2006, which all the dealers are trying to unload now for about half what they cost one year ago - so I still win and stick to my time honored tradition.
Sorry to rave on but I can't go tecting so got to jack my jaws about something. Hope I didn't bore you to tears.
PS.
What's real funny is that really rich people who have no one to impress or even care to, all drive old cars. Bill Gates drives an eight year old car and his partner, Paul Allen, drives one older than that. Ross Perot drove an old car. John Givens who owns Wachovia Bank and credit card company along with vast holdings in other areas, drives Rolls Royces, but only used ones. He flatly refuses to buy new and get clipped. Here I go boring you again.
Bill
But one nice thing came of it. I rented a Dodge Grand Caravan with everything on it but an automatic douche and after I picked the old lady up she says, " Oh this is nice, we have to get one of these."
I replied," I ain't buying no new van." She replies," Well you don't have to, I'll buy it." " You just take my checkbook and go find one and buy it."
To which I replied, " Well okay, since you put it that way."
Now she is on my butt every day to go find one. But the weather has been crappy so have a good excuse not to. Besides, even though my van is old it only has 70,000 miles on it. I don't generally get rid of one until it's got a 100,000 to 150,000 on it, unless it starts nickle and diming me to death. I like to get my moneys worth.
I ran into a guy the other day driving a sixty something Volks Beetle with 450,000 miles on it and he drove it every day. Man was it ratty but run great. I have never bought a new car in my life as I don't believe in it. Learned a long time ago from some very wealthy folks, including car dealers I worked for, that the single worst investment you can make in your life is to buy a new car, and worse if you finance it. Even if you pay cash for one soon as you drive it off the lot it becomes a "used car" and you have lost $5000-$8000 in those few seconds. It's just real lousy arithmetic.
So I've always bought used, usually a year old, after the first owner took the big hit for depreciation, recalls, etc. And I've always paid cash, so no hit for financing. Since I worked in the car business I know how to buy cars for many bucks lower than the asking price. I have purchased cars, drove them for a year or so, and sold them for $500 more than I paid for them. When I bought this last van when it was a year old I bought it for $5000 under book. Dealers all over town wanted $17,000 and there abouts for one just like it. I bought it for just what the owner owed on it, $11,900 - with four years of warranty left on it. He started out advertising it for $15,995.
This is the first problem I have ever had with it so ain't anxious to unload it but if Momma wants to blow her money who am I to argue, but I did convince her to buy a new 2006, which all the dealers are trying to unload now for about half what they cost one year ago - so I still win and stick to my time honored tradition.
Sorry to rave on but I can't go tecting so got to jack my jaws about something. Hope I didn't bore you to tears.
PS.
What's real funny is that really rich people who have no one to impress or even care to, all drive old cars. Bill Gates drives an eight year old car and his partner, Paul Allen, drives one older than that. Ross Perot drove an old car. John Givens who owns Wachovia Bank and credit card company along with vast holdings in other areas, drives Rolls Royces, but only used ones. He flatly refuses to buy new and get clipped. Here I go boring you again.
Bill